 |
 |
Parks & Rec Business
| parks + playgrounds DeKalb County Georgia When innovation and community spirit meet, good things happen By Linda Stalvey Editor’s Note: Marilyn Boyd Drew is the Director of Parks and Recreation for DeKalb County, Georgia, and the person on whose desk the buck stops when it comes to the success or failure of facilities and programs. Drew’s domain includes 6,000 acres of parkland. In this issue of Parks & Rec Business we will introduce you to Marilyn Boyd Drew and share some of her recent program accomplishments. In periodic future issues, we will follow her progress in developing new program facilities from blueprints to opening. generation or two removed from its rural roots, DeKalb County, Georgia, is coping with both increased population and demographic diversity, which is challenging its parks and recreation department to provide new and different types of leisure opportunities for its patrons. While this situation is not unique to DeKalb County (much of which is in the suburban Atlanta area) or to other suburban areas around the country, how they’re dealing with it is. In 2001, CEO Vernon Jones proposed and the population of 700,000 approved a $125 million bond issue to acquire new space. In 2005, the community approved another $97 million to renovate the existing parks (6,000 acres of parkland, 11 community centers, 12 swimming pools, 151 playgrounds, two golf courses, 108 tennis courts, 158 ball fields and 90 picnic pavilions) and develop new activities. Let’s Go To The Movies, Er, Park Marilyn Boyd Drew, Director, believes successful directors must provide a number of non-traditional recreation experiences the entire family can enjoy. Her newest program, Movies in the Park, certainly fits that bill. Though not directly requested by park patrons, Drew’s staff felt it was just the type of great program they were looking for, and, since the program launched, her staff’s intuition has been proven correct—a number of citizens have requested the movie series be brought to their communities. To pay for the equipment and cover operational costs, Drew initially thought she would secure corporate sponsorship, but later decided to take a different route. “We believed in the project to the point that, rather than running the risk of not being able to secure a sponsor to rent the equipment, we decided to purchase the equipment,” said Drew. “We purchased the equipment for less than $15,000, and now we are able to provide a service free to the public with all the amenities of an indoor theater.” For the premier program year, Drew chose 10 parks, two in each of the five commissioner districts. Movies were shown every other week May through mid-October, concessionaires were stocked with popcorn, hotdogs and ice cold slushes for movie- goers, and every effort was made to account for the diversity of the audience, even going so far as to show some movies with Spanish sub-titles (more movies will be shown this way next year). To make sure the movies were appropriate and interesting for all ages, Drew created a screening committee composed of parents, children and staff that eventually settled on showing Akeelah and the Bee, Last Holiday, Rebound, Madagascar, The Incredibles and Wallace & Grommett. Drew used the county website, DCTV television, flyers and posters in rec centers, libraries and other facilities to spread the word, and her efforts were rewarded—more than 150 people attended each showing, and one movie gathered more than 300. “We are drawing people into the parks that are not normally in the parks, like grandparents with grandchildren,” she said. In the end, more than 1,300 people viewed movies over the summer months—enough to allow Drew to discuss corporate support for next year’s movie program. Emphasis Fall! Once the kids are back in school, summer programs like Movies in the Park are replaced with fall programming. Two of Drew’s newest fall programs, cross-country and the Horror Trail, again show the diversity of recreational opportunities demanded by the patrons of DeKalb County. The cross-country program, entering its third season, is offered to children ages six to 18 and requires no prior experience. The program is run by Innocent Egbunike, a participant in the 1980 through 1992 Olympic Games and Nigerian coach in the 2000 Sydney games, and has grown from 15 children in the first year to more than 70 last year. Expectations are even higher this year. Runners practice in park locations across the county, providing exposure to a variety of terrain, and end the year with a county meet. Perhaps the most interesting and unintended consequence of this new program is its popularity with girls. As Drew says (and many mothers will agree), “This has been an excellent program to introduce girls to running.” Horror Trail is a perennial DeKalb County favorite. Operated at Arabia Mountain, a 2,000-acre nature preserve, the event offers children eight years and younger the opportunity to stroll the trail, meeting their favorite Super Heroes, participate in carnival games, or get their faces painted during the afternoon (2 to 6 p.m.). Their parents and older siblings have the chance to return that evening to brave the horrors of spooky characters and creepy sounds strategically placed along the path. It’s fun for all ages. Plans for the Future Looking forward, Drew, her staff and the greater community are excited about plans to build the county’s first multi-purpose recreation center with an indoor pool, skate park and family aquatic center—all funded by the Park bond passed in 2001 and 2005. Wade Walker Park is the location for the multi-purpose center with indoor pool. This facility, scheduled for completion in fall of 2008, will be built to accommodate competitive teams, water aerobics, lap swimming and other aquatic activities. The Browns Mill Park is the site of the family aquatic center, which will have a zero-depth entry with water features, sprinklers and a lazy river. The aquatic center is ready for contract award and construction with completion scheduled for next fall. Community anticipation is running high with both of these projects. If anticipation is high with the pool projects, it is at a fever pitch for the new skate park. It just might be that teenagers and young adults, who participated in the design of the new park, have a real sense of ownership with the project. “The young people were there with their skateboards, telling us what design features they wanted to see in the park,” said Drew. A staff member added that sometimes it was necessary to get an interpreter to translate the terms specific to the skater sport and culture. The skate park will be constructed with harder edges to accommodate BMX bikes in addition to the inline and board skaters. Although private companies have already offered, the department will manage the facility, regulate use and develop programs. Marilyn Boyd Drew and her staff certainly have their work cut out for them. Look for stories on DeKalb County’s progress in spring and late summer issues of Park & Rec Business. Linda Stalvey is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Parks & Rec Business who gave up Washington, D.C., public relations to indulge her passion for parks, environment and outdoor activities in Medina, Ohio. You can reach her at LStalvey1@verizon.net. |
All contents contained within this website may not be reproduced or disseminated without expressed written permission from the Publisher.