Archive for the ‘Parks and Rec’ Category

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Week of meetings and sickness

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

It’s been a very busy week for us all. First is the weather, with this past weekend’s snow it’s been tough to get outside for any meaningful exercise. Plus it’s my meeting week, with the East CAC, RCAC, and Parks Board. To top it off, Hallie got sick this week, followed shortly by Travis (and our dog, Rocket, too). There have been a few nights with shallow sleeping, listening for the sound of kids in need of assistance.

The weekend’s approaching, though, and it might be a nice one with sun and temperatures close to 60. Just in time to save the day!

Posted in Checking In, Community, Parks and Rec, Weather | No Comments »

Planning Commission

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

I was nominated Tuesday for a seat on Raleigh’s Planning Commission. For those of you who don’t know, the Planning Commission is a volunteer board that makes major decisions on the city’s growth, including rezoning changes and development code. It’s a very important board. Our city councilors consider these appointments very, very carefully as the Commission works very closely with city leaders, city staff, developers, and community leaders. It may not quite be the major leagues in the realm of city politics, but it’s definitely triple-A ball.

Getting a seat on the Planning Commission has been my goal for quite some time. Lately, though, I’ve been totally focused on my work with the East CAC and the Parks Board. I wasn’t aware of this recent vacancy until I was encouraged to apply. It’s a huge responsibility and one that I do not take lightly. After some serious thought I put my hat in the ring.
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Posted in Community, Parks and Rec, Politics | 2 Comments »

Raleigh’s untamed greenway: Walnut Creek Trail

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Walnut Creek Greenway

The beautiful morning and the promise of a sunny afternoon in the mid 70s got us itching to go for another family bike ride. After considering a trip out to Durham’s American Tobacco Trail greenway, we opted instead to explore one greenway we’d never tried before, Southeast Raleigh’s Walnut Creek Trail.

Our goal was to start at the easternmost point possible and go as far west as we could. Worthdale Community Center seemed to be the trail’s official starting point but after reviewing the maps I decided the 8/10ths of a mile from there through the surrounding neighborhood to the paved greenway was not worth riding. I know what homes and sidewalks look like: I wans the trail!

We thus drove to the end of Little John Road and parked at its dead end. The residents of the house next to us gave us long looks through the storm door, making me think that they didn’t see many greenway users parking here. Though I felt the neighborhood was completely safe I decided that parking on the narrow neighborhood street was being too disruptive to the neighborhood. Next time I’ll look for a lot at one of the nearby community centers.
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Posted in Check It Out, Green, Parks and Rec, Weather | 3 Comments »

Plane crash

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Phantom_Electric

Travis got a beginner’s RC plane for his birthday and yesterday we decided to fly it for the first time. The family (plus dog) piled into the minivan and headed for Horseshoe Farm Park.

Horseshoe is the perfect place to fly an RC plane: a large, open, grassy field with few people around. I tied up the dog to the barn and the kids played nearby while Kelly assembled the plane. We warned the kids that this could end in disaster because it was the first time we flew and they seemed okay with it. We followed all the pre-flight checks, though the wind was a bit stronger than we anticipated. Ignoring this, Kelly hand-launched the plane into the wind as I cranked up the throttle.
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Posted in Checking In, Parks and Rec, Sports | 1 Comment »

Cheap Thoughts: Cookie fu

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

How many cookies is too many cookies?

Posted in Cheap Thoughts, Parks and Rec | 2 Comments »

Cookie Judge

Friday, September 18th, 2009

cookie_big

As part of my service on the board of the Mordecai Historic Park, I’ve been asked to be a “cookie judge” for Saturday’s Baking Contest. There are over 40 entries in this year’s baking contest, so I’m not so sure I won’t have a stomachache when we go to the They Might Be Giants concert later that afternoon. My fellow Parks board members sounded jealous of this assignment when I mentioned it last night, but I’m thinking the only recipe I’ll be interested in is a recipe for a ton of extra exercise the next day!

Come out and visit Mordecai Historic Park if you can. Once the judges have a taste, the contest entries will be distributed to the public. Dig in!

Posted in Check It Out, Community, Parks and Rec | Comments Off

Parks and rec in the news

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Today the N&O caught up with my Parks and Rec post from last week.

I’m happy to have scooped them, but I’m also glad the topic is getting wider coverage than MT.Net can provide.

Posted in MT.Net, Parks and Rec | Comments Off

Recession puts squeeze on parks and recreation

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

I found out last night that the City of Raleigh’s proposed budget includes cuts in the city’s Parks and Recreation budget which will result in less maintenance of greenways and roadsides, reduced staffing, and reduced hours at many facilities – including some facilities remaining closed one day per week.

According to the proposed Parks and Rec budget changes, hours will be reduced at a number of Parks facilities, with most facilities closing an hour earlier than normal during the weekdays. Some facilities, such as Pullen Arts Center and Sertoma Arts Center, will no longer be open on Sundays. Walnut Terrace Neighborhood Center will be open for four fewer hours during the weekday, opening at 2 PM rather than the usual 10 AM. Lake Johnson and Lake Wheeler waterfront operations will be closed on Mondays during the offseason. Boat rentals and concessions will no longer be available at Shelley Lake.
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Posted in Parks and Rec | 1 Comment »

Mordecai Historic Park Blast from the Past

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

We got back from Mordecai Historic Park’s Blast from the Past and had a terrific time! There were lots of kid-friendly things to do as well as lots of historic things to see. We watched as a team from a local antique automobile association put together a disassembled Model T in about than 8 minutes. We also watched a fashion show detailing the latest 19th century ladies fashions. We also got in a tour of the home and a tour of part of downtown Raleigh on the Mordecai trolley. It was a lot of tun!

Posted in Checking In, Parks and Rec, Reviews | Comments Off

Back from Fred Fletcher awards

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Tonight was the Fred Fletcher awards ceremony, during which I presented two awards: one to Mordecai Historic Park volunteer Beth Cobb and one to Cub Scout Pack 314 for their cleanup efforts on the Durant Nature Park greenway. I greatly enjoyed meeting all the great volunteers and finding out about all they do for the city. And Fletcher Theater is a beautiful facility. The event was a lot of fun.

There was one drawback from tonight, and one I seem to get more and more. Travis was excited to see me (briefly) home from work and asked hopefully if I could practice basketball with him. I had to tell him no because I had to get ready for the presentation. He didn’t seem outwardly disappointed, but I felt bad about turning him down.

Community service is all fine and good but too often it comes between me and my family. I don’t want to be remembered as the dad who never did anything with his family.

Posted in Parks and Rec, Politics | Comments Off

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