Souteast Regional Park Planning Meetings Scheduled

The next step towards developing the Southeast Regional Park, individually known as the A. Perry Philips Park and the Gans Creek Recreation Area, begins next week with the first of two public meetings.

Both meetings as scheduled below will be held in the meeting rooms at the Activity and Recreation Center (ARC), 1701 West Ash Street.

• Wednesday, December 10, 2008 7:00 pm
• Wednesday, January 7, 2009 7:00 pm

Meetings will begin at 7:00 pm with a 30-45 minute presentation by park staff and following the presentation, staff will be available for comments and discussion. Participants will be asked to submit comments on specific forms that may be turned in during the meeting or at a later date.

These meetings are designed to introduce two concept plans as developed by park planners. These plans were created using information derived from two public meetings in November 2007, seven interested parties meetings in December 2007 and comments from a web based survey. Park planners also evaluated current facilities and compared them to future needs of the department and those that use the parks and facilities. A park natural resource inventory was conducted by staff from the Missouri Department of Natural Recources and these plans were developed in conjunction with their comments. These plans are available for viewing at the following location:

• Regional Park Plan Option 1
• Regional Park Plan Option 2

The natural resouce inventory is available for public viewing on the P&R Department's Southeast Regional Park Planning website. Much more information is available on this website as noted below.

• Report on the Natural Features Inventory of the Crane Property
• Philips and Gans Creek Parcel Tracts
• Council Report regarding Southeast Regional Park Planning Process 11/20/08
• Initial Regional Park Planning PowerPoint Presentation 11/8/07 and 11/12/07

For current information and updates, please join our Regional Park Planning Web Mail. Click here for the Web Mail link.

Two Historic Homes Move to Nifong Park

There's an excellent article in today's Missourian on the relocation of the Ryland House and the Lustron House. If you haven't see either one of these, please take time to look at the article. These are unique homes and will make quite an impact at Nifong Park.

More info on the all-steel Lustron houses may be found at:
-The Lustron Home
-Wikipedia
-Lustron documentary film

Douglass Park Improvements-Sprayground & Baseball

The department is getting ready to introduce park improvements at Douglass Park. These improvements include the construction of a "sprayground" and renovation of the baseball field.

The sprayground will certainly be a unique feature in Douglass. When the Douglass Pool is open for use, the sprayground will only be available to those that pay their $1.00 entry fee and enter the pool. When the pool is closed, we will have gates that will open to the park and allow park users to enter the sprayground area, but not the pool. This is done to provide aquatic experiences for a longer period of time. For example, Douglass Pool usually opens after school lets out and closes in mid-August. The sprayground will be open from May to the end of September providing park users more opportunities to enjoy themselves.

Improvements to the Douglass baseball field include grading work, new fence down the foul lines, additional storage for equipment and additional lighting. This program has grown over the years almost to the point of needing additional fields.

Our department strongly believes that positive activities will deter negative activities from happening. Last year we rarely had problems during the baseball league games and when the pool was open. There was just too many people there that cared about the parks. Research has shown that the worst thing you can do to prevent crime is to let the facilities deteriorate or shut them down. That only makes it less inviting to those that want to enjoy themselves.

There are more users coming back to the park as well. For example, we had 5,626 visits to the pool in 2008. This is a 54.73% increase over the 3,636 visits in 2007. Plus, 2008 was one of the worst seasons for pool use due to all of the rain!

Check out the proposed improvements and if you have any comments, please don't hesitate to post them or send them our way.

Former ASA Chief Wins National Award

As reported in the Springfield News-Leader, fellow parks and recreation professional Dan Kinney received a national award at the National Recreation and Park Association's annual 2008 conference in Baltimore, MD.

Former Springfield-Greene County, Missouri Park Department Director Dan Kinney has been recognized by the National Recreation and Park Association for his contributions to parks and recreation.

Kinney received the 2008 National R.O.S.E. Award during the association’s convention in Baltimore. As a R.O.S.E winner (Recognition Of Significant Efforts) Kinney was recognized for his efforts in “going the extra mile” to advance parks and recreation during his tenure, according to a news release.

A panel of parks and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experiences and knowledge in parks and recreation on both local and national levels.

Kinney retired in January 2006 after serving 35 years with the department. He became director in 1977. During his tenure, the parks system grew from 33 parks and recreation facilities in 1971 to 88 in 2005, with more than 75 miles of linear park trails.

Columbians know Dan Kinney primarily for his work as the state director of the Missouri Amateur Softball Association. He has since passed this on to Joey Rich.

Atkins Baseball Field Lights

We're getting close to getting the new Atkins Park baseball complex ready for the 2009 spring season. The lights were tested last week and are performing to our high expectations.

These are MUSCO Sports Lights and represent state of the art technology with their "Light Structure-Green" product. As you can see from the actual photo of our park planners testing the lights, these lights are designed to minimize any spill lights either outside of the field or lighting up the night sky. So, if you live in the area and are concerned with the ball field lights, this photo shows how mimimal their impact will be.

These two fields are going to be two of the best baseball fields in Columbia and we're really looking forward to next season.

Check back often for updates.

Winter Trout Program Restored!!!

For the past five years, the City of Columbia sponsored 50% of the funding required to conduct a winter trout fishing program in Cosmo-Bethel Park. The amount of this contribution ranged from $2,200-$2,600. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, funding in the amount of $2,600 was removed in a budget amendment dated September 25, 2008.

Once board members of the local Mid-Missouri Chapter of Trout Unlimited organization heard about the cancellation of the program, they agreed to pick-up the City's portion through the use of Chapter funds and private donations. The Missouri Department of Conservation agreed to continue their sponsorship of 50% of the program and together, the 2008-2009 winter trout program will proceed as originally planned. Total cost of this program ranges from $5,000-$6,000 depending on the number and size of the trout stocked.

Funding for the 2009-2010 winter trout season is uncertain at this time. In order to provide time for the vendors to raise fish for this program a funding decision must be made prior to May 1, 2009.

If you'd like to help out and possibly donate funds for the trout program, please contact the Mid-Missouri Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Dead Carp at Twin Lakes--No Concern

On Monday morning, November 3, we counted 11 dead carp on Monday and immediately contacted the Missouri Dept of Conservation asking them to check it out. Since carp was the only fish found dead by our staff and theirs, it at least shows that the water quality is not the cause. Carp is the last fish to die in cases of poor water quality and other contaminants.

Had there been gizzard shad, bass, catfish or other species, we and MDC would be very concerned. One explanation offered by MDC was that these fish were either caught by fishermen and just tossed back in mortally wounded or that some private individual tried to stock the lake with fish from another lake.

Wish I had a better explanation, but I'm afraid I don't have the answer.

However, we're watching it very closely.

Cascades and Smiley Lane Park Plans

The department is ready to proceed with City Council approval of the park master plans for the Cascades and Smiley Lane Parks. Our goal is to introduce the plans at the November 17 Council meeting and schedule a public hearing on Monday, December 1.

These plans would not be possible without the help of everyone that attended the park interested parties meetings and those that took the time to check out our website and send us comments. We take great pride in the fact that our parks are planned and developed in cooperation with neighbors and park users.

Check back for updates on the process.

Proposed Southeast Regional Park Master Plan Comming Soon!

Park planning staff is getting ready to publicly release draft master plans for the Philips Lake Park and the Gans Creek Recreation Area (purchased from the Crane family). Together, these two tracts of land satisfies the City's needs for a regional park in the southeast.

If you'd like to receive a copy or be directed when they are available, please go to our webmail site and add your email address to the "Regional Park" listserve.

Here is a presentation that we conducted during the regional park planning process.

Got some questions about how these parks were funded and where the money came from? Check out our Question and Answer site.

Barrow's Comments Undeserved

In the Tribune article mentioned earlier about Cunningham Road, I have some concerns over comments made by City P&Z Chairman Jeff Barrow. As noted in the 10/26/08 article, Mr. Barrow voiced support for removing Cunningham from the City's long range road plan and for leaving the park in a natural state. The park land was donated by the Garland Russell family and is commonly known as Bonnie View Park.

"This is a remarkable opportunity for the city," Barrow said. "We need to keep an eye on the parks and rec. That profession wants to meet multiple uses and turn everything into something they can take to a conference. I don’t want to disparage them for that ambition, … but there is a chance for a natural park, a natural animal center, where people are just visitors. I think it would be appropriate to remove a" planned "road running through it." (Tribune, 10/26/08)

What Mr. Barrow probably didn't know was that our department had conducted multiple planning meetings, including a detailed citizen survey to develop four park master plan options for the development of the Bonnie View Park. All development options call for the park to remain fairly natural keeping with the intent and desires of the Russell family, citizen survey results and public meeting comments. Park master plans may be seen at the Russell/Bonnie View Park website.

For Mr. Barrow to imply that our department just wants to turn everything into a "conference" showcase is completely out of line. We take pride in our efforts to solicit public input in all of our park master plans. When tax dollars are used for park purposes, we feel that it is important to meet the needs of the citizens. Leaving the park untamed with no development would mean that the park becomes just a backyard extension for those that live adjacent or near the park. We also recognize the importance of meeting the needs of special interest groups such as the various athletic leagues and environmental organizations. There has to be a balance between the "flatten it for fields" groups and the "tree hugger" groups that want it left untamed.

All four park master plan options call for a natural park, yet they provide enough developed areas to allow all Columbians a chance to visit the park. We're glad that Mr. Barrow is keeping an eye out for us but just wish he would pay closer attention to what we actually do. Maybe then he won't feel the need to disparage us in the Tribune.

Cunningham Road and Bonnie View Park

Sunday's Tribune contains an article about the future plans for the extension of Cunningham Road through the former Garland Russell tract, currently known as Bonnie View Park. The article, titled, P&Z Suggests Cutting Planned Road in Parkland, documents the Planning and Zonings recommendation to remove Cunningham from the City's long range road plan. The Missourian, in an article on October 23, 2008, documented the P&Z Commission actions as well.

The City's long range road plan is manged by CATSO. The Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization (CATSO) was created in 1974 and designated as a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) by the Governor of Missouri. As the designated MPO, the Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization is responsible for ensuring a coordinated transportation planning process with the Metropolitan area.

It was during the Russell property park master plan process that the future of Cunningham Rd became an issue. The P&R Department, through a series of public meetings and surveys, presented four options for the development of the Russell tract.

Option A: Shows access to the park on the north from Rollins Road and on the east from a new access road from Fairview Road.

Option B: Identical to Option A on the north, but shows Weaver Drive, a local street stub off Bray Avenue, extended into the park from the south.

Option C: Shows Cunningham Road extended from Bray Avenue on the south through the park connecting to Rollins Road on the north.

Option D: Identical to Option C, but adds a connecting road from Cunningham Road west to Fairview Road.

The Parks and Recreation Commission voted to recommend Option A to the City Council. However, the issue will likely be renewed and the public will be given further opportunities for comments. The removal of Cunningham Road is the first step in reaching a Council consensus for the development of the Russell tract.

Don't Plant that Pear Tree!

Today's Missourian has an excellent article regarding our educational efforts to rid our city of the Callery Pear Trees. Missourian reporter Becky Anderson wrote about our "Stop the Spread!" program designed to prevent the further planting of the Callery Pear trees including varieties such as Bradford, Chanticleer, Aristocrat, and Capital.

Anderson writes "Callery pears are generally selected for their teardrop shape, vibrant white blossoms, manageable size and because they are relatively easy to transplant. This tree, however, is seen by some as more of a headache than a gem. Bad branch angles and heavy branches make the species susceptible to splitting, which is dangerous around roads and power lines. Ornamental pear trees are often the first to come down in heavy storms and snow."

However, the real problem is that these are non-native, invasive trees that will ultimately take over open fields. A great example of this is on Scott Boulevard between Smith Drive (The Hamlet Subdivision) and Christian Fellowship Road. This once open field is now filled with Callery Pears.

This Chinese import is so bad, it was recognized as the "Weed of the Week" by the U.S. Forest Service. Invasion.org even states "Do not plant Bradford pear."

In the Plainfield Trees blog, Gregory Palermo documents many pear trees and the problems associated with them. He further states that even trimming the branches is not much of a help.

"That sort of pruning is not at all easy to do in an effective and attractive way because all of the major limbs typically spring from the trunk at roughly the same height above ground. Worse, as the tree gets larger, those closely spaced branch points intersect each other. The corrective pruning, to the extent that it can be done, tends to eliminate the symmetry of the crown that is one of the tree's attractions."

Alternatives to plant include chokecherry, dogwood and redbud. As you look at planting new trees this fall, please consider one of these alternate choices.

When do Park Facilities Close for the Winter?

October marks the time when many parks and outdoor facilities find their use slowly decreasing with each drop of the thermometer. Outdoor swimming pools have already closed and park staff has already began winterizing these facilities.

What do we mean by winterizing? First, many of our park restrooms, pool bathhouses, and concession stands do not have heat. If it gets below freezing, we run the risk of water lines and valves breaking causing several thousand dollars worth of damage. Therefore, before the temperatures start to freeze, we begin to close these facilities by draining the water from all vulnerable lines.

When do facilities close? Generally speaking, our goal is to have all non-heated facilities closed by October 15. This date is a fairly standard closing date for many municipalities in Missouri. As the date approaches, we begin watching the long range weather forecasts and if it appears that we can extend the closing date, we will. For example, this year, Oct 15 is on a Wednesday. We may try to stretch the closing date to Monday, Oct 20 so that we can get one more weekend use out of the facilities. It all depends on the forecast. All facilities are re-opened by April 15.

There are times when Missouri temps will be unseasonably warm even in December and January so why don't we just unlock the restrooms during those warm days? It's not as simple as just turning the water back on and unlocking the door. In addition to draining the lines, we also disassemble all of the stainless steel valves and add RV antifreeze to the lines. This takes about 8 hours of labor per each restroom and a bit longer to reassemble and safely remove the antifreeze.

When do specific facilities close? It varies depending on the facility and use. For example, the concession/restroom facilities located at the Rainbow Softball Center, soccer and the Antimi complexes remain open until their respective seasons end, usually around the first of November. Park staff uses electric heaters to prolong the use of these facilities.

Most restrooms and drinking fountains close October 15. This includes the new restrooms at Kiwanis Park and Fairview Park.

The Stephens Lake Park Sprayground is closed from October 1 to April 30. We have found that the cooler temperatures drastically reduce the use of these facilities. The one exception may be the Flat Branch Park Sprayground. It is kept open until the conclusion of the Roots-N-Blues BBQ Festival. For 2008, this sprayground is closed Monday, October 6.

Nifong Park restroom closes on November 1.

The department is constructing three new restrooms, 2 in Cosmo Park and 1 in Cosmo-Bethel Park that are similar to the restrooms at Stephens Lake Park. These new restrooms will be heated. The Burford/Dexheimer restroom will close on November 1. The Nickell/Lamb restroom will remain open year round. For the 2008-09 winter season, the Cosmo-Bethel restroom will remain open. The use of this restroom will be evaluated and it may be one that is closed on Nov 1, 2009.

In addition to the Cosmo Nickell/Lamb restroom, the following restrooms will remain open all winter:

Stephens Lake Park: Collins and Gordon restroom

MKT Trailhead Restrooms: Forum Blvd and Scott Blvd

Dead Fish at Twin Lakes, No Cause for Concern

We received an email from a dog owner that frequently uses Twin Lakes and in a recent visit, found several dead bait fish along the banks of the large lake. The owner was concerned that we may be using chemicals to treat the water or weeds along the shoreline.

Our department prides itself on being an eco-friendly, green operation. We try to maintain water quality through natural means whenever possible. Stephens Lake Park lake is a great example. We used to rely on chemicals such as Cutrine-Plus, an algicide to kill the blue/green algae (an algae that could be fatal to animals such as dogs) and AquaShade, a dye used to prevent growth of algae. However through management plans that included planting of aquatic shoreline plants; reducing the nutrients provided by geese feces; and the continued use of our aerators and fountains, we have not had to use any chemicals this year. We anticipate that the Stephens water quality will further improve once the construction of our water fall is completed.

The same goes for Twin Lakes. Our volunteer Columbia Aquatic Restoration Program (CARP) has planted over $10,000 worth of plants that we received from a grant. This and the continued use of the aerators, have enabled us to not use any chemicals.

I might also add that the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Environmental Protection Agency, both recognize the value of using Curtine-Plus to manage algae. MDC has a publication on algae control, Algae Control in Lakes and Ponds, that we use as a basis for our own program. They recognize that algae is a greater threat and must be controlled. Cutrine-Plus is a very safe product for both humans, pets and wildlife. It's one of the few products where you may swim immediately after application without any risk. Cutrine is widely used in drinking, irrigation, fishing and stock lakes as it has no restrictions. AquaShade, approved by the EPA, is a harmless, simple "blue" color dye used to prevent the growth of algae. We have only used AquaShade at Stephens Lake Park.

I mention this as should we ever encounter a significant blue/green algae bloom, we may need to use Cutrine or AquaShade to handle the problem. Hopefully, we won't ever have that situation arise.

We do not use chemicals for weed/shoreline management either, so any source of chemicals would have to come from the resident's yards located above the lake. With the amount of turf between the lake and the homes, I doubt many if any fertilizer or chemicals reach our lake.

The dead fish you see are Gizzard Shad. Gizzard Shad are known to have a weak system and can't tolerate low oxygen levels or changes in water temperatures. The week of Sept 22-26, 2008 was unseasonably warm and I'm sure that was part of the problem. The nervous systems of these fish are so sensitive, that even when caught by a net for bait, they will quickly die in the bait bucket. In fact, MO Dept of Conservation has actually posted a sign at the lake to inform park users that the dead fish is Gizzard Shad and not a sign of problems. This sign states:

"This lake contains a species of fish call Gizzard Shad. Gizzard Shad, by nature, are very fragile fish and prone to early spring die-offs. They stress easily and die from natural environmental factors that normally have little effect on other fish species. Some of the factors which help promote these die-offs include water temperature extremes and fluctuations, overpopulation and disease. Don't be alarmed if you see dead shad scattered around the shoreline during late spring or summer. It's a natural occurrence for lakes containing Gizzard Shad to experience these periodic die-offs. These fish will eventually be recycled through the aquatic ecosystem by natural processes."

What is up with that building in Field Park?

Ever wonder what is going on with the old red brick building that is located at on the corner of Field Neighborhood Park? This is the Heibel-March building and it is located at the northeast corner of Rangeline and Wilkes.

There is a great article in the Missourian that explains the current situation. We also have a brief history of the building posted on the park website.

What will become of this building is unknown at this time. There are several options which, include, but is not limited to the following;

1. Demolish the building as originally proposed.

2. Sell the building to a developer for retail opportunities.

3. Find another tenant to restore the building for community activities.

4. Use City funds to restore the building.

5. Combination of any of the above (except for number 1 of course).

Comments?

Trails Condition Report 9/30/09

The MKT Trail and the Hinkson Creek Trail are all repaired and in excellent condition.

The Bear Creek Trail is repaired except for the section between the Garth Ave access bridge and the wooden boardwalk. The normal low water crossing we use to access this site is still too wet and soft for our rock trucks and equipment (at least we were able to pull out our stuck truck).

The status of the trails outside of the City's jurisdiction is unknown. If you'd like to post your experience with the trails, please do so by using the comment option below.

MU Trail Condition Report 9/25/08

I don't have any direct contact with the University on the status of their trail, but we do have a report from one of our Park Patrol members.

In a 9/25/08, 7:00 am email, Chris I. writes:

"The MU portion of the trail that connects from the MKT Trail to the bridge to the east of the soccer fields (east of Providence Road) is still very badly damaged with no evidence of any attempts at repairs (particularly the underpass and just east of Providence Road). "

I'll try to find out further info and post an update later.

If you have any updates on this or any trails, please do not hesitate to post your comments as well. Thanks.

Trail Condition Updates: Thursday 9/25/08

Good news. Crews got further along than anticipated.

MKT Trail: All of the MKT Trail has been restored and rolled. The thing left to do here is to roll and compact the gravel on the Forum Nature Area Trail.

Hinkson Creek Trail: Some of it had been compacted prior to the roller breaking down. Will finish it on Monday, 09/29/08.

Bear Creek Trail: All of the base and subsurface rock has been placed. Most of this trail is still very soft so park crews are using the roller here today to compact the subsurface layer prior to adding the final 3/8-inch surface rock. Anticipate that we will be done with the BCT by the end of the day on Friday, 9/26/08. The exception is the area as noted below where we can't get trucks to this section of trail.

Bear Creek Trail--Garth to Creasy: Park staff can not get to the trail located between the Garth Nature Area and the boardwalk near Creasy Springs Road. The bridges were not designed to handle our trucks so we have to cross the creek. In doing so, we found that it is still too soft and got stuck. Unfortunately, this section of the trail has some severe wash-out areas and users should take note.

Trail Condition: County and State Update

We also get a lot of calls on the condition of the trails that are managed by the Boone County Public Works Department and the Missouri State Parks. Here's a quick update on the current conditions as reported by these agencies:

MKT--Scott Blvd to McBaine. Boone County Public Works is currently grading the trail and hope to have it restored by the end of the week. However, they are also sealing the wood on the bridges and have several of them closed. The goal is to have the bridges open by the end of the day on Friday, 9/26/08. The best way to find out current condition of the County owned trail sections is to call the County at 573-886-4400. This number is good Mon-Fri, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Katy Trail State Park--Missouri State Park. There is a website that posts current conditions of the Katy Trail. Unfortunately, it has not been updated since 9/19/08. In calling the Mo State Park phone number, 800-334-6946, I found that the water has receded, the trail is open, but still rough in some places. State Park staff is busy working on the trail now. No time table for when repairs may be completed.

Trail Condition Updates: Wed 9/24/08

The roller has been repaired and park staff will begin rolling the surface rock on Thursday morning. Please watch for maintenance staff and equipment. They may not see or hear you depending on the equipment they're operating.

Here's an update on the status of the City's trails:

MKT Trail: All holes have been filled, including the one pictured above near bridge #13. All trail areas, including the Forum Nature Trail have been resurfaced with rock. Park staff will begin rolling the trail Thursday, 9/25/08. Area of concern with loose gravel is between Forum Blvd access and the Twin Lakes Recreation Area.

Hinkson Creek Trail: Same as MKT. Trail has been resurfaced and staff will begin rolling it on Friday, 9/26/08.

Bear Creek Trail--Garth to Creasy: Park staff can not get to the trail located between the Garth Nature Area and the boardwalk near Creasy Springs Road. The bridges were not designed to handle our trucks so we have to cross the creek. In doing so, we found that it is still too soft and got stuck. If you read this by 2:45 pm today, you can still probably find our truck still there! Unfortunately, this section of the trail has some severe wash-out areas and users should take note.

For other areas of the Bear Creek Trail: All three-inch rock has been placed and compacted. Staff is adding the sub-surface 1-inch rollstone and should have that completed by the end of the day today. Plan is to have all of the final surface rock 3/8-inch trail mix, placed by the end of the day on Friday. We will start rolling this trail on Monday, 9/29/08. This trail should not be as loose as the MKT due to compaction of the vehicles.

Bear Creek Trail Work Underway

On Monday, 9/22/08, park crews began rebuilding the Bear Creek Trail. By the end of the day Monday, all of the 3-inch base rock had been placed and graded out. See photos above.

Park staff started adding the 1-inch subsurface rock on Tuesday morning and should have most it installed by the end of the day.

The final top layer of rock will be added on Wednesday.

If all goes well, the trail should be completely restored by the end of the day on Wednesday.

TreeKeepers help out at Westwinds Park

In addition to having park staff work on the trails this weekend, we also had a TreeKeeper volunteer project at Westwinds Park. In addition to helping plant trees, prune existing trees and begin some honeysuckle removal, volunteers also assisted with the rebuilding of the Westwinds Trail.

What are TreeKeepers? The TreeKeeper program trains volunteers in proper care and maintenance of trees in exchange for the donation of at least 36 volunteer hours for City of Columbia tree care projects. All projects are scheduled on Saturday mornings. Training includes the following subjects, with Saturday labs:

• Tree identification
• Exotic & Vegetation Management
• Insects
• Disease and Soils
• Right Tree, Right Place
• Pruning Trees

Not only will you gain book knowledge, but you also will receive field training and experience to reinforce what you have learned. After completion of the course, you will be provided with opportunities to put your new knowledge into action in very visible ways, making a difference in your city.

TreeKeepers receive an official TreeKeeper polo shirt, a coupon for a large ball & burlap tree, and a signed certificate when they have fulfilled 36 hours of volunteer service to tree projects.

The 2009 class will be held Thursday, January 22, 6 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, January 24, 8 a.m. to noon and Tuesday, January 27, 6 to 8 p.m.

TreeKeepers applications are available here: 2009 TK Application Form

What was Cosmo Park before it was a Park?

Most long time Columbians or history buffs know that the Columbia Cosmopolitan Recreation Area (or as most of us know it--Cosmo Park), once was the home of the regional airport. In fact the main roads in Cosmo are the former airport runways.

When the airport decided to relocate to its' current location between Columbia and Jefferson City, the Columbia City Council had to make a decision on what to do with the old airport property. There were many letters to the editor stating either that the land should be sold for development (it was too far out for a park many claimed) or kept for a park. Thank goodness the City Council decided to keep the land as I'd hate to think of our park system without Cosmo Park.

Anyway, this topic is back in the news as Don Adams and Don Miles are seeking to preserve an old airport light beacon that used to be in Cosmo Park. The photo above is from today's Missourian and you may check out the article at the Missourian website or in newsprint.

Weekend Trail Work: Sunday 9/21

Park trail crews were busy working on the trail when the drive train for the roller broke leaving about half of the Hinkson Creek Trail un-rolled.

Park mechanics will check out the roller on Monday and hopefully, we'll be back in business shortly afterwards.

Trail Update: 9/19/08, 4:15 pm

MKT Trail: All trail areas, including the Forum Nature Trail has been resurfaced with rock. Park staff will begin rolling the trail early Saturday, 9/20/08 morning. Staff spent more time than anticipated repairing the bridge approaches on #12. Will begin working on bridge #13 Monday.

Hinkson Creek Trail: Same as MKT. Trail has been resurfaced and staff will begin rolling it on Saturday morning.

Please watch for maintenance staff and equipment. They may not see or hear you depending on the equipment they're operating.

Bear Creek Trail: Underpasses have been cleaned out and most of the heavy mineral deposits (sand, mud, rock, ect) have been removed. We had hoped to begin hauling rock today, but the work on MKT Bridge #12 took longer than anticipated. Will start on Monday, 9/22/08. Trail is open but users should be aware that the trail surface is rough, uneven and has depressions.

Trail Status Updates: Friday

We will use this blog to update the status of the trails simply because I can access it from home and am able to quickly post updates. This is especially helpful as we will have park staff working this weekend on the trails.

MKT Trail: The MKT Trail repair is nearing completion. The Forum Nature Area has been resurfaced and should be completed by the end of the day if not sooner. All holes near bridges have been filled and compacted. However, please watch approaches to bridges as there may still be some settling.

Hinkson Creek Trail: Nearly 20 downed trees have been removed. Mud has been cleaned off and surface rock as been added. Trail repairs should be substantially completed by today.

Bear Creek Trail: Downed trees and limbs have been removed. Park staff started removing soil and mud from trail surface. We anticipate that we will start adding rock to the trail this afternoon. Trail still has rough areas so users should be cautious.

Blog will be updated as we hear reports back from staff.

Trail Flood Photos

We've prepared a presentation that documents the damage caused to the MKT, Bear Creek and Hinkson Creek trails. It's posted on our website, but be careful, it's a large 3.5 mg document.

Rock Quarry Park Improvements Meeting

Park planners have scheduled a planning meeting for interested parties to give input and learn more about proposed improvements to Rock Quarry Park, including the addition of basketball and tennis courts.

The meeting will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at the park, 2002 Grindstone Parkway. We will meet at the south end of the parking lot opposite of the playground. Look for a small tent.

The original Rock Quarry Park Master Plan included the development of two tennis courts and a single full-sized basketball. These amenities were not funded in original construction budget. If you want to see the proposed location of the courts, check out our Capital Improvement website.

At the meeting, residents will be able to give feedback on the design and development of park improvements. Park planners also will be on hand to share preliminary concept plans and answer questions.

Flooded Parks and Trails in the News

Check out these recent stories on the parks and trails that were impacted by the September 11-13, 2008 rains:

Tribune 9/15/08: Water plays havoc with low-lying businesses
KMIZ-TV: Flooded Trails Costly to Fix, by Stephanie Schaefer

Watch this site later for photos on the damage.

Neighborhood Park Planning Underway

Check out today's Missourian for an excellent article on the new parks in the Grasslands, Cascades and Smiley Lane-Vanderveen neighborhoods. These parks were funded in the 2005 Park Sales Tax ballot issue.

If you want to see the actual plans for these parks check out our website at the below links:

Grasslands
Cascades
Smiley Lane-Vanderveen

Trails and Parks Closed Due to Flooding

It's really going to be nice to write something that doesn't involve rain, but unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case for a while.

As of Monday morning, the MKT Trail, Bear Creek Trail and the Hinkson Creek Trail all have significant water over the trail. Users should not attempt to use these areas until the water has receded and park crews are able to assess and repair the damage.

Additionally, the Twin Lakes Recreation Area is closed due to water over the entry road. The Bear Creek Nature Trail, located in the back or north end of Cosmo Park, has water over multiple sections of the trail.

Unfortunately, this doesn't just impact public recreation areas. Flooding has temporarily closed the Perche Creek Golf Course including the driving range, batting cages and go-carts. Wilson's indoor soccer facility located off of Forum Blvd has several feet of water in the facility and appears to be closed until further notice.

Check out the video from KMIZ-TV's Brynn Gingras on the flood's impact.

The Wizard of Oz Moved Indoors Tonight

Mother Nature 1, Parks & Recreation 0 (OK...it's more like 100-0, but you get the point)

Mother Nature wins again.

Due to the rain, the last movie in the Stephens Lake Outdoor Cinema Series scheduled for tonight September 12 will be moved indoors to the Stephens Lake Activity Center. The Center is at 2311 E. Walnut, just north of Stephens Lake Park.

The movie to be shown tonight is The Wizard of Oz, at 7:45 p.m. The price is $3 per person; children 6 and under are free. Bring a blanket or lawn chair if desired. Folding chairs will be available.

Movie-goers are encouraged to come early to enjoy pre-show entertainment from Chris Hatfield, starting at 7 pm. Also, bring a camera to get a picture with the characters from the movie.

The Outdoor Cinema Series is sponsored by Columbia Parks and Recreation, the Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau and U.S. Cellular.

Call Parks and Recreation at 874-7460 for more information or visit the Special Events page at www.GoColumbiaMo.com/ParksandRec.

How many games got cancelled this summer?

That's a question that we usually never get asked....until this year.

Check out these stats as provided by Carol Riney, Sports Supervisor.

Depending on whether Friday gets rained out (as this will increase Rainbow stats because that's are last summer league games):

For summer leagues only:
- 5.5 tournaments were canceled due to the rain
- 36 different league nights were affected by rain

During these 36 nights there were:
- 28 hours of rental time for practice at Rainbow during the week prior to season
- 430 games at Antimi were rained out - 236 of these games were not made up
- 665 games at Rainbow were rained out - 174 of these games were not made up

This is the first time we have never made up all games for the adult leagues at Rainbow. Those teams that were impacted were given several choices such as playing make-up games on other nights, playing in a tournament, or receive a letter of credit for the missed games. Overwhelmingly, the teams wanted a letter of credit.

Fall leagues are not starting off any better. So far, 32 games have been cancelled at Antimi.

In looking at the Old Farmer's Almanac long range weather forecast for our area, they're calling for alternating weeks of sun and rain.

Let's hope things improve for the remaining of the season.

It's Raining so it must be Thursday

I could not believe it when I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, especially when the forecast was for rain later in the day. If the rain keeps up as it appears and we have to cancel, this will be the fifth consecutive Thursday night that has had soccer, softball or baseball games cancelled. Each year it seems that Mother Nature selects one night of the week to pick on. Unfortunately, this year it has been Thursday followed closely by Friday.

For those of you that play on Thursday/Friday, this is the last week of summer leagues for our adult softball program. Once this is week is over, we'll calculate the actual number of games that have been rained out so check back later to see the results. I'm sure the number will set all new records. We have never had this many rainouts.

If you haven't signed up for our email listserves, please do so on our webmail page. It's easy to subscribe and easy to unsubscribe. This email is only for City use and you will not receive any advertisements or spam. You may sign up for any number of cancellation notices or information on our recreation programs. It's the easiest way to receive notifications on sports cancellations.

Our tried and true hotline phone number is 573-874-7663. Press "1" for cancellations....don't wait on the voice message. Just press "1" as soon as it answers.

Anyway, for those of you that play ball (or should I say, "played ball?") on Thursdays, thank you for your patience and understanding. If you're playing in the fall leagues on Thursday night, let's just hope that Mother Nature decides to fairly distribute the precipitation.

Rainbow Batting Cages will be Replaced for 2009

As mentioned earlier here, some punks thought it would be fun to tear up the batting cages at the Rainbow Softball Center. There was a lot of consideration given to not replacing them due to the amount of maintenance these machines require.

However, with the help of feedback from our softball league players, it was decided to go ahead and begin the process of replacing the elevator, token boxes and the four pitching machines. We'll put the items out for bid this month and should take delivery on the new equipment by the end of October or early November. Park staff will do the install and by the start of the 2009 spring season, Rainbow league players will have brand new pitching machines.

We'll also look at how we can better secure the machines so that this doesn't happen again in the future. Thanks again for your comments!

Springfield Cave Tours Cancelled due to Bats

Quick question: What is a group of bats called? answer below in bold

A large number of gray bats were discovered on a recent cave tour in Springfield's parks and caused the cancellation of the remaining tours. As reported in the 09/08/08 Springfield News-Leader newspaper, Outdoor Initiatives staff member Scott Hootman states "Sure enough we got about 300 feet into the cave and there was a very big population -- I'm guessing 1,000 to 1,500 bats right above the stream." The tours, given in boats, have been cancelled for now.

Most cave tours are sponsored in the late summer to early fall to avoid problems with distrubing the bats. Staff at the the Rock Bridge State Park sponsors several tours beginning in August and ending in early October. Complete tour information may be found at the RBSP website. If you haven't been in the Devil's Ice Box, it's certainly something you should do before leaving Columbia. A cave tour experience into the Devil's Ice Box can be found at the KC Grotto website.


As indicated on the Missouri Department of Conservation's website on gray bats, human distrubance can cause the bats to lose 20-30 days of stored fat greatly increasing mortality among the colony.

The gray bat is listed ENDANGERED by the Missouri Department of Conservation and ENDANGERED by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

VP Candidate Joe Biden at the ARC Tuesday

What in the world does a political speech have to do with the parks? Three answers: logistics, logistics and logistics. As Monday's Tribune and Missourian report, vice presidential candidate Joe Biden will be speaking at the Activity and Recreation Center (ARC) at 9:30 am Tuesday morning. Over 1,000 tickets have been distributed so the department is expecting a huge crowd.

Getting ready for this event has kept parks and recreation (P&R) staff busy since Sunday afternoon. The speech will be held in the ARC gym so protection of the gym floor is a must. Floor covers were brought over from the Armory Sports Center and were put in place Monday afternoon. Banners are being hung from the railings, ceiling, and walls so the ARC aerial lift has been kept busy.

Parking is the critical issue. The ARC has 295 parking spaces plus there's about another 100-110 at the Farmer's Market site. If we could talk all attendees to come 4-5 to a car that would be ideal. However, knowing that won't happen, we're encouraging everyone to park at the Gerbes parking lot and walk on over to the ARC. The doors open at 7:30 am, but because of the bus parking for all of the West Junior High students, we are asking the people refrain from arriving until 8:00 am. This will allow all of the buses time to vacate the ARC and free up valuable parking spaces.

For a map of the ARC and Farmer's Market parking lot, go to our ARC website.

There will be a few other traffic issues as Tuesday's Missourian indicates. We won't even begin to discuss the security issues with the Secret Service as well, you know, they're secret! It's just safe to say that there will be significant security and that attendees should follow the rules as posted on the tickets: no coats, bags, back packs, etc.

Unfortunately, there will be some inconvenience for ARC users. The gym closed at 1:00 pm on Monday and will be closed until 3:00 pm on Tuesday to allow for set-up and take down of the stage, electronic equipment, chairs, banners, etc. During the speech, the running track around the gym will be closed, but a shorter alternate route will be available. The pool, cardio, weights, aerobics, and meeting rooms will operate as usual.

This is a great chance to show the nation a P&R facility that Columbians are proud to call their own. The ARC is an excellent example of how a municipally funded facility can operate and cover all of the related expenses through fees and charges. And for those of you that are wondering, yes, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is paying for all of the rentals and any extra work above normal rental rates. The staff of the DNC has been great to work with and we appreciate their understanding of our need to recover costs.

Rain Gardens Work!!!

While the excess rain has caused problems in many other areas, it has at least allowed the department to demonstrate the effectiveness of rain gardens.

What are rain gardens?

Simply, rain gardens are designed to collect the storm water and allow it to slowly filter out into the watershed. Without rain gardens, rain water rushes from streets and parking lots into small ditches which eventually leads to streams and creeks. Unchecked, these flows cause problems such as flash floods, erosion and carries chemicals, fertilizers, and animal waste into the watershed.

Rain gardens are also attractive landscaped areas. Native plant species are planted to help filter and clean the water.

The department currently has demonstration rain gardens at Flat Branch Park, Louisville Park, and Stephens Lake Park.

The photos above show how the rain gardens in Louisville Park fill up and slowly allow the water to percolate into the watershed. The rain gardens are constructed to allow extremely heavy rains such as those in July to spill out without damaging the structure.

Kansas City is currently sponsoring a 10,000 Rain Garden Initiative. Mayor Kay Barnes, Johnson County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Annabeth Surbaugh and Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields came together to call for regional participation in the environmental initiative called 10,000 Rain Gardens. The goal is to actively engage homeowners, churches, businesses, non-profits and schools in a voluntary effort to reduce wet weather problems such as flooding, sewer backups and dangerous pollution of our streams and rivers. This site is a valuable resouce for any homeowner interested in creating their own rain garden.

http://www.rainkc.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.home/index.htm

For more information on how to build your own rain garden, follow this link:

http://www.marc.org/Environment/Water/pdfs/raingardens.pdf

Rainbow Softball Center Pitching/Batting Cages

Thanks to some vandals that just want to destroy something for the pure excitment of destruction, the Rainbow Softball Center pitching/batting cages are closed indefinitely.

Sometime from 11:00 pm Saturday night, Aug 23 to 8:00 am Monday, Aug 25, vandals destroyed the central elevator, distribution pipes and all related wires. It's a wonder they didn't receive an electrical shock!!! Unfortunately, just to replace the elevator alone is going to cost nearly $5,000 so the department is looking at options.

What do you think we should do?

1. Replace and repair what is needed to get it operational. Estimated cost $5,000.

2. Renovate the cage and replace the elevator, pitching machines and coin boxes. The existing equipment is about 13-14 years old. Estimated cost: $18,000

3. Add batting cages similar to what is found at Antimi and American Legion. No pitching machines, just let teammates pitch to each other.

4. Do nothing.

A few comments: Over the last 10 years (1998-2008), the machines generated a total of $57,984 in revenue and had about $14,000 in expenses. This resulted in a profit of $43,984 for the 10 year period. The machines do generate revenue.....as long as they're working!!!

Let us know what you think!

Stephens Lake Park Drowning

Below is an official statement regarding the unfortunate accident at Stephens Lake Park:

_____________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tammy Miller - (573) 874-7465
Parks and Recreation Statement Regarding Stephens Lake Drowning

COLUMBIA, MO (August 29, 2008) - The Columbia Parks and Recreation Department is deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident that occurred at Stephens Lake Park on Thursday, Aug. 28. The department extends its thoughts and sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Jared Isaiah Healea.

At this time, the drowning appears to be a tragic accident. The department wishes to inform park users that Stephens Lake Park and the lake itself remain open for public use.

The Parks and Recreation Department would like to remind park visitors that swimming is allowed in the marked, designated area only. Complete swimming beach rules and guidelines are posted on site. For the safety of all concerned, swimmers are strongly encouraged to follow these rules.

The swimming beach at Stephens Lake Park opened in August 2004. Since that time, thousands of residents have frequented the beach and swimming area. The drowning is the first to have occurred since the park opened to the public.

Stephens Lake and the swimming beach is an unguarded, swim at your own risk facility. This type of facility is widely used throughout the country. There is no admission fee. The lake is open from May 1 to Sept. 30 during daylight hours, from dawn to dusk.

Parks and Recreation staff drafted the master plan of Stephens Lake Park in 2001-02, which included the swimming beach. The need for public swimming was identified in the master planning process for the park. After considering various options, it was decided to develop the swimming area as an unguarded, swim at your own risk beach area similar to the public swimming beaches at Finger Lakes State Park, Lake of the Ozarks State Park and other parks.


Archived press releases can be viewed online at:
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Public_Comm/Public_Information/Press_Releases/

Thursday Night (8/28/08) Storm Damage

Mother Nature is certainly at it again. Thursday night's rain and high winds certainly caused us some problems. Throughout the day on Friday, reports kept coming in regarding trees and limbs on playgrounds, roads, trails and parks.

The photo above is at Stephens Lake Park where a limb fell on a portion of the Gordon Shelter Playground.

As bad as it is to lose a tree and some limbs, the messy problems were with the trash cans and port-a-pots blowing over and spilling their contents all over the parks. I think Cosmo Park took the worst hit in this regard. Nearly every trash can and portable toilet got blown over. Thank goodness we rent the port-a-pots and don't have to clean those!

Anyway, thank you to everyone who called in to report problems. This really helps us keep our crews moving as we don't have to spend a lot of time inspecting every park. By 7:30 am on Friday, we already knew about several problem areas all as a result of citizen assistance. Remember, the number to call and report any park problems is 573-874-7201. Program that number in your cell-phone!