Playground Closed for Upgrade

The Newman Park playground will be closed through Friday while the City Parks and Recreation Department upgrades the bedding from sand to wood fiber.

Park Area Supervisor, Victor I. Flores, explained:

"We will be closing the modular playground for removal of all the sand fall surface. We will be replacing sand with engineered wood fiber. Construction fencing will be on site until the end of the project in 2-3 days. I expect to have the fencing removed as soon as the fall surface has been restored to playground standard. Sand removal in the turf perimeters will follow in days to come."

Large portions of the park turf have recently been buried by sand escaping from the playground. The causes of this "escape" are prevalent winds from the west-southwest and increased use of the park since the addition of swings and additional tables and benches.

Parks and Recreation was recently notified that a subcontractor hired to do clean-up at the park was also adding to the problem by blowing sand off of the sidewalks onto the grass rather than corralling it back into the playground.

Wood chips such as those used underneath the swings are not just easier to maintain - they are far cleaner than the sand that is often used by animals as a litter box.

For the next couple of days while the playground is closed the swings will be available. Some of the older tables and benches will be moved away from the turf. Plans to clean the sand off of the smothered grass surface have already been made.

Parks and Recreation Announces Holiday Hours

Holiday Hours for Parks and Recreation

Happy Holidays

All Recreation Centers, Senior Centers, Sports Centers, City operated Daycare Centers, Aquatic Centers and the Administrative Office for the Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall will be closed on December 25 (Christmas Day) and January 1 (New Year’s Day).

Holiday Schedule for Aquatic Centers only:

All indoor pools will be open from 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on December 24 and 31.

All indoor pools will have regular operating hours on December 26, 27 and January 2, and 3, 2010.

Holiday Schedule for Senior Centers only:

All Senior Centers will also be closed on December 26, 27 and January 2 and 3, 2010.

Holiday Schedule for the Parks and Recreation Daycare Centers Galatzan (650 Wallenberg) and Veterans (5301 Salem) only:

Daycare Centers will be closing at 5:00 p.m. on December 24 and December 31, 2009.

Holiday Schedule for Sports Centers

Chalio Acosta (4321 Delta St.) Nations Tobin (8831 Railroad Dr.) only:

Sports Centers will close at 5:00 p.m. on December 24 and December 31.

Sports Centers will have normal hours of operation on December 26 and 27 and January 2 and 3, 2010.

Holiday Schedule for Recreation Centers only:

All Recreation centers will be close at 5:00 p.m. on December 24 and December 31.

Recreation centers will have normal hours of operation on December 26 and January 2.

Recreation Centers will be closed on December 27 and January 3.

For more information call (915) 544-0753

Parks Staff Outlines Program for Newman Park Maintenance

A recent letter to City Parks officials from a nearby Grandview Park resident mentioned concern about the weed growth both at Grandview and Newman parks. A Newman Park neighbor also recently wanted some explanation for the amount of cut grass left on the ground at Newman Park. Assistant Parks Director, Joel McKnight, and Parks Superintendent, Sam Calhoun, addressed these concerns.

Mr. McKnight is currently implementing a turf management program that will minimize and eliminate weeds as they mature without destructive herbicides and will build-up the turf grasses such as Bermuda as the overnight temperatures continue to warm-up and the Bermuda begins to grow. His program will take time. It isn't intended to be a quick fix. Rather it will be a long term solution that is designed to replenish and invigorate turf in all of El Paso's parks. He explained that often cut dry grass does stay on the ground in order to add nutrients such as nitrogen back into the soil. Recently, wet grass was left on the ground at Newman Park because of an equipment problem. By tomorrow afternoon, the situation will be remedied.

Mr. Calhoun emphasized the need for the neighborhood association to work with its Park Supervisor, Victor Flores. In a meeting this morning at the park with Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Flores, the need to continue to build the canopy at the park was raised. An Ash that has yet to bud out was examined and showed plenty of green tissue. Areas for newer trees were pinpointed. With years of experience managing parks, Mr. Flores advised the continuing clustering of trees while maintaining the central open space of our park. He also said that he chooses trees based on their expected canopy development.

From time to time, it may seem as if Newman Park is "suffering". However, a turf management program is in place as well as a scheduled program to plant more trees at the right time.

Park management now is a tricky proposition because of the economic environment requiring budget constraints even cuts. The usual temporary summer workers will not be hired. This job-freeze will put additional work loads on the permanent staff during the "green" season. However, Mr. Calhoun did state that watering would be the last thing to be cut. He is committed to the lives of our trees.

Victor Flores adds: "Our partnership is very much alive! We will continue to push for improvement of your park as well as all others citywide."

Community Development Steering Committee Wants to See Alternate Budget for Memorial Park Upgrade

Tennis enthusiast and chairwoman of the Community Development Steering Committee, Billie Brown, wants to see an alternate budget proposal to the tennis court upgrade at Memorial Park. Proposed is a retrofitting of the courts that would include two basketball standards on one of the courts. Brown seemed to side with Manhattan Heights Neighborhood Association's Julie Rutledge who led a small group of people to the hearing in opposition to the multi-use proposal for the existing courts.

Two petitions have circulated. One supports the multi-use proposal and has 54 signatures. Another circulated by Rutledge has "30 or 40" signatures in her words and runs 2 - 1 opposed to the multi-use facility. That would still mean that most signers want the retrofit to include the basketball standards as proposed by Parks and Recreation.

Neighbor concerns included a bias that basketball players use profane language. (Of course, tennis players don't.) They also fear that basketballs, like soccer balls, will damage nets and fencing. Parks and Rec's design of the court would enhance ball control and provide more privacy according to project manager, Rick Garcia.

As always, the historic card was played - these have always been tennis courts and should remain that way. Never mind the new aquatic center, remodeling of the library, loss of a rose garden and a cannon that has never been replaced since it went missing.

Will there be more recreational opportunities for El Pasoans who use Memorial Park? Neighbors argue that the interlocal agreement between El Paso and EPISD already allows for youth to use school facilities and there are basketball courts available after 5 p.m. at Crockett Elementary. Of course, not just kids play basketball and many adults make it part of their exercise regimen.

No Change in Gender Policy at Parks and Rec

Last night the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (on which I serve) and a Legislative Review Committee of City Council (Representatives Ortega, Holguin, Lilly and Acosta) met together regarding Susie Byrd's proposed change for the gender rules. Her proposal arose from a girl who wanted to play with a boy's competitive soccer team. The girl and her mother were present and her mother gave her case and answered questions.

Actually, the proposal before the Board and the LRC was the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Department to maintain the status quo. Paula Powell gave the presentation for the Department. The gist of her argument was that to grant an exception would put city teams in violation of UIL or other governing body rules and thus disqualify all teams from playing beyond City play. Obviously with competitive leagues teams want to go to tournaments, state and national playoffs. Moreover, the mother and daughter seeking the exception were involved in a soccer league. The City doesn't manage soccer leagues. Finally, once the Mom heard that everyone would be disqualified, she backed down. Both the Advisory Board and the LRC voted to maintain the status quo. There were two "no" votes: Ruben Robles (like me from District 2 - Susie Byrd's district) and Trini Munoz.

I think that Susie's point is good but needs to be directed to the UIL or other governing bodies. I am all for opening up more and more opportunities for all individuals and I can't see why a girl can't play on a competitive boy's team if her coach wants her. However, as the rules exist now, to do so would vastly limit the opportunities afforded not just to one person but to all persons in that league. Again, the argument must be made higher up.

Also, outdoor soccer is not managed by the City so this case really wasn't our case. Finally, I think that it would have been better had Representative Byrd's proposal come before us in the first place and have been articulated as well as the Park's Department presentation was. I would have liked to have heard it as the proposal rather than the status quo. Still, given the facts (UIL rules, soccer not under City management, etc.), I would have voted the same way.

However, I would be glad to address the same issue to the governing bodies higher up.

Can Girls Compete?

Mayor Pro-Tem Susie Byrd asks an interesting question: Should girls under the age of 12 be allowed to compete on boys' teams? You can read her blog entry here. She has the following item on the next City Council agenda (December 23, 2008):

"Discussion and action on allowing girls under the age of 12 to play on boys' teams in city leagues . . . "

Go to her site and take her poll or just take the same poll on our site.