Providing play takes collaboration
In Butler County, children's play is an adult game.
Securing grants, balancing tight budgets and planning have enabled Butler, Butler Township and the county to provide quality entertainment through combined efforts.
"Our goal is to create quality recreational opportunities for the people of Butler County," said Dave Hutner, program/aquatic director for the county parks and recreation department.
"In areas that don't have recreation departments, we try to offer different programs. But, we will assist anybody who needs our help with their individual programs," Hutner said.
"A classic example would be baby-sitting classes. Last year, we had classes in Butler, Clinton, Fairview, Buffalo and Adams townships as well as Slippery Rock."
Like its lifeguard and CPR training courses, the county's baby-sitting course is certified by the American Red Cross.
Hutner is one of three full-time staffers in the county parks and recreation department, including director Gary Pinkerton and an administrative assistant.
A seasonal staff of 33 lifeguards at Alameda Park, five maintenance workers and six camp counselors is hired in the summer.
"We try to reach out. The (county) commissioners have tasked us with providing services, whenever possible, to our municipalities. Sometimes that means giving advice or helping write grants, and others it means us being there physically and offering the program," Hutner said.
The county has helped parks throughout the county get grant money for new equipment, upgrades and refurbishing playing fields.
Its main sources of money come from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps.
At the city level, Butler is trying to streamline its approach to park management, said Perry O'Malley, executive director of the city redevelopment authority."We're looking at working with the city on an overall management plan for Pullman Park, Father Marinaro Park and Memorial Park. We'd like to consolidate everything from maintenance to regular upkeep," O'Malley said.Additionally, the authority continues to work with Save Our Spray Park, a group to transform the long-vacant city swimming pool at Memorial Park into a spray park."That would complement the bigger park and pool at Alameda without competing, since it is intended for youth," O'Malley said.He said the Memorial Park location beside the Connoquenessing Creek would be an ideal stop once the Butler-Freeport Community Trail is completed and snakes through the city."We had a study done to give us an idea, and it would be a destination point, a $600,000 to $800,000 project. It would become a water park making use of all the water and plumbing and piping that exists (at the site of the pool)," O'Malley said.Butler Councilwoman Kathy Kline is one of the organizers of Save Our Spray Park."The price describes our ideal park, but it all depends on what funding we are able to raise," she said."You have a spray park, but you need to have accommodations for families while children are using the park. We are very conscientious about making it affordable for all families, as well."
<B>BUTLER</B><B>Parks: </B>Memorial Park, Ritts Park, Father Marinaro Park and Rotary Park. They open June 7.<B>Amenities: </B>Playgrounds at all parks as well as Institute Hill and the South Hills. Shelters are available for rent, skatepark.<B>Pullman Park: </B>Used for high school, college and Prospect League baseball games. The Butler Bluesox home opener is June 3.<BR></BR><B>BUTLER TOWNSHIP</B><B>Parks: </B>Deshon Woods, Lohner Park and Butler Township Park<B>Total acres: </B>112.63<B>Amenities: </B>Walking trails, playgrounds, dek hockey rink, basketball court, volleyball and badminton courts, horse shoes, and a park building available to rent.
<B>BUTLER COUNTY</B><B>Parks: </B>Alameda Park<B>Total acres: </B>418<B>Amenities: </B>14 shelters, several playgrounds, outdoor swimming pool and two sand volleyball courts.<B>Park programs: </B>Camp Alameda children's sport and activity programs in the summer, sand volleyball and ultimate frisbee leagues, free family summer concert series, Outdoor Discovery days and special events such as boccie tournaments, car shows and themed holiday festivals.<B>Swimming pool programs: </B>American Red Cross-certified lifeguard, CPR and baby-sitting classes, SCUBA, swimming and water safety lessons for all ages and skill levels, and water aerobics.
