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Encampments, conditions at Seattle parks draw scrutiny as coronavirus pandemic drags on

Calling the situation in many of Seattle’s large parks “a spiraling public-health and public-safety crisis,” more than a dozen business and neighborhood groups sent a letter Monday to the mayor and City Council lobbying them to act.

Scores of tents have cropped up at parks across Seattle, the letter said, also arguing there has been an uptick in trash, drug use, violence and maintenance problems in outdoor spaces. The letter asked Durkan and the council to create an interdepartmental team to address the mounting challenges.

“These issues are complex, but that does not absolve the city of responsibility,” the letter said.

There are more people living in parks than before the pandemic, outreach workers and those who are camping there agree. They say more housing is needed to bring people inside, with some saying they’re being demonized for issues outside their control.

The city’s 485 parks have become more important

Recreation

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October 27, 2020

Ontwa Township seeks input on parks plan – Leader Publications

ONTWA TOWNSHIP — Area residents still have time to make their voices heard regarding the future of Ontwa Township parks.

Ontwa Township is currently seeking input on its five-year parks plan. A five-year plan allows the township to assess the parks’ current conditions and plan for the community’s future recreational needs. Additionally, the plan will enable the township to apply for grants and receive funding for various park, recreation and trail projects through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

As part of the planning process, Ontwa Township is seeking community input through an online survey that can be accessed at ontwatwp.org, edwardsburgchamber.org and edwardsburgpublicschools.org. A hardcopy of the survey can also be accessed at the Ontwa Township Office, 26225 US-12, Edwardsburg.

Once community input is received by the end of this month, the planning commission will host a public hearing to draft its new five-year parks plan, and the plan

Recreation

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October 23, 2020

Lawsuit filed over displacement of homeless from Minneapolis parks

Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court District of Minnesota on behalf of seven individuals and others like them who were evicted from their homes in city parks over the past few months. The lawsuit names Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson, Mayor Jacob Frey, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Al Bangoura and Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto.

Plaintiffs are asking officials to put an end to evictions and compensate those who’ve been affected by the sweeps.

According to the complaint, one of the plaintiffs, Henrietta Brown, woke up around 4 a.m. one rainy September morning to police officers shaking her tent and shining a bright light in her face. They told her she had 30 minutes to get out.

Brown said she never received an eviction notice and was not prepared to leave. She managed to

Recreation

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October 21, 2020

Shawnee County Parks & Rec wants residents to vote on Family Park design

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Kan. (KSNT) — The Flint Hills in northeast Kansas are known for their abundant grazing land, but this year, the grassy fields are missing their typical dew.

“This has been unusually dry for a long period of time,” said Glenn Brunkow, a seasoned Pottawatomie county farmer.

Brunkow said farmers in eastern Kansas can usually rely on rain during the fall season, but this is the first time he’s seen little to no rain in weeks around this time of the year.

Water levels in nearby ponds are down by about three to five feet, and the grass has lost its green hue.

With these conditions, Brunkow’s herd of 40 cows could be at risk.

“As it gets dryer, and the grass has less nutrition, they don’t grow as well, they don’t perform as well, they don’t have as many pounds, and we don’t have as many pounds to

Recreation

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October 20, 2020

Minneapolis parks encampment sweeps were unconstitutional

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A homeless encampment at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis grew to an estimated 560 tents by July 9, 2020, according to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. (FOX 9)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Seven people experiencing homelessness filed a class action lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis Monday alleging the city and Hennepin County violated the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs when it tore down encampments in the city’s parks this summer.

The lawsuit was filed by Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU) against the city, county, the heads of local law enforcement and the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.

In response, the Minneapolis City Attorney said the lawsuit, “incorrectly and unjustly asserts that plaintiffs have a constitutional right to exercise personal property and privacy interests on public lands to the exclusion of others’ interests in the use of those same lands.”

In a

Recreation

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October 20, 2020

Charleston area dog parks separate big and little dogs to help keep the peace between pets | News

NORTH CHARLESTON — Mary Doran had been waiting several years for the opening of the new dog park at Wannamaker County Park, located less than 2 miles from her home.

Ozzie, her 9-year-old bichon frise, doesn’t get much off-leash time in Doran’s gated community. Doran figured the new space would provide a safe environment for her pup, who works as a service dog, to run freely.

But when Doran recently attended the park’s special opening event Thursday, 11-pound Ozzie was met at the dog park gate by three Great Danes. The portion of the park initially reserved for small dogs was made available to all canines, providing more space for guests to be socially distanced.

Charleston area dog parks separate big and little dogs to keep the peace between pets — Mary Doran and her dog Ozzie attended a Wannamaker County Park event Thursday. Doran was upset because the part of the park, officially designated for small dogs, had been made available to large canines. Rickey

Recreation

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October 19, 2020

Oregon state parks director talks COVID-19 shutdown, wildfires, yurts

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Even during a year packed with drama, the weekend that shut down Oregon’s outdoors remains a surreal moment in state history.

Beginning in the coastal town of Warrenton, where mayor Henry Balensifer declared tourists a “clear and present danger,” all of Oregon’s recreation destinations would eventually be closed for nearly two months due to concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lisa Sumption, the director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, was in the middle that moment and more during what’s been a chaotic 2020 for Oregon’s outdoors.

The czar of 257 state parks and much of the Oregon Coast, Sumption navigated the shutdown, reopening and economic impact of COVID-19, along with historic wildfires and wind storms.

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State parks officials made the decision to close many state parks ahead of spring break this year to prevent the

Recreation

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October 16, 2020

Tickets on Sale Now for World of Illumination’s ‘Socially Safe’ Theme Parks | National

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 16, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — World of Illumination, the world’s largest animated drive-through light show, has released tickets for the 2020 holiday season at https://tickets.worldofillumination.com. The company’s theme parks are located in Tempe and Glendale, Arizona, along with a brand new location in Marietta, Georgia on the grounds of Six Flags White Water.

World of Illumination’s drive-through light shows feature millions of colorful lights and hundreds of animated displays synchronized to popular and beloved holiday music. The theme parks are uniquely COVID-friendly, as visitors can enjoy the shows from the safety and comfort of their cars. Online reservations are also required, making the experience totally touchless and socially safe, while simultaneously controlling traffic to decrease waiting times.

While all three theme parks have roughly the same number of RBG LED lights that can be customized to 16 million shades of color, the shows feature different elements so

Adventure

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October 16, 2020

‘Public Health in the Parks’ works to improve Bloomington’s Seminary Park

People approached IU Health professionals under the cover of a red and white tent Monday in Seminary Park, receiving free HIV and Hepatitis C screening and sharing any medical concerns they had.

The Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners approved the “Public Health in the Parks” program Sept. 1 and allotted $50,000 toward its resources. The program is a partnership between the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, Centerstone, IU Health Bloomington and the Monroe County Health Department, which strives to support the community at Seminary Park with medical and personal resources.

Beyond the testing sites, the program plans to distribute

Recreation

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October 16, 2020

Town looks for resident input on parks, facilities | Manchester

MANCHESTER — Town officials say that the Parks and Facilities Master Plan is moving forward, and residents can voice their opinion about what they want to see in the town spaces over the coming months.

Director of the Department of Recreation, Family, and Leisure, Chris Silver announced Tuesday that the new master plan is a collaboration with BerryDunn, a consulting company based in Portland, Maine.

The master plan will outline how Manchester can develop parks, trails, open space, and other recreational areas in town during the coming years. Planning and Economic Development Department Senior Planner Kyle Shiel is the project manager of the Parks and Facilities Master Plan and is working as a liaison between the town and BerryDunn.

“The plan is intended to be a blueprint for future boards and commissions to make decisions about the parks and rec system,” Shiel said in an interview Friday.

When announcing the

Recreation

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October 10, 2020