P&R Now

Freedom Isn't Free

Every time I think about 9/11 - and I mean more than a fleeting thought - I get choked up. The emotions I felt that day were overwhelming and the manner in which my own life changed bordered on earth-shattering. And the pride I feel when I read or hear about the people on United Flight 93 who, in the face of sheer terror and certain death, did something truly heroic that deserves the kind of respect we give to the countless others who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this nation.

And so it galls me a bit to hear that the National Park Service and the owners of the land where Flight 93 crashed 8 and a half years ago are embroiled in a controversy over the creation of a national park and memorial at that site. (See article in today's USA Today.) There's a lot of he said/she said going on here, but the upshot is that the feds are simply planning to take over the land because negotiations over the sale price have apparently faltered. Rather than pointing the finger at someone here, I'd simply like to say this: there is only one positive outcome, and it involves a check being written by the U.S. Government.

Some (not all) of the landowners are probably being greedy. I don't know that, but I would guess that is the case. Of course, what I also don't know is the value of the land and the offer made by the NPS. Maybe the offer was a joke. It doesn't matter. You see, I want that park and memorial dedicated on 9/11/2011, the ten-year anniversary of that awful day - which is when NPS plans to open it. The people who own the land likely want to see a memorial built as well. Surely they aren't evil doers (sorry, had to throw that one in there). And the way things are going, there's going to be a stain on the process by which this thing gets done. And why? Because of greed and cheapness. I hate both, so let's get them out of the way. Both sides should be required to go to arbitration or something. Just don't give the rest of us a bad feeling about how this all goes down. Seriously...

Of Girl Scouts and Newspapers

By Tom Quash 

Ok, so like many other people I admit that I’ve been so transfixed by all the economic news that I’ve become some kind of econo-junkie. And I think for me and those like me, the reason is threefold. First, how often is it that the front page news items directly affect us personally? We’ve watched helplessly as our personal finances and real estate values took a beating and fretted over job stability and availability. Suddenly, we were paying far more attention to the political pages and pundits. Secondly, in the midst of the ongoing economic forecast, the news unraveled like, well, good drama: a historic Presidential election, the over-the-top villain (Bernard Madoff), the clueless Wall Street masters of the universe, the tragic retailers (Circuit City et. al.) and so on.

Finally, in addition to all the “we’ve-never-faced-this-type-of-downfall” rhetoric, the economy is causing monumental shifts in society’s traditions. We’re in a topsy-turvy state and that is not necessarily all bad. If we follow other examples of success, we can grow creativity out of chaos (think how the public libraries used free web access to capture new users). This week the Associated Press reported on the number of states that are facing park closures to satisfy budget needs. But what can we learn from this? How can we take what appears to be an alarming trend and inject new opportunities into parks and recreation. I cite two examples for some possible solutions.

First, the Girls Scouts is toying with a total makeover, according to this week’s Washington Post. In 10 years, membership in the Girl Scouts has declined by more than 8 percent and the organization’s dated image can be part of the blame (the group hired its first brand manager in 2008 to help reinvent the brand). While the popular Girl Scouts cookies remain, the new Journeys program--more general in scope--replaces the practice of earning badges. And the organization is implementing campaigns to engage the changing demographic, including initiatives geared towards Hispanics.

What does this have to do with parks and recreation? I offer that like the Girl Scouts, the parks and recreation agencies are faced with a brand that is in need of modernization. Certainly there are some agencies that are aggressively pursuing new users and integrating innovative services, but collectively parks and recreation must re-educate their value to the community before apathy spreads among those who need to support their local parks and recreation. I suspect that the average citizen knows but a small fraction of how their local agency is supporting their own community, from rehabilitation services to creating jobs to crime prevention.  

The other example I’d cite is the newspaper industry. The industry’s initial avoidance of integrating the Internet into traditional business practices is today, a grim reminder of that misstep, as newspapers, including the 150-year-old Rocky Mountain News fold or struggle to remain afloat. Again, if an industry does not readily reinvent, repackage or repurpose itself in order to meet new challenges, the environment will force the change itself, as in the case of newspapers. This latter alternative is not what we want for our nation’s parks and recreation systems.

I hope that the agencies out there are thinking reinvention. And I know many are. It is not the well-documented influx of new cultures through immigration and masses of Baby Boomers ready to retire that will shift the landscape. But it is also the growing number of out-of-work adults and the kids whose parents can no longer send them to private organizations which will create new demands on our parks and recreation. Are we prepared to stay relevant? Are we successfully promoting value? Are we ready to reinvent? For the sake of the needs of the public and the future of parks and rec, I certainly hope so.