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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSteve Beachy Pt. 9 TranscriptionCity of College Station Heritage Programs Oral History Interviewee: Steve Beachy Interviewer: Unknown Transcriber: Brooke Linsenbardt Date: 2013 Place: College Station, Texas Project: 75th Anniversary CS Mayor & Councilmember Interviewer (Unknown): Parks director. 00:0: Steve Beachy (SB): Oh. I would, I would say, when and, and I still enjoy this, the, the, I guess the bottom line is when you see someone from the public and they’re out there, using those facilities and those programs and enjoying that and, when you know, you say parks and recreation, but if you break it out a little bit, re-creation. And that re-creation occurs through things like children playing sports and getting out there and being active and being, doing the healthy things you’re supposed to do. The re-creation also occurs when the grandparents have the little children out there and they’re showing them the Christmas in the Park. Or it may occur in the learning programs of the classes, being put on through the extra education. And, and all those other ways. And, and that’s I guess the thing I enjoy the most is when you look out there and you say, “Yeah, there is somebody that’s using, that facility or that program that took forty or fifty years to put in place.” I: But now you didn’t say what you enjoyed the least. 01:25: SB: Oh gosh. You know it’s always fun to go to those budget meetings [laughs] and council meetings and, but, you know when you look back on it, you know, all of those countless hours of, of meetings and planning and, and public hearings and discussions and, and you, you think about the drudgery of that and the, and that’s the thing I don’t miss at all, but all of that was part of the process that, that, that had to be done step-by-step to get to the final product where somebody’s out there running around playing soccer. And. I: Have you found it hard to make the transition from such a public life to a more private life? 02:23: SB: Not at all. [chuckle] But having said that, I am, actively involved in several organizations that, I still go to some of the meetings and do some of these things and so. I: So you have just as many projects now? 02:40: SB: Seem, I seem to stay busy yes. [chuckle] I: Are there any questions that I didn’t ask you that you wish I had? 02:49: SB: Well I think, I guess the, in terms of the economic aspect of the parks and recreation department in, in this day and time. It’s, it’s very different now than it was even two or three years ago with the economy and, and the general mood of the, of the, at the national level and state and local level that, you know, to reduce spending and, and you know, cut all these different programs and what have you. But, I believe that what the parks and recreation department over the years brings to the table that, that is a positive economic aspect that supports our local economy. And by that, not only the tourism that’s generated through the, the athletic programs and those type of things. That’s a direct, huge direct benefit, but also I think more importantly by establishing a certain quality of life in our community that helps attract and support the people that generate our economy here locally and that’s A&M. And A&M is striving to become the, or is the world-class university, in many areas. But they won’t be a world-class university without bringing world-class faculty and staff to put those programs on. World-class faculty and staff will not come to a community that has poor facilities and a poor quality of life. So it’s a symbiotic relationship that I think our parks and recreation people understand that there’s creating a way of, a quality of life here locally that helps support a larger community and, and of, of people that come here from all over the world and they will not do that if their family does not have a good quality of life. There’s plenty other places they can go with their talents. They can go anywhere. I: With that, with, with amenities and there, there needs to be something that, that helps them understand how much our community has to give them. 05:30: RS: They, they will not, attract the, the quality of staff and faculty to A&,M which is the primary economic engine of our, of our region, without a quality of life to support that. The medical community is now becoming a, a very strong part of that. And those people also, they gonna look for quality schools and they’re gonna look for quality neighborhoods and they’re gonna look for quality leisure facilities and programs. And they, tr-, also can live anywhere they want. You know, they don’t have to live here. I: So it’s very important for them to decide this is a good place. 06:20: SB: So as the, the trend, this trend you know, the economic trends nationally and statewide and locally and start looking, well we, do you really need these things. And I would say you do. And in fact, if you’re gonna be competitive, you have to have those and you have to do them better than that next time that’s gonna be seeking to attract those same, professionals and businesses that the other communities are. You gotta, you got to do a better job of that. I: That’s a very strong statement for our future. And I, I think that’s probably a good note on which to end. We kept you longer than we should have, but thank you so much. 07:07: SB: I have time. I: This is, this is wonderful. This is going to become.