The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutUBI 2015 JULY-AUGUSTParks and Recreation became a City of College Station department in 1971. The department has grown to be a nationally accredited agency with 63 full-time employees and numerous seasonal, part- time staff. PARK LAND FACTS • 55 Total Parks (49 developed) • 41 Miles of Jogging/Walking Trails • Total Park Acreage is 1,377.39 FACILITY FACTS • 2 Municipal Cemeteries • 1 Skate Park • 1 Outdoor Amphitheater & Festival Site • 2 Dog Parks • 3 Pools • 2 Recreation Centers • 7 Athletic Parks • 17 Athletic Fields • 9 Baseball Fields • 12 Softball Fields • 2 Synthetic Athletic Fields • 1 Library WHAT DOES THE DEPARTMENT DO? • Afterschool Programs • Summer Camps • Community Education for all ages • Special Events • Athletic Tournaments • Athletic Leagues • Adaptive Sports • Aquatic Programs • Senior Programing • Tourism • Maintain Parks & Athletic Fields Celebrate Park and Recreation Month with us by discovering a new park, enjoying your favorite park or by participating in recreational activity. Inside College Station * * * * * * * C C S * Home of Texas A&M University® * College Station, Texas * * * * * * * Since 1985, America has celebrated July as the nation’s official Park and Recreation Month. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives officially mandated July as Park and Recreation Month. This year will also mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) whose mission is to advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. In honor of Park and Recreation Month, let’s go over our local parks and recreation history. College Station was incorporated in 1938. The first city council made provisions for the creation of a Parks Board in 1939. The Parks Board had the authority to manage parks and public grounds for recreational and beautification purposes. In 1947, our city council established the first city park with purchases of land from F.B. Clark and Hershel Burgess. The property became known as Dexter Park, located at 400 Dexter Drive. In 1980, it was renamed Brison Park in honor of Fred Brison (Mayor Pro Tem of the 1971-1974 College Station City Council and a faculty member of the Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences for 43 years). Brison Park is a beautifully wooded green space equipped with a 1/3-mile nature trail and a seasonal stream. Located around the perimeter of the park are lamp posts and special markers dedicated to each of the 12 victims of the 1999 Texas Aggie Bonfire collapse— a remembrance project announced by the City of College Station a year after the tragedy. Each marker bears a name, class year and hometown. JULY-AUGUST 2015 CSTX.GOV/PARKS parks@cstx.gov • 979.764.3486 JULY IS NATIONAL PARK & RECREATION MONTH CHECK OUT THESE NEW PARK AMENITITES: DOUBLE ARCH SWING Bee Creek Park, 1900 Anderson The wide seating area accommodates up to five children and is constructed of durable steel with a soft rubber bumper. CLIMB & DISCOVER CAVE Bee Creek Park, 1900 Anderson Discovery elements on interior walls include: mushrooms, turtle, leaves, animal tracks, ant hill, salamander, rat, ants, iguana, bird with nest, inch worm and lady bug. “S” WALL CLIMBER Parkway Park, 901 Munson This four-foot freestanding rock wall allows for climbing on both sides. New Website Helps You Water Smarter Have you ever wondered when you should water and for how long? Just how much water does your lawn really need, anyway? Not long ago, answers to those questions were just guesswork. Thanks to the innovative new Brazos Valley Water Smart website, those days are gone for good. Now you can receive free weekly email alerts to help you decide whether your lawn needs water that week or not – and that means a healthier lawn and a leaner water bill. Based on weather stations and rainfall data collected across Brazos County, the weekly recommendations are tailored specifically to your neighborhood, which helps you know when to water and when to turn your irrigation controller off. Not all sprinkler heads are alike, and figuring out how long to run them can be confusing. But the weekly email makes it easy with recommendations for each type of heads. Brazos Valley Water Smart was developed through a partnership by the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, City of College Station, City of Bryan, Wickson Creek Special Utility District, Wellborn Special Utility District and Texas A&M Agrilife Research. Check it out at bvwatersmart.tamu.edu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Is Your Pet Rabies Vaccinated? Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite or scratch of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, coyotes and foxes. There is no cure for rabies, and it is almost always fatal. Vaccinating your pet not only protects them, but also anyone that comes into contact with your pet. By city ordinance, any dog, cat or ferret over four months of age must be rabies vaccinated and registered with Brazos County. Learn more at cstx.gov/animalcontrol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Move Over/Slow Down Law The Move Over/Slow Down Law consists of two parts. The first part states if an emergency vehicle is approaching from either direction of your vehicle, using audible/visual signals, you should pull over to the right side of the road and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed. Emergency vehicles always have the right-of-way at all intersections. The second part of the law states if your vehicle is approaching an emergency vehicle that is pulled over on the side of the road with lights flashing, you need to either move into a lane that is not next to the emergency vehicle (if possible), or slow down to 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit. This law applies to not only police cars, ambulances and fire trucks, but also Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) vehicles and tow trucks when they have indicated that they are working. These laws provide extra protection for those individuals on the side of the road doing their jobs, as well as the people on the roadside with them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Easily Manage Household Garbage The City of College Station’s Sanitation Division has a free smartphone and tablet computer app that provides timely information about sanitation and recycling services. The My-Waste app allows residents to create custom reminders for collection days and holidays, and provides detailed information about recycling, collection requirements, household hazardous waste disposal and much more. The app works on all operating systems and can be downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores. Residents without smartphones or tablets can access the same information at cstx.gov/mywaste. This app is made possible with grant funding provided by the Brazos Valley Council of Governments and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside College Station events cstx.gov/calendar AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS Registration opens Aug. 10. Lincoln Recreation Center - Ages: 6-18 cstx.gov/lincolncenter, 979.764.3779 Southwood Community Center6th-8th Graders cstx.gov/southwood, 979.764.6351 EXPLORING HISTORY LUNCHEONSAug. 19 – Heroes of the ValleySept. 16 - Kyle Field & TAMU AthleticsOct. 21 - Veterans Day Plans 11:30 a.m. $5 per person. Details at cstx.gov/calendar. SEPT. 7 - CITY OFFICES CLOSED Garbage collections will run as normal, but recycling will not be collected. No makeup day. FREE MOVIES IN THE PARK Sept. 11 & Nov. 5 cstx.gov/movies, 979.764.3486 athletics cstx.gov/sports • 979.764.3486 ADULT SOFTBALL & KICKBALL Registration ends: Aug. 21Ages: 16+. Team Fee: $390 ADULT VOLLEYBALL Registration ends: Aug. 21Ages: 16+. Team Fee: $210 NFL FLAG FOOTBALL Registration ends: Aug. 28Ages: 6-12. Fee: $70 START SMART FLAG FOOTBALL Registration ends: Aug. 28Ages: 4-5. Fee: $50 GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Registration ends: Aug. 28Ages: 8-14. Fee: $60 JULY-AUGUST 2015 {PAGE 2}