Big turnout celebrates Highlight Heights playground opening

Big turnout celebrates Highlight Heights playground opening

By Sun News staff
October 05, 2009, 11:32AM
By Andrew Attina, Correspondent

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS- Children from Millridge Elementary School and Millridge Center for Hearing Impaired had fun Sept. 16 trying new playground equipment.

The event featured a ribbon-cutting by Mayfield Schools Superintendent Phillip Price and Highland Heights Mayor Scott Coleman.

A group of 10 Millridge parents spent the previous Saturday installing the equipment after the school received a grant from a non-profit organization known as Kaboom.

Tracey Ricchiuto, a mother from the school, submitted a proposal for the grant. With the approval, Kaboom required the funds be matched by the school.

"A Mile-4-Millridge," a fundraising walk in May, raised $9,200, which provided the school with its half.

"The equipment that was here was old and rusty," Ricchiuto said. "With good equipment to play on, the kids have fun and go back to the classroom more focused."

The other stipulation was family from the school handle the installation as part of a "community build."

So, after some preparation earlier in the week, the parents, along with both principals, Lou Kindervater and Mary Myers, got to work.

"It starts out slow with digging and drilling," said foreman Mike Seredich of Snider and Associates, the Kaboom approved contractor that was required to be on site. "After that, the actual installation of the equipment goes quick."

After nearly eight hours the installation was complete. A variety of new equipment was in place, including Tether and Funnel Ball games, and a Bing Boing. The F-2 Spinner would prove to be the new favorite as children lined up awaiting their turn on the night of its opening.

"The effort here is what makes the schools and this community great," said Dan Greve, a parent who helped with the installation. "It’s about giving back and this shows pride and ownership."

A sneak peek at early samples from Nike

A sneak peek at early samples from Nike

Pictures of some samples of future Nike gear that teams might be using next spring. Below you’ll see mock ups for Ohio State and Hopkins, arm guards for Navy, Hopkins, and Ohio State, and arm pads for North Carolina, Cornell, and Hopkins.

The gloves are Nike Huarache gloves, and arm guards and arm pads are Nike Vapors.

Local Residents LOVE their new FREE Outdoor Fitness Equipment!

Local Residents LOVE their new Outdoor Fitness Equipment!
Located on a small patch of ground nestled in-between tennis courts, athletic fields and a playground that only sees heavy usage on the weekends, the Garden Grove Rec Department sees constant daily usage of their new outdoor fitness equipment; by residents of all ages and fitness levels.
“It gives the community Free Fitness” says Lee Schneider, President of Greenfields Outdoor
Fitness. “People constantly comment as to the economic benefit of not having to pay to join the
local health club or having to pay dues at the local Rec Center, as well as the fun and
convenience of getting a low-stress workout out in the fresh air” said Schneider. “Residents
intimidated or typically not pre-disposed to visiting an indoor gym find an opportunity to feel
better about themselves in addressing basic cardio, flexibility and toning exercises; all at their
own pace”.
Maintenance professionals appreciate the durability of the equipment, designed to withstand
the rigors of daily use, as well as withstanding the weather. As the largest supplier of outdoor
equipment in the world, Greenfields has literally thousands of systems in use worldwide, in
areas as cold as Alaska and as arid as the desert southwest.
Products previously only found inside community rec centers, such as ellipticalʼs, leg-presses,
upper-body machines, rowing machines and recumbant bikes now dot the landscape across
the country; being used in park settings, nature trails, schools, home owners associations and
corporate facilities to name a few. “During this era of limited budgets, because our equipment
gets used each and every day that the weather allows, and because of the small initial amount
of money required, outdoor fitness equipment has become an increasingly popular option to
otherwise larger and more expensive equipment projects”.
“Offering residents free outdoor community fitness, helping them feel better about themselves
in promoting a healthy lifestyle, and genuinely doing something that addresses the ongoing
challenge of community obesity; Greenfields is proud to be the largest and most tenured
supplier of outdoor fitness equipment in the world, and equally proud to have the midwestʼs
finest, Snider & Associates, as our exclusive fitness representatives”.
Visit Snider & Associates online at www.cvsnider.com Snider & Associates for more
information on providing YOUR community Free Outdoor Fitness!

Schneider Park beginning to take shape - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com

Schneider Park beginning to take shape - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com

Posted using ShareThis
PLAIN TWP. — .A generous donation and a state grant have helped advance the development of Schneider Community Park.

Township officials are hoping residents can begin using portions of the park next year.

“I’m just glad we have something happening there now,” Plain Trustee Al Leno said of the park’s development.

Plain Township bought the former cornfield on the south side of Schneider Street NE, across from the GlenOak High School campus, in 2006 for $1.27 million. Trustees have relied on community suggestions as the park has developed.

Plans are to create an area for passive sports and recreational activities, including picnic areas and hiking trails.

Already in place is a picnic pavilion donated by the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, Washington Council and installed by Snider & Associates, Inc. of North Royalton, Ohio. The organization spent about $37,000 installing the pavilion and donating picnic tables, said Todd Alexander, parks superintendent.

“It’s a big shelter. It’s almost an oversized shelter. It’s nice,” Leno said.

Right now, the shelter — setting on the east side of a hill that rises at the park’s center — is a focal point for the park.

Next year, township officials plan to install a playground area just to the north and down the hill from the pavilion. A parking lot will be built on the east side of the property, providing access to the pavilion and playground.

South of the parking lot, several acres will be set aside for a dog park.

Alexander and Leno hope all the work can be finished in 2010. How much is completed will depend on the cost. The township has about $300,000 — collected through estate taxes — set aside for the park.

“We’ll use the money that’s budgeted,” Leno said.

Bolstering township money is a Nature Works grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources that will help pay for playground equipment.

Plain Township will spend $113,990 to buy and install the playground. Once the work is finished and inspected by ODNR workers, the township will receive the $59,320 grant. The money will go back to the fund set aside for park development.

Because of funding, the park is being developed in phases. The picnic area and playground are part of the first phase, along with the parking lot and dog park.

The parking lot will be built first, Leno and Alexander said. They hope the expense can be offset by having township road crews do some of the parking area’s construction.

Money remaining after the parking lot is built will be used to develop three to four acres in the southeast corner for the dog park. Alexander said the dog park will be Schneider Park’s niche offering for residents.

Alexander and Leno figure it will be a few more years before the park’s western portion is developed. Plans call for a lake, an amphitheater, more parking and other amenities.

Until that portion can be developed, Alexander hopes to cut hiking trails. He wants to take exercise equipment that had been at Alpine Park and use it on one of the trails, creating a course that combines hiking with calisthenics.

The township also is working with Stark Parks to tie in with the countywide hiking trails being developed. Plans call for a trail to go around the GlenOak campus perimeter and cross Schneider Street into the new park.

Rules & Recommendations for Basketball Equipment

Safety Arrester - As stated in Rule 1, Section 11, Paragraph 2 of the Men's and Women's Basketball Rules and Interpretations, "It is recommended that a locking device/safety arrester be used for ceiling and wall-mount backboard systems that are retracted by motor-pulley cable arrangements."

What are the benefits? - The auto-loc safety system puts safety belts on your backstops protecting against loss or damage of equipment and injury to spectators. A simple and effective way to insure safety in your facility.

Rim Restrainers - "The basket must be securely attached to the backboard support system with a rim-restraining device. Such device will ensure that the basket stays attached, even in the event that the glass backboard breaks." Men's and Women's College and High School Rules.

Check for these problems and needs:

Rims

• Breakaway or reflex rims
• Posted or published rules prohibiting hanging on rims

Backboards - Bottome Edge and Corners

• Padded backboards: satisfactory or replacements necessary

Backboards - Ceiling Suspension

• Cable stress
• Metal stress
• Ceiling attachments check for loose or broken bolts
• Motor running smoothly
• Auto-loc safety straps present
• Condition of all hinges
• Pipe caps at the bottom of ceiling suspended backstops should be padded

Wall Suspended Units

• Auto-loc safety straps present
• Turnbuckles tight
• Bracing rigid
• Wall backs secured
• Wall padding on all impact areas
• Chain operated winches should be replaced with cable winches
• All hardware tight

Call you local Snider & Associates representive for any questions.

Limited EPA Study Finds Low Level of Concern in Samples of Recycled Tires from Ballfield and Playground Surfaces

Limited EPA Study Finds Low Level of Concern in Samples of Recycled Tires from Ballfield and Playground Surfaces

Release date: 12/10/2009

Contact Information: Dale Kemery kemery.dale@epa.gov 202-564-7839 202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2009

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released results of a limited field monitoring study of artificial-turf playing fields and playgrounds constructed with recycled tire material or tire crumb. The study was intended to gain experience conducting field monitoring of recreational surfaces that contain tire crumb. EPA will use the information to help determine possible next steps to address questions regarding the safety of tire crumb infill in recreational fields.

“The limited data EPA collected during this study, which do not point to a concern, represent an important addition to the information gathered by various government agencies,” said Peter Grevatt, director of EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection. “The study will help set the stage for a meeting this spring, where EPA will bring together officials from states and federal agencies to evaluate the existing body of science on this topic and determine what additional steps should be taken to ensure the safety of kids who play on these surfaces.”

Recycled tire material, or “tire crumb,” is used in many applications, including as a component in synthetic turf fields and playground installations. In response to concerns raised by the public, EPA conducted a limited “scoping study” of tire crumb, which consisted of collecting air and wipe samples at three locations near EPA laboratories at Raleigh, N.C., Athens, Ga., and Cincinnati, Ohio. Sampling also was conducted in the Washington, D.C. area.

The limited study, conducted in August through October 2008, found that the concentrations of materials that made up tire crumb were below levels considered harmful. However, given the limited nature of the study (limited number of constituents monitored, sample sites, and samples taken at each site) and the wide diversity of tire crumb material, it is not possible, without additional data, to extend the results beyond the four study sites to reach more comprehensive conclusions.

The study confirmed that most of the methods tested were accurate, reproducible and appropriate for measuring concentrations of tire crumb constituents and therefore can be used in future studies.

Study findings


Particulate matter, metals and volatile organic compound concentrations were measured in the air samples and compared with areas away from the turf fields (background levels). The levels found in air samples from the artificial turf were similar to background levels.
No tire-related fibers were observed in the air samples.
All air concentrations of particulate matter and lead were well below levels of concern.
More than 90 percent of the lead in the tire crumb material was tightly bound and unavailable for absorption by users of the turf fields.
Zinc, which is a known additive in tires, was found in tire crumb samples. However, air and surface wipe monitoring levels of zinc were found to be below levels of concern.

EPA is aware that studies by other agencies were undertaken or completed while this survey was under way. EPA is planning a 2010 meeting with federal and state agencies to review all new study data and determine next steps.

More information on artificial turf: http://www.epa.gov/nerl/features/tire_crumbs.html


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Urban Play

Five Best Practice Themes for Urban Play

1. Design for Compelling Play Environments:
Communities should design play environments that are compelling and meet the unique needs of diverse urban users. Engaging a variety of stakeholders, through participatory design, is critical for ensuring best practices for multigenerational inclusion, integration of natural elements, increased physical activity, safety, and equitable access to the space.

2. Create Playgrounds as Crime Prevention Programs:
Communities should view commercial playground equipment as crime prevention assets by considering visibility in the design, establishing proactive partnerships with local law enforcement and neighborhood groups, and by keeping the playspace active and well maintained.

3. Offer Programs on the Urban Playground:
Public park playground equipment environments and outdoor fitness equipment should market free play and supervised play programs that promote high levels of physical activity and learning while maximizing joint use opportunities, providing playleaders for supervision and play facilitation, and utilizing mobile play programs for additional reach and interest.

4. Execute Partnerships for Play:
Partnerships should be established to strengthen the variety and reach of play opportunities for a broader reach of play resources, facilities, and programs while also increasing usership and ensuring sustainability over time. Public, private, and non-profit partnerships should be considered for play funding, programming, and community development.

5. Develop an Urban Playground Master Plan:
A comprehensive and collaborative master plan should be developed for play and playgrounds that includes a current asset management plan; provides guidance for the overall goals, objectives and strategies for strengthening play; specifies funding cycles; monitors implementation; and ensures continuous improvement.

Contact your local Snider & Associates representative to learn more about Urban Play, commercial playground equipment design and outdoor fitness equipment.

Aquatic Fitness

Check out this video on the newest line in Aquatic Fitness! Video

Our aquatic fitness equipment provides a zero impact workout that will not strain weight bearing joints. Hydrostatic pressure improves blood circulation and helps decrease water retention. Investment in Aquatic Fitness Equipment from Snider & Associates will enable aquatic facilities to maximise use of existing pool space, broaden the client base, retain customers and increase profits. Become part of the quickest growing trend in Aquatics today!

Call Snider & Associates, Inc. at 1-800-888-2889

Choosing the right ADA playground equipment

Choosing the right ADA playground equipment
All children love to play on the playground regardless of ability. Unfortunately, much of the existing commercial playground equipment in our parks and at schools is not handicap accessible. This lack of accessible playground equipment creates a separation between kids with and without disabilities.
In order to encourage all children to play together on the playground certain playground features should be added where possible
• Playground site access – make sure there is a sidewalk leading up the playground area
• Playground Surfacing - use a certified playground safety surface per ASTM F1951 for accessibility
• Ramps - wheel chair ramps for access to the playground equipment
• Railings – where necessary install railings for assistance
• Swings – playground equipment manufacturers have custom seats for those with physical disabilities
• Ground Level Play – Play panels, sandboxes, ADA sand diggers, upper body interactive devices
• Overhead ladders(monkey bars) - American Disabilities Act has a guideline for them to be 53″ high x 36″ wide x 10 feet long
• Experts – Consult your local commercial playground equipment dealer to help create designs that are specific to your park or school
By creating a universal playground environment that is conducive to play by kids with all abilities we can assist in reducing the barriers of all children having fun on the playground. In the end it is all about the FUN!