December 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 11

Letters
We hope the articles you read in Parks & Recreation are thought-provoking and engaging, and we
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want to hear your opinions on what you read in these pages. Through social media posts, website
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comments,
emails to staff or posts on NRPA Connect, let us know how the magazine's articles apply
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to your job and your agency. To submit feedback for this section, email Executive Editor Samantha
Bartram at sbartram@nrpa.org.

Comment from Chris Clough regarding Laurel P. Richmond's October
2016 article, " Providing Equal Access to
Aquatic Facility Locker Rooms for People
Who Are Transgender, " (www.parksandrecreation.org/2016/October/ProvidingEqual-Access-to-Aquatic-Facility-LockerRooms-for-People-Who-Are-Transgender):
This article is a good intro for facility managers considering the needs of
transgender individuals. Use of aquatic facilities and gyms are often out
of the question for transgender individuals because of fears of how they
will address the locker room situation.
Little things, like having shower curtains, are huge. Another is to make
sure your bathroom stalls have hooks.
This makes it easier for transgender
individuals to change in the privacy
of a stall. Gender-neutral bathrooms
and changing facilities can be helpful,
however, it's important that patrons
are educated on who can use them so
that a transgender person doesn't feel
like they will be judged for going in
there. Particularly if they don't appear outwardly to be transitioning,
which most do not. Additionally,
consider using your website to detail
the accommodations your facility has
made. Transgender individuals will
often gather as much information as
possible about a facility beforehand in
hopes of avoiding uncomfortable or
embarrassing situations. As the article
states, transgender individuals do not
want excess attention called to them.
Making simple accommodations and

training staff to be compassionate and
empathetic will go a long way to helping transgender individuals enjoy your
excellent facilities.
The following comments are in reference
to Samantha Bartram's October 2016
article, " Restorative Healing at Youth Visions Reflection Park, " (www.parksandrecreation.org/2016/October/Restorative-Healing-at-Youth-Visions-Reflection-Park):
I am so glad that we have this project and others that will hopefully grow
from here to give our youth a place to
put their creative energy while learning
about social justice.
-Meighan Richardson
This is such a beautiful project and
such a wonderful way to connect the
community to youth and their feelings
and hopes for change.
- Sarah Bryan
Comment from Char Day regarding
Justin Hurdle's October 2016 article,
" Smoke-Free Parks: Why Park and Recreation Departments Should Lead the Effort, "
(www.parksandrecreation.org/2016/October/Smoke-Free-Parks-Why-Park-and-Recreation-Departments-Should-Lead-theEffort):
Great article about supporting smokefree parks and trails. My lungs and asthma thank you so much.

The following comments are in reference
to Peter Harnik and Alexandra Hiple's
September 2016 article, " If It Doesn't Have a
Bench, Is It Still a Park?, " (www.parksandrecreation.org/2016/September/If-ItDoesn-t-Have-a-Bench-Is-It-Still-a-Park):
This is a wonderful article about
the myriad ways that benches make
parks more inviting for a broad swath
of the people living in the community. One more use is as yoga and exercise " equipment. " I've been utilizing
benches for outdoor exercise classes
since 2002. All ages participate and
seniors and people who are just starting out love how safe and easy this approach to exercise can be.
-Nancy Bruning
Wildlife habitat is what makes an
area a park. With no living things, you
have something like a quarry. Have
you ever visited one? Did you have
fun? A park should have one bench,
for those who need to sit, but that is
probably enough. It's healthier to keep
moving. I hike in a park that has two
benches. One of them is rarely used.
We are operating on an obsolete model for parks. People think it's a place
to have fun, where they don't have
to lift a finger to take care of it. That
isn't working! Trash and invasive exotic species are taking over our parks.
Parks are never adequately funded.
They need volunteers. Better yet, we
should all be volunteers.
- Mike Vandeman

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Parks & Recreation

December 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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