Posts tagged Parks and Recreation Department
Boulder offers vets a free 90-day rec pass
May 17th
The Boulder Parks and Recreation Department will offer a special recreation facility pass program for veterans, active duty and reservist military personnel beginning Monday, May 21. Boulder City Councilmember Tim Plass proposed the program, which was approved by City Council on May 15.
The program includes a one-time, free, 90-day recreation facility pass for post-9/11 veterans who are City of Boulder residents. It also offers a 25 percent discount on annual passes for all military personnel and veterans who reside in the City of Boulder or Boulder County. The program is not retroactive for current pass holders. The passes provide entry to all three city recreation centers, two outdoor pools and the Boulder Reservoir.
“We are honored to offer this program and provide an opportunity for returning veterans and other service personnel to participate in health and fitness programs in our local community,” said Alice Guthrie, recreation superintendent for the Parks and Recreation Department.
To qualify, applicants must have served in one of the following branches of service, identified by the Department of Defense:
● Army
● Navy
● Air Force
● Marines
● Coast Guard
● National Guard
● Merchant Marines
To receive the free 90-day recreation pass, applicants must go to the Parks and Recreation administrative offices at 3198 Broadway Ave. and show a DD-214 form with separation date and a photo ID. To receive the 25 percent discount, applicants must bring either a DD-214 form, valid Veterans ID from the Veterans Affairs Office or valid Active Duty or Reservist ID to one of the three city recreation centers (North Boulder Recreation Center at 3170 Broadway Ave., East Boulder Community Center at 5660 Sioux Drive or South Boulder Recreation Center at 1360 Gillaspie Drive).
The Parks and Recreation Department also offers veterans a variety of therapeutic recreation programs through the EXPAND (EXciting Programs, Adventures and New Dimensions) program.
For more information on the veterans and active duty military personnel facility pass program, visit www.BoulderParks-Rec.org.
Boulder’s Valmont bike park makes short list
Jan 11th
Boulder’s Valmont Bike Park has been selected as one of three finalists to host the 2014 and 2015 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. The three potential host cities are Asheville, N.C. (Biltmore Estate), Austin, Texas (Zilker Park), and Boulder (Valmont Bike Park).
“The news that Valmont Bike Park is one of three finalists to host the 2014 and 2015 United States Cyclo-cross National Championships further establishes Valmont Bike Park as an industry leader in bike park construction for both event hosting and daily use,” said Kirk Kincannon, director of the Parks and Recreation Department. “Valmont Bike Park was specifically designed and built to accommodate world-class cycling events like the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. We are honored to receive this consideration.”
The United States Cyclo-cross National Championships is expected to bring in at least 1,500 athletes and even more spectators.
“This is exciting news for Boulder—and for all of the organizations who have helped make Valmont Bike Park an exceptional facility,” said Mary Ann Mahoney, executive director of the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We would be honored and thrilled to host this amazing event. With the metro area’s concentration of cycling fans, this world-class facility and Boulder’s amazing array of bike shops, restaurants, hiking, biking and running trails, I believe we could deliver a phenomenal experience for both riders and spectators.”
USA Cycling evaluated six potential host cities using various criteria, including: accessibility, community support, course options, technical expertise and the organization’s commitment to volunteer recruitment, marketing and lodging. USA Cycling will conduct site visits in early 2012 before making their final selection.
“We are extremely excited about the quality and depth of the bids we received for this event,” USA Cycling National Events Director Kelli Lusk said. “All of the cities offered spectacular presentations. We’re confident that any of these three cities would make a great host for these two championship events in 2014 and in 2015.”
Weather grounds biking at Boulder’s Valmont Bike Park
Jan 11th
Parks and Recreation Department requests public cooperation in staying off Valmont Bike Park trails to prevent additional damage
The Parks and Recreation Department has closed Valmont Bike Park due to poor trail conditions, and is asking for public cooperation to stay off Valmont Bike Park trails to prevent further damage. Recent running, snowboarding, sledding, dog walking and biking on the trails have caused excessive damage to not only the top surfacing material, but to the base layer as well. The maintenance required to repair this damage is costly and time-consuming and will extend the re-opening date of the park due to the extra surfacing maintenance work.
“Our staff is evaluating trail and feature surfacing daily to determine if any areas of the bike park can be opened, and we will notify the public once those areas open,” said Kirk Kincannon, Parks and Recreation Department director. “However, due to moisture deep in the soil and surfacing material, no areas of the park will be opened within the next few days.”
The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA) also urged the public to refrain from using the trails at this time.
“We need your cooperation to protect the coolest bike park on Planet Earth,” said Jason Vogel, BMA president. “Warm weather does not mean Valmont Bike Park is ready to ride. We are contending with upwelling groundwater freezing subsurface as well as snowcover and snowmelt. These conditions are a perfect storm for destroying the park we’ve all worked so hard to make a reality. BMA urges all park users to respect park closures.”