Albert Einstein once said, "Try not to become a man of success. Rather, become a man of value." This statement rings true to what we have been trying to accomplish this year at Astoria Parks. We have had to dig deep into our mission as a department to ask ourselves continuously whether or not our programs and services are enriching generations of community and inspiring our neighbors to come together. We've accomplished quite a bit, and hope that you have seen our progress in becoming more organized and improving our services to our patrons. We would like to take this moment to highlight what we feel have brought value to our community this year:
We saw record high contributions and attendance:
- With the help of our volunteer led Astoria Parks, Recreation, and Community Foundation we managed to raise over $51,000 for our scholarship program. Through events such as the Run on the River Half Marathon, Parks After Dark summer movie series, and their Benefit Night at Fort George Brewery.
- The Astoria Downtown Historic District Association supported the Instant Gratification No Run Fun Run that raised enough money to bring back our Gobbler Gallop Thanksgiving 5k, the New Year's Day Fun Run, and our Valentine's Day Ball.
- Received an amazing outpouring of support from local businesses and individuals to sponsor our youth basketball leagues and even for our youth baseball program that begins next Spring.
- Our Kids' Zone after school program and our Aquatic Center swim lessons have more than doubled in attendance.
We've added additional classes to our fitness lineup:
- Added an Intro to Fitness Class at the Aquatic Center to increase knowledge of the Fitness Center's equipment, usage and safety.
- Developed a new fitness class program called the After School Special designed for working families looking to diversify their fitness repertoire.
- Introduced popular fitness classes such as Zumba and Hatha Yoga.
We've made major updates to our facilities and parks:
- Installed a UV sanitation system in our hot tub and kiddie pool at the Aquatic Center and made energy upgrades to our aging HVAC system.
- With the help of Clatsop Community College's Historic Preservation Program, they have replaced the siding and all the windows at Alderbrook Hall.
- Completed a full inventory and assessment of Astoria Parks' trees per recommendation of the Parks Master Plan.
- Developed community partnerships to adopt parks: McClure Park, People's Park, Alderbrook Park, Old Post Office Park, and Tide Rock Park which will enhance community park stewardship and increase care and maintenance of these beloved parks.
- Secured grant funding to complete site plans for Shively and McClure Parks.
As we look ahead into the New Year, we thank all those who have supported us in 2017, and look forward to our continued partnership in 2018.
We encourage you to become involved! Join us for our Astoria Parks Board meetings, help us raise money for the Astoria Parks, Recreation and Community Foundation, volunteer at our major events, or volunteer to help us bring back events that were eliminated. Give us a call at (503) 325-7275 for more information.
Happy Holidays from everyone
at Astoria Parks!
