City Of Milton: PRAB To Explore Adding Junior Rangers, Process For Wall Of Fame

Press release from the City of Milton:

08/18/2021 4:08 PM

Milton’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members will explore adding Junior Park Rangers and the process for new honorees on its Wall of Fame when it convenes again Thursday.

The August 19 meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. The public can attend in person, or they should be able to watch it on video via this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpkXg669ndrZyJY4z1H9DChR8gZzWu757. (If there are technical difficulties, the video should be viewable within 24 hours on the City’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/CityofMiltonGeorgia.)

As is customary, PRAB (as this group is known) will kick-off with a “public comment” period when citizens can share their thoughts generally on parks and recreation-related matters. Reports will then be given on the Department and its program partners’ various offerings such as lacrosse, football, tennis, swimming, baseball, arts classes, and adult programming.

This will be followed by the continued discussion of potentially having Junior Park Rangers in Milton. City staff will provide PRAB with an update to the proposed program and seek guidance to help shape it. Many national and state parks have Junior Ranger programs for children to engage in hands-on educational activities, learn about the surrounding natural environment, and earn badges.

PRAB members then will receive an update on the Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame, which honors people who have excelled as participants, coaches and contributors in Milton parks and recreation programs (both before and after the City’s incorporation). Inductees were recognized in 2019 and 2020, with their names now displayed on a wall at Bell Memorial Park.

Now is the time to select members of the third Wall of Fame class, a responsibility that rests with PRAB members and designated individuals from Milton High and Cambridge High. PRAB members will not cast ballots on Thursday, but they will discuss the process and qualification parameters for future classes.

Also on Thursday, PRAB will learn about a potential partnership with the YMCA to help fill a gap in the Milton Parks and Recreation Department’s fitness offerings. City staff have been in discussions with YMCA officials in Georgia about their instructors possibly providing yoga, Zumba, “boot camps” and similar fitness classes for Milton residents.

PRAB next will talk about the potential process for installing art in Milton parks on the heels of a recent offer to the City. Promoting and displaying public art is mentioned many times in the final draft of Milton’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, including as a “priority project.” So having such art in Milton parks could align with that plan.

City staff will then brief the board on the following:

• Providence Park –- Crews from TriScapes have begun creating a ADA-accessible trail from the parking lot of Providence Park. A new pier, pavilion, and restrooms are also in the plans. The Park has been closed to the public as this work unfolds.
• Former Milton Country Club clubhouse –- Work has similarly begun on renovating the clubhouse at the former Milton Country Club at 1785 Dinsmore Road. Construction should be completed by the end of this year. Once it is, the City will have a new, re-oriented space for Parks and Recreation programing, events and general community use. You can learn more about that project here: https://cleargov.com/georgia/fulton/city/milton/projects/1254/former-milton-country-club-facility-improvements. 
• Cox Road athletic complex –- Bids are being taken now for the transformation of the Cox Road athletic complex. The idea is that adding turf to create multipurpose fields will increase the facility’s appeal and utilization by Milton athletic programs. Impact fees ultimately will help pay for this project.
• Summer programming –- City staff will share the success of various camps offered over the summer. Many were for athletic programs while others focused on the arts, including the debut of well-received photography camps. Camp Joyful Soles also returned this summer after a one-year hiatus, providing an enriching, enjoyable and engaging experience for participants age 13 to 22 with special needs.

 After Thursday’s meeting, PRAB is next scheduled to convene the evening of September 16.

This press release was produced by the City of Milton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.