Parks & Trails January 2020 Newsletter

Greenway Sponsorships
Thank You Volunteers!
Youth Leadership Visit
All Inclusive Playground
Youth Softball Registration
...and more!

111 Opera Street Table of Contents 2
P.O. Box 700 Calendar: meetings and events 3
Pavilion Rentals 4
Hot Springs, AR 71902 Seasonal Reminders 4
Greenway Sponsorships 5
Call: 501-321-6871 Thank You Volunteers! 6
Email: [email protected] Hot Springs Youth Leadership 8
All Inclusive Playground for Park 9
Visit: www.cityhs.net Northwoods 10

Like us on Facebook: Youth Softball Registration 11
Hot Springs Parks & Trails Men’s Softball Registration 12
Growing Healthy Communities- Trail Etiquette 13
Trails in Your City Parks 14
Hot Springs Vandalism Notice 15

OUR STAFF 2

Director
Anthony Whittington
Landscape Superintendent

Brian Fisher
Parks Superintendent

Larry Golden
Office Manager
Kathleen Fason

Secretary
Jennifer Shinn

 1/1 January is:
New Year’s Day, Office Closed
National Blood Donor
 1/14 Hot Tea
Arts Advisory Committee Meeting National Oatmeal
111 Opera Street, Ste. A National Soup
12:00 p.m. National Hobby
National Bath Safety

Special Days:

 1/16 New Year’s Day 1
Parks & Trails Advisory Committee
111 Opera Street, Ste. A National Bird Day 5
at 5:00 p.m.
National Take the Stairs 8
 1/20
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Office National Hat 15
Closed
Martin Luther King Jr. 20

National Hugging 21

National Seed Swap 25

 1/28 Fun at Work Day 28
Urban Forestry Advisory Committee
Parks & Trails Conference Room National Puzzle Day 29
111 Opera Street, Ste. A
6:00 p.m. Inspired by Art Day 31

 1/30
Friends of the Parks Meeting
Chamber of Commerce
659 Ouachita Ave.
11:30 a.m.

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Renting a city park pavilion is quick and easy.
Cost is minimal and clean up will be, too!

 Birthday Parties
 Family Reunions
 Wedding Receptions
 Baby Showers
 Retirement Farewells
 Fishing Derbies

Cost to reserve pavilions:
$10 per hour for city residents
$20 per hour for non-city residents

Additional fees may apply for large groups and special events. Please refer to our
Reservation Policy for fee schedules or call the Parks and Trails Department at
501-321-6871 for more information.

To make your reservation, call or come by the Parks and Trails Department at 111 Opera Street,
or fill out an interactive online form at www.cityhs.net. Reservations must be made a least two
(2) weeks prior to your event date. Postings in the information kiosks of each park reflect who
has a pavilion reserved and when each week (Monday - Sunday).

Please Remember…. The City of Hot
Motorized Vehicles Springs Noise Ordi-
are NOT allowed on
nance is enforced
from 10:00 PM to 7:00

Fireworks are NOT
allowed in any

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We want to thank all of the volunteers who
helped us in 2019! We are always grateful to
have such a strong community of volunteers in
and around Hot Springs!

Individuals in the Parks & Trails Advisory
Committee and the Arts Advisory Committee
who meet with us once a month to assist
in planning and developing parks, trails,
greenspace, and art for our community.

The Hot Springs Friends of the Parks, a local
non-profit dedicated to the development and
stewardship of Hot Springs area parks and
trails. They assists us with planning and devel-
oping the greenways and parks that we all
enjoy so much! From land acquisition to
surveys and title searches, the HS Friends are
true friends indeed!

We are so grateful for the Garland County
Master Gardeners for their assistance each
month at the greenhouse and every year with
the beautiful downtown hanging baskets! They
not only help us build and plant the baskets but
have taken on several flowerbeds around town
as projects for their volunteers. They care for
the landscaped medians at the Farmer’s
Market, Entergy Park’s North Loop, the Xeri-
scape Garden along the Hot Springs Creek
Greenway Trail and the circular median at
Grand and Malvern Ave.

The Spa Pacers assist our department with
events such as the Great American Cleanup
and the Huff, Puff, then Stuff 5K as well as with
donations to the Friends of the Parks for use in
building parks and trails.

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The Arkansas Master Naturalist, Diamond Lakes and Hot Springs Young Professionals continue
to assist us with the Great American Cleanup event, held every Spring, and with other events
throughout like the Young Professionals’ Popup Recycle events held along the Hot Springs
Creek Greenway several times each year. If you are interested in volunteering with any of this
wonderful groups you can contact them at the following:

City Advisory Board Members are appointed by the City Board of Directors and individuals can
apply through the City Clerk’s office or online at www.cityhs.net.

To become a “Park Friend” mail your annual membership fee to Friends of the Parks, P.O. Box
996, Hot Springs, AR 71902-0996. Family-$35, Adult-$25, Youth-$10, Business-$50, Organiza-
tion-$50.

Individuals interested in becoming a Garland County Master Gardener Volunteer can call 501-
623-6841 to find out more.

To join the Spa Pacers Running Club please visit http://www.arspapacers.com/membership.

To become an Arkansas Master Naturalist go to arkansasmasternaturalists.org to learn more.

To join the Hot Springs Young Professionals email them at [email protected].

Most importantly we truly value the time we get to
spend with students in our parks and on our trails.
They assist the Parks & Trails staff with raking,
mulching and planting. Helping us to beautify the
community is just one of the ways that students
find to give back to their city. “It’s great to have
students assisting us in the parks and along
trails,” Parks & Trails Director Anthony Whittington
said. “Each year we are honored to host
volunteers from several school districts in our
area. It’s amazing to have such a huge spirit of
volunteerism in our local youth!” Our thanks to go
out to all of the students in and around Hot
Springs who help us every year! You are making a
big difference in our community! If you or your
group are interested in volunteering with the Parks
& Trails Department go to www.cityhs.net and fill
out a Volunteer Application.

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The Hot Springs Youth Leadership members visited the Parks & Trails greenhous-
es as part of their visit to city offices. They met with Parks & Trails Director Anthony
Whittington, Landscape Superintendent Brian Fisher, and Greenhouse Manager
Daryl Edwards to learn all about what Parks & Trails does in our community.
Landscaping medians and parks flowerbeds, building, planting, and fertilizing the
beautiful downtown hanging baskets and other landscape features are all part of
the Landscape crews’ duties. Watering all of those beautiful green and flowering
spaces is one of the most important things they do as well as meeting with the
public to share their knowledge and assist groups with projects. We are grateful for
the chance to meet with these future leaders and wish them all the best. We hope
they will have the opportunities to continue volunteering or studying in the
landscape field in the future.

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This is a sketch of the all inclusive playground that is planned for David F. Watkins
Memorial Park. It shows clearly how citizens of all ages and abilities will be able to
access and use the playground facility. There will be a poured-in-place safety base that is
included in the price. We want to thank our local Civitans non-profit group for all of their
hard work in fundraising for matching funds for the playground. To date they have turned
in $20,000 to the city and a Civitans representative informed us they are close to having
another $10,000 to turn in. Hot Springs is full of good, hard working, individuals who are
dedicated to seeing parks and trails provided for use by our residents and visitors. We
couldn’t do it all without their beautiful spirit of volunteerism!

The playground has been approved and ordered but will be one of the final elements to
be added to the new park.

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BikeHotSprings.com is the place to
go online for information and maps
of not only the Northwoods Trails
but all trails in and around Hot
Springs, AR. From intermediate
to advanced, there is a trail for
everyone who wants to get outside
and walk, run, or ride the trails!

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More and more Hot Springs residents and visitors are flocking to parks and trails for fitness and
fun! Whether you are on the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail or a city park trail, it’s good to
follow these simple etiquette rules so everyone has a safe and enjoyable time on the trails.
Be Safe
Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle
Use bicycle lights and reflectors after dusk/before dawn
Wear bright or light colored clothing so you’re easily seen
Be aware of your surroundings
Carry a charged cell phone and proper identification
Communicate to family and friends where you’re going
Carry water
Utilize the buddy system when possible
Observe posted park rules and hours
Keep an eye on children
Travel at a safe speed
Slow down on curves
Do not ride on wet or muddy nature trails
Dismount and walk you bike on steep nature trails to avoid locking your breaking or skidding
Stay to right and pass with care
Always pass on the left
Ring a bell or give clear, verbal warning to nearby trail users before passing
Yield to oncoming traffic when passing
Bikes yield to pedestrians
Single file in groups
Motorized vehicles are prohibited on trails except motorized wheelchairs
Be Courteous
Stay on the trails to protect vegetation and minimize erosion
“Leave No Trace”- carry out what’s carried in
Do not disturb wildlife
Keep to the edge when stopped to allow others to pass
Be Responsible with pets
Keep all pets on a short leash
Pick-up pet waste

Park Name and Location Surface Type ADA Length

Baseball Trail Park - 1201 Whittington Ave Asphalt Yes 1/6 Mile
Yes 1/4 Mile
Chattanooga Park - 530 Chattanooga St Asphalt
1/5 Mile
Desoto Park - 1700 Park Ave Asphalt Yes
1/4 Mile
Entergy Park - 530 Lakepark Dr Asphalt Yes 2/10 Mile
North Loop Trail Asphalt Yes 3/4 Mile
Wildlife Observation Trail
Natural Surface No 1/5 Mile
Water Tower Loop Trail
1/2 Mile
Lakefront Trail Natural Surface No 1/10 Mile
1/10 Mile
Fenceline Trail Natural Surface No 1/10 Mile
3/10 Mile
Eagle Scout Trail Natural Surface No 1/5 mile
Yes 1 Mile
Playground Connector Trail Asphalt No 1/2 Mile
Pavilion on the Point Asphalt Yes 1/4 Mile
Sunnybrook Connector Trail Asphalt Yes
1/4 Mile
Family Park - 215 Family Park Rd Asphalt No 1/2 Mile
2/3 Mile
Hill Wheatley Park - 688 Majestic Lodge Rd Natural Surface No 1/2 Mile
Yes 1/4 Mile
Hinsley Park - Kingsway and Meadowlake Natural Surface 1/4 Mile

Wade Street Park - 300 Wade St Asphalt

Hot Springs Creek Greenway- Concrete Yes
Transportation Plaza Trail Asphalt Yes
Valley Street Creekwalk Concrete Yes
Jaycee Trail and Friendship Park Trail Asphalt Yes
Hollywood Trail Asphalt Yes
Blue Heron Trail
Asphalt Yes
Utility Service Center Trail

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