Parks & Trails August 2019 Newsletter

City of Hot Springs August 2019 Newsletter

Table of Contents 2

Calendar: meetings and events 3

Pavilion Rentals 4

Seasonal Reminders 4

Northwoods Photo Contest 5

111 Opera Street Summer Concert Series 7
P.O. Box 700
Friends of the Parks 8
Hot Springs, AR 71902 Provided by Ned Skoog

Call: 501-321-6871 Park News 9
Email: [email protected]
Trail Footnotes 13
Visit: www.cityhs.net Provided by Ken Freeman

Like us on Facebook: Food Day 2019 14
Hot Springs Parks & Trails
Growing Healthy Communities- Seeds of Peace Festival 15

Hot Springs Trail Etiquette 16

OUR STAFF Trails in Your City Parks 17

Director Trail Watch Volunteer Program 18
Anthony Whittington
Landscape Superintendent Vandalism Reminder 19

Brian Fisher Northwoods Full Moon Ride Series 20
Parks Superintendent
FALL BALL STARTS THIS MONTH! 21
Larry Golden
Office Manager 2
Kathleen Fason

Secretary
Jennifer Shinn

• 8/1 August is:
Kimery Park Tennis Court Grand Opening
271 Kimery Park Lane National Picnic Month
10:00 a.m. Family Fun Month
National Catfish Month
• 8/6 Peach Month
Trail Watch Volunteer Training, National Golf Month
(by appointment only) Water Quality Month
111 Opera Street,
5:30 p.m.

• 8/13 Special Days:
Arts Advisory Committee meeting,
Parks & Trails Conference Room, Campfire Day 3
111 Opera Street, Ste. A, Ntl Watermelon Day 3
12:00 p.m. Friendship Day 4
U.S. Coast Guard Day 4
• 8/15 Ntl Lighthouse Day 7
Parks & Trails Advisory Committee, Book Lover’s Day 9
Parks & Trails Conference Room, Ntl S’mores day 10
111 Opera Street, Ste. A, Relaxation Day 15
5:00 p.m. Senior Citizen’s Day 21
National Dog Day 26
• 8/27 More Herbs, Less Salt 29
Urban Forestry Advisory Committee, Naitonal Trail Mix Day 31
Parks & Trails Conference Room,
111 Opera Street, Ste. A,
6:00 p.m.

• 8/29 3
Friends of the Parks meeting
Chamber of Commerce
659 Ouachita Ave.
11:30 a.m.

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…. Flowers in Parks and on Trails
Motorized Vehicles
are NOT allowed on are beautiful. Please leave
Trails.
them in place for all

For your protection please be aware patrons to enjoy!

of the presence of FIRE ANTS.

Although treated on a regular basis,

fire ants are particularly prone to be

active in parks and especially after a

rain shower. Please be alert!



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For more information on this FREE Event or to
fill out an application go to www.cityhs.net

Series to run Memorial Day-Labor Day weekends!

Friday nights: 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturdays: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sundays: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

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Ned Skoog,
President

BECOME A FRIEND:
The Hot Springs Friends of the Parks is a non-profit
organization dedicated to development and stewardship of
the Hot Springs area public parks and trails. As a “Park
Friend,” you can share in parks growth and development to
improve the quality of life for today and generations to
come.

PARTNERSHIPS:
Individual and corporate partnerships are available for
projects identified in the Hot Springs Parks, Trails, and Open
Space Master Plan.

THANK YOU:
We truly appreciate all citizens who support our community
parks and trails. Would you like to join?

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

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A new employee recognition program has been established to honor those who go
above and beyond for our city and citizens. The Hot Springs HERO idea came to be after a
community member sent a message to the City’s Facebook page to thank the City
employee who helped their family at Carpenter Dam Park. The employee was Cory Smith,
maintenance worker for the Parks & Trails Department, and he helped the family after he
noticed they had gotten their boat and trailer stuck off the boat launch pavement at
Carpenter Dam Park, 301 Powerhouse Lane. According to their message, Corey noticed
the trouble they were having and asked if he could help. He proceeded to unhook their
trailer and help move it by hand so their family vehicle could get on solid ground and get the
boat unstuck. Their message said it was “a great example of how people can be and do
good for others.”

As Smith’s actions inspired the HERO program, it is only fitting that he be the first honoree.
A portrait was taken of Smith at the park, and the spotlight is featured on the City’s website
at www.cityhs.net/HERO.

To nominate a City employee for a HERO spotlight, simply fill out the short form at
www.cityhs.net/HERO-nominate.

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Our own Anthony Whittington, City Parks & Trails
Director, who is an avid outdoor enthusiast and tree
conservationist started his two-year term as president
of the Arkansas Urban Forestry Council on July 1 after
serving a year as vice president on the council. “I see
the importance of having trees in the urban setting, and
I enjoying talking and educating the public about the
environmental and health benefits of trees,” said
Whittington about his continued participation on the
council. Allen Bates, urban forester for the city, was
also appointed on July 1 for a two-year term as a
member of the Board of Directors for the council. The
14-member board (13 elected directors and one ex
officio appointed by the state forester) is made up of volunteers from all across the state who
share a love of trees, a commitment to urban forestry and a spirit of dedicated advocacy. The
overall purpose of the Arkansas Urban Forestry Council is to increase public awareness of the
benefits of Arkansas’ urban and community trees through public policy, networking, information
and education. Activities of the council include hosting an annual Arbor Day Celebration at the
State Capitol and the Natural State Tree Climbing Championships. For more information about
the council, visit www.arkansastrees.org. Whittington is a native of Hot Springs and a graduate
of Lakeside High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Park Management
from Henderson State University in 2007. After graduation,
he worked for the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
for five years at Lake Ouachita State Park and Mount Nebo
State Park. In 2011, he served as a county extension agent
for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooper-
ative Extension Service. He was hired in June 2017 by the
City of Hot Springs as the urban forester. After working a
year in that role, he transitioned to director of Parks & Trails
where he currently oversees the city’s 19 parks and more
than five miles of trails, including the Hot Springs Creek
Greenway Trail. He enjoys spending time with his wife,
Heaven, and nine-year-old son, Zak, as well as mountain
biking, kayaking and fishing.

City of Hot Springs Urban Forester Allen Bates recently
earned Arborist certification credentials, which will help him

care for the more than 10,000 trees within the city limits.

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Parks & Trails had a group of
students from the Arkansas
FFA Leadership Conference
volunteer at two of our parks. This
group helped spread mulch at
Baseball Trail and Linden parks to
improve the safety base around the
playgrounds. These FFA students
from all over the state completed
volunteer work around the area as
a part of their state conference
experience at Camp Couchdale.

We are so grateful for all of
the volunteers who assist us
throughout the year. If you or a
group you are in would like to
volunteer with the Parks & Trails
Department, please fill out
a volunteer sheet online at
www.cityhs.net or call 501-321-
6871.

Kimery Park hosted one of the largest youth softball events Arkansas has ever had as
more than 80 teams came to Hot Springs to compete in the FASA C Class World Series.
The tournament kicked off last Wednesday, July 3, and ran through Saturday. Players, fans
and umpires commented on how nice and clean the park was throughout the entire
tournament. A special thanks goes out to those who helped keep Kimery Park in great
shape over the course of this tournament, including the following employees in Parks &
Trails: Heather Palmer, Jeff Bairett, Cory Smith and Eric Thomason. Hopefully Kimery Park
can host this event every year going forward.

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We love having dogs in our parks! We have
installed dog waste stations at Entergy Park,
530 Lakepark Drive; Baseball Trail Park,
1201 Whittington Avenue; David F. Watkins
Park, 811 Park Avenue and along the Hot
Springs Creek Greenway. Please be
courteous to the other park patrons and
clean up after your furry friend!

JUST A REMINDER: on occasion
citizens and visitors who go to our city
parks leave items behind. Sometimes
those items are found by another
citizen or by Parks & Trails employees
and turned in to our Lost and Found. We
hold most items for 30 days. If you have
lost an item in a city park recently,
please call our office at 501-321-6871 to
see if it's here.

The above message helped reunite a young boy and his brand new walker recently.
His mother accidentally left it at Baseball Trail Park one Friday afternoon.
Fortunately for them, there was another mom there who found it and turned it in to
our Administrative Office at 111 Opera. Our Office Manager attempted to find the
owner through a serial number on the walker but found none. So, as a final attempt
she posted the above message to the Parks & Trails Facebook page and hoped for
the best. Luckily, the post was seen and the walker was picked up the following
Monday morning by a very grateful mother and son.
“It feels great to know there are good citizens in our parks who are willing to help
others get their belonging back,” said Parks & Trails Director Anthony Whittington.
“That said, there is a 30 day holding period, after which time we dispose of
unclaimed items. Of course, we will continue to do our best to get these items back
to their owners.”

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Ken Freeman, The Trail Guy

Well, here we are starting August already, and the
Trail Guy’s “to do list” still needs it to be June. On
a positive note, however, it has been nice to have
as many moderate summer weather days as
we’ve had. I hope you have taken advantage of
those days and had some great trail experiences.
If you are in a family with school aged children,
make sure you take advantage of the couple of
weeks left before school starts to ride bikes or
hike some trails for fun family time enjoying
nature. After all, a recent study found that to be
healthy we should spend a minimum of two hours
a week in a natural setting doing something, so
consider it a doctor’s prescription to be out on a
trail.
As we said in Newsletters earlier this year, the
National Park Service has an ongoing Iron Ranger Challenge, which I’m excited to
report several of our trail users are participating in, and I’ve included a photo of
Tammy Disheroon who has completed the challenge and received her awards.
Congratulations to her and all who are taking the challenge.
If you would like to go on a Northwoods trail, but don’t want to go by yourself, there
will be two Spa Pacers trail events there this month. On the 2nd Monday of the
month (August 12th) meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Northwoods Trailhead for a trail
adventure for runners and walkers. And, the Northwoods Trails will host their Full
Moon ride activities on August 15th with a 6:30 p.m. ride and Spa Pacers will have
another walk/run event at 5:30 p.m.
For our bike riders, that ride on the city streets as well as
on our trails, I want to remind you of a couple of state laws
that went into effect on July 1st. The first is that bicyclists
can treat stop signs as yield signs, and the second is that
bicyclists can treat traffic signals (red lights) as a stop sign.
These new laws will make bike riding more convenient and
allow bicyclists to proceed more quickly when no motor
vehicles are present, but bicyclists must watch more
closely for the presence of motor vehicles to safely proceed. Please watch
carefully, and enjoy your rides. As always, the important thing is to get outside on a
trail and have fun this month. See you on a trail!

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15

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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Improve the quality of life in Hot Springs by providing
and modeling proper trail etiquette and safety as
well as assisting users in trail navigation.

A 30 minute information class where you will receive
a vest and supplies will take place on the second
Tuesday of each month, March-September.

To sign-up call Kathleen at 501-321-6871 or
email [email protected]. For more information about
the Trail Watch program and proper trail etiquette go
to www.cityhs.net and look under the Parks & Trails

Department for Trail Watch.

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Wanna howl at the moon with the Northwoods crew? Shred Valkyrie and Blue Jay by the light of the

full moon? Well, turns out, you’ll have 10 chances to join others on a monthly FULL MOON GROUP RIDE in the
Northwoods.

The ride will be a no drop beginner to intermediate group ride. The route will depend on the skill level of the
participants. Rides will be around an hour on the trails. Interested riders will meet at the trailhead at 6:00 and begin
the ride by 6:30. It will be dark by the time riders return to the trailhead.

All riders must have a mountain bike in working order, helmet, front white light, rear red Light, back-up light source,
and water to hydrate.

After the ride, participants will continue the fun with a little grillin' and some tunes. Bring a chair! Don’t miss the fun...
Come shred with us by the light of the moon!

Sponsored by: Superior Bathhouse Brewery, Spa City Cycling, Parkside Cycle and Visit Hot Springs!

Who: All mountain bikers/All skill levels
What: Full Moon Rides
Where: Northwoods, Waterworks Trailhead
When: 5:30 p.m.
COST: FREE
Why: Full moons are awesome and mountain bikes are too.

*Contingent on weather, Follow Northwoods Trails - Hot Springs Trail Conditions Facebook group for weather
updates leading up to each event!

Full Schedule of Series includes (based on Farmers' Almanac):
March 20 - Full Worm Moon
April 19 - Full Pink Moon
May 18 - Full Flower Moon
June 17 - Full Strawberry Moon
July 16 - Full Buck Moon
August 15 - Full Sturgeon Moon
September 14 - Full Harvest Moon
October 13 - Full Hunter’s Moon
November 12 - Full Beaver Moon
December 12 - Full Cold Moon

Youth Leagues: SIGNUP DEADLINE– Friday, August 2, 2019
T-Ball (Coed) 6U - Games start Monday, August 26th
8U Girls Softball - Games start Thursday, August 29th
10U Girls Softball - Games start Monday, August 26th
12U Girls Softball - Games start Thursday, August 29th
14U Girls Softball - Games start Friday, August 30th

Men’s Softball League: SIGNUP DEADLINE - Friday, August 16, 2019
Games start Tuesday, September 3
Adult (Coed) Softball League: SIGNUP DEADLINE - Friday, August 16, 2019
Games start Wednesday, September 4
ALL FORMS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CITYHS.NET
and at 111 Opera Street, Suite A.

Registration is not complete until payment is received.
We take credit card payments by phone so feel free to call
us at 501-321-6871 and make you payment today!
Please call Sport Recreation Manager Adam Ussery with
any questions or requests.