Dear KRPA Members,

In an effort to inform you of how the policy of the gubernatorial candidates would effect parks and recreation in our communities over the next four to eight years, the Public Policy Committee and KRPA staff developed a list of questions and submitted those to the three major candidates for Governor.

Questions were submitted to each campaign on 28-SEPT with a request to return by 8-OCT, we received one response, from the Laura Kelly campaign.  A follow-up message was sent to both the Orman and Kobach campaigns, as of this letter we have not received a response from either.

On 9-OCT the Public Policy Committee approved a request to the KRPA Board of Directors that the written response from Laura Kelly be provided, with a summary of her responses to the KRPA membership.  On 10-OCT the Board of Directors voted to inform the membership as recommended by the Public Policy Committee.

The Board of Directors strongly encourages you to review the responses from the Kelly Campaign and keep them in consideration as you cast your vote for Governor. As noted in her response, Ms. Kelly served as the Executive Director of our association from 1986-2003 and has proven to be a friend to parks and recreation throughout her time in the State Senate. As stated in her response:

"I will continue to be an advocate for our recreation and park programs as governor. More and more Kansas communities are embracing recreation and park programs that enhance the quality of life available to their families – and attract new business opportunities to their area.”  

Further, Ms Kelly, supports local control, stating:

"Each city in Kansas has its own elected officials, geographic and cultural makeup, and this needs to be reflected in policy.”  "As governor, I will continue to support local governments’ ability to make choices for their community.”

Additionally, Ms.Kelly’s Rural Prosperity plan “includes prioritizing state investments in the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to enhance our rural communities’ linkages to the state’s natural assets, including lakes and trails.”

We hope you find this information valuable and relevant as you consider your vote this year.  If we receive responses from the Orman or Kobach campaign we will make those available for review as well.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any concerns or questions.

 

Chris Claxton, KRPA Board President

Tony Finlay, KRPA Public Policy Chair

Link to Laura Kelly's Complete Questionnaire Responses: Kansas Recreation and Park Assoc Questionnaire.pdf
Link to Laura Kelly's Rural Prosperity Plan: https://www.laurakellyforkansas.com/issues/rural/

NRPA, with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), offered local park and recreation agencies across the country, Instructor Training Grants for Physical Activity Programs. The Evidence-based physical activity programs, Walk With Ease, Active Living Every Day and Fit & Strong! are beneficial for people with or without chronic conditions, and is especially popular among older adults of all abilities.

The Instructor Training Grants will be used to train staff as instructors in one or more of three programs:

• Walk With Ease
• Active Living Every Day
• Fit & Strong!

Please contact us at HealthyAginginParks@nrpa.org for information on the available training grant opportunities.  A total of 220 Instructor Training grants will be awarded. Grant applications will be accepted from October 8 through November 19, 2018.

Learn More and Apply

The National Association of Park Foundation is hosting a free webinar on September 13th from 2:00-3:00 titled So Your Local Park Foundation Needs a Strong Understanding of Bequests, Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning Gifts.

Featured speaker, Ms. Kasey Coughlin, will be broadcasting from the Law Office of Kasey Coughlin, Villa Park, IL. Ms. Coughlin brings a wealth of experience and understanding on this subject. The NAPE recommends you include Estate Planning into your diverse fund development strategies.

To register for this free webinar, visit https://www.the-napf.org/.

KRPA Members,

Below is an email I recently received from Ryan Sharp, professor at Kansas State University. I want to send a sincere THANK YOU to all of you who filled out the survey Ryan sent and/or wrote letters to Ryan. We truly made a positive impact on the park profession.

Thank you,

Erika Devore
Executive Director

Good morning all,

I was notified recently that we will be able to hire two new faculty members in PMC, and the process has already begun.  Of course, we did not get all three back that were lost, but, after some time spent with the PMC curriculum, I think we can make it work with three faculty and still teach most of our current courses while maintaining our accreditation.

I am convinced that this recent development would not have happened without the outpouring of support I received from the survey that you all helped me distribute.  Of even greater importance were the letters you so thoughtfully wrote in support of PMC.  In recent meetings with the Deans, they cited the letters and the survey results as clear evidence of the importance of PMC to the state of Kansas.  To think that a month ago there were real discussions about doing away with PMC!

THANK YOU so much for your help and support.  I am looking forward to carrying on the PMC tradition and re-building this program, improving it along the way.

Are you aware of a professional who committed a lengthy time of service to the field of parks and recreation in Kansas?  Please take this opportunity to pay tribute and honor this person by nominating them for the KRPA Hall of Fame. This year's Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at a NEW Hall of Fame Luncheon on February 5, 2019 in Hutchinson, Kansas. 

Hall of Fame nominees must be retired from the profession for at least two (2) years and be a past member of KRPA. Professional nominees are preferred to have had professional certification but not required. Hall of Fame inductees are selected by the KRPA Executive Committee.

The deadline to submit nominations for the KRPA Hall of Fame is September 19, 2018.  Please send nomination form or questions to Erika Devore (KRPA Executive Director) at erika@krpa.org.

Nominate Here

The Governor’s Council on Fitness is now accepting nominations for its annual Kansas Health Champion Awards. Awards are given to individuals and organizations that make an exceptional effort to model, encourage and promote health and fitness in Kansas. Award recipients will be recognized at the Community Health Promotion Summit on Jan. 24, in Manhattan, Kan. The deadline for nominations is September 30, 2018.

Nominees would be expected to have demonstrated:

• Work that goes above and beyond what is expected to model, encourage and promote fitness
• Far-reaching impact
• Sustainable influence or activity

Eligible nominees might include an outstanding volunteer, a school, a local community, a newspaper or individual reporter, a local or State policy maker, or an employer, among others.

For more information and to submit a nomination, go to getactivekansas.org, and click on the nomination form link. If you have questions about the nomination process, contact Jennifer Church at 785-296-6801. 

Congratulations to Matt Martinez, KRPA member and Assistant Recreation Supervisor at Wichita Park and Recreation, for receiving the 2018 John C. Potts Leadership Development Scholarship.  The highly-competitive "Pottsie" scholarship is awarded to one young professional who has demonstrated leadership and management potential within their organization. 

The AIPE/American Academy Foundation chooses the winner of the "Pottsie" scholarship which provides scholarship funds for the individual to attend NRPA's Directors School. (Information about NRPA's Directors School is available at https://www.nrpa.org/directors/.) This scholarship honors former American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration's Executive Director John Potts and is made possible through the generous donations of Academy members and friends. Martinez will be recognized at the 2018 AAPRA annual meeting.

Congratulations, Matt! We are very proud of you!

Have questions about what was passed in the Amusement Ride Act? League of Kansas Municipalities put together a short video and infographic to help answer your questions.

Click here for video:

https://www.facebook.com/LeagueofKansasMunicipalities/videos/1596036603859045/

Kansas City Chiefs Game and Tailgate with KRPA Young Professionals

The Kansas City Chiefs have offered the KRPA family a chance to support our favorite football team and also KRPA members and Young Professionals. Tickets are just $30 and $10 goes directly to KRPA. Tickets are very limited so we encourage you to purchase soon.

All tickets purchased for the October 7th game vs. the Jaquars will go to support the KRPA Young Professionals. KRPA members are encouraged to tailgate before the game. Details to come.

A complete list of all 5 Chiefs games available to purchase through this program are below. 

Be sure to use the link below and the promo code: KRPA
http://www.chiefs.com/ticketfundraiser/

Current ticket options are for:

PRESEASON
August 9th, 7:30PM TEXANS VS.CHIEFS
August 30th, 7:30PM PACKERS VS.CHIEFS

REGULAR SEASON
October 7th, 12:00PM JAQUARS VS.CHIEFS
October 21st, 12:00PM BENGALS VS.CHIEFS
November 11st, 12:00PM CARDINALS VS.CHIEFS

Tickets will be purchased and delivered directly from the KC Chiefs. Tickets are first come, first serve.

To support your work in promoting and enforcing adaptive policies,  the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Community Health Promotion Program is providing a limited number of tobacco-free signs free of charge. When your municipality passes a tobacco-free ordinance or policy, you can make your signage request by uploading the signed ordinance and a description of your communication plans at https://surveymonkey.com/r/tobacco_free_signs. For questions, contact KDHE Community Health Promotion at 785-296-8127 or KSSmokeFree@ks.gov.