Outta the Park !!
Hooray for us !! Christiansburg Parks & Recreation Director Art Price and Supervisor of Outdoor Sports Facilities and Parks Chuck Muncy were notified earlier this month of Dixie Youth Baseball's (www.dixie.org) decision to hold its 2010 World Series at Harkrader Sports Complex! This directly on the heels of Christiansburg's own 11& 12 yr.old "O-Zone" Baseball Players winning the state title and representing Virginia at this year's 2008 World Series in Mississippi (congratulations to them!). These wonderful announcements represent vision, perserverance, and LOTS of hard work and commitment by a wide swath of our community, and none is prouder than Chuck. He's the former Christiansburg Supervisor of Athletics and in his new role manages the new Harkrader Sports Complex. Chuck's goal, as expressed to the Dixie executives in Marshall, Texas is for Christiansburg to be the Youth Baseball Capital of Southwest Viginia. Congratulations Chuck, Art, Recreation Department Staff, and to the MANY tireless coaches, parents and volunteers that support our youth programs. Now is one of those times to say WOW!
Now, a Zoom Out to look at the bigger picture. This is one more thing that puts us on the map and it makes good business sense. It's estimated that this year's World Series in Mississippi resulted in $1.5M of direct revenue into the community. And so Christiansburg stands to gain both in profile and financially. That's in addition to the fact that Harkrader plays host to events nearly every weekend between April and October already this year.
Another keystone is that the Harkrader Complex is but one more example of regional cooperation in action in that Montgomery County and the Town partnered together to make this whole thing happen. And this type of cooperation is evident, and growing, throughout our town, county and in Blacksburg. Other noteworthy symbols of this cooperation is youth football, basketball, baseball, the Huckleberry Trail, Senior Olympics. Heck, the list goes on and on.
So what does the future hold in working together with Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Radford and even Pulaski County on projects of mutual recreational benefit? Who knows. Likely candidates in my mind are more trails, parks, and facilities that pass two fundamental questions of logic -- "What can we do together that we probably couldn't - or shouldn't - do by ourselves?", and "Is it fair to all concerned?"
I'm encouraged by the increasing cooperation on projects like this and in the growing togetherness that is evidenced by elected officials in our local governments. A good example of this logic is the Huckleberry Trail ... of the thousands upon thousands of people who use it, I bet that there are precious few who care whether they happen to be in Christiansburg, Montgomery County, Virginia Tech, or Blacksburg. Folks are HERE and they're just plain enjoying it. Same goes for the other stuff. So what are your thoughts? ... what do you think should be next ?
Brad Stipes
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Reader Comments (17)
Brad,
Thank you for support of Christiansburg Parks and Recreation and the entire Town of Christiansburg. In my 25 plus years with Christiansburg Parks and Recreation, Lance Terpenny, John Lemley, Barry Helms, members of Town Council, members of the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the fine citizens of Christiansburg have always been supportive of our department. The continued creative and progressive growth of facilities and programs is proof of this statement. God has truly blessed me to be Director of Parks and Recreation for my hometown. My family and I have a great life because of the Town of Chirstiansburg. Due to the support of Lance Terpenny, Town Manager, I have to opportunity to teach part time at Radford University and to have worked as a part time scout for the Knsas City Royals. I am truly thankful to the Town of Chistiansburg.
To say the least, we are very excited about hosting the 2010 Dixie Baseball Boys World Series. Teams from 11 states will be here for the week long series. From what we observed in mississippi and Georgia, it will be great. In Mississippi, through the support of the Town of Christiansburg and others, our players, coaches, and parents had a wonderful time. They are all caring and loving people. I am so thankful they allowed me to be a part of it. We all say, thank you Christiansburg.
Sincerely,
Art Price, MA, CPRP
Director, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation
Adjunct Faculty, Radford University
Thank you for giving the guys and gals at the P&R dept. the recognition they deserve! They are an incredible group of people that add to our quality of life year round.
B.D. - Thank you for your nice comments and support. We all appreciate and love our jobs. It is people like you that make coming to work each day a bleesing and fun. I may be growing older, however thanks to my job, I do not have to grow up. Once again, thank you.
Art Price
Art & B.D. in Cburg - Thanks for your comments. There's little doubt that our citizens recognize and appreciate the efforts and attitude of our Recreation Department Staff. As you say, Art, it comes across as a labor of love by the capable professionals that work with you.
Congratulations on the baseball news. Just one gripe with the Parks and Rec... Is there any chance that the upcoming Parks and Rec brochures will be proofread more carefully? This past Spring, the minimum age requirement for playing T-Ball was incorrect and therefore we did not sign up our 5 year old to play. Upon talking to some friends of ours a couple weeks later, they indicated that there was a mistake in the printing and that the minimum age date was off by one year. Upon contacting the Parks and Rec dept the next day (which incidentally was 3 or 4 days past the deadline to register, they said they were sorry for the incorrect info in the brochure and our daughter could sign up to play however we would have to pay a late fee of $20 in addition to the $35 fee. They would not even waive the $20! In the Spring and Summer brochure, page 49 it states for the Fall League 11-12 Softball, the eligibility is for ages 9-10??!!??
Also, (and I know its not a huge deal), on page 53 about the Joe Raccuia camp "He...singed with the Montreal Expos..." This not only makes the Town depts. look uneducated but it also isnt fair to the people who take the time to get these guides and plan what our children can participate in and when.
If the dept. is to be ran like a business, with a mindset of keeping customers happy and doing what is right, then how about waiving all late fees for people if the info concerning the event is incorrect? I certainly would hate to think that it was planned that way...
Mark -
Thank you for writing. The Recreation Department staff are indeed dedicated professionals who do their best and give 100%; 'staying' the best requires considering new ideas and constant refinement. I'll review this policy with the appropriate town staff and provide an update. Sincerely, Brad
Thanks Brad, and i want to thank the Parks and Rec dept. for all they do as well. I'm sure when the Town's website gets that much needed overhaul, things like the brochures and documentation will be vastly improved. Any idea when the website will be revamped? Will we be able to pay our utility bills online then? Will there be any part time or after hours jobs created by having the website? Thanks for all you do Brad.
Mark,
This is the first time that I have heard of this matter. In the future please contact me directly so I can handle your concerns personally. We use a professional printer for our brochures. They and members of our staff proofread our brochures more than once. The flyer for the RU camp was given to our department by the RU coaching staff. I know from teaching at RU, I find mistakes in textbooks used for higher education that are profread by professional editors. Mistakes sometimes get overlooked. I can assure you our staff is dedicated, educated. and honest. Once agin, please contact me with any future concerns.
Sincerely,
Art Price, MA, CPRP
Director, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation
Adjunct Faculty, Radford University - Recreation, Parks
and Tourism
Sorry, I misspelled proofread, As I said, we all make mistakes. All we can do is correct them if we are made aware of them.
Art Price, MA, CPRP
Director, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation
Adjunct Faculty, Radford University - Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Brad and Mark,
I give up. One of my staff found another mistake after I proofread it four times. Hopefully, you both know what I am trying to say. Like my daughters say, when it comes to computers, I have a major id-10-t problem - I am an idiot.
Art Price, MA, CPRP
Director, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation
Adjunct Faculty, Radford University - Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Art & Mark -
Good dialogue; sounds like progress. The website is still on schedule for a Fall 2008 launch, and will include the Recreation Deptartment Schedule. Council's expressed goal (unanimous) was to move to having on-line bill payments once the Treasurer Dept. software is running and a particular module added to it.
Bradm and Mark,
We gave our fall brochure a final proof. Hopefully, all will be correct. Mark, once again, if not, please contact me personally and I will make sure you sure you will be taken care of. By the way, my mistakes yesterday were real. I was not kidding. I am a terrible typist and evidently cannot proofread. I am going to say it is age since I am now 50 plus. One thing is for sure, I love my job, the people I work with and for, the citizens, and the Town of Christiansburg. Brad, you know what I think of you. I will always do the best that I can - even though I make mistakes - probably did in this post. Take care, Art
Brad,
I have one final posting about baseball.
Thank you Dixie “O”Zone State Champions
As I have stated many times, God has truly blessed me in my 50 ½ years. I have been blessed with wonderful parents. I have been blessed with loving wife, three precious daughters, caring in-laws, three great beagles, and good son- in-law. I have been blessed with many friends. I have been blessed with a dream job with Christiansburg Parks and Recreation for 25 plus years, to work for the Town of Christiansburg Administration and Town Council. I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach part time at Radford University and to have worked as a part time scout for the Kansas City Royals. I have been blessed to see the construction of the Christiansburg Recreation Center, Harkrader Sports Complex, improvements to Kiwanis Park, and construction of other facilities.
Recently, I was blessed to experience a dream come true for several special and wonderful people, a baseball team from Christiansburg Parks and Recreation winning the Dixie "O"Zone Virginia State championship and advancing to the Dixie "O"Zone World Series in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Chuck Muncy, my good friend and employee worked hard for many years to get us to this point. His dedication is sincerely appreciated by all involved. Words cannot describe the feelings that I have after being around these excellent players, coaches, parents, and fans. They are some of the best people that I have been blessed to be involved with. To experience and see the love, happiness, and fun that they all displayed has been truly a blessing that I will never forget. Words cannot express how thankful I am that they allowed me to be a part of this dream come true. We all had a fun and rewarding time in Mississippi.
The support from Town of Christiansburg Administration (Lance Terpenny, Barry Helms), Christiansburg Town Council, and many others that contributed to make it possible is sincerely appreciated. Thank you, Christiansburg.
On Monday, August 4 in Covington, GA, we found out that Christiansburg Parks and Recreation will host the 2010 Dixie Boys World Series. This World Series will for state championship teams made up of 14 year olds from 11 states (VA, TN, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, AR, TX) and the host team Christiansburg (made up with a lot of the players that just advanced to the 11-12 year olds World Series this past July in Mississippi). The series will be double elimination and last for one week. This will be a big recreation and tourism event for Christiansburg. To say the least, we are very excited.
Sincerely yours,
Art Price, MA, CPRP
Director, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation
Adjunct Faculty, Radford University - Recreation, Parks
and Tourism
(540) 382-2349 (Christiansburg Recreation Center)
Art Price, CPRP
Director, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation
Adjunct Faculty, Radford University - Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Christiansburg Recreation Center
1600 North Franklin Street
Christiansburg, Virginia 24073
(540) 382-2349 (Christiansburg Recreation Center)
(540) 381-5537 (Fax)
This is getting to be a waste of readers time and is a mutual admiration club.
Art - Thanks for the additional details. We're very excited about the present and future of baseball in C'burg and recognize the value of our investments as a community (town, coaches, parents, and of course the players).
Anonymous - Sorry you see it this way.
I am thrilled to read of the success of The Christiansburg Rec Center. Having been involved as a parent in one form or fashion for years, I realize the effort that it takes to make the programs work. The amount of time and talent it takes to get children involved and proud of their accomplishments is no small feat. I for one appreciate the fact that Art praises his employees and co-workers for a job well done. He has also taken the time to speak with volunteer coaches and parents to let them know how much he appreciates them. Although the people that work for the Christianburg Rec Center do it for a living, I would probably bet that they do not do it for the money but for their love of children and the community as a whole. That being said, Art...I will never tire of reading about you praising your employees for a job well done!
Anonymous,
Thank you for your nice comments. I am truly thankful for all the friends, such as you, that I have made over my 25 plus years with Christiansburg Parks and Recreation. The people that I praise deserve it and more. I will never stop praising my employer, employees, volunteers, youth, parents, and all others that deserve it. Once again, thank you.
Art Price, CPRP
Director, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation
Adjunct Faculty, Radford University - Recreation Parks and Tourism