ANNUAL REPORT - Onondaga County Parks

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Message from the Commissioner While it is our mission to provide excellence in the array of recreational opportunities for Onondaga County residents, it is tremendously satisfying to know that this Parks system has regional and even national significance in some of the things we do. The satisfaction stems in part from the realization that this Parks system helps define what people from out of town perceive as good about our community. The spectacular Lights on the Lake show has many visitors who drive in from other areas. They write about what a great experience the program was and that they will be back. We know that Highland Forest’s wilderness beauty, its great size and its terrific trail system is what brings cross country skiers from beyond Onondaga County to that facility—that is one reason we are electing to groom the trails at this park. We’ve enjoyed great success in hosting a number of regional and even national softball championships at Hopkins Road Park. For the decade since we opened the Stadium, we have had the honor of hosting the New York State Girl’s High School Field Hockey Championships with players and their families travelling from throughout the State to stay here during mid-November. Switch to warmer weather and revel in some of the comments from bass fishermen from around the Country who said the fishing on Oneida Lake during the ESPN Bassmaster event late July was among the best they’ve ever had. AND our hospitality, creativity, and organization as local hosts at Oneida Shores Park was highlighted as one of the reasons ESPN announced that the 2007 Bassmaster Memorial Tournament will come to Syracuse this July with competition again on Oneida Lake plus the added bonus of the nationally televised finals taking place on Onondaga Lake. These are just some of the highlights of things we do that serve a broad audience and attest to the quality of life in our community for visitors. But it is not just recognition of quality of life that is significant. Part of the satisfaction is also the realization that there are economic benefits to this aspect of County Parks. Oneida Shores’ 36 fishing derbies, highlighted by the $1.5M impact of the Elite Series spectacle, had a collective economic value exceeding $3.5M. Softball tournaments generate six figure annual impact, stemming from purchases made by visitors while here including hotel room nights, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. There’s also a more subtle economic impact. A Fortune Magazine survey of businesses nationwide “gave more weight to the life that cities offer executives outside the workplace than to the more conventional measures of business climate such as office-rent per square foot, cost of living and access to professional services... many mid- and high-level executives said that access to nature and recreation was a leading reason they chose to live where they did”. While there are many ingredients to what goes into defining quality of life in a community, there is no question that parks and green space are major factors. Robert Geraci Awards Onondaga County Parks received several regional and State professional awards from our leisure service peers: • Young Professional of the Year Leiko Benson, Recreation Supervisor at Onondaga Lake Park • Special Event of the Year An Enchanted Beaver Lake, Beaver Lake Nature Center Special Recognition Area Park Superintendent Steve Whalen retired after a 30 plus year career which featured stints at Pratt’s Falls, in Central Services and Highland Forest. Internationally renowned elephant expert Charles E. “Chuck” Doyle was appointed Director of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Senior Recreation Leader Kevin Merrill was promoted to Recreation Supervisor at Jamesville Beach Park and Highland Forest. Jamesville Beach lifeguard team of Dan Liddell, Matt Lowery, and Shannon Halleran placed third at the 38th annual New York State Parks Central Region Lifeguard Competition. Caring about each other... Oneida Shores employees Don Mackey and Patrick Goettel were working in a rowboat on Oneida Lake on a cold April 26. When Pat suddenly went into cardiac arrest and collapsed in the boat, Don was able to revive him, row the boat back to shore and get Pat medical help. Pat now has a pacemaker and is back to work. He credits a well-trained Don with saving his life and also thanks co-worker Carlene Welch who cancelled her out of town vacation to keep an eye on him while he was recovering. • Publication of the Year Penguin Brochure - Rosamond Gifford Zoo • Promotional Brochure of the Year Winter Program Guide produced by the Post Standard • Special Publications and Marketing Award Parks Benefits Promotional Video Plus recognition from local media with the Syracuse New Times Best of Syracuse award to Onondaga Lake Park as Central New York’s Best Place to Walk, Run, and Bike Pat Goettel (left) thanks Don Mackey at Oneida Shores
EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Onondaga County Parks’ “classrooms without walls” serve as tremendous forums for historic, scientific, and environmental related learning by our youth as well as settings where teenagers are provided opportunities to contribute positively to their community. Enhanced by significant New York State Child & Family Service grant support which is administered by the Syracuse/Onondaga County Youth Bureau, these services extend beyond the core recreation component and in 2006 provided educational programs for 39,232 attendees as well as community service experiences for over 200 youth. The Zoo’s education staff, supported by a large cadre of trained educational docents, served record numbers of students in on-site programs ranging from school tours to EdZoocation and Zoo Camp, as well as over 8,000 kids with the traveling Zoo to You syllabus. In addition, events such as Eco Expo, Fiesta de las Aves, Elephant Extravaganza and the In the Wings Bird Show increased youth and family awareness of important environmental issues. The Zoo’s 14 member 4-H club, a hallmark youth development service, provided a minimum of 10 hours service per month for care in the domestic animal section. Beaver Lake’s Summer and Winter Camps taught natural history and environmental awareness using activities and games. “Professor Arthur Pod”, an entertaining character developed to teach the elementary school market about insects and other arthropods, expanded his domain to the high school level. SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry students gave back to the community by augmenting naturalist-led walks and creating new educational displays. 95 teenagers enhanced their confidence, character, and competence in special employment and mentoring programs at Beaver Lake, and by volunteering for tasks including trail maintenance and special event programming. In June, over 2,000 elementary age students attended the Festival of Cultures at Jamesville Beach where they learned the heritage and traditions of diverse African, Native American, European and Polynesian cultures through song, dance, music, storytelling, and interactive games. Onondaga County Parks beaches for the first time produced Junior Lifeguarding courses during which 39 teens gained confidence and skills regarding their general aquatic safety and possible future employment on the waterfront. 60 school group tours at Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery explored the life cycle of trout and water ecology. “Zoo To You” entertains and educates visitors at Onondaga Lake Day in Liverpool. “Lizzi thoroughly enjoyed Beaver Lake Camp. She came home each day excited and full of stories from the day’s events. She had only good things to say about her counselors... Thanks again for running such an excellent program. It is obvious that a lot of time and energy goes into this program, and that the adults there truly care about children.” Joyce Trinkly-Wolfson, Baldwinsville, NY A new BOCES fourth grade program used Onondaga Lake Park to introduce students from northern County school districts to local history and environmental education by using program components including fishing demonstrations, water testing, and floral and wildlife identification. The volunteer staff at Sainte Marie also created a new fourth grade New York State History curriculum program, called the Back in Time Series, which featured Saturday morning sessions on the basics of 17th century skills. Spring and fall school tours at Sainte Marie and the Salt Museum continued to be educational stalwarts, as did the Heluva Good Historic Tram Tours. Alliance Bank Stadium hosted Youth Leadership Day and four tours for technology focused youth camps who were studying computer systems used to operate the facility’s scoreboard, sound, and temperature systems. Onondaga Lake Park’s Skatepark is a community model for youth empowerment as users participate in Advisory Group development of promotional plans, seasonal schedules, and special events and in some cases move on to employment as site monitors or instructors.
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ANNUAL REPORT - Onondaga County Parks

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