2008 Great Year for Roswell Recreation and Parks

Roswell has a wonderful Recreation and Parks department, and if you need proof, it’s in the numbers.  The department took in $4 million in fees, donations and grants in the fiscal year 2007 - 2008.  In another achievement for the department and city, Joe Glover, the director of the Recreation and Parks department, was named the Distinguished Professional of the Year by the Georgia Recreation and Parks Department. 

According to their Mission Statement, the Roswell Recreation and Parks Department: …continues to strive to meet the leisure needs of the Citizens of Roswell by providing quality comprehensive recreational opportunities and quality comprehensive Parks and Facilities.  We think they are doing a great job meeting this goal and are one of the top reasons Roswell is such a great place to live and work!

If you have lived in Roswell for any time, you probably know that the parks are one of the great amenities of our wonderful city.  You may have even attended a city sponsored event or two.  But did you know that the city has tons of great classes and programs for all ages, from infants to seniors?  They offer a wide variety of subjects like athletics, art, cooking, technology and more.  There are even Parents’ Nights Out where you can leave your children to have fun, crafts and pizza while you have a night out!  To see their 80+ page online brochure, Click Here.

 

Things To Do In Roswell During the Holidays

There is always a lot to do in Roswell, especially during the holidays! If you are looking for things to do with your friends and family, we have some great ideas for you. Have your own favorites that we didn’t mention? Be sure to post a comment, we’d love to hear from you!

Tour One of Roswell’s Historic Homes
Learn a little about the history of our wonderful city by taking a tour of one of Roswell’s fabulous Historic Homes. The houses are all decked out for the holidays, making this the best time of the year to visit. Plus, there are some neat special events, like High Teas!

Take In a Show
Spend a relaxing few hours enjoying a theatrical presentation by some of Roswell’s fine performers. Roswell is home to several first-rate playhouses and the Cultural Arts Center hosts wonderful theatre, music and dance productions. Here are some of our favorites for the holidays!

• Red Door Playhouse – Auntie Clause (An Interactive Christmas Play)
• Kudzu Playhouse – Showing three plays this holiday season: A Christmas Carol, The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and A Chris “Mess” Carol. Kudzu Family Playhouse and Sprouts Series shows are great for younger theatre-goers!
• Cultural Arts Center – Atlanta Dance Theatre’s Babes In Toyland

Strap On Some Blades
Technically, The Cooler is located in Alpharetta, but it’s so close to home, you don’t have to leave the area to participate in the traditional winter sport of ice skating!

Chop Down a Tree
Start a new family tradition by taking the family out to choose and cut your own tree from one of Georgia’s many Christmas Tree Farms.

Experience the Joy of Giving
North Fulton Community Charities has been helping folks in Roswell and the surrounding areas for over 25 years. This is one of the most challenging times of the year for them and donations are low, so consider giving a needed item to the food pantry or toy drive, or giving your time or making a cash contribution.

Roswell - A Great Place to Bike

I love to bike on Roswell’s great trail systems along the Chattahoochee near my house. My husband takes a 20 mile bicycle ride nearly every morning, often before dawn, on streets that have wide bike lanes, for which I am thankful.

Now Roswell has gotten the recognition it deserves for it’s support of the Bicycling Community. From the City of Roswell’s website:

The City of Roswell has garnered the much coveted Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. This award is presented only to communities that show a remarkable commitment to bicycling.

Roswell is the only city in Georgia to hold the designation and one of only 63 across the United States.

Mayor Jere Wood said he is thrilled the City has earned the designation. “Bicyclists are always welcome on our City streets, on our bicycle trails, and in our parks. We celebrate the sport every year with the Nalley Historic Roswell Bicycle Criterium, my own ride the morning of the Criterium, and my annual Ride to the Capitol in support of Bicyling across Georgia. There is no better place for a cyclist to live in metro Atlanta than Roswell and this designation shows that.”

Andy Clarke, the chief executive director of the League of American Bicyclists, said Roswell has shown a tremendous commitment to improving conditions for bicyclists. “They are making the streets safer for bicyling, educating bicylists and motorists to share the road and promoting a wide range of bicyling activities.”

The Bicycle Friendly Community Award was initiated in 2003 and has recieved applications from more than 150 communities. Applicants must complete a detailed application with numerous questions in five key areas: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation/planning.

World’s Top Disc Golf Pro Slated for North Metro Tourney

The top-rated professional disc golfer in the world is among the players registered for the 4th Annual Atlanta Open disc golf tournament to be held at East Roswell Park in Roswell and Central Park in Cumming April 5-6. Ken Climo of Clearwater, Florida currently has the highest Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) rating of any player in the world. Climo has won the Disc Golf World Championship tournament a record 12 times and the U.S. Disc Golf Championship five times.

This year’s Atlanta Open will also feature at least ten other men’s players ranked in the top 100, as well as three of the top 20 women’s players, including fifth-ranked Carrie Berlogar. The Atlanta Open has also been designated as one of a small number of tournaments to function as qualifying events for the U.S. Disc Golf Championships (USDGC) and the U.S. Amateur Disc Golf Championship.

“The pros are being attracted to this year’s tournament for several reasons,” said tournament director Rand Eberhard, “including the word-of-mouth among players about the success of last year’s tournament, a strong competitive field, and the substantial purse being offered. But probably the biggest single factor was our selection as a USDGC qualifier. This is one of the earliest qualifying events on the schedule, so it gives players a chance to lock up a slot in the USDGC early in the year.” The USDGC, held annually at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is the premier disc golf event and the last major tournament on the PDGA tour. This year’s USDGC will be October 1-4. The top five finishers in the Pro divisions of the Atlanta Open will be accepted as qualified competitors in the USDGC.

Player interest among amateurs has been high. The full field of 90 pros and 72 amateurs includes players from at least 15 states, as far away as California, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Texas and Massachusetts.

“This is a unique opportunity for Atlanta to see the world’s top player in action,” said Eberhard. “Other nationally ranked players competing in this event are Brad Hammock of Decatur, Phil Arthur of Woodstock, Kevin McCoy of Senoia, Eric McCabe of Emporia, Kansas (currently ranked 16th), Michael Hoffman of Raleigh, NC, and Eric Roadhouse of Louisville, KY, all of whom are in the top 100.”

Both of last year’s Open division champions are returning to defend their titles: Men’s Open winner J.D. Ramirez of Allen, Texas, and Women’s Open winner Sarah Stanhope of Easley, South Carolina. Fifth-ranked female pro Carrie “Burl” Berlogar of Pleasanton, CA, who has won over two dozen tournaments since 2003, will challenge Stanhope and 14th-ranked Courtney Peavy, an East Point native now living in Senoia. “This is the most impressive field for an Atlanta-area tournament in quite a while,” said Eberhard.

For more information on the Atlanta Open, contact tournament director Rand Eberhard at randeberhardgmailcom or 706.408.4150, or assistant tournament director Imran Khan at imrankhan771hotmailcom or 770.328.6799. Find it on the web.

For more information on the Professional Disc Golf Association, tour player rankings, or disc golf in general, visit the PDGA web site.

Keep Roswell Beautiful Benefits From Big Creek Wetlands Walk-a-Thon

Looking for a way to be an active member of your community? Look no further. Participate in the Big Creek Wetlands Walk-a-Thon and Festival on Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. until noon to raise funds for Keep Roswell Beautiful.

Prizes will be awarded to the groups that raise the most money in the following categories: Homeowner’s Association, School, Civic Organization and Individual.

Download an application or call 770.641.3715 for more information.

East Roswell Park Disc Golf Course

The disc golf course located in Roswell is a 18 DISCatcher holes and crushed stone tee types. Course length is 5502ft. and has an alternate course length of 6059 ft. The breakdown of the holes are; 9 at less than 300ft, 8 between 300-400ft, and 1 greater than 400ft.

The course features wooded tight fairways, elevation changes, and Multiple tees. There are a variety of shots needed to score well. Mentally and visually intimidating, but low scores can be posted.

Directions: GA 400; exit east on Holcomb Bridge Rd., 2.2 miles to a right on Fouts Rd., which dead ends into the park at 9000 Fouts Rd. 1st tee at the back of the park to the right of the playground. Park by tennis courts and batting cages.