Note from the Executive Director

Here at the Anchorage Park Foundation offices, we're celebrating a successful summer to date. Youth Employment in Parks crews are hard at work improving parks, trails and recreation opportunities, and have recently won a national award from the Secretary of the Interior. Neighborhood Park Fix-It volunteers have revitalized 7 neighborhood parks, with more work to do before the snow flies! We are very proud of the noticable improvements in our community's parks, and we appreciate your support in getting it done.

Long time board chair and APF co-founder Victor Mollozzi will retire from our board at the end of this month. Vic's leadership has been essential to creating and sustaining the Anchorage Park Foundation. Please join me in thanking him for his hard work for our community.

Beth Nordlund

Youth Employment in Parks Wins National Award

The Anchorage Park Foundation & the Parks & Recreation Department is proud to announce that the Youth Employment in Parks program is a Partners in Conservation Award recipient.

Each year, the Department of Interior awards its prestigious Partners in Conservation Award to a handful of projects and programs around the country successfully engaging diverse partners in completing conservation projects to meet the Department’s goals and objectives.

The Fish & Wildlife Service nominated the YEP program in recognition of its partnership with FWS in accomplishing conservation projects in Anchorage since 2007. With FWS funding, YEP crews have restored streambanks, built sustainable trails, protected riparian areas and removed invasive weeds.

• Read the Alaska Dispatch's story about the Partners in Conservation Award
• See great photos of the teens at work at the YEP photo blog

2011 Municipal Budget Dialogues

The Municipality of Anchorage is inviting members of the Anchorage community to participate in a series of discussions about the 2011 Municipal budget. The Municipality of Anchorage's invitation states: "These small group dialogues will be on what is important to you, your family, and neighbors. The results will be a key input to the Mayor and Assembly as we make decisions on next year’s budget, services, and taxes."

Please consider attending one of the following dialogues to share how important your parks are to you! To sign up, or for more information, please visit the Mayor's Office webpage.

Schedule

Wednesday, August 4
Embassy Suites Hotel
600 E. Benson Blvd.
Light dinner: 5:15 - 5:40 p.m.
Discussion: 5:45 - 8:45 p.m.

Tuesday, August 10
Eagle River Lions Club
16630 Eagle River Road
Light dinner: 5:15 - 5:40 p.m.
Discussion: 5:45 - 8:45 p.m.

Tuesday, August 11
ASD Headquarters Building
5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd.
Light dinner: 5:15 - 5:40 p.m.
Discussion: 5:45 - 8:45 p.m.

Neighborhood Park Fix-Its Update

Have you noticed the improved landscaping and newly painted and repaired fence at Minnesota Park? Or perhaps the new slide, trail and surface material at Cheney Lake Park? Maybe you drove by Woodland Park and saw the new picnic pavilion?

The APF and the Parks & Recreation Department partner to accomplish neighborhood park fix-its using volunteer and professional labor to accomplish park projects that are immediate, doable, supported, needed, and produced visible results. Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who have removed graffiti, restored landscaping, repaired and restored park amenities, installed new benches, trash cans and play equipment and much more! 2011 fix-it projects will be announced soon!

The APF is proud to fund neighborhood park fix-its with support from the Rasmuson Foundation & the Alaska State Legislature.