Broward County Parks Newsletter

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Please note fitness class for adults with developmental disabilities

Subject: August 2009 Broward County Parks NewsletterTo: "PK_MARKETING" Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 8:36 AM

AUGUST 2009

All Aboard!Until recently rail transportation seemed more a remnant of America’s past than a harbinger of its future – an efficient way of moving freight, more than people, from one point to another. But as the consequences of our love affair with gasoline-powered automobiles become increasingly ominous, there’s a chance a newfound fascination with the possibilities of the railroad will emerge..

For one segment of the public – model train enthusiasts – trains have never lost their appeal. And you can share in their sense of excitement every month at Tradewinds Park, where a group of hobbyists gathers to experience the thrill of running and riding one-eighth-life-size choo-choos.

The Tradewinds & Atlantic Railroad club, which operates the Model Steam Train Rides at Tradewinds, was formed in 1972 as the Southern Division of Florida Live Steamers, whose mission is to educate people about railroading and metalworking. This volunteer group began building a track on the north side of the park in 1987 and completed the 5,800-foot, standard 7.5-gauge track three years later, after many hours of backbreaking labor.

On the third full weekend of each month (August 15 and 16 this month), passengers of all ages can ride the pint-size locomotives. The fare is only $1 per person for ages 4 and up, along with the park’s weekend gate entrance fee, and adults must accompany riders under the age of 10; pregnant riders are not allowed. The railroad is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, and on average the trains haul about 1,500 visitors each operating weekend. Club members pay between $10 and $25 per year in dues, depending on membership level.

?: Tradewinds, , www.livesteamers.org, or e-mail info@....

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My Staycation in the ParkIt all came about when I casually wondered aloud what it might be like to camp out at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach. Next thing you know, I had an assignment: Check out one of the two tepees at the park’s campground and report back for eHighlights. Before you know it I found myself setting up camp.

Actually, there was a little more to it than that, including some serious planning. It’s amazing what you need for a simple overnight trip to a place a half-hour from home. I made do with the essentials and a few luxury items: a sleeping bag (whose box doubled as a makeshift coffee table); a couple of pillows; a cooler with ice and a picnic dinner; a portable fan with a long extension cord, to connect with the campsite’s electrical outlet; a heavy-duty flashlight/lantern to illuminate the space; a newspaper and magazine to read; a cell phone so I could say, “Guess where I’m calling from;†even a tiny DVD player and a disc with some music videos.

Among the things I learned from my experience:

• The tepee is amazingly well ventilated. I probably could have gotten by without the fan. The light-colored canvas covering also lets in lots of light.

• A thin sleeping bag has nowhere near enough padding for the tepee’s recycled plastic lumber floor. Next time I’d bring an air mattress or extra padding.

• That pole with a hook alongside the picnic table is for getting your trash can off the ground – as I realized when raccoons got into the garbage at 3 a.m.

• While there’s nothing wrong with takeout from the grocery store deli, the camping experience might have been fuller had I fired up the grill and cooked out.

• Most important, long distance isn’t the next best thing to being there. Next time, I’ll take along a friend to share my staycation in the park.

5-5-5 Staycation Special ReminderYou still have two months to take your own 5-5-5 Staycation at a Broward County Park. It works like this: For the 5 months from May 1 through September 30, 2009, visit any one of our 5 campgrounds and get $5 off per night per campsite. C.B. Park in Pembroke Pines, Easterlin Park in Oakland Park, Markham Park in Sunrise, and T.Y. Park in Hollywood all offer sites with full RV hookups, and all have picnic tables, charcoal grills, and restroom complexes with hot showers. C.B. and T.Y. include laundry rooms, while T.Y.’s restrooms are also air-conditioned. Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach offers a unique Rent-A-Tent package, in which each site includes a platform with a pre-set-up 10-foot-by-10-foot canvas tent

(capacity six), a fire ring, a grill, a picnic table, electricity, and running water. Two tepee sites provide the same amenities as the Rent-A-Tent sites. (No RV sites are available at this location.)

All campgrounds provide after-hours security.. For an additional fee, two pets per campsite are allowed with proof of current vaccinations and appropriate licenses. Pets must be registered at check-in and must be kept on leashes no longer than six feet at all times when not inside the RV or tent.

As a bonus, for every night you stay, each registered camper (up to four campers) will receive a coupon worth $1.50 off admission to any of our aquatics facilities, including Paradise Cove at C.B. Park, Tropical Splash at Central Broward Regional Park, Safari Isle at Markham Park, Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park, and Castaway Island at T.Y. Park. Passes are valid during normal aquatics facility operating hours from May 1 through September 30.

?: C.B. , ; Easterlin, ; Markham, ; Quiet Waters, ; T.Y., .

$: After discount: $25/site/night for tricounty residents (Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach); $35/site/night for non-tricounty residents; $30/night for Rent-A-Tent or tepee package (Quiet Waters only). Additional fees may apply.

R: Reservations are highly recommended.

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Operating Hours for Broward County Parks Change

As of Tuesday, August 25, all regional parks, nature centers, and natural areas will be closed on Tuesdays, with the following exceptions:

• Central Broward Regional Park (3700 N.W. 11th Place, Lauderhill); Markham Park (16001 W. State Rd. 84, Sunrise); Topeekeegee Yugnee (T.Y.) Park (3300 N. Park Rd., Hollywood); and Tradewinds Park (3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek) will continue to be open daily.

Campgrounds will remain open daily to registered campers, with the exception of Quiet Waters rent-a-tent campground, which will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Neighborhood parks will continue daily operations. Private facilities – AllGolf, Butterfly World, and Ski Rixen – will continue their normal operating schedule. Polling sites will be open for voting purposes only on election days.

Beat the Heat• Splash Luaus – Fri., Aug. 7, 14, & 28, 6-10 p.m. – Splash Adventure at Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield Beach (); $5/person. Refreshments available for purchase.

• Family Splash Night – Sat., Aug. 15, 5:30-8:20 p.m. – Tropical Splash at Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill (); $4.50/person.* Refreshments available for purchase.

• Family Fun Night – Fri., Aug. 14, 6-8 p.m., Castaway Island at T.Y. Park, Hollywood (); $6.50/person. Refreshments available for purchase. Special guest Tamara G., one of “Those Two Girls in the Morning†from 97.3 The Coast FM, will be hosting a remote broadcast at tonight’s event.

*The park’s regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee of $1.50/person (children 5 and under free) will be in effect.

BCT: Routes #14 (Quiet Waters); #18, #36, #40, and #81 (Central Broward Regional); and #3, #12, and #17 (T.Y.).

“Rosewood Gets Hillyâ€So reads the Website for the Miami Masters, a United States Cycling Federation (USCF) team based in Miami Lakes. “Who would [have] thought that some day we could have a hilly racing course in South Florida,†the site goes on. “Now we do!†The reference, of course, is to Vista View Park, one of the highest man-made elevations in South Florida and no doubt a formidable challenge to cyclists.

The Miami Masters Team competes in races regionally, nationally, and internationally, and on Sunday, August 30, the group will host a Rosewood Series Cycling Event at Vista View in Davie. The race, for cyclists ages 35 and up, is free for spectators and gets under way at 8 a.m. This is a Commit 2B Fit!® – It Starts in Parks event.

?: Vista View, , or Miami Masters, rosewood@....

$: $23/cyclist (includes USCF insurance).

R: Registration is required.

Going NativeLet’s say you’re ready to landscape around your new home. Using a variety of resources – books, friends, nurseries, the Internet – you develop what seems like a suitably varied list: palms (areca, Chinese fan), vines (wandering Jew, pothos/devil’s ivy), a shrub (lantana), trees (schefflera/umbrella tree, weeping fig, orchid tree, mimosa), flowering plants (four o’clock, ground orchid), and fruit trees (mango, guava, sapodilla). Sounds great, right?

Wrong! All these plants (classified variously as non-native, invasive, or exotic) have been accidentally or purposely introduced into the South Florida landscape and have since gone wild in our yards, parks, and natural areas and on our roadsides and canal banks. The vast majority pose no threat, but some grow out of control, competing with native vegetation and gradually displacing it, forever altering ecosystems that have developed over millions of years.

The most notorious invasive plants – Australian pine, melaleuca, and Brazilian pepper – have long been targeted by intensive campaigns to curb their spread. But you can also do your part simply by paying closer attention to what you grow in your own yard. Don’t trust older editions of landscaping guides, which may contain outdated information, and don’t buy plants just because they’re pretty or your friends or neighbors recommend them. And by all means don’t put indiscriminate faith in the Internet, which is rife with misinformation. Finally, don’t toss out houseplants that might take root and spread until they run amok.

The key is educating yourself on what you put into the ground, and for help with that you can turn to Broward County parks. On Sunday, August 2, from 3 to 5 p.m., Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach will wrap up its free Summer Home Landscape Series, providing information on how to design beautiful, environmentally friendly landscapes that will save time and money, protect our natural resources, and provide wildlife habitat. Then, on Saturday, August 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., you can put what you’ve learned to practical use by stocking up at the nature center’s Native Plant Sale. Native-plant nurseries and vendors will display and sell plants native to South Florida, including plants suited to butterfly and wildlife gardening. There will also be gardening information, displays, and children’s arts and crafts.

The Division’s Extension Education Section also provides the latest in sustainable, “Florida-friendly†landscaping information through its Florida Master Gardener program. For more information, visit Extension Education’s display in the lobby of the Governmental Center, 115 S. s Ave., Fort Lauderdale, from August 3 through 31, which will feature drawings for prizes.

?: Secret Woods, ; Extension Education, .

BCT: Route #6 (Secret Woods).

Kings (and Queens) of the HillOn Saturday, August 29, hundreds of runners will converge on Vista View Park, one of the highest human-made elevations in South Florida, for the Third Annual Gene Witkowski King of the Hill 5K Challenge, a roughly 3.1-mile run on paved asphalt through the hills of the park. The event is in memory of Eugene “Gene†Witkowski of Vero Beach, a U.S. Navy veteran who died of mesothelioma in 2003. The run, for all ages, is free for spectators and gets under way at 7 a.m. This is a Commit 2B Fit!® – It Starts in Parks event.

?: Vista View, , or visit www.splitsecondtiming.com.

$, R: Online registration is available through www.splitsecondtiming.com.

Exercise Classes for Adults With

Developmental DisabilitiesThe Broward County Parks and Recreation Division’s Special Populations Section is offering free Exercise Classes for Adults With Developmental Disabilities. The program, for ages 16 and up, is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, at Tree Tops Park in Davie. This is a general fitness program that combines basic exercise techniques and movements such as stretching and bending with music to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance. The program consists of head-to-toe standing exercises as well as mat exercises. Participants must be fairly independent and able to understand and follow basic verbal instructions and visual

cues.

?: Special Populations, .

R: Preregistration is required.

August Hours Change at Safari Isle

End-of-summer hours go into effect at Markham Park’s recreational swimming pool, Safari Isle, on Saturday, August 8. New hours, effective through Sunday, August 30, will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Labor Day hours, Monday, September 7, will be 10 a.m. to 4 p..m.

?: Markham, .

Under the Light of the Silvery MoonIf you’ve never enjoyed nature under the light of the silvery moon, you’re in luck this summer. Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center has scheduled a Full Moon Hike for Wednesday, August 5 from 8 to 9 p.m. Take an interpretive hike along the nature trails of the natural area to look for nocturnal animals as they emerge, and learn about the myths and legends of the full moon. The final hike of the summer is scheduled for Friday, September 4 (7:30-8:30 p.m.).

?: Long Key, .

$: $3/person.

R: Preregistration is required by the day before the hike.

Highlights Goes ElectronicThe monthly newsletter of the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division is now available only as an electronic publication. Pass this information on to friends and family so they can sign up and become part of the Division’s online community. You will receive the latest information about upcoming events and special programs, as well as park news, via our monthly e-newsletter. To sign up, send your name and e-mail address to ParksMarketing@....

Key to Symbols ?: Call the number indicated for further information about the event.

$: Participation fees.

R: Registration requirements.

+: Plus park gate entrance fee on weekends/holidays;

$1.50/person (children 5 and under free).

BCT: Park accessible from Broward County Transit bus route.

Events Calendar

Quote of the Month“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.â€

– Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 B.C.-322 B.C.)

Special AttractionsBatting CagesC..B. Park Butterfly WorldTradewinds Park CampingC.B. Park Easterlin Park Markham Park

Quiet Waters Park T.Y. Park Dog Park

Markham Park

Educational Farm

Tradewinds Park

Exhibit HallsAnne Kolb Nature Center atWest Lake Park

Fern Forest Nature Center

Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center

Secret Woods Nature Center

Fox Observatory

Markham Park

Golf FacilitiesC.B. Park Multipurpose Athletic Fields

Piccolo Park

Central Broward Regional Park

Tradewinds Park

Racquet Centers Piccolo Park C. B. Park Riding StablesTradewinds Park Tree Tops Park Skate Parks/Tracks Piccolo Park Quiet

Waters Park Ski Rixen Cable Water-SkiingQuiet Waters Park Target RangeMarkham Park

Velodrome Piccolo Park Water Playgrounds/Waterslides/SwimmingC. B. Park

Central Broward Regional Park

Markham Park Quiet Waters Park T. Y. Park

Commit 2B Fit!®

It Starts in Parks

Use our online calendar of events to find an activity to fit your lifestyle. Specific programs and activities will also be spotlighted regularly in eHighlights.

Mission StatementThe Parks and Recreation Division is dedicated to providing exceptional services and facilities essential to the quality of life in Broward County while preserving our natural areas.

SWIM Central

Broward County Commission's primary resource and referral service for available swim programs in cooperation with various cities and nonprofit organizations. Call 954-357-SWIM (7946).

Broward County Board of County Commissioners

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phus Eggelletion Jr.

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Sue Gunzburger

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D. s

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Ken Keechl

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Ilene Lieberman

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Ritter

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E. Rodstrom Jr.

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Wasserman-Rubin

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Lois Wexler

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to the Highlights NewsletterParks and Recreation is a service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.