Awards

• Local Parks & Recreation Television Show Wins Regional Award
• Parks & Recreation Director Wins 'Outstanding Executive Manager' Award
• Local Sports Park Wins National Award
• "Parks Alive!" Television Show Captures National Title

ASHEVILLE, NC - The Buncombe County Government Access Channel, in conjunction with Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services, recently won an award for producing "Play Days" television show. "Play Days" won the Entertainment Category of the 2002 Southern Sunshine Video Festival from the Southeast Region Alliance for Community Media.

"Play Days" (which just recently changed its name to "Parks Alive!"), highlights the events that Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services offers for the upcoming month. It features helpful tips such as working out, tennis, soccer, a feature animal of the week from the WNC Nature Center, news from the Buncombe County Golf Course and also specific information about any special events. The show can be seen on the Buncombe County Government Access Channel (Channel 2) at 7 am and 7 pm every day of week. It can be seen in 27,000 homes.

Judy Rhew, producer of "Parks Alive!" is very honored to have received the award. "Producing 'Play Days' is a wonderful cost effective way to keep our citizens informed of upcoming events from Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services," she stated.

The Alliance for Community Media is a national, non-profit membership organization committed to assuring everyone has access to electronic media. The Alliance accomplishes this by educating the public, advancing a positive legislative and regulatory environment, building coalitions, and supporting local organizations. The Alliance represents access centers and local producers who create over 1 million hours of programming each year

ASHEVILLE, NC - Annette Wise, director of Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services in Buncombe County, North Carolina, recently won the "Outstanding Executive Manager" Award of the 2002 Excellence in Public Service Awards given by the Greater Asheville Public Service Council.

Wise represented the Buncombe County Government. Other agencies included were the City of Asheville, State of North Carolina, the U.S. Federal Government, and other municipalities. She has been the director of Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services since 1997 and has been instrumental in coordinating and managing a staff of 75 full-time employees under a single team concept. The initial effort was to consolidate facilities already owned by Buncombe County. Thus, the Parks and Recreation Department, WNC Nature Center and Buncombe County Golf Course all came together under one organization in order to better coordinate staff, better utilize tax dollars and to provide a total plan for parks and recreation.

Wise had a task to conform individuals who had been used to working only in their respective division for several years to now have responsibilities and interest on a much larger scale. She has accomplished this by installing senior staff meetings, divisional meetings and encouraging strong internal communications.

Although Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services has suffered job cuts, budget cuts and an office relocation for the last two years, staff morale has maintained at a high level. Wise creates a level of optimism that is shared throughout the department. Since she has been the director the number of activities, facilities and programs have increased. She is also responsible for implementing a strong marketing and public relations program complemented with a consistent grants and sponsorship program in order to subsidize the cost of any programs and facilities.

Accomplishments from Wise include:

• Saved Buncombe County $580,500 in the construction of the Buncombe County Sports Park by obtaining the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant of $248,000 and raising $332,500 from local businesses. These businesses also provide annual funds of $15,000 in maintenance costs. Also, this facility recently won the National Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials 2002 Facility Class III Award.
• Oversaw the WNC Nature Center certification by the American Zoological and Aquarium Association (AZA). The Center is the only non-exotic facility to achieve this honor.
• Oversaw the completion of the following facilities: Skyland Soccer Fields (1997); Hominy Valley Park Pool (1998); McCormick Field (1999); Cane Creek Pool (1999); Owen Pool (2000); Buncombe County Sports Park (2001); Erwin Community Pool (2002)
• Oversaw the implementation of the following programs: Senior Sightseers; Creative Kids Club; Mountain Select Soccer Camp: Adult Soccer League; Blue Ridge Junior Golf Association
• Worked with the Friends of the Nature Center volunteers in raising $550,000 to build a new home for the bobcats and cougars. Also, the WNC Nature Center recently won the Land-Of-Sky Regional Council Special Award for their volunteer program.
• Increased the marketing and public relations efforts by installing a monthly television show, special events flyers to city and county schools, on-line newsletter, and a yearly magazine.
• Buncombe County Parks and Recreation Services had over 540,000 people attend the facilities and programs in Fiscal Year 01 as opposed to 336,000 in Fiscal Year 98.
• The Buncombe County Golf Course has averaged 40,000 rounds of golf per year for the last five fiscal years. This is an increase of 5% per year.
• The WNC Nature Center has averaged 100,000 visitors per year for the last five fiscal years. This is an increase of 5% per year.

The awards program began 12 years ago to recognize the positive and significant impact that federal, state, county, city and township government employees have on the health, well-being, and overall quality of life of the community. All government sectors were invited to nominate employees in 11 categories.

ASHEVILLE, NC - The Buncombe County Sports Park received the "Facility Class III" Award from the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO). The award was presented to Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services' officials in New Orleans, Louisiana at the National Association of County Officials (NACO) Annual Conference. NACPRO is an affiliate of NACO. It is located on the west side of Buncombe County beside I-40 at Exit 44.

This facility, which officially opened in May of 2002, has seven soccer fields, a walking path, sand volleyball court, a playground, shelter with picnic tables, concession stand, restrooms and parking. The total cost of the facility was $1.2 million.

From the $1.2 million a total of $600,000 came from Buncombe County, $248,000 from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant and $332,500 from sponsorships. These sponsors also provide annual funds totaling $15,000.

The Buncombe County Sports Park is open to the public from 8 am until dark for walking on the trail and playground. The fields and picnic shelter are available on a rental basis.

For more information about the facility or sponsorship opportunities please call Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Services at (828) 250-4260.

The "Parks Alive!" Television Show won the National Recreation and Park Association 2002 Kudos Short Film Award in Class 4 (Class 4 is serving populations greater than 150,000).

In an effort to recognize those agencies or departments that best market and communicate the value of recreation to the public, the National Recreation and Park Association established the NRPA Marketing and Communications Kudos Awards Program.

This award program is meant to include entries from any NRPA member organization including park and recreation agencies, therapeutic recreation centers and armed forces locales.

"Parks Alive!" is a monthly show and can be seen at 7 am and 7 pm seven days a week on the Government Access Channel.