文章基本信息

标题：From the editor
作者：Rachel Roberts
期刊名称：Parks Recreation
出版年度：2004
卷号：Sept 2004
出版社：National Recreation and Park Association

From the editor

Rachel Roberts

Fall has always been my favorite season of the year. Even as a young girl, while most kids were dreading going back to school, I looked forward to it--buying notebooks, picking out your first-day-of-school outfit and heading into the halls of learning. Looking back, I realize I just loved the change of season. By the end of a long summer, I wanted a new outlook and a chance to learn something. Not only did school signal that I would be gaining knowledge in the classroom, but it meant the fall season was here with all its color, which inspired me to do my best.

In this issue of the magazine, not only will you find new ways to help your department, but we've taken a fresh look at how we preview NRPA's annual Congress. The conference is almost like going back to school--attendees learn a great deal from educational sessions, and we hope they come away refreshed and ready for change in their own departments. But not all learning comes from the seminars presented, just as it didn't for me as a child in the classroom. We'd like to challenge Congress participants to look around Reno, Sparks and Lake Tahoe, and become inspired by the landscape and what the cities have to offer (page 70).

We know that not all our members can attend Congress, so the issue is still loaded with other ideas to spark a new season in your department. Take a look at fresh ideas for patrolling your parks and keeping them safe (page 114). Learn about the new regulations for visitor capacities on rivers (page 106), and discover how Phoenix, Ariz., helped the Lost Boys of Sudan, Africa, make a new life for themselves using recreation (page 120). Then, step back into Jane Addams' time and revisit what made her such a pioneer in the field, as she battled through corrupt politicians, antifeminist views and a time of war to create Hull-House and meaningful recreation programs (page 128). Maybe her ideas of yesterday will inspire greatness in your agency today.

Fall is the time to change--as John F. Kennedy once said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

Rachel Roberts

Editor, Parks & Recreation