The contribution of parks and open space to the health and well-being of communities is widely documented. But don’t take our word for it. Here are a few sources, including Rapid City’s own recently approved Comprehensive Land Use Plan: Million Dollar View Health Benefits of Parks How Cities Use Parks to Improve Public Health
Keep Your Word
That’s what we are telling the Rapid City Common Council. You can add your voice by signing this petition, by attending Monday’s meeting and speaking out during general comments, or by writing, calling, or emailing your member of the council. Council members John Roberts, Steve Laurenti, and Darla Drew Lerdahl believe the council should honor the agreement to take out … Read More
Balderdash and Nonsense
Claims and counter claims about who said what regarding the 8th Street tennis court are making our heads spin. Perhaps the most egregious is the colloquy between a member of the Rapid City Common Council and the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation at last week’s council meeting (July 21, 2014), in a vain attempt to establish some … Read More
Death by incremental asphalt
Just a little here, a little there. It’s for a good cause, you know. And that is how Rapid City will destroy the Memorial Greenway. The latest incursion on the park that was designated to honor those who died in the 1972 Black Hils Flood, and to create green, natural boundaries along Rapid Creek that serve as flood prevention, public … Read More
2014 Memory Walk
More than 35 walkers and bicyclers traversed the Leonard Swanson Memorial Bike Path Saturday in remembrance of the 1972 Black Hills flood, converging at Old Storybook Island for a picnic. We hope you enjoy the photos. More photos appeared in Sunday’s Rapid City Journal. Bike riders started from the interpretive sign at the Fairgrounds.
Be a Friend and Join Us for the 2014 Memory Walk
Nice, easy walk from west to east with plenty of stops to talk about what happened in 1972? Or a brisk ride from east to west? You choose! This year’s Memory Walk to commemorate the legacy of parks created by the 1972 Black Hills Flood will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, and conclude with a free picnic … Read More
Vote on Tuesday!
Seven of the 10 contenders for seats on the Rapid City Council fielded questions about parks and told an audience in the Dahl Cyclorama last week why they wanted the job. Moderator Terry Mayes kept the conversation at a fast-moving pace, insuring that candidates never knew who was going to start the next round, adding fun and informality to the … Read More
Friends convenes ninth annual city candidate forum
Friends of Rapid City Parks will host a public forum with city council candidates seeking office in the June 3 municipal election. The event, set for 7 p.m. May 29 in the Cyclorama of The Dahl Arts Center, will focus on issues and proposals affecting Rapid City parks, particularly the memorial greenway along Rapid Creek. The format will emphasize questions … Read More
Sustainability Advocates Break Ground for Downtown Park
City officials, sustainability advocates and donors broke ground May 6 for Trinity Eco Prayer Park, a project selected by the Green Cities Task Force as a pilot project to demonstrate sustainable practicies. The park is located at the corner of Fourth and St. Joseph Streets downtown. Trinity Eco Prayer Park will boast an innovative, thoughtful alternative energy strategy that uses … Read More
What’s the flap about the tennis courts?
The problem is that this “solution” cuts out a public process called for by state law: namely a vote of the people to decide whether stewards of public land can give it away to private interests who can afford to throw considerable money on the table.