February 12, 2025 • 46 mins
Milton’s Parks and Recreation Department is more than just green spaces and sports leagues—it’s the heartbeat of community connection, wellness, and fun! In this episode, we sit down with the team that makes it all happen, exploring upcoming projects, athletic facility improvements, and the vision for inclusive playgrounds that welcome all abilities.
We’ll also explore the many camps and programs available and discuss how parks serve as essential “third places” that bring the community together. Plus, get an inside look at the teamwork and collaboration that drive Parks & Rec’s success and find out how you can get involved in shaping the future of Milton’s parks and programs.
Tune in to discover how Parks & Rec isn’t just about fun—it’s about building a stronger, healthier, and more connected Milton.
Get Involved: Volunteer, attend events, or share your thoughts—click HERE for more details!
With the community in mind, this podcast explores the stories, people, and initiatives that make our community unique. Each episode offers insights into local government, highlights Milton's history and future developments, and showcases the vibrant arts, culture, and sustainability efforts shaping our city. Join the conversation, celebrate our community, and discover how we're building a better Milton together.
Do you have an idea for an episode or would like to request a specific topic to be covered? Email Christy Weeks, christy.weeks@miltonga.gov
Learn more about the City of Milton at www.miltonga.gov.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:30):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front-row seat to what
makes Milton special.
Today, we're diving into theincredibly fun world of Milton's
Parks and Recreation Department.
If you've ever strolled throughone of our beautiful parks,
attended a community event orsigned your kids up for an
activity, you've experienced themagic this team creates.
(00:50):
Let's meet the folks behind thescenes who make it all happen
Tom McElveen, thomas Rhodes,emily Salerno, jen Young,
matthew Graney and MichaelaBurke.
Welcome to the podcast, woo.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Woo Thanks.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Christy, there we go.
Energy's coming already, solet's kick things off with Tom,
the director of Parks and Rec,who has an actually very cool
history with the city andspecifically Parks and Rec.
Tom, can you give us a littleof your backstory and how you
came to be the director of Parksand Rec?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, I think the interesting part of my story
actually is where it began, backin 2009, 2010,.
I had just recently graduatedcollege and I was looking to get
my foot in the door in Parksand Rec somehow, and I just
emailed the Parks and Recdirector in the city of Milton I
was a Milton resident as a highschool attendee and I asked if
there was any internshipopportunities and she replied
(01:45):
and said well, I guess, but it'snot a paid internship, I don't
have budget and I'm the onlyParks and Rec employee in the
whole city.
I asked her if I could come in,ended up working underneath
Cindy Benacci at the time forseveral months, I think six or
eight months.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Unpaid.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Unpaid Unpaid as a college grad, working part-time
as well for another municipality, and ended up working out great
because that internship endedup getting me connections to my
first full-time job doingprogramming and I did
programming for athletics,mainly for the city of
Alpharetta and in 2015, therewas an opportunity that was
(02:22):
brought up in Milton for aprogram manager position At the
time of 2015, it was still avery small department of two.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Doubled in size.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
It doubled in size over those years and was blessed
enough to get that job.
And then, over the period oftime, covid happened and the
director at the time steppeddown and I was given an
opportunity and it stuck.
So here I am.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And here you are right on.
So let's explore the future ofMilton's park and rec department
.
With so many projects on thehorizon, I hear little bits of
information.
You know we share a floor so Iget to eavesdrop on all y'all's
meetings, but let's talk aboutthe projects from athletic
facilities to inclusiveplaygrounds.
It's clear that there's avision shaping the way Milton
(03:11):
residents connect with theircommunity and to nature.
So can you share some of thosekey developments and how you
think that they'll impact ourresidents?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, you mentioned two of the bigger ones here.
We do have a parks andrecreation comprehensive master
plan.
In that master plan it doescall for more facilities.
All around, all around Athleticfields, rectangles, diamonds,
indoor space.
That master plan was planned tokind of conclude in 2027.
So we're in the planning stageright now for a athletic park
(03:46):
that will be out at theDeerfield area the.
Old Crest property.
That facility will eventuallyhold two rectangular fields for
lacrosse, football, soccer andfour diamonds.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
How big is that area?
I mean?
Just to give people a generalidea.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
The acreage of the property is roughly 23 acres.
Thanks, 24.
Outside of those fields, we'regoing to really be gathering
input from the community.
What else do you want to see inDeerfield?
And if it can't go there, I'msure you will be speaking with
Bob.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Hashim, if you haven't already.
Yes, Bob is on the list.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And there is the implementation plan.
So if it doesn't fit in thispark, it doesn't mean it still
can't fit in the Deerfield area,which is great.
And there also is the inclusiveplayground as well, as you had
mentioned.
Actually, just this week,council accepted a resolution to
accept the donation fromchildren's charities just over
$176,000 to go towards theconstruction of an inclusive
(04:45):
playground.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And what does that look like when you say inclusive
playground?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
It would be.
Anybody of any ability would beable to use all the components
on the playground.
So, whether you're wheelchairbound or whatnot.
That's how the playground isdesigned, so anybody can enjoy
it.
You don't have to be specialneeds in order to enjoy the
components.
Speaker 6 (05:05):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Future site is at this point undetermined.
There might be someopportunities here coming down
shortly for that playground.
Yeah, that donation is going tomake a big impact on making
that playground even better thanit potentially would have been
before.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Right on, right on.
Well, it sounds like there's adeep sense of purpose driving
the work that you do, tom, socan you tell us what keeps you
motivated and so invested increating these spaces for the
community?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
This is going to sound really corny.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I like it, bring it on.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It's all about the smiles on everyone's face.
When I'm out at a park on theweekends and I see the kids all
playing ball or playing on theplayground or even just running
around the park, you know,running away from their parents,
they're still smiling and thatkeeps me motivated.
You know we go to the events.
We're in the throw of all ofour holiday events right now.
It's stressful.
(06:02):
You'll probably hear about thatlater.
But when you're there andeveryone's enjoying themselves
and the events are runningsmoothly and all the kids are
just playing and having fun andgetting their balloons and face
painted and right.
That's what keeps me going.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
That's a fair statement, not cheesy.
That's a fair statement, socheesy and true.
Cheesy and true.
I like it.
So, as we're talking about thefuture developments, especially
those geared towards athleticfacilities, let's bring in
Thomas, whose focus on athleticsis shaping an exciting chapter
in Milton.
So, thomas, your journey toMilton is as exciting as the
(06:43):
plans you're helping to bring tolife.
And can you tell us about howyou landed here and your role as
the Parks and RecreationSupervisor for Athletics?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Absolutely so.
I attended Kennesaw StateUniversity, where I studied
sport management.
During my senior year, I tookan internship with Cherokee
Recreation and Parks Agency.
During that time, I got tolearn the ins and outs of the
field, everything from thefinance department to the
maintenance department,everything in between.
After my internship wascompleted and I graduated, I
(07:14):
took a full-time role in a smallNorth Georgia city as an
athletic coordinator.
With no growth and opportunitythere, I left Left the field
completely, went over to theprivate sector, got a little bit
burnt out after several years,saw an opportunity here in the
city of Milton, applied for itback in 2019, where I came on
board as a Parks and RecreationSpecialist, spent some time, was
(07:37):
able to grow into my role.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Now, and five years later, I'm managing the sports
in the city of Milton Soundslike you rolled in right at the
prime COVID time, wheneverybody's looking to be
outside.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Exactly so.
Things really came full circle.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Right on.
So Milton's athletics programsand fields are a big part of
community life.
What's the current landscapelike and what are the goals for
the future?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah, that's a great question.
All the city's programs play ahuge role in the community.
I feel like a lot of peopleconsider parks and programs a
major foundation in communitylife.
Currently, the city's athleticprograms are booming.
We have a number of outdoorathletic programs that share
field space at Bell MemorialPark and Legacy Park, our two
athletic complexes here in thecity.
(08:23):
Field space is tight but all ofour providers work together to
make our limitations work rightnow, so we're very fortunate for
that.
As for the future, we'relooking forward to that new
athletic park that Tom mentioned.
Additional baseball fieldsmulti-purpose fields will allow
programs like baseball, lacrosse, football and adult soccer to
not only grow but spread out andget some additional practice
time during the week.
Lastly, we plan to add someadditional practice time during
(08:44):
the week right on.
Lastly, we plan to add someadditional tennis courts at the
Milton Tennis Center to expandthat already thriving program
and finally, hopefully one daydown the road, we'll have a
recreation center that ourbasketball program can call home
.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Let's do that one.
Tom, can you get on that one?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
yeah, we're.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
We're all looking forward to it so you've also
been working with theinitiatives like camp joyful
souls.
Tell us about that program, howit came about and the impact
you feel it's having on thecommunity yeah, yeah, well,
don't be shy to visit.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
We love our visitors over at oh, it was a great time.
I enjoyed that yeah, I'd love totalk more about Camp Joyful
Souls.
So it's a unique camp that'svery important, not only to me
but to the department and to oursurrounding communities.
For the listeners that may notknow, camp Joyful Souls is
Milton's summer day camp forthose age 13 to 22 with special
needs.
The camp takes place everysummer with an amazing
(09:39):
leadership team.
The team's goals are just toempower our campers, foster a
more inclusive community,promote understanding and
provide families with the peaceof mind knowing their loved ones
are engaged in meaningful andjoyful activities.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
How long is that camp ?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
So it's a seven-week camp, Seven weeks For the
duration of June and July.
We take off the week of the 4th, so you know families can do
their vacations and staff cantake a break.
But yeah, we run for the full,full summer.
But it's really just an amazingexperience and I'm proud to be
a part of it yeah, I enjoyedthat.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
It was new for me, but the amount of effort that
y'all put into that field day atthe end was amazing.
It was heartwarming and to seeeverybody happy and what were we
playing?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
uh kickball.
Yeah, I'm showing my age sorrywords escape me that's the
staple of field the big kickballgame yeah, that was.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
That was great.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
It was fun to watch everybody buddies up, we have uh
everyone from, uh you know,here at city hall from the
police department is invited,the fire department's invited,
we buddy up and just just have agreat day and you had a lot of
volunteers outside volunteers,oh yeah we bring in volunteers,
our staff brings in friends andfamily members, and anybody from
our volunteer pool is invited.
(10:49):
So you know, all hands on deck,we'll take anybody that wants
to have fun.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Well, since you opened that door, where would
somebody find information aboutvolunteering at events like that
?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So we typically reach out to our volunteers
specifically for field day, butwe do have a Camp Joyful.
Souls email that we can becontacted.
It is operated for the durationof the year so it's never
closed down, but it iscampjoyfulsouls at miltongagov,
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
And I will put that in the show notes, so anybody
who's looking for moreinformation, you'll be able to
access it there, please do,please do.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I'm the person behind it.
Until our manager takes on herrole, beginning in January every
year, she starts the planningprocess.
We're very fortunate to have aleadership team that has stuck
around, for I think one ofthem's going on nine years.
One of them's 10th years thisyear.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, they're great.
We're very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Perfect.
Thank you for sharing thatinformation, Thomas Michaela, I
want to turn to you.
Your journey from Kansas toMilton is such a unique story.
Can you tell us a little bitabout that and tell us what
about the city of Milton madeyou feel at home?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
We decided to move to the Atlanta area at the very
tail end of that COVID crazyhouse buying madness, and we
flew in and we had 48 hours tofind a house and my dream place
to live was in Alpharetta in theWinbert area.
So we looked at a few houses andthen my husband found this
(12:21):
house on Zillow in Milton.
He was like hey, do you want togo see this house?
And internally I was like, oh,I don't know what Milton is, I
don't care, I don't want to gosee it, but I'm such a good wife
.
So externally I was like sure,honey.
So we drove into Milton and Iwas just like whoa, what is this
place with the winding roadsand the trees and the horses and
the fences?
(12:41):
It was so pretty and we lookedat the house and we loved it.
And what sold us on the housewas there is a city-owned green
space behind it, so no one canput up a neighborhood or
anything.
And what really sold us on thehouse was it was the only offer
that was accepted, but the greenspace is a huge plus.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I can Honestly, I feel that, uh, we had a similar
experience trying to find ahouse when we moved here in 2017
, we had houses that we loved,we put in offers no go.
And then the one at the bottomof our list, they're like still
available and we're like that'sit.
(13:22):
That's our home, by the way,best choice ever Totally happy.
We ended up there.
It was somebody intervening onmy decision-making process,
we'll put it that way.
So.
So, tom, I'm going to kind ofthrow you under the bus on this
one.
I've heard Tom refer to you asthe Swiss army knife of parks
(13:42):
and rec.
Tell us about that.
Tell us what your role is andhow that term kind of came
around.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
I do a bunch of random stuff and I like it
because every day is different.
And one day Emily will be like,hey, I need help with this
event.
And then another day, jim willbe like, hey, can you help me
with this program.
And then another day Matthewwill be like hey, can you help
me with this rental?
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And then another day Tom will be like hey, I, and
then another day, tom will belike hey, I need this building
painted.
So and what's your actual titlebesides swiss army, knife parks
and rec specialist?
So you get all the things.
Yeah, oh, right on.
You have actually rolled outsome pretty incredible programs
like toddler tuesday and thebook club.
What is your favorite event towork on?
Speaker 4 (14:22):
my favorite program that I've started is book club,
because it's a great group ofladies and we have a lot of fun.
And then my favorite city eventis pancakes with Santa, because
I love how we take over a firestation and it's just really fun
and kids get to see Santa.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Oh, you should see Emily over here.
She's just, she's just glowing.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I love everything about it, except waking up at 5
am.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
There's plenty of coffee and hot chocolate to go
with that.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Not after Emily got a hold of the coffee.
Speaker 7 (14:52):
I did consume five cups on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yes, see, I knew that .
I knew that was a thing.
I appreciate that insight.
Michaela, how long have youbeen with the team?
Almost two and a half years,two and a half years.
So as we're kind of goingthrough this from one inspiring
program to another, I want toturn to Matthew.
You've been busy launching newprograms for Milton's youngest
residents.
(15:14):
How did your journey in Parksand Rec lead you here?
Speaker 5 (15:18):
Yeah, I would say obviously I've kind of always
enjoyed being in Parks and Rec.
I was playing sports growing upas a young kid Always saw
myself dealing with thecommunity, either with
programming or with sports andstuff like that.
So I always wanted to be in thefield.
I just more of me trying to getinto the field.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
It's a.
Thing.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
It's a thing, yeah.
So after college I found asummer internship for a private
club that was on the Hilton HeadIsland.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Very common thread here is.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
everybody ran the internship avenue, so I was
pretty much a summer campcounselor for their summer camp
and it was a pretty nice area Iwas by the water pool, golf
course, everything.
After that summer I had noother job and they were like,
hey, would you want to work inthe golf department here at
(16:12):
Buckford Plantation, which is onHilton Head?
So I was like, yeah, sure.
So I became a car attendant andI also worked events.
I did that and then once thenext summer came, they were like
, hey, would you want to be thedirector of the summer camps?
And my title was it's funny Ihad a name tag that said the
director of recreation, so thatwas the only.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
Big and bold, I know.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
So on my resume I put director of recreation, as you
should.
Yeah, so that's what I did.
So I did that for a couple ofyears, loved it, enjoyed it.
Then after that, I went to SeaIsland Resort for a year and
that was also a nice area too onan island by the beach.
And then after that I finallygot into Parks and Rec.
Throughout that transition orthose years, I applied for any
(17:02):
Parks and Rec job.
Like I was applying everywhereNorth Carolina, atlanta area I
had a job interview for a parkjob that was in Mississippi.
I drove 12 hours for aninterview, so I was trying to
just get into the field.
Finally I got a job at a localrec department where my family
(17:24):
was living at the time, so itwas really cool to see.
I had my nephew.
He was playing baseball thereand basketball and stuff, so it
was really cool to see.
After that, I finally got a jobhere in the Atlanta area.
It was the March of 2020.
So it was a couple of years.
There was no traffic drivingaround, so it was awesome.
After that, I joined thetonteam in august of 2022 and but
(17:47):
yeah, but when I first startedhere, we didn't really have a
lot of programs.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Now since 2022, we've added maybe nine it's a lot,
but, yeah, a lot of programs.
It's amazing programs yeah, butyeah.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
So we're trying to come up with some creative,
exciting ideas for all thesepeople who live in Milton to
offer them some really coolprogramming.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Yeah, matthew's program was a new role.
All the programs athletics,non-athletics were all under one
position.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
And the athletics are a bear.
Speaker 7 (18:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
And demand a lot of attention and time, and so we
broke off the non-athletics intoMatthew's role, which has
proven to be extremelysuccessful because he has
brought on so many excellentprograms.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
So kind of explain that a little bit, because
Thomas has athletics, matthewhas the other programming.
When you're talking athleticsprograms, what's the scope?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
That would be baseball lacrosse, your typical
sports.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I didn't know how deep the roster went on, that
one, that was nice, that wasnice.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I am clever, sometimes I scare me.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Yeah, yeah, Thomas has things like patonk, which is
sort of an Italian version ofbocce ball.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
I guess Okay.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
French.
My bad is a, which is sort ofan italian version of bocce ball
, I guess.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
okay, french, french my bad, I hope, I hope.
I hope claude doesn't listen tothis.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I'll be getting a phone call um, so yeah, yeah,
but matthew has anything outsideof your typical mains athletics
.
And then you know, thomas hascamp trouble souls.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
But yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, matthew, give us a just ahandful of your programming got
you?
Speaker 5 (19:35):
um, yeah, so it just, it just varies, so we have let
it fitness classes, like.
So.
We have the yoga classes, whichI've actually have taken the
class and I felt amazing after,so I definitely highly recommend
to take those classes.
We do have the youth classesfor art, also for the teenage
kids.
Just recently added a theaterclass, yeah, for kids and also a
(19:58):
really cool program.
That is, I guess, the new trend, which that's the thing about
parks and rec there, it's always.
It's always about trends is theLego classes?
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Yeah, so it's like some Lego.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
So that's so far.
It's been a huge hit as well.
But yeah, just trying to comeup with a lot of programs that
Milton Residence might like.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Right, right, right.
We can't forget about yourmindfulness with the sloth one.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
That was my favorite one.
Wait a minute A sloth.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Especially when the instructor was like oh, oh,
sloths poop every uh, about onceevery seven days.
And it's been seven days sincethe sloth poop and we're all
like, oh okay, wrong, sloth yeah, and that was also which.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
I'm glad that sloth didn't use a restroom, because
that would have been a whole,another level of experience.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
The penguins are a different matter, but that was
still fun, yeah did.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
We do penguins too.
Where have I been?
Speaker 5 (20:49):
yeah, so this was in 2022, I think it was, I don't
remember.
So it was with our it waspre-christy, yeah it was
pre-christy.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, you guys did all the fun things before I got
here, before bc yeah, ac bc yeahbut, yeah, so yeah so it's just
more about just seeing smiles.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
It's kind of like you're making memories for the
residents who actually take yourprograms.
So right, right that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I know you have a slew of programs that I get to
kind of take a look at because Iget to work with you on some of
those programs as far assignage and graphics and things,
and it's really impressive theamount of effort and the wide
variety of programming thatyou've been able to pull
together.
So kudos to that.
(21:34):
So you kind of gave us what themost fulfilling part of Parks
and Rec is your job here.
You know you love the smilesand everything like that.
So do you have a standoutmemory or your favorite memory
of your time here in Milton thusfar?
Speaker 5 (21:52):
I would say definitely, it would be the
creation of the summer camp.
So obviously I've had manyyears working summer camps,
being a director of recreation,of course Before summer camp,
but not starting one fromscratch.
I think it was talked about alittle bit but it wasn't like a
like a main topic in myinterview about summer camp
(22:13):
until I, until I started, andthen I was told hey, you're
running a summer camp yay, fromscratch, and you nailed it.
we just finished our second year.
We officially have a name now.
It's called Camp Compass, so weactually the first year it was
called the Milton Summer Camp.
We actually didn't have a namefor it.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
The creativity was off the charts.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
It was clear.
Okay, you knew where you weregoing.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
It's very important.
You have to have clearmessaging.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
Well, now it's called Camp Compass, so now I
officially know where to go.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Or what direction you're going.
Oh, the jokes are on fire.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
And all the other names that are probably still on
the whiteboard over there.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
So we're building memories and the connections and
we know that it's all centralto Parks and Rec as a whole.
I mean, that seems to be whereyou guys are all pulling
together.
I want to zoom out a little bitand talk about a bigger picture
of why our parks matter.
So that brings me to Jen.
(23:19):
You've got some amazinginsights on this.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
You have described parks as being integral,
integral, big words, big wordson a wednesday integral, pick a
different one integral, integral, integral integral, integral
and integrated into unity you'vedescribed parks as being
(23:44):
important to the health, unityand vitality of any community so
, before we get started, I thinkinstead of gin it should be, it
should be ranger gin ranger,let's back this up ranger gin.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yes, of course I.
I should have known that,matthew.
No worries, we know that it'simportant and essentially it's
kind of the heartbeat of acommunity.
Expand on that, let us know.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
There is not a single person that you'll meet that
has not seen a park, heard of apark or touched a park, which
tells me we've done a good jobof either investing in parks in
this country or promoting thatthere are parks somewhere that
you could potentially haveaccess to.
Now that changes.
(24:29):
There are communities acrossthe country, some in metro
Atlanta, that have less accessthan others, that's for sure.
I think Milton is veryprivileged to have the beautiful
acreage of green space, so I'mgrateful to be a steward of that
space, and I think what droveme to take the job in Milton is
my love for the outdoors keepsme curious and it's infectious.
(24:54):
When you're a curious person,it's easy and free to take
people in the outdoors and go.
Let's get curious.
What's this thing?
I don't know.
I'm not an expert on all topics.
Let's investigate it.
What can it be?
Whether you're a kid or you're90, we can all stay curious.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Right, right and it's .
It's amazing to me becauseMatthew did take me on a tour of
all the parks.
I have lived in Georgia, justright up the road here, for
seven years and had no idea thatMilton had parks tucked in like
every nook and cranny, right,places that I would have never
have known.
Birmingham, beautiful, sogorgeous.
(25:34):
Wish I still had horses.
Speaker 6 (25:35):
I'd be out there, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
But I don't.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
It's a little gem tucked away for the equestrian
community and they're grateful.
Every time I go out there theyremind me Jen, we're so glad
this is here, they thank thecity, they thank the public for
being good stewards of theproperty and I too am grateful.
How big is that property?
208.
208.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Wow that's big.
It is a big property.
So, while we're there, if youwere to combine all of our green
spaces and our parks, what'sthe acreage on that?
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Open or closed acreage, because that's
different, like properties thatare open and available to the
public.
Let's do that one, okay.
So this is where it gets in theweeds, right?
You have active parks, yeah,such as bell, legacy, right.
Um, those count as parks, right.
And then you have passive parks, like providence, birmingham.
And then you have the greenspaces that were purchased with
(26:30):
green space money, also known aspassive parks okay, they don't
have ball fields on them.
So if you were to total allthree of those together, I think
you reach close to 800 900.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Maybe I'm wrong I think we'll Tom's looking, tom's
looking.
I love it.
Speaker 7 (26:48):
We'll circle back to that one that was a metric.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
But yeah.
So when you have all that space, that's a lot of public land
for people to be able to utilize.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
It really is.
I was impressed with the factthat it all did exist in this
little stretch of a city that'stucked in between Alpharetta and
Cherokee County that I didn'tknow about.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
Right, yeah, it's very intentional and I think
Milton has been very intentionalabout keeping green space open
for the public and available,because we can always lessen
that green space.
It is much more difficult toadd more right.
So 10 years from now, 20 years,100 years from now?
(27:31):
What's that going to look likeif we didn't have it right?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
are we still dying to know those acres?
Yeah, yes please all rightwe've got 55 acres of active
space, 269 passive acres and 406green space acres that's's
amazing, that's amazing.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
That's a lot of acreage.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Now we all know.
Yeah, yeah, just for youlisteners.
So, as Matthew very graciouslyintroduced you as Ranger Jen
which is how most people outthere who have interactions know
you they know you as Ranger Jen.
You're the face of the JuniorRanger Program hiking, kayaking,
fishing programs, all sorts ofthings.
(28:12):
Tell us really what your jobentails and what new projects
are looming for you.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
It's multifaceted and it's evolving every day.
So when I first came on, it waswe have all this green space.
Help our public interact withthat green space, however that
looks, whether it's hiking orbiking or kayaking, whatever
that looks like.
The community was open-mindedto it.
What it evolved to was thefirst program, which was a
(28:38):
Junior Ranger book, and that hascreated quite a spinoff, and so
I can't even begin to tell youwhere it's going to go.
I can tell you where we are now.
What I would love to see isevery single person in this
community has some sort ofcontact with a green space, and
when I say green space I meananything that is publicly owned.
(28:59):
I would love for them to havesome sort of engagement in a
program or not a program, justgoing out there and enjoying it.
The programs help you get thereand they help you have
something to do.
So the Signature Junior Rangerprogram is a great family
activity you can do at home, youcan do out in a park, you can
do it singularly with a familyor you can join one of my lead
(29:22):
programs.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
And you've done a great job as far as offering
programming for the littlelittles with your leaf program,
and those babies are three, fouryears old.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Yeah, two and a half all the way up to five.
So this is like I'm mom.
I mean Michaela couples withher toddler Tuesdays.
I'm a mom.
It is 10 am and we got to getout of the house, Right.
And so Miss Cassie, who runsthat program for us, she does a
great job.
It's at Bell, so they haveinside space and outside space.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
So with my first because you learn a lot with
your first I didn't want her toget dirty.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
I'm not going to lie, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
So we were living in Michigan and the first time my
sister-in-law sat my daughter inthe grass, she was like ooh and
ran her hands througheverything.
I was like oh.
Yeah, I know that feeling Iknew what my downfalls were.
So programs like this allowthese kids to experience things
that maybe parents aren't asfamiliar with, and introduces
(30:23):
them to a lot of differentoptions.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
Yeah, I think it's a community connector too, anytime
that we can bring familiestogether in one of these
programs, because when theirkids connect, they connect, they
find common interest, and I getthis call a lot.
My kid is curious about theoutdoors.
We are not an outdoors family.
We don't know how to help guidethis process.
They want to learn to fish.
(30:45):
Oh, we don't want to touchthese fish.
Jen, I'm with it, I don't touchfish and that's kind of driven
the programs that I've created,the calls that I get the public
feedback.
They want to learn something.
I'm willing to teach it or findsomeone to do that.
So that's kind of where we'regoing.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
It's really guided by community.
Yeah, because you've gotsomething coming up on the
horizon.
Speaker 6 (31:04):
I do, and I know coming up on the horizon, I do
this, I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
I am too right in my wheelhouse.
I'm excited to get you involved.
Yeah, tell us what's what'scoming, yeah, so christy and I
are partnering we are to dropand launch a webinar series
called wildlife 101.
Speaker 6 (31:27):
Stay tuned.
Yeah, that's it.
First one will be up the 1st ofFebruary.
We did an in-person pilot onein November.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Huge success it was about coyotes, I learned a lot.
Speaker 6 (31:41):
Yeah, so did I.
I learned a lot Shocking.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
You know, you think, you know, you don't.
That's right.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
We're going to have experts throughout the year on
various topics.
They're gonna get on webinarsand they are going to teach us
right whatever we want to knowtotally free.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
All you have to do is register for them.
The link will be available,everything will be published,
we'll have it out on social.
We'll have a web page for it.
So really encouraging people toget involved, because it's an
easy way to pick up and learnsomething new.
Maybe involve your kids.
Let them, let them take alisten All ages.
Yep, absolutely so, in linewith everybody else, jen, what's
(32:21):
been the most rewarding part ofyour journey?
Speaker 6 (32:25):
It is.
How about this?
I'll share a memory.
Okay, I'll take that.
Last spring I took a group ofmy junior ranger academy kids
out in the woods and an inchwormwas coming down from a tree and
a little girl grabbed thestring, put it on her finger and
she guided that inchworm acrosseveryone's finger and many of
(32:47):
the kids were scared about thisinchworm touching them.
Is it dirty?
Can it hurt me?
And I let them go.
I let the kids be kids andexplore on their own and teach
each other.
The sense of pride in the photothat Oksana in our
communications departmentcaptured her pride of finding
that piece of nature andintroducing it to the kids in
(33:09):
her group.
It was like an extension of meI now realize could be in all of
them and they can lead eachother right and where were you
when my kids I sparked that andthat made me feel proud I needed
a ranger
Speaker 1 (33:23):
yeah, my kids were little.
Because there's a lot of thingsI don't touch.
Inchworms would be one of them.
Fish is number one uh, lifehack.
Speaker 6 (33:32):
Uh, and I'm sorry if kids are listening to this, if I
don't want to touch it, uh,there's a kid in the group who
will, and he'll get the otherkids to touch it fair, fair.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Thank you, jen.
I appreciate all theinformation and I'm excited
about where things are going,and that goes for everybody.
Everybody's got such greatprogramming coming up, but I do
want to switch gears a littlebit.
Emily, it's not the last one,it just happened to be you're
the last one.
Speaker 7 (33:58):
It's okay, save the best for last.
I guess.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
so You've got a knack for creating some very cool
spaces, opportunities and andevents and making them
accessible and fun for so manypeople of all ages.
I'd love to hear yourperspective on how you approach
that and please explain theconcept of the third place.
Speaker 7 (34:20):
Of course.
So I've had a very interestingjourney to get here.
One of the first jobs I had outof college was I worked for
Avalon in Alpharetta, and thedeveloper of that area was Mark
Toro, and he constantly talkedabout this concept of the third
place.
So your first place is yourhome, where you live.
(34:42):
Your second place is yourworkplace, where you have to go
every day, where you spend yourtime, where you make your money,
and your third place is whereyou choose to spend your time.
So your third place is whereyou recreate, where you hang out
with friends, where you creatememories.
So whenever I'm creating anevent or even just being a part
(35:05):
of Parks and Recreation ingeneral, we are their third
place.
So, there's a lot of people whochoose to spend their family
time in a park.
There's a lot of people whochoose to come to our events,
who go to Michaela's ToddlerTuesdays.
So we're constantly in thisconcept of creating where people
choose to spend their time.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Right, and that's kind of where I was going next
with that.
You've said that parks andrecreation shape how people
choose to live.
Tell me how that feeds in.
I mean, is it when people?
Speaker 7 (35:37):
choose to do something.
So obviously, you know whereyou live you have to be there.
School, you have to be there.
Work you have to be there.
You have to be there, christy,come on girl.
But when people choose to spendtheir time, you are their
choice.
Like you are, you are creatingthis experience, whether it's an
event or a program or anathletic, and those are the
(35:59):
things that people remember 20,30 years down the line right.
They don't necessarily rememberthe deadline that they had on
this one specific project theyhad to do at their workplace,
but they could remember the leafprogram that they did, or their
time at Christmas and Crabapple, or their time at Community Egg
Hunt.
So people are choosing to makethis part of their lives and
(36:22):
that's a very important job thatwe have to fulfill that choice.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
How long have you been with?
Milton, almost two years now avery important job that we have
to fulfill that choice.
How long have you been with?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Milton, almost two years now.
Oh, we've got a team that'srolling in.
You expanded quickly.
Tom, yes, he's shaking his head.
Yes, oh yeah.
Well, emily's role was not anew role within the city.
Okay, it just moved from onedepartment and it fit well in
parks and recreation.
So while my department expanded, it wasn't a new head.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
I gotcha All right, Fair enough.
So I've asked everyone else,and now I'll ask you what keeps
you excited about this work.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
I love.
Well, first off, I lovecreating experiences.
I think every event is adifferent experience.
I think I have the best andmost fun job within the city and
I agree and I laugh sometimes.
I was actually speaking withour fire department last week.
Their work emergencies aresomething is on fire.
They're literally putting outfires and that's their work
(37:20):
emergency.
My work emergency gets to be Ihad a vendor cancel on me 24
hours or I need to come up withthis creative solution because
my face paint are canceled andI'm going to go to Michaels and
go buy every ounce of paint thatI can find and learn how to
face paint in the next 24 hours.
So I am motivated by the conceptof being a part of their
(37:41):
experience and being a part oftheir traditions.
We've had families now who havecome to Christmas in Crabapple
or Pancakes with Santa, or ourcommunity egg hunt or our
Memorial Day ceremony or any ofthese events, year after year
after year after year, and theyhave these pictures and memories
of From every single one ofthese.
(38:01):
We've used the same Santa forforever, because there's only
one Santa.
Yes, obviously, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
He's a busy guy.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
He is a super busy guy but I book him really early
so I make sure that I get thesame Santa every year.
And these kids have had theirpictures taken with Santa since
they were babies and now they'regraduating high school and they
still have the same photo withsanta.
My mom used to make me take apicture with santa until I
(38:29):
graduated from high school, soif you come to my house ever,
you can just see all of my oldphotos with santa.
I'm gonna need to see those.
I can make that happen yeah,well you have to.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
I think we need a department a department we have
one.
No, I, I need history.
I want everybody to bring inphotos from when they got it
because that's entertaining.
We can make that happen.
I was talking to the right girl.
She's gonna make that happenfor me I'll make it work.
Speaker 7 (38:53):
So just you know, being a part of those traditions
is what keeps me motivated tomake sure that families light up
when they come to our events.
I mean seeing we'd elsa, elsaand Anna this past weekend at
pancakes with Santa, and so fun.
One of the very first littlegirls you know exactly who I'm
talking about who walked intothis event.
She looked to her right andthere was Elsa.
(39:15):
And you would have thoughtclouds opened up and the sun
shone down on this kiddo and herface lit up and I looked at
whoever was standing beside meand I said there it is.
That's it.
Every ounce of stress, everyounce of work waking up at 4am
to be here was worth it.
Seeing that kid's face.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
It was amazing and my kids are all grown so getting
to see some of these littlesenjoy that space and see their
favorite princesses and to seeSanta and Mrs Claus.
The other highlight, I have tosay and I was lucky enough to be
standing outside is there was alittle boy and he was dressed
like the Grinch, he had thefurry sleeves on and he looked
(39:58):
outside and he saw the Grinchand he went the Grinch and he
just stood there just inamazement and the Grinch and he
went the Grinch and he juststood there just in amazement.
And the Grinch, in all thewonderful movements, ran right
past that kid, like it was sointentional, and then turned
around and gave him the fingerslike hi, I see you.
And it was literally the bestthing I've seen.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
That kid was the best part of that whole day the
cutest thing, because hisparents were like we're ready to
go, and he just kept doing fouryear old cartwheels through
that place Like this is where Ilive now.
This is my third home.
He was high five.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
In the Grinch he was touching the fur.
He was so excited.
So I agree with you, those werethe best part of the whole day
and it made me forget I wastired.
But you said something that Ican relate to.
You were talking about firedepartment and the difference
between your emergencies.
I was sitting with PD and I'mcomplaining about how blurry
this photo is, about how blurrythis photo is, and I sat there
(41:02):
and I looked and I said I dorealize that your job is not
about taking pictures and thatit's much more.
Speaker 7 (41:15):
I want to say important, integral, integral,
bring it back.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
I can identify the differences between what I think
is important and what becomesimportant on your daily.
So you sit there and go okay.
So do I really make a stinkabout this blurry picture, or
are we just going to roll withit?
So we're rolling.
Speaker 6 (41:32):
We're rolling, we're rolling.
Okay, but if we all took ourjobs as seriously as those
firefighters putting out a fire,these residents are very lucky.
Speaker 7 (41:42):
That is true, that is true.
I'm putting out a fire everyday, guys it's true, I was told
this weekend that I am not an erdoctor, and I always have to
remember that.
So an event stress is eventstress.
But guess what?
I'm not saving lives here, I'mjust making fun not.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Well, you know, when your face painter dips out that
that's big Right.
I mean, that's a lot of fire,that's a fire.
Which has never, happened.
Speaker 7 (42:07):
And, by the way, we haven't had a face painter
cancel.
But you know, a vendor changeor last minute things.
You've got to roll with thepunches.
You've got to roll with thepunches.
Everything's going to be great,Yep for sure.
Speaker 5 (42:16):
Always.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
So we've had a fabulous.
Is there anything else thaty'all want to share with the
listeners about Parks and RecInformation you want to drop?
Oh, emily's got her hand up.
She's such a good student,thank you.
Speaker 7 (42:30):
I do like to be a good student.
I think a lot of people don'tsee the behind the scenes, but I
think it's very important tonote how close our team is.
We are all so incrediblypassionate about what we do and
are constantly trying to findways to make our job better, to
make our programs better, tomake our athletics better, our
(42:50):
events better, Everything thatwe do.
I think this team is constantlystriving to be better, but we
also all like each other.
We all have fun.
We're all willing to help eachother at the drop of a hat, drop
of a pin.
Hat pin, Hat, pin, Dropsomething.
We'll be there.
So it's cool to work on a teamthat's exactly like this.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Yeah, I would agree.
I get to listen to yourmeetings.
Sometimes I am a little jealousand I'm going to come and sit
in on them because you knowYou're always invited.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
I'm kind of afraid You're an honorary member yes.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Well, communications as a whole is an honorary member
.
We're neighbors.
Yep, it's true, and we worktogether so closely on so many
different things.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Yep, yep, I appreciate that, tom.
I may drop in on your next one,since I stole this meeting from
you for the podcast, but Iabsolutely appreciate everybody
being here and sharing yourinsight podcast.
But I absolutely appreciateeverybody being here and sharing
your insight.
And you know, from programs toparks, this team is really
creating beautiful spaces andexperiences that bring joy and
(43:54):
connection to the community.
I am grateful to all of you.
Number one y'all made me feelincredibly welcome when I
started here in July, so I'mkind of partial to y'all just
for that.
So where is the best place forpeople to find information on
all things parks and rec takers,anybody?
Speaker 2 (44:15):
I would probably start with the city's website,
miltongagov, and then there is aparks and recreation tab with a
lot of different options, butyou should be able to also just
click on the tab and it bringsyou to like a general homepage.
That will get you to ourregistration pages and details
on whether it be events orprograms or the things you
(44:36):
register for or don't registerfor.
We have so many of everythingand you can contact me or we
have the email address that goesto everybody.
It is parksandrec atmiltongagov.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Perfect.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
We also have an activities guide.
It also could be found on thewebsite.
Speaker 1 (44:53):
Yeah, because you guys just redid the new one.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Yes, and check out our Facebook page.
We put that activities guideout through the Facebook as well
, so this is our largest andmost robust activities guide
we've ever had.
In fact, we were talking how dowe pair this back?
It's so big.
Less pages in this thing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, withoutshrinking the font where you
need a magnifying glass.
So, yeah, perfect.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
Well, I really appreciate everybody being here.
Your time was well spent for us.
I feel like everybody will geta very good insight as to who is
behind all the fun in Milton.
Thanks for listening to Miltonin Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
(45:38):
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates.
And, of course, if you want tolearn more about the city, visit
us online at wwwmiltongagov forresources, news and upcoming
events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
and we'll see you on the nextMilton in Maine.
Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for
the city of Milton.
We want to bring you closer tothe heart of our community
through stories that inform,inspire and connect.
Each episode offers abehind-the-scenes look at the
people, projects and prioritiesshaping Milton, covering
everything from local governmentand future development to arts,
culture, sustainability andpublic safety.
(00:30):
Whether you're a resident, alocal business owner or just
curious about our city, this isyour front-row seat to what
makes Milton special.
Today, we're diving into theincredibly fun world of Milton's
Parks and Recreation Department.
If you've ever strolled throughone of our beautiful parks,
attended a community event orsigned your kids up for an
activity, you've experienced themagic this team creates.
(00:50):
Let's meet the folks behind thescenes who make it all happen
Tom McElveen, thomas Rhodes,emily Salerno, jen Young,
matthew Graney and MichaelaBurke.
Welcome to the podcast, woo.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Woo Thanks.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Christy, there we go.
Energy's coming already, solet's kick things off with Tom,
the director of Parks and Rec,who has an actually very cool
history with the city andspecifically Parks and Rec.
Tom, can you give us a littleof your backstory and how you
came to be the director of Parksand Rec?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, I think the interesting part of my story
actually is where it began, backin 2009, 2010,.
I had just recently graduatedcollege and I was looking to get
my foot in the door in Parksand Rec somehow, and I just
emailed the Parks and Recdirector in the city of Milton I
was a Milton resident as a highschool attendee and I asked if
there was any internshipopportunities and she replied
(01:45):
and said well, I guess, but it'snot a paid internship, I don't
have budget and I'm the onlyParks and Rec employee in the
whole city.
I asked her if I could come in,ended up working underneath
Cindy Benacci at the time forseveral months, I think six or
eight months.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Unpaid.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Unpaid Unpaid as a college grad, working part-time
as well for another municipality, and ended up working out great
because that internship endedup getting me connections to my
first full-time job doingprogramming and I did
programming for athletics,mainly for the city of
Alpharetta and in 2015, therewas an opportunity that was
(02:22):
brought up in Milton for aprogram manager position At the
time of 2015, it was still avery small department of two.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Doubled in size.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
It doubled in size over those years and was blessed
enough to get that job.
And then, over the period oftime, covid happened and the
director at the time steppeddown and I was given an
opportunity and it stuck.
So here I am.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And here you are right on.
So let's explore the future ofMilton's park and rec department
.
With so many projects on thehorizon, I hear little bits of
information.
You know we share a floor so Iget to eavesdrop on all y'all's
meetings, but let's talk aboutthe projects from athletic
facilities to inclusiveplaygrounds.
It's clear that there's avision shaping the way Milton
(03:11):
residents connect with theircommunity and to nature.
So can you share some of thosekey developments and how you
think that they'll impact ourresidents?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, you mentioned two of the bigger ones here.
We do have a parks andrecreation comprehensive master
plan.
In that master plan it doescall for more facilities.
All around, all around Athleticfields, rectangles, diamonds,
indoor space.
That master plan was planned tokind of conclude in 2027.
So we're in the planning stageright now for a athletic park
(03:46):
that will be out at theDeerfield area the.
Old Crest property.
That facility will eventuallyhold two rectangular fields for
lacrosse, football, soccer andfour diamonds.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
How big is that area?
I mean?
Just to give people a generalidea.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
The acreage of the property is roughly 23 acres.
Thanks, 24.
Outside of those fields, we'regoing to really be gathering
input from the community.
What else do you want to see inDeerfield?
And if it can't go there, I'msure you will be speaking with
Bob.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Hashim, if you haven't already.
Yes, Bob is on the list.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And there is the implementation plan.
So if it doesn't fit in thispark, it doesn't mean it still
can't fit in the Deerfield area,which is great.
And there also is the inclusiveplayground as well, as you had
mentioned.
Actually, just this week,council accepted a resolution to
accept the donation fromchildren's charities just over
$176,000 to go towards theconstruction of an inclusive
(04:45):
playground.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And what does that look like when you say inclusive
playground?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
It would be.
Anybody of any ability would beable to use all the components
on the playground.
So, whether you're wheelchairbound or whatnot.
That's how the playground isdesigned, so anybody can enjoy
it.
You don't have to be specialneeds in order to enjoy the
components.
Speaker 6 (05:05):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Future site is at this point undetermined.
There might be someopportunities here coming down
shortly for that playground.
Yeah, that donation is going tomake a big impact on making
that playground even better thanit potentially would have been
before.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Right on, right on.
Well, it sounds like there's adeep sense of purpose driving
the work that you do, tom, socan you tell us what keeps you
motivated and so invested increating these spaces for the
community?
Speaker 2 (05:35):
This is going to sound really corny.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I like it, bring it on.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It's all about the smiles on everyone's face.
When I'm out at a park on theweekends and I see the kids all
playing ball or playing on theplayground or even just running
around the park, you know,running away from their parents,
they're still smiling and thatkeeps me motivated.
You know we go to the events.
We're in the throw of all ofour holiday events right now.
It's stressful.
(06:02):
You'll probably hear about thatlater.
But when you're there andeveryone's enjoying themselves
and the events are runningsmoothly and all the kids are
just playing and having fun andgetting their balloons and face
painted and right.
That's what keeps me going.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
That's a fair statement, not cheesy.
That's a fair statement, socheesy and true.
Cheesy and true.
I like it.
So, as we're talking about thefuture developments, especially
those geared towards athleticfacilities, let's bring in
Thomas, whose focus on athleticsis shaping an exciting chapter
in Milton.
So, thomas, your journey toMilton is as exciting as the
(06:43):
plans you're helping to bring tolife.
And can you tell us about howyou landed here and your role as
the Parks and RecreationSupervisor for Athletics?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Absolutely so.
I attended Kennesaw StateUniversity, where I studied
sport management.
During my senior year, I tookan internship with Cherokee
Recreation and Parks Agency.
During that time, I got tolearn the ins and outs of the
field, everything from thefinance department to the
maintenance department,everything in between.
After my internship wascompleted and I graduated, I
(07:14):
took a full-time role in a smallNorth Georgia city as an
athletic coordinator.
With no growth and opportunitythere, I left Left the field
completely, went over to theprivate sector, got a little bit
burnt out after several years,saw an opportunity here in the
city of Milton, applied for itback in 2019, where I came on
board as a Parks and RecreationSpecialist, spent some time, was
(07:37):
able to grow into my role.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Now, and five years later, I'm managing the sports
in the city of Milton Soundslike you rolled in right at the
prime COVID time, wheneverybody's looking to be
outside.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Exactly so.
Things really came full circle.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Right on.
So Milton's athletics programsand fields are a big part of
community life.
What's the current landscapelike and what are the goals for
the future?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah, that's a great question.
All the city's programs play ahuge role in the community.
I feel like a lot of peopleconsider parks and programs a
major foundation in communitylife.
Currently, the city's athleticprograms are booming.
We have a number of outdoorathletic programs that share
field space at Bell MemorialPark and Legacy Park, our two
athletic complexes here in thecity.
(08:23):
Field space is tight but all ofour providers work together to
make our limitations work rightnow, so we're very fortunate for
that.
As for the future, we'relooking forward to that new
athletic park that Tom mentioned.
Additional baseball fieldsmulti-purpose fields will allow
programs like baseball, lacrosse, football and adult soccer to
not only grow but spread out andget some additional practice
time during the week.
Lastly, we plan to add someadditional practice time during
(08:44):
the week right on.
Lastly, we plan to add someadditional tennis courts at the
Milton Tennis Center to expandthat already thriving program
and finally, hopefully one daydown the road, we'll have a
recreation center that ourbasketball program can call home
.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Let's do that one.
Tom, can you get on that one?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
yeah, we're.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
We're all looking forward to it so you've also
been working with theinitiatives like camp joyful
souls.
Tell us about that program, howit came about and the impact
you feel it's having on thecommunity yeah, yeah, well,
don't be shy to visit.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
We love our visitors over at oh, it was a great time.
I enjoyed that yeah, I'd love totalk more about Camp Joyful
Souls.
So it's a unique camp that'svery important, not only to me
but to the department and to oursurrounding communities.
For the listeners that may notknow, camp Joyful Souls is
Milton's summer day camp forthose age 13 to 22 with special
needs.
The camp takes place everysummer with an amazing
(09:39):
leadership team.
The team's goals are just toempower our campers, foster a
more inclusive community,promote understanding and
provide families with the peaceof mind knowing their loved ones
are engaged in meaningful andjoyful activities.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
How long is that camp ?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
So it's a seven-week camp, Seven weeks For the
duration of June and July.
We take off the week of the 4th, so you know families can do
their vacations and staff cantake a break.
But yeah, we run for the full,full summer.
But it's really just an amazingexperience and I'm proud to be
a part of it yeah, I enjoyedthat.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
It was new for me, but the amount of effort that
y'all put into that field day atthe end was amazing.
It was heartwarming and to seeeverybody happy and what were we
playing?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
uh kickball.
Yeah, I'm showing my age sorrywords escape me that's the
staple of field the big kickballgame yeah, that was.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
That was great.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
It was fun to watch everybody buddies up, we have uh
everyone from, uh you know,here at city hall from the
police department is invited,the fire department's invited,
we buddy up and just just have agreat day and you had a lot of
volunteers outside volunteers,oh yeah we bring in volunteers,
our staff brings in friends andfamily members, and anybody from
our volunteer pool is invited.
(10:49):
So you know, all hands on deck,we'll take anybody that wants
to have fun.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Well, since you opened that door, where would
somebody find information aboutvolunteering at events like that
?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
So we typically reach out to our volunteers
specifically for field day, butwe do have a Camp Joyful.
Souls email that we can becontacted.
It is operated for the durationof the year so it's never
closed down, but it iscampjoyfulsouls at miltongagov,
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
And I will put that in the show notes, so anybody
who's looking for moreinformation, you'll be able to
access it there, please do,please do.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I'm the person behind it.
Until our manager takes on herrole, beginning in January every
year, she starts the planningprocess.
We're very fortunate to have aleadership team that has stuck
around, for I think one ofthem's going on nine years.
One of them's 10th years thisyear.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Yeah, they're great.
We're very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Perfect.
Thank you for sharing thatinformation, Thomas Michaela, I
want to turn to you.
Your journey from Kansas toMilton is such a unique story.
Can you tell us a little bitabout that and tell us what
about the city of Milton madeyou feel at home?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
We decided to move to the Atlanta area at the very
tail end of that COVID crazyhouse buying madness, and we
flew in and we had 48 hours tofind a house and my dream place
to live was in Alpharetta in theWinbert area.
So we looked at a few houses andthen my husband found this
(12:21):
house on Zillow in Milton.
He was like hey, do you want togo see this house?
And internally I was like, oh,I don't know what Milton is, I
don't care, I don't want to gosee it, but I'm such a good wife
.
So externally I was like sure,honey.
So we drove into Milton and Iwas just like whoa, what is this
place with the winding roadsand the trees and the horses and
the fences?
(12:41):
It was so pretty and we lookedat the house and we loved it.
And what sold us on the housewas there is a city-owned green
space behind it, so no one canput up a neighborhood or
anything.
And what really sold us on thehouse was it was the only offer
that was accepted, but the greenspace is a huge plus.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I can Honestly, I feel that, uh, we had a similar
experience trying to find ahouse when we moved here in 2017
, we had houses that we loved,we put in offers no go.
And then the one at the bottomof our list, they're like still
available and we're like that'sit.
(13:22):
That's our home, by the way,best choice ever Totally happy.
We ended up there.
It was somebody intervening onmy decision-making process,
we'll put it that way.
So.
So, tom, I'm going to kind ofthrow you under the bus on this
one.
I've heard Tom refer to you asthe Swiss army knife of parks
(13:42):
and rec.
Tell us about that.
Tell us what your role is andhow that term kind of came
around.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
I do a bunch of random stuff and I like it
because every day is different.
And one day Emily will be like,hey, I need help with this
event.
And then another day, jim willbe like, hey, can you help me
with this program.
And then another day Matthewwill be like hey, can you help
me with this rental?
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And then another day Tom will be like hey, I, and
then another day, tom will belike hey, I need this building
painted.
So and what's your actual titlebesides swiss army, knife parks
and rec specialist?
So you get all the things.
Yeah, oh, right on.
You have actually rolled outsome pretty incredible programs
like toddler tuesday and thebook club.
What is your favorite event towork on?
Speaker 4 (14:22):
my favorite program that I've started is book club,
because it's a great group ofladies and we have a lot of fun.
And then my favorite city eventis pancakes with Santa, because
I love how we take over a firestation and it's just really fun
and kids get to see Santa.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Oh, you should see Emily over here.
She's just, she's just glowing.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I love everything about it, except waking up at 5
am.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
There's plenty of coffee and hot chocolate to go
with that.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Not after Emily got a hold of the coffee.
Speaker 7 (14:52):
I did consume five cups on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yes, see, I knew that .
I knew that was a thing.
I appreciate that insight.
Michaela, how long have youbeen with the team?
Almost two and a half years,two and a half years.
So as we're kind of goingthrough this from one inspiring
program to another, I want toturn to Matthew.
You've been busy launching newprograms for Milton's youngest
residents.
(15:14):
How did your journey in Parksand Rec lead you here?
Speaker 5 (15:18):
Yeah, I would say obviously I've kind of always
enjoyed being in Parks and Rec.
I was playing sports growing upas a young kid Always saw
myself dealing with thecommunity, either with
programming or with sports andstuff like that.
So I always wanted to be in thefield.
I just more of me trying to getinto the field.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
It's a.
Thing.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
It's a thing, yeah.
So after college I found asummer internship for a private
club that was on the Hilton HeadIsland.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Very common thread here is.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
everybody ran the internship avenue, so I was
pretty much a summer campcounselor for their summer camp
and it was a pretty nice area Iwas by the water pool, golf
course, everything.
After that summer I had noother job and they were like,
hey, would you want to work inthe golf department here at
(16:12):
Buckford Plantation, which is onHilton Head?
So I was like, yeah, sure.
So I became a car attendant andI also worked events.
I did that and then once thenext summer came, they were like
, hey, would you want to be thedirector of the summer camps?
And my title was it's funny Ihad a name tag that said the
director of recreation, so thatwas the only.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
Big and bold, I know.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
So on my resume I put director of recreation, as you
should.
Yeah, so that's what I did.
So I did that for a couple ofyears, loved it, enjoyed it.
Then after that, I went to SeaIsland Resort for a year and
that was also a nice area too onan island by the beach.
And then after that I finallygot into Parks and Rec.
Throughout that transition orthose years, I applied for any
(17:02):
Parks and Rec job.
Like I was applying everywhereNorth Carolina, atlanta area I
had a job interview for a parkjob that was in Mississippi.
I drove 12 hours for aninterview, so I was trying to
just get into the field.
Finally I got a job at a localrec department where my family
(17:24):
was living at the time, so itwas really cool to see.
I had my nephew.
He was playing baseball thereand basketball and stuff, so it
was really cool to see.
After that, I finally got a jobhere in the Atlanta area.
It was the March of 2020.
So it was a couple of years.
There was no traffic drivingaround, so it was awesome.
After that, I joined thetonteam in august of 2022 and but
(17:47):
yeah, but when I first startedhere, we didn't really have a
lot of programs.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Now since 2022, we've added maybe nine it's a lot,
but, yeah, a lot of programs.
It's amazing programs yeah, butyeah.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
So we're trying to come up with some creative,
exciting ideas for all thesepeople who live in Milton to
offer them some really coolprogramming.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Yeah, matthew's program was a new role.
All the programs athletics,non-athletics were all under one
position.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
And the athletics are a bear.
Speaker 7 (18:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
And demand a lot of attention and time, and so we
broke off the non-athletics intoMatthew's role, which has
proven to be extremelysuccessful because he has
brought on so many excellentprograms.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
So kind of explain that a little bit, because
Thomas has athletics, matthewhas the other programming.
When you're talking athleticsprograms, what's the scope?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
That would be baseball lacrosse, your typical
sports.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I didn't know how deep the roster went on, that
one, that was nice, that wasnice.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I am clever, sometimes I scare me.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Yeah, yeah, Thomas has things like patonk, which is
sort of an Italian version ofbocce ball.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
I guess Okay.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
French.
My bad is a, which is sort ofan italian version of bocce ball
, I guess.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
okay, french, french my bad, I hope, I hope.
I hope claude doesn't listen tothis.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I'll be getting a phone call um, so yeah, yeah,
but matthew has anything outsideof your typical mains athletics
.
And then you know, thomas hascamp trouble souls.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
But yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, matthew, give us a just ahandful of your programming got
you?
Speaker 5 (19:35):
um, yeah, so it just, it just varies, so we have let
it fitness classes, like.
So.
We have the yoga classes, whichI've actually have taken the
class and I felt amazing after,so I definitely highly recommend
to take those classes.
We do have the youth classesfor art, also for the teenage
kids.
Just recently added a theaterclass, yeah, for kids and also a
(19:58):
really cool program.
That is, I guess, the new trend, which that's the thing about
parks and rec there, it's always.
It's always about trends is theLego classes?
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Yeah, so it's like some Lego.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
So that's so far.
It's been a huge hit as well.
But yeah, just trying to comeup with a lot of programs that
Milton Residence might like.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Right, right, right.
We can't forget about yourmindfulness with the sloth one.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
That was my favorite one.
Wait a minute A sloth.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Especially when the instructor was like oh, oh,
sloths poop every uh, about onceevery seven days.
And it's been seven days sincethe sloth poop and we're all
like, oh okay, wrong, sloth yeah, and that was also which.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
I'm glad that sloth didn't use a restroom, because
that would have been a whole,another level of experience.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
The penguins are a different matter, but that was
still fun, yeah did.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
We do penguins too.
Where have I been?
Speaker 5 (20:49):
yeah, so this was in 2022, I think it was, I don't
remember.
So it was with our it waspre-christy, yeah it was
pre-christy.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, you guys did all the fun things before I got
here, before bc yeah, ac bc yeahbut, yeah, so yeah so it's just
more about just seeing smiles.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
It's kind of like you're making memories for the
residents who actually take yourprograms.
So right, right that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I know you have a slew of programs that I get to
kind of take a look at because Iget to work with you on some of
those programs as far assignage and graphics and things,
and it's really impressive theamount of effort and the wide
variety of programming thatyou've been able to pull
together.
So kudos to that.
(21:34):
So you kind of gave us what themost fulfilling part of Parks
and Rec is your job here.
You know you love the smilesand everything like that.
So do you have a standoutmemory or your favorite memory
of your time here in Milton thusfar?
Speaker 5 (21:52):
I would say definitely, it would be the
creation of the summer camp.
So obviously I've had manyyears working summer camps,
being a director of recreation,of course Before summer camp,
but not starting one fromscratch.
I think it was talked about alittle bit but it wasn't like a
like a main topic in myinterview about summer camp
(22:13):
until I, until I started, andthen I was told hey, you're
running a summer camp yay, fromscratch, and you nailed it.
we just finished our second year.
We officially have a name now.
It's called Camp Compass, so weactually the first year it was
called the Milton Summer Camp.
We actually didn't have a namefor it.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
The creativity was off the charts.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
It was clear.
Okay, you knew where you weregoing.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
It's very important.
You have to have clearmessaging.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
Well, now it's called Camp Compass, so now I
officially know where to go.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Or what direction you're going.
Oh, the jokes are on fire.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
And all the other names that are probably still on
the whiteboard over there.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
So we're building memories and the connections and
we know that it's all centralto Parks and Rec as a whole.
I mean, that seems to be whereyou guys are all pulling
together.
I want to zoom out a little bitand talk about a bigger picture
of why our parks matter.
So that brings me to Jen.
(23:19):
You've got some amazinginsights on this.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
You have described parks as being integral,
integral, big words, big wordson a wednesday integral, pick a
different one integral, integral, integral integral, integral
and integrated into unity you'vedescribed parks as being
(23:44):
important to the health, unityand vitality of any community so
, before we get started, I thinkinstead of gin it should be, it
should be ranger gin ranger,let's back this up ranger gin.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yes, of course I.
I should have known that,matthew.
No worries, we know that it'simportant and essentially it's
kind of the heartbeat of acommunity.
Expand on that, let us know.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
There is not a single person that you'll meet that
has not seen a park, heard of apark or touched a park, which
tells me we've done a good jobof either investing in parks in
this country or promoting thatthere are parks somewhere that
you could potentially haveaccess to.
Now that changes.
(24:29):
There are communities acrossthe country, some in metro
Atlanta, that have less accessthan others, that's for sure.
I think Milton is veryprivileged to have the beautiful
acreage of green space, so I'mgrateful to be a steward of that
space, and I think what droveme to take the job in Milton is
my love for the outdoors keepsme curious and it's infectious.
(24:54):
When you're a curious person,it's easy and free to take
people in the outdoors and go.
Let's get curious.
What's this thing?
I don't know.
I'm not an expert on all topics.
Let's investigate it.
What can it be?
Whether you're a kid or you're90, we can all stay curious.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Right, right and it's .
It's amazing to me becauseMatthew did take me on a tour of
all the parks.
I have lived in Georgia, justright up the road here, for
seven years and had no idea thatMilton had parks tucked in like
every nook and cranny, right,places that I would have never
have known.
Birmingham, beautiful, sogorgeous.
(25:34):
Wish I still had horses.
Speaker 6 (25:35):
I'd be out there, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
But I don't.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
It's a little gem tucked away for the equestrian
community and they're grateful.
Every time I go out there theyremind me Jen, we're so glad
this is here, they thank thecity, they thank the public for
being good stewards of theproperty and I too am grateful.
How big is that property?
208.
208.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Wow that's big.
It is a big property.
So, while we're there, if youwere to combine all of our green
spaces and our parks, what'sthe acreage on that?
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Open or closed acreage, because that's
different, like properties thatare open and available to the
public.
Let's do that one, okay.
So this is where it gets in theweeds, right?
You have active parks, yeah,such as bell, legacy, right.
Um, those count as parks, right.
And then you have passive parks, like providence, birmingham.
And then you have the greenspaces that were purchased with
(26:30):
green space money, also known aspassive parks okay, they don't
have ball fields on them.
So if you were to total allthree of those together, I think
you reach close to 800 900.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Maybe I'm wrong I think we'll Tom's looking, tom's
looking.
I love it.
Speaker 7 (26:48):
We'll circle back to that one that was a metric.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
But yeah.
So when you have all that space, that's a lot of public land
for people to be able to utilize.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
It really is.
I was impressed with the factthat it all did exist in this
little stretch of a city that'stucked in between Alpharetta and
Cherokee County that I didn'tknow about.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
Right, yeah, it's very intentional and I think
Milton has been very intentionalabout keeping green space open
for the public and available,because we can always lessen
that green space.
It is much more difficult toadd more right.
So 10 years from now, 20 years,100 years from now?
(27:31):
What's that going to look likeif we didn't have it right?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
are we still dying to know those acres?
Yeah, yes please all rightwe've got 55 acres of active
space, 269 passive acres and 406green space acres that's's
amazing, that's amazing.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
That's a lot of acreage.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Now we all know.
Yeah, yeah, just for youlisteners.
So, as Matthew very graciouslyintroduced you as Ranger Jen
which is how most people outthere who have interactions know
you they know you as Ranger Jen.
You're the face of the JuniorRanger Program hiking, kayaking,
fishing programs, all sorts ofthings.
(28:12):
Tell us really what your jobentails and what new projects
are looming for you.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
It's multifaceted and it's evolving every day.
So when I first came on, it waswe have all this green space.
Help our public interact withthat green space, however that
looks, whether it's hiking orbiking or kayaking, whatever
that looks like.
The community was open-mindedto it.
What it evolved to was thefirst program, which was a
(28:38):
Junior Ranger book, and that hascreated quite a spinoff, and so
I can't even begin to tell youwhere it's going to go.
I can tell you where we are now.
What I would love to see isevery single person in this
community has some sort ofcontact with a green space, and
when I say green space I meananything that is publicly owned.
(28:59):
I would love for them to havesome sort of engagement in a
program or not a program, justgoing out there and enjoying it.
The programs help you get thereand they help you have
something to do.
So the Signature Junior Rangerprogram is a great family
activity you can do at home, youcan do out in a park, you can
do it singularly with a familyor you can join one of my lead
(29:22):
programs.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
And you've done a great job as far as offering
programming for the littlelittles with your leaf program,
and those babies are three, fouryears old.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Yeah, two and a half all the way up to five.
So this is like I'm mom.
I mean Michaela couples withher toddler Tuesdays.
I'm a mom.
It is 10 am and we got to getout of the house, Right.
And so Miss Cassie, who runsthat program for us, she does a
great job.
It's at Bell, so they haveinside space and outside space.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
So with my first because you learn a lot with
your first I didn't want her toget dirty.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
I'm not going to lie, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
So we were living in Michigan and the first time my
sister-in-law sat my daughter inthe grass, she was like ooh and
ran her hands througheverything.
I was like oh.
Yeah, I know that feeling Iknew what my downfalls were.
So programs like this allowthese kids to experience things
that maybe parents aren't asfamiliar with, and introduces
(30:23):
them to a lot of differentoptions.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
Yeah, I think it's a community connector too, anytime
that we can bring familiestogether in one of these
programs, because when theirkids connect, they connect, they
find common interest, and I getthis call a lot.
My kid is curious about theoutdoors.
We are not an outdoors family.
We don't know how to help guidethis process.
They want to learn to fish.
(30:45):
Oh, we don't want to touchthese fish.
Jen, I'm with it, I don't touchfish and that's kind of driven
the programs that I've created,the calls that I get the public
feedback.
They want to learn something.
I'm willing to teach it or findsomeone to do that.
So that's kind of where we'regoing.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
It's really guided by community.
Yeah, because you've gotsomething coming up on the
horizon.
Speaker 6 (31:04):
I do, and I know coming up on the horizon, I do
this, I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
I am too right in my wheelhouse.
I'm excited to get you involved.
Yeah, tell us what's what'scoming, yeah, so christy and I
are partnering we are to dropand launch a webinar series
called wildlife 101.
Speaker 6 (31:27):
Stay tuned.
Yeah, that's it.
First one will be up the 1st ofFebruary.
We did an in-person pilot onein November.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Huge success it was about coyotes, I learned a lot.
Speaker 6 (31:41):
Yeah, so did I.
I learned a lot Shocking.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
You know, you think, you know, you don't.
That's right.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
We're going to have experts throughout the year on
various topics.
They're gonna get on webinarsand they are going to teach us
right whatever we want to knowtotally free.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
All you have to do is register for them.
The link will be available,everything will be published,
we'll have it out on social.
We'll have a web page for it.
So really encouraging people toget involved, because it's an
easy way to pick up and learnsomething new.
Maybe involve your kids.
Let them, let them take alisten All ages.
Yep, absolutely so, in linewith everybody else, jen, what's
(32:21):
been the most rewarding part ofyour journey?
Speaker 6 (32:25):
It is.
How about this?
I'll share a memory.
Okay, I'll take that.
Last spring I took a group ofmy junior ranger academy kids
out in the woods and an inchwormwas coming down from a tree and
a little girl grabbed thestring, put it on her finger and
she guided that inchworm acrosseveryone's finger and many of
(32:47):
the kids were scared about thisinchworm touching them.
Is it dirty?
Can it hurt me?
And I let them go.
I let the kids be kids andexplore on their own and teach
each other.
The sense of pride in the photothat Oksana in our
communications departmentcaptured her pride of finding
that piece of nature andintroducing it to the kids in
(33:09):
her group.
It was like an extension of meI now realize could be in all of
them and they can lead eachother right and where were you
when my kids I sparked that andthat made me feel proud I needed
a ranger
Speaker 1 (33:23):
yeah, my kids were little.
Because there's a lot of thingsI don't touch.
Inchworms would be one of them.
Fish is number one uh, lifehack.
Speaker 6 (33:32):
Uh, and I'm sorry if kids are listening to this, if I
don't want to touch it, uh,there's a kid in the group who
will, and he'll get the otherkids to touch it fair, fair.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Thank you, jen.
I appreciate all theinformation and I'm excited
about where things are going,and that goes for everybody.
Everybody's got such greatprogramming coming up, but I do
want to switch gears a littlebit.
Emily, it's not the last one,it just happened to be you're
the last one.
Speaker 7 (33:58):
It's okay, save the best for last.
I guess.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
so You've got a knack for creating some very cool
spaces, opportunities and andevents and making them
accessible and fun for so manypeople of all ages.
I'd love to hear yourperspective on how you approach
that and please explain theconcept of the third place.
Speaker 7 (34:20):
Of course.
So I've had a very interestingjourney to get here.
One of the first jobs I had outof college was I worked for
Avalon in Alpharetta, and thedeveloper of that area was Mark
Toro, and he constantly talkedabout this concept of the third
place.
So your first place is yourhome, where you live.
(34:42):
Your second place is yourworkplace, where you have to go
every day, where you spend yourtime, where you make your money,
and your third place is whereyou choose to spend your time.
So your third place is whereyou recreate, where you hang out
with friends, where you creatememories.
So whenever I'm creating anevent or even just being a part
(35:05):
of Parks and Recreation ingeneral, we are their third
place.
So, there's a lot of people whochoose to spend their family
time in a park.
There's a lot of people whochoose to come to our events,
who go to Michaela's ToddlerTuesdays.
So we're constantly in thisconcept of creating where people
choose to spend their time.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Right, and that's kind of where I was going next
with that.
You've said that parks andrecreation shape how people
choose to live.
Tell me how that feeds in.
I mean, is it when people?
Speaker 7 (35:37):
choose to do something.
So obviously, you know whereyou live you have to be there.
School, you have to be there.
Work you have to be there.
You have to be there, christy,come on girl.
But when people choose to spendtheir time, you are their
choice.
Like you are, you are creatingthis experience, whether it's an
event or a program or anathletic, and those are the
(35:59):
things that people remember 20,30 years down the line right.
They don't necessarily rememberthe deadline that they had on
this one specific project theyhad to do at their workplace,
but they could remember the leafprogram that they did, or their
time at Christmas and Crabapple, or their time at Community Egg
Hunt.
So people are choosing to makethis part of their lives and
(36:22):
that's a very important job thatwe have to fulfill that choice.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
How long have you been with?
Milton, almost two years now avery important job that we have
to fulfill that choice.
How long have you been with?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Milton, almost two years now.
Oh, we've got a team that'srolling in.
You expanded quickly.
Tom, yes, he's shaking his head.
Yes, oh yeah.
Well, emily's role was not anew role within the city.
Okay, it just moved from onedepartment and it fit well in
parks and recreation.
So while my department expanded, it wasn't a new head.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
I gotcha All right, Fair enough.
So I've asked everyone else,and now I'll ask you what keeps
you excited about this work.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
I love.
Well, first off, I lovecreating experiences.
I think every event is adifferent experience.
I think I have the best andmost fun job within the city and
I agree and I laugh sometimes.
I was actually speaking withour fire department last week.
Their work emergencies aresomething is on fire.
They're literally putting outfires and that's their work
(37:20):
emergency.
My work emergency gets to be Ihad a vendor cancel on me 24
hours or I need to come up withthis creative solution because
my face paint are canceled andI'm going to go to Michaels and
go buy every ounce of paint thatI can find and learn how to
face paint in the next 24 hours.
So I am motivated by the conceptof being a part of their
(37:41):
experience and being a part oftheir traditions.
We've had families now who havecome to Christmas in Crabapple
or Pancakes with Santa, or ourcommunity egg hunt or our
Memorial Day ceremony or any ofthese events, year after year
after year after year, and theyhave these pictures and memories
of From every single one ofthese.
(38:01):
We've used the same Santa forforever, because there's only
one Santa.
Yes, obviously, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
He's a busy guy.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
He is a super busy guy but I book him really early
so I make sure that I get thesame Santa every year.
And these kids have had theirpictures taken with Santa since
they were babies and now they'regraduating high school and they
still have the same photo withsanta.
My mom used to make me take apicture with santa until I
(38:29):
graduated from high school, soif you come to my house ever,
you can just see all of my oldphotos with santa.
I'm gonna need to see those.
I can make that happen yeah,well you have to.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
I think we need a department a department we have
one.
No, I, I need history.
I want everybody to bring inphotos from when they got it
because that's entertaining.
We can make that happen.
I was talking to the right girl.
She's gonna make that happenfor me I'll make it work.
Speaker 7 (38:53):
So just you know, being a part of those traditions
is what keeps me motivated tomake sure that families light up
when they come to our events.
I mean seeing we'd elsa, elsaand Anna this past weekend at
pancakes with Santa, and so fun.
One of the very first littlegirls you know exactly who I'm
talking about who walked intothis event.
She looked to her right andthere was Elsa.
(39:15):
And you would have thoughtclouds opened up and the sun
shone down on this kiddo and herface lit up and I looked at
whoever was standing beside meand I said there it is.
That's it.
Every ounce of stress, everyounce of work waking up at 4am
to be here was worth it.
Seeing that kid's face.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
It was amazing and my kids are all grown so getting
to see some of these littlesenjoy that space and see their
favorite princesses and to seeSanta and Mrs Claus.
The other highlight, I have tosay and I was lucky enough to be
standing outside is there was alittle boy and he was dressed
like the Grinch, he had thefurry sleeves on and he looked
(39:58):
outside and he saw the Grinchand he went the Grinch and he
just stood there just inamazement and the Grinch and he
went the Grinch and he juststood there just in amazement.
And the Grinch, in all thewonderful movements, ran right
past that kid, like it was sointentional, and then turned
around and gave him the fingerslike hi, I see you.
And it was literally the bestthing I've seen.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
That kid was the best part of that whole day the
cutest thing, because hisparents were like we're ready to
go, and he just kept doing fouryear old cartwheels through
that place Like this is where Ilive now.
This is my third home.
He was high five.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
In the Grinch he was touching the fur.
He was so excited.
So I agree with you, those werethe best part of the whole day
and it made me forget I wastired.
But you said something that Ican relate to.
You were talking about firedepartment and the difference
between your emergencies.
I was sitting with PD and I'mcomplaining about how blurry
this photo is, about how blurrythis photo is, and I sat there
(41:02):
and I looked and I said I dorealize that your job is not
about taking pictures and thatit's much more.
Speaker 7 (41:15):
I want to say important, integral, integral,
bring it back.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
I can identify the differences between what I think
is important and what becomesimportant on your daily.
So you sit there and go okay.
So do I really make a stinkabout this blurry picture, or
are we just going to roll withit?
So we're rolling.
Speaker 6 (41:32):
We're rolling, we're rolling.
Okay, but if we all took ourjobs as seriously as those
firefighters putting out a fire,these residents are very lucky.
Speaker 7 (41:42):
That is true, that is true.
I'm putting out a fire everyday, guys it's true, I was told
this weekend that I am not an erdoctor, and I always have to
remember that.
So an event stress is eventstress.
But guess what?
I'm not saving lives here, I'mjust making fun not.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Well, you know, when your face painter dips out that
that's big Right.
I mean, that's a lot of fire,that's a fire.
Which has never, happened.
Speaker 7 (42:07):
And, by the way, we haven't had a face painter
cancel.
But you know, a vendor changeor last minute things.
You've got to roll with thepunches.
You've got to roll with thepunches.
Everything's going to be great,Yep for sure.
Speaker 5 (42:16):
Always.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
So we've had a fabulous.
Is there anything else thaty'all want to share with the
listeners about Parks and RecInformation you want to drop?
Oh, emily's got her hand up.
She's such a good student,thank you.
Speaker 7 (42:30):
I do like to be a good student.
I think a lot of people don'tsee the behind the scenes, but I
think it's very important tonote how close our team is.
We are all so incrediblypassionate about what we do and
are constantly trying to findways to make our job better, to
make our programs better, tomake our athletics better, our
(42:50):
events better, Everything thatwe do.
I think this team is constantlystriving to be better, but we
also all like each other.
We all have fun.
We're all willing to help eachother at the drop of a hat, drop
of a pin.
Hat pin, Hat, pin, Dropsomething.
We'll be there.
So it's cool to work on a teamthat's exactly like this.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Yeah, I would agree.
I get to listen to yourmeetings.
Sometimes I am a little jealousand I'm going to come and sit
in on them because you knowYou're always invited.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
I'm kind of afraid You're an honorary member yes.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Well, communications as a whole is an honorary member
.
We're neighbors.
Yep, it's true, and we worktogether so closely on so many
different things.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Yep, yep, I appreciate that, tom.
I may drop in on your next one,since I stole this meeting from
you for the podcast, but Iabsolutely appreciate everybody
being here and sharing yourinsight podcast.
But I absolutely appreciateeverybody being here and sharing
your insight.
And you know, from programs toparks, this team is really
creating beautiful spaces andexperiences that bring joy and
(43:54):
connection to the community.
I am grateful to all of you.
Number one y'all made me feelincredibly welcome when I
started here in July, so I'mkind of partial to y'all just
for that.
So where is the best place forpeople to find information on
all things parks and rec takers,anybody?
Speaker 2 (44:15):
I would probably start with the city's website,
miltongagov, and then there is aparks and recreation tab with a
lot of different options, butyou should be able to also just
click on the tab and it bringsyou to like a general homepage.
That will get you to ourregistration pages and details
on whether it be events orprograms or the things you
(44:36):
register for or don't registerfor.
We have so many of everythingand you can contact me or we
have the email address that goesto everybody.
It is parksandrec atmiltongagov.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Perfect.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
We also have an activities guide.
It also could be found on thewebsite.
Speaker 1 (44:53):
Yeah, because you guys just redid the new one.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Yes, and check out our Facebook page.
We put that activities guideout through the Facebook as well
, so this is our largest andmost robust activities guide
we've ever had.
In fact, we were talking how dowe pair this back?
It's so big.
Less pages in this thing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, withoutshrinking the font where you
need a magnifying glass.
So, yeah, perfect.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
Well, I really appreciate everybody being here.
Your time was well spent for us.
I feel like everybody will geta very good insight as to who is
behind all the fun in Milton.
Thanks for listening to Miltonin Maine.
We hope this episode gave youfresh insights into what makes
our city so special.
Stay connected and don't missan episode by subscribing to
(45:38):
this podcast on your favoriteplatform and following us on
social media for all updates.
And, of course, if you want tolearn more about the city, visit
us online at wwwmiltongagov forresources, news and upcoming
events.
Until next time, thanks forbeing part of the conversation
and we'll see you on the nextMilton in Maine.
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