Kissing on a park bench has created a crazy tradition at some colleges

An author once wrote that kissing on a park bench "is one of the most fun things to do in a park."

Apparently, there's something to what he says because there are a number of designated "kissing benches" around the world that are famous gathering spots for couples where the smooching often progresses to a marriage proposal.

For some reason, this whole notion of kissing on a park bench is big on college campuses.

At Syracuse University, there's a stone bench donated by the Class of 1912 that somehow developed a reputation as a place where a female student should visit if she wanted to graduate and eventually get married.

Park bench made with concret

Not to be outdone, Florida State University has a kissing bench as well. Legend has it the bench was a place where one of the university administrators would meet his girlfriend for a little "canoodling" in between classes. The couple eventually wed.

There's a plaque with

Adding unique school bike racks is one way to motivate kids to use bikes

Remember when you rode a bike to school? Everybody did. Well, according to some disturbing new research, kids today are biking less than ever.

This is not good. Something must be done. Perhaps creative school bike racks could be one way to get them pedaling instead of riding.

Just one example of this problem was illustrated when a group called BikeWalkKC decided to teach bicycle safety to a group of children.

Instead of teaching of them how to bike safely, in many instances the organizers found themselves teaching the kids how to actually ride a bike.

The National Sporting Goods Association recently issued a report that said just over 10 million children in the US from 6-18 years of age biked regularly last year.

That's HALF the number from 25 years ago. That's a dramatic decline. A scary situation, considering that many kids today weigh more and do less physical activity than ever before.

According to BikeWalk.org

Concrete picnic tables are virtually theft-proof and vandal-proo

 

Jimmy Breslin once said, "The number one rule of thieves is that nothing is too small to steal." Still, who would want to steal a used picnic table from a public park? Apparently several people, as you will see.

That's why it just might be smart to add concrete picnic tables to a park or any location where some people have a warped respect for property. They respect the property so much, they want to make it their own.

Speaking of smarts, or a lack thereof, police are on the lookout for one thief in Wexford County, Michigan who allegedly made off with several picnic tables from one park but failed to realize his portrait would soon be all over local TV and in local newspapers.

His photo was distributed to the press after it was picked up by a surveillance camera. Also included in the photo was a nice color shot of his truck…and the license plate number.

"I find it very disgraceful that people have no more consideration

Hiker with bottled wate

Just like the way a pebble thrown into a pond creates a rippling effect, so does talk of the National Park Service's proposed ban on the sale of bottled water.

This decision is creating quite a splash with environmentalists, the bottled water industry, Coca-Cola, Congress and other interested parties.

The issue is a serious one. As you can imagine, with the millions of people who visit our national parks every year, they can generate quite a few empty water bottles.

In its effort to be more green and sustainable, the National Park Service proposed ending the sale of all bottled water at its facilities - in their stores and vending machines. (Note, visitors can still bring in their own bottled water purchased elsewhere).

Many parks have already initiated this ban - some well-known names include The Grand Canyon, Mount  Rushmore, Little Bighorn, Zion National Park and Dinosaur National Monument.

Zion National Park officials reported they felt the ban was successful

A list of park quotes and the beauty of open spaces for the public

This month is Park and Recreation Month, a time to celebrate and appreciate those little patches of green that WE ALL OWN where we can play, take refuge from the noises of the city and just hang out. Here are 15 park quotes we thought you might like.

"When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing - just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, or waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?" - Ralph Marston "You can't tell a kid that it's time to exercise; that's a turn-off…you have to say, "Let's go to the park and have some fun! Then you get them to do some running, play on the swings, practice on the balance beam, and basically get a full workout disguised as play." - Arnold Schwarzenegger "And I remember going to the record studio and there was a park across the street and I'd see all the children playing and I would

 

Study ranks cities according to entertainment, recreational and park facilitie

Remembers the software game Sim City where your score as a mayor was determined by improvements you made to a town, including the number of parks?

Parks are an important benefit in the minds of citizens. They pay a ton of taxes. Those taxes go for routine expenditures such as roads, manhole covers and sewer drains which to be frank, are not very exciting. But those taxes also go for parks, which on the other side of the spectrum, are very desirable and a place of refuge for urban dwellers.

So sure, city officials are judged by their parks. Are the parks well maintained? Do they have an adequate number of outdoor site furnishings such as benches, picnic tables, water fountains and restrooms? Are those recreation areas clean, with plenty of empty park trash cans scattered in key locations throughout the area?

A company called WalletHub attempted to create a way to rank cities in terms of entertainment, recreational

Theme parks are growing and so is attendance which provides a positive economic impact for the US

When people gather in line for the newest monster roller coaster or flock to an amusement park named after the latest superhero, few realize the enormous economic contribution theme parks make to the American economy.

It's encouraging. In this global battle for jobs, theme parks are one of this country's hot growth sectors.

And attendance is growing. In 2014, there were an estimated 300 million visitors to America's theme parks. That's a 4% increase over the prior year

This fervor for theme parks is creating a ton of economic activity. In fact, there are 17, count them, 17 new roller coasters alone that opened in the US this year.

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, there are about 400 amusement parks and attractions in the US. The industry employs about 600,000 people year-round.

What's really great is that considering America's huge trade deficit

Malls are now adding popular restaurant

There are basically three truisms that now affect the construction of malls. People still love to get out of the house. People still love to shop. And people love to eat.

Malls owners are changing their mindset for how they choose tenants and many are now adding high-end or popular restaurants as a way to attract more shoppers.

That's great for towns plagued with vacant space. That's great for malls looking to pull shoppers back from their computers. That's great for the economy as more restaurant workers, retail employees and construction workers get to work, more constructional materials and commercial site furnishings have to be manufactured and more stores get to stay in business.

At one time, malls seemed protective of their food courts and mainly focused on finding big anchor stores such as Sears, Macy's or Dillard's.

Those stores still have pulling power.

But with the popularity of the Food Channel and the rise of the "Celebrity Chef," savvy

Man on the moon. Astronaut John Young from Apollo 16 salutes the flag

Have you ever looked up at a full moon and wondered, "Gee, that would make a great park?" Seriously.

Because two US members of congress have introduced a bill, H.R. 2617, to do just that - create a park on the moon. It's called the Apollo Lunar Landing Legacy Act.

They're not asking to make all 2,159 miles of the moon's diameter a national park. Just the six places where we landed.

Sounds like sheer lunacy doesn't it? But there is some solid logic behind the proposed legislation. Sometime in the near future, there is a very high likelihood that a citizen of another country will step foot on Earth's celestial sister.

China already landed a roving research vehicle on the moon. Russia has always been a staunch rival of the US in outer space, as well as a partner with Skylab and other projects. It is conceivable at some point they will also land a Russian cosmonaut on the moon. Japan's been thinking about it as well.

Then

July is National Park and Recreation month and time to get outdoors

Next month, "Out is In" as July is the 30th Anniversary of Park and Recreation Month. But how often are we "out?" You'd be surprised. The National Park Service conducted a study that has some very interesting findings about how we spend our time outdoors.

The bottom line: as humans, we need to spend more time on a park bench and less time on the couch because with the American lifestyle today - the electronic environment has replaced the natural one.

The National Recreation and Park Association study involved more than 1,000 people from all corners of the country and from different age groups and demographics.

Here are some of their findings:

Time outdoors - daily only about 31% of us spend more than 60 minutes outdoors. Twenty-two percent spend 31-60 minutes outside and 28% spend 11 to 30 minutes. When you take into account the time we use for routine walks to a car, office, or convenience store, folks, that's not a whole

Wulingyuan National Park - considered the best park in Chin

When it comes to national parks, that old adage "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" certainly applies to the US National Park Service.

While many Asian and European countries are much older than the United States, this country is recognized as starting the first established national park in the world. Now there is a plan for China to copy US parks.

China has reportedly teamed up with The Paulson Institute in Chicago to create a similar national park system there and they are looking to emulate the successful American model that provides all of us with a fantastic array of fascinating and protected parks.

"In the United States our national parks are an important source of shared national pride and cultural identity, as well as treasured natural resources for the public to enjoy," Paulson Institute Chairman Henry M. Paulson Jr., said at the signing ceremony.

"We are honored and delighted to be working with China to help

Bear checking outdoor trash cans for foo

There's a coyote hanging out in Boca Raton, Fla. Officials report a black bear roaming just three miles outside of Manhattan. And raccoons, well, they are just about everywhere.

This is why animal proof trash receptacles are more important today than ever. Wildlife habitat is shrinking. Humans are creating more trash. And people wonder why there are so many sightings for bears, coyotes, foxes and raccoons.

The answer is simple. To them trash is food. Trash that is accessible in parks, hotels, restaurants or homes is a ready-made meal.

Wildlife populations shift. They are sometimes displaced by development. Other times by fires or loss of their habitat. By nature, many animals are nomadic. They will keep moving until they find a source of food.

Establishments that are near wide open areas, such as woods or fields, are especially susceptible to these roaming creatures. And now, it seems, an establishment does not need to necessarily border a forest

By adding just a few key site furnishings, apartments can boost curb appeal significantly

In this digital age, because today's renters have a very short attention span, quickly enhance your apartment's curb appeal with a combination of commercial planters, outdoor park benches and picnic tables.

It's a new world out there. Think about how fast Millenials zip through pages on their smartphones and tablets. Now think about how fast they are going to evaluate your apartment community if you don't have the absolute best curb appeal.

Research shows people make first impressions and generalizations in less than a second. So, while they are walking up the entrance to your community, their minds are already making judgments, putting  your property into either a positive or negative mental bucket for review later.

Many potential renters drive by a property first. They might make a decision about an apartment community without even getting out of their car. Experts advise property managers to

More apartment communities now offer bicycle storage amenitie

Ever take a shower with a bike? Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But the bathtub is one option many apartment dwellers are now using for bike storage these days because frankly, they have no choice.

That may soon change across the country as some savvy apartment communities  now offer bicycle storage amenities to meet the demand from Millennials.

There are a couple of cultural shifts taking place in America that property managers, architects and builders would be wise to embrace.

First of all, the next generation of renters and frankly, high wage-earners and family-starters are now Millennials - those born from 1981 to 1997. The babies of Baby Boomers. This is the generation that is taking over the reins from the Boomer generation, who are now retiring at the rate of 10,000 per day.

This is the green generation. Bicycling to them is now preferable to driving in terms of impact on the environment. According to the Federal Highway Administration,

Lucy reading on a park bench in the Twin Citie

Here's a simple formula to make a park exciting. Add a sculpture in front of a park bench and you have essentially transformed a plot of grass into an outdoor museum.

It certainly works for St. Paul, Minn. They added hundreds of statues from the Charlie Brown cartoon series and have turned many of their parks into tourist destinations, creating a sense of civic pride as well with local residents.

There is a connection between the city and the Charlie Brown creator Charles Schultz. He was born there and went on to become one of the most popular cartoonists in history. At his peak, his "Peanuts" comic strip was featured in 2,600 newspapers which spawned several TV specials as well.

When he died in 2000 at the age of 77, the statues were created to honor his legacy.

Now more than 100 statues of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock can be seen interspersed in parks all over the Twin Cities. Created by famous artist Tivoli Too, most