Page 6 - Commercial Site Furnishings

July is Park and Recreation Month and a time to celebrate and appreciate all the programs offered and maintained by the employees at your local parks

July is Park and Recreation Month and a great time to salute the people who work hard at your local, state and national parks all year long to create appealing spaces and programs for the public.

According to a recent study by the National Recreation and Parks Association, park workers cover a lot of ground. Literally.

The number of programs offered by local parks and their responsibilities might surprise the average citizen. It should certainly impress them.

The study reports on data obtained from 1,069 park and recreation agencies across the US from 2015 to 2017.

Survey reveals typical workload of parks and rec departments

Here is an overview of what parks and recreation department activities:

84% of parks and recreation departments offer summer camps 79% offer programs for seniors 63% offer programs for teens 62% offer programs for people

A student on the "Buddy Bench" he was able to get installed at his elementary school to foster making friends

Sometimes just one child can make a big difference in the lives of their classmates.

Take a young man named Alex for example, of Stafford, VA.

According to his mother, Dottie, during recess Alex would often see children on the playground with no one to play with and this really bothered him. During the end of year party at church camp, Alex noticed a bunch of children were playing. But a young man in a wheelchair, was sitting all by himself. This was very upsetting to Alex.

He went over and befriended the youngster and together the two of them had a great time together.

The idea struck Alex that many other children also experience the same kind of loneliness.

To change this, during his summer break Alex got the idea of adding a "buddy bench" to his school. Alex was a rising student at the time and wanted the bench in place so when children came to school on the first day, they would

A steel bench is becoming a popular alternative to classic wooden benches across the US for a number of reasons.

Why? What special advantages does a steel bench provide?

There are many. Let's start with the design.

The beauty of a steel bench is that it can be manufactured to resemble the pleasing aesthetics of traditional wood benches that have filled parks for centuries.

The metal can be forged to create any look:

The curved back of a Savannah bench.

The round arms of a Durham bench.

A straight back steel bench or a steel bench without a backrest.

Basically, any traditional design can be recreated to offer that nostalgic look that people prefer.

Steel bench features and benefits

But there are several other advantages why a steel bench is a smart choice:

Wear and tear: park benches are popular benches. If you have a busy park, those park benches will have to deal with the challenge of constant usage, for many hours every day of the year. A steel bench built with heavy-duty, tough steel

Commercial site furnishings in our quick ship ParkExpress program can be shipped in just 1-3 days from our park and facility warehouses in strategic locations. A unique service for the outdoor furnishings industry

When it comes to quick shipping commercial site furnishings, we have facility and park warehouses all over the country that make The Park and Facilities Catalog the place to go when you need it fast.

Let's face it. Things happen. Schedules change. Weather causes problems. Crowds are expected to be bigger than originally forecast.

We get it. Consumers and business people today expect items to be shipped quickly. Amazon got the ball rolling for fast shipping and many other businesses such as The Park and Facilities Catalog followed suit.

According to the Wall Street Journal, in a 2015 report, about 63% of online shippers believed that three to four-day delivery was fast. The following year, that number dropped to 42%. (Ironically, if they have an option to pay for faster delivery

Metal bench with a resilient thermoplastic coating

A metal bench is becoming a preferred choice for many maintenance supervisors, architects, and landscapers for one BIG reason - the coating.

In recent years, there have been tremendous technological advances made in the coatings that are now applied to a metal bench, compared to years before.

Previously, a metal bench might look great at first. But then after a few years subjected to the harsh elements - rain, freezing temperatures, UV rays - corrosion and rust might appear.

Given enough time, while steel might appear strong at first, eventually the combination of oxygen and water can cause a metal surface to become flaky and friable. It basically turns a smooth surface into a rusty mess.

But that was long ago.

Today, the coatings available for a metal bench are in a word, amazing.

Take thermoplastic for example.

With the thermoplastic process, the pre-heated metal bench and back is dipped into a fluidized bed of thermoplastic particles.

A list of the Top Theme Parks in the world from No. 1 to No. 25

When Walt Disney first conceived opening a theme park, he acquired a tiny 8-acre plot of land near his studios in Burbank, CA.

His idea was to provide an outdoor amusement area near his studios for fans who wanted to visit, because frankly, there really wasn't much to do and see at the studios. The original name of the place was to be called "Mickey Mouse Park."

However, as people starting working on the project, some of Disney's cohorts suggested the site was too small for his vision and he should look to acquire a larger space. So he bought a 160-acre orange grove and walnut farm in Anaheim, CA.

Disneyland officially opened on July 17, 1955. Temperatures soared above 100 degrees. The pavement was hot and sticky. Local plumbers went on strike. And the park's drinking fountains ran out of water. But going forward, talk about a mouse that roared.

Today, the Walt Disney Company owns the top five theme parks in North America and

Portable bleachers can be towed by a lawn tractor. But cannot be towed on open roads or highways

Incorporating portable bleachers into your new facility planning or current facility renovation is a smart and highly effective strategy for stretching your seating arrangements.

The versatility, low cost and low-maintenance aspects of portable bleachers, along with the opportunity for additional, customized seating options when needed, make them a practical and common-sense choice when planning the layout for your new or renovated arena, venue, field or multi-use complex.

More and more schools, communities, and organizations are including an option for mobile aluminum bleachers in their planning for spectator seating options.

Portable bleachers utilized by Decatur City Schools

Decatur City Schools, located in Decatur Alabama, is showing the value and versatility of putting portable bleachers in their plans for a new sports complex currently under construction for Austin High School.

Portable

Students sit in the shade of commercial umbrellas at metal picnic tables in the Student Courtyard

The Park and Facilities Catalog recently supplied the famous McFarland High School with an array of attractive metal picnic tables and commercial umbrellas.

Why is McFarland HS famous?

For one, the school, located in central California, is a powerhouse when it comes to the sport of cross-country running.

The team has won 24 CIF Central Section championships - in a row.

Secondly, the school and runners were featured in the famous Walt Disney movie - "McFarland USA" that starred Kevin Costner as the coach.

McFarland High School recently added a large supply of metal picnic tables and umbrellas from The Park and Facilities Catalog.

These outdoor picnic tables were placed in the Student Courtyard where students can easily gather for meals and to mingle.

"We are very happy with the tables and umbrellas we purchased," said Kristin Jimenez, from the McFarland Unified School District.

Metal

Volunteer Kim Taber stands with a three hoop jump and fire hydrant dog hurdle. This new dog playground equipment is a new addition to the Florida Humane Society building in Pompano Beach

Dog playground equipment to enable our canine friends to exercise and have fun is now a new addition to the Florida Humane Society.

The Park and Facilities Catalog recently supplied a three-jump hoop and fire hydrant dog hurdle to this non-profit organization that provides a loving and safe home for dogs and cats in South Florida.

The Florida Humane Society started in 1993 and has grown to the point where it now helps almost 3,000 dogs and cats find "good and loving" homes every year.

To control the population of unwanted pets, the organization also offers a service to spay and neuter dogs and cats. This vital program treats 3,500 animals each year.

"We are dedicated to saving the lives of unwanted companion pets through adoption as well as aggressively striving to reduce the pet population through spay

Metal picnic tables at the Nambe' Falls and Lake recreation area. This natural waterfall is one of the most popular destinations in New Mexico

Metal picnic tables and metal benches were recently supplied by The Park and Facilities Catalog to the landscape at the incredible Nambe' Waterfalls and Lake park - a beautiful and serene setting of woods and water.

The Pueblo of Nambe' is the location of one of the most interesting and popular waterfalls in all of the southwest. This spectacular setting is located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico as part of nearly 20,000 acres of high desert. Quite an interesting place to find such a vibrant waterfall.

Nambe' Falls, one of the most popular sights in New Mexico's high desert

The Nambe' area is one of six Tewa-speaking communities in the northern part of the state.

In 1976, a dam was built above the falls to supply irrigation water to the Pojoaque Valley, which created the Nambe' Falls and Lake Recreation Area. That area

Low-rise 3 and 4-row aluminum bleachers

The addition of low-rise 3 and 4-row bleachers can be the perfect seating option for your field or complex.

Without blowing your budget, low-rise aluminum bleachers are the most economical option that will still meet all building and safety codes while providing a quality, safe place for spectators to enjoy the action whether it's in your gym or from the sidelines of your field.

Low-rise bleachers are the recommended seating solution for many types of venues, most notably for limited space gyms or the more intimate outdoor venues like those commonly found at recreation centers or divided, multi-use community complexes, jointly used for team sports like soccer, baseball, and softball.

But 3 or 4-row low-rise bleachers can also fill an extra seating need should you find yourself dealing with an unused, smaller space that can't be fitted with standard aluminum bleachers.

Low-rise 3 and 4-row bleachers fit unique challenges of small spaces

When space

Outdoor bleachers like the ones pictured above are placed along the red carpet at the Oscars every year. But getting this close-up view of all those celebs is not an easy task

Gaining a seat on these coveted outdoor bleachers is one of the most difficult tasks in the world. There are only about 700 available.

But if you do, your face may be seen by more than 40 million people.

And ironically, once the big event involving these bleachers begins, the seats empty out.

What are we talking about?

The Academy Awards and the outdoor bleachers stationed along the Most Popular Red Carpet on the planet.

It is on these plain aluminum bleacher seats that spectators get to see the glitz and glitter of the biggest night in show business.

It's the ultimate place to be for celebrity worship.

In no other location will you see this many Hollywood big-wigs gathered at one time.

The night consists of a blizzard of flashbulbs, TV reporters, expensive dresses, swanky tuxedos, polished smiles and lots of screaming

Adding amenities to your aluminum bleachers such as aluminum scorer's tables, players benches and picnic tables creates a more organized impression of your sports complex

By installing additional amenities along with your aluminum bleachers, you can complete the layout of your sports complex and give your playing field a clean, organized, and professional look.

This will make it more user-friendly and consistent from all viewpoints, including the players, coaching staff, officials, and even the spectators.

And just like aluminum bleachers themselves, these amenities are high quality, long lasting, and easy to care for and use.

They'll withstand all the same weather and repeated use challenges as standard aluminum bleachers, and help make your field safer, more usable, and more comfortable for everyone involved.

Aluminum bleacher amenities range from items designed for a more specific use to those designed for use by the general public.

In addition, all of these aluminum products are designed

Curved concrete benches at the Herbert Kurz Peace Garden installed at Rockland Community College

A unique "peace garden" featuring curved concrete benches supplied by The Park and Facilities Catalog was recently installed at Rockland Community College in New York State.

This creative landscape called the Herbert Kurz Peace Garden is a gift donated to the college by the Kurz Family Foundation. That foundation was created by Howard Kurz, founder of the Nyack-based Presidential Life Insurance Company and a lifelong philanthropist and humanitarian.

The garden was designed by Elisabeth Voigt in collaboration with architect Jeffrey Hall. It consists of 42 curved benches that create an outdoor seating arrangement that flows throughout the grounds. The area was also decorated with 26 flowering dogwood trees and native plant species.

A series of fountain bowls provide a central focal point that adds to the overall tranquility of the area.

"Everybody loves it," Hall said. "It's a statement

Facts about city park

America has a collection of extremely interesting city parks. There are so many parks that earn some sort of recognition as the either the Oldest, Most Visited, Largest, etc.

There are also a bunch of specialty categories for city parks with great amenities - basketball hoops, pools. Even pickleball courts and disc golf courses.

If you like parks (and who doesn't) here are facts you might find interesting. These are bits of a larger report compiled by The Trust for Public Lands in their 2017 City Parks Facts Report.

Oldest and busiest city parks

Let's start with the parks that have been around the longest. Imagine sitting on a park bench in Boston 384 years ago?

Oldest City Parks City Year Established Boston Common Boston 1634 Military Park Newark 1667 Washington Park Newark 1669 Frankin/Washington Squares Philadelphia 1682 Jackson Square New Orleans 1721 San Pedro Springs Park San Antonio 1729 Main Plaza San Antonio 1731 Bowling Green New York City 1733 Columbus/Pittman