“ASK RIP” Answers to Your Parks Questions
Rip Robertson is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Tucker.
Greetings from a very busy Parks and Recreation Department! I hope you and your family have had a great summer and that you’ve had the chance to enjoy it at some of our Tucker parks. I’d like to update you on several things of interest happening in the department that we’re getting questions about daily.
- As we wrap up a very successful Summer Camp, our staff is ready to dive right into our After-School Program. We learned a lot in taking over the program in the middle of the last school year. This time around, our team – guided by Recreation Leader Crystal Dawson – has pinpointed things they want to change or improve upon to give your students the best and safest environment possible for their after-school care. You can sign your child up and get more information at tuckerga.gov/parks.
- Summer break is over, but that doesn’t mean the end of summer fun. Once school is back, Kelley Cofer Park pool will still be open Thursday and Friday evenings and weekends – and we expect DeKalb County to finish construction on the new splash pad any day. August is hot in Georgia and we’re going to help you cool off all the way until Labor Day!
- One of the biggest priorities for a successful Parks and Recreation Department is safety. To that end, you’re going to start seeing security cameras at Tucker Recreation Center, as well as at Kelley Cofer and Peters Park. This is a needed improvement that will help us to make sure the people in our parks are there for the right reasons.
- We are stepping up our game on social media. Our Recreation Assistant Orin Romain is now our new Social Media Coordinator for the City. Among his first duties was creating a Facebook page specific to our Parks and Recreation Department. You’ll see Tucker Parks and Rec on other social media channels in the coming months.
- Maybe most exciting, as you read on Page 2, we’ve secured a grant to install new playgrounds at many of our parks. From the moment I got here, I heard Tucker moms and dads saying this was a priority for them. As of November, that priority becomes a reality.
If you have questions for next month’s column, send them to parks@tuckerga.gov. I hope to see you at the Rec Center!
