Fall/Winter 2021 Directors Letter
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Greetings Airway Heights Community,
Now that the weather is finally showing signs of cooling off, there is still so much to look forward to this fall season.
In today’s hectic world, it’s easy to forget that taking time to enjoy each day is so important to our health and wellbeing. Parks & Recreation is committed to enhancing quality of life by helping people stay healthy and fit, build relationships with family and friends, and develop a sense of community.
Our first priority when reopening during this health emergency has been responding to COVID-19 and ensuring compliance with the Department of Health’s emergency orders to slow the spread of the virus.
The health emergency and resulting budget impacts has required restructuring of many of our services. As summer passes us by we are pleased with the turn out to many of our programs and classes. While many activities were canceled due to low participation, we understand the apprehension and will continue to bring new and exciting recreational opportunities to our community members when they are ready to return.
We are excited to bring back more activities and events this fall that were missed in 2020 such as, Airway Heights Day, Splashing Pumpkins, Trunk or Treat, and our annual WinterFest.
With a change in the air and a break from the heat, what better way is there to enjoy the beauty of fall than to be out enjoying some of the recreational opportunities that Airway Heights Parks & Recreation has to offer? We are happy to report that we are finishing up on the updates to Landreth Park. The turf areas have been upgraded from dry land grasses to a higher quality turf grass. We are anticipating the delivery of fitness trail equipment that will be installed along the pathway along with the addition of much needed benches and trash receptacles. In October, we will be completing this phase of the improvements by partnering with the Spokane Conservation District to replace a large number of the trees that have died over the years.
We will continue to work to bring back essential staff roles that were eliminated due to the budget impacts from the pandemic. This will allow us to continue to bring back all of the programs and amenities that improve the physical, mental, and social health that the community has grown to appreciate.
Airway Heights Parks and Recreation has a lot of exciting things coming up over the next few months and we are confident there is a program, park, or activity for you and your family to enjoy!
Thank you for your continued patience during this unprecedented time.
J.C. Kennedy
Parks & Recreation Director
