Make us an offer we can't refuse.

My compliments to Mr. Jim Stamborski for his provocative letter/article, "Ending the Perception of Article Elitism," in the April 1997 issue of Parks & Recreation. I think the magazine editors handled it very well.

I have been a regular reader and sometimes contributor ro P&R magazine since 1947. During those years the magazine has improved enormously, and it has been of great help to me as a practitioner in the field. Dean Tice has done a fine job. Based on this, I have some observations to make.

Mr. Stamborski is correct in his view on magazine content. The steady flow of finely crafted and well-documented articles on swimming pool construction, golf course management and safer playground construction can distract readers from the many challenges and problems that beset our profession in 1997. Some of these are:

1. Cigarette smoking, alcohol and drug abuse appear to be increasing sharply among our current early teenagers. Since much of this substance abuse takes place on or near properties and facilities of parks and recreation departments, should we not be more concerned about tactics and programs for its reduction?

2. Federal and state financial grants are substantially lower today than they were 10-15 years ago. Are we, as a profession, partly responsible for this dip, and can we help to reverse it?

3. According to the Gannett Newspaper chain, some of the most promising job growth today is in the health care industry. One job of note is the physical therapist, growing rapidly. Why isn't there a comparable job opportunity for the entry-level recreation leader?

4. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tell us that, despite a minority of active, determined, disciplined physical fitness advocates, most Americans are fatter, heavier and less active today than they were 25 years ago. Our profession certainly has a major role in reversing this trend.

5. The parks and recreation profession has enjoyed phenomenal growth in jobs and facilities during the past 40 years. Mr. Stamborski touches a sensitive nerve, however, when he asks, "How can we reverse the public perception that all we do is hand out basketballs or just work in the summer?" This, after spectacular career performances by such giants as Bob Crawford, George Hjelte, Frank Vaydik, Ruth Pike, Edith Ball, Pauline DesGranges, Nate Washington Sal Prezioso and Bill Lederer?

Some of our additional challenges include: Gang activities in many of our cities, neighborhood cultural frictions in the wake of expanding immigration, the gross over-mechanization and commercialization of "family recreation" by Disney, MGM, Universal, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Steven Spielberg, and Donald Trump.

If I read Mr. Stamborski right, he is asking for a more aggressive writing and editing posture on the pages of P&R magazine to balance the present flow of management success stories. Practitioners can learn as much from documented failures and errors as they can from successes. To achieve this new writing activity, I suggest the following:

1. Competitions, through P&R magazine, inviting readers and practitioners to write articles, to enter debates, to spotlight operational problems, and to explore bold new techniques in our field. Honors, recognition and substantial prizes should be given to the most thoughtful and promising responses.

2. Special trips, internships, both domestic and abroad, sabbaticals, short-term employment opportunities should be made available to practitioners and educators based on the quality and frequency of their writing in P&R magazine.

3. More OpEd opportunities in P&R magazine for readers and practitioners to trade ideas, pleas for help, offers for collaboration, professional anecdotes, etc.

4. Establish in P&R magazine some kind of Pulitzer-type honor/prize for outstanding magazine writing.

If P&R magazine will make us a few "offers we can't refuse," I'm confident the flow of hortative articles and communications to the magazine will increase appreciably. Right on, Mr. Stamborski!

P.S. Coincidentally, H. Douglas Sessoms, president of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, writes a related letter/article in the May 1997 issue of the AAPRA Bulletin. Entitled, "Are We Relevant?" Professor Sessoms's article reinforces Mr. Stamborski's position. There are heavyweight professional challenges out there. Let's take them on, using the pages of P&R magazine as our bully pulpit.

The April 1997 Viewpoint column mentioned here was written by Jim Stamborski, CLP, from the City of North Miami (FL) Parks and Recreation Department. P&R inadvertently omitted CLP after his name and listed an incorrect e-mail address. Mr. Stamborski's correct e-mail address is [e-mail]

While Parks & Recreation can't offer you a Pulitzer Prize, we can offer you a place to have you opinions and ideas heard. Send your submissions to: Editor, P&R magazine, 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148.