Guest column by Michael Day, Parks Superintendent

I love spring in Kansas. Everything is coming alive, grass is turning green, trees are in bloom, and life gets busy for us here in the Parks team of Derby Public Works.

You probably see parks employees out working to beautify our community. We care for 33 properties encompassing nearly 400 acres of parks and streetscapes. On any given day, you can see our people in orange shirts mowing, weed-eating, edging sidewalks and curbs, spraying for weeds, applying fertilizer and trimming trees and shrubs. It’s labor for which we take great pride knowing the residents and guests of Derby appreciate the hard work that goes into making Derby a great place to be.

But it’s not just us!

Every year, I am contacted by numerous local groups that want to help. They want to give their time, effort and energy to make our parks even better. From Boy Scouts picking up trash along the curb or Eagle Scouts completing large projects like the Zollinger Park gazebo to church groups painting bridge rails and staining wooden park facilities, each project makes our community better. There is never a lack of work, and these volunteers help immensely.
And it’s not just groups of people!

It’s you, the user and visitor that really cares for and takes care of our parks. You pick up the random piece of trash as you walk by and place it in the trash can. You call to report on something that is troubling or not quite right. You the responsible dog owners who clean up after your pets. You who plays on our ballfields or climbs the jungle gym. You all make a difference.

Those of us who work in the parks are thanked throughout the week by our patrons. Now it’s time to give credit to those who use our parks and take care of our open spaces. From local volunteer groups to all of you who visit our parks, “Thank You!”

Michael Day
Parks Superintendent

Published in the Derby Informer on April 20, 2016.