Inclement Weather Wreaks Havoc on High School, Rec Sports

Athletic directors and coaches have been scrambling all spring to get in matches, games and tournaments. The same can be said for Greenfield's park and rec department.

Scott Otto has the The Weather Channel’s website bookmarked on his desktop and checks it repeatedly throughout the day. The Greenfield High School athletic director and assistant principal has got the district’s grounds keeper, the city’s Park and Recreation Department, and the district’s facilities coordinator Stuart Wilke on speed-dial. And Otto has been in constant contact with his high school spring coaches and other athletic directors, all of whom, thanks to this spring’s persistence rainfall, have been forced to coordinate and orchestrate a complex schedule-juggling performance unlike many others. “It’s been a nightmare,” Otto said. “I’ve talked to other ADs in the conference and coaches that have coached 25 or 30 years and none of …

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Brandon Kurta

12:07 pm on Friday, April 26, 2013

its been getting nicer out like Tori said, so the sports will be able to get better and play more.   more ›

Parks Supporter Donald Almquist Earns Hall of Fame Recognition

The former alderman and School Board member was among those honored by the Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department last week.

Throughout his career as an elected official, both during his five terms as an alderperson for the City of Greenfield and his 29 years on the Greenfield School Board, Donald Almquist was a strong supporter of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. And you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has flipped more pancakes for the department’s various programs. “Since we’ve started breakfast with Santa Claus and breakfast with the Easter bunny, Don’s been the one behind the scene flipping pancakes,” Parks and Recreation Director Scott Jaquish said. “He’s probably flipped over 12,000 pancakes for us.” Almquist’s griddle skills were just part of the reason why he was named he was inducted as the 25th member of the department’s hall of fame …

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City Looking for Rec Volleyball Teams

Competition begins later this month for men, women and co-ed leagues.

  The City of Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department is looking for teams to fill its winter volleyball leagues, which begin Jan. 28. Men's, women’s and co-ed leagues have available openings. The cost is $170 per team and $8 per resident ($16 per non-resident). More registration information is available on the attached PDF or can be found on the department's registration website. Call 414-329-5370 or email nickb@greenfieldwi.us for more information. In addition, the city's winter Recreator is now available. It contains information and registration directions for all of the Parks and Recreation Department's winter offerings, as well as info on upcoming city events. Printed copies are available at City Hall and at the Greenfield Public …

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Shelter Addition Adds to Konkel Park's Appeal

Beginning next summer, residents and visitors will have a traditional park shelter available in a "hidden" part of Konkel Park.

Konkel Park has long been the crown jewel of Greenfield’s park system. Its prominent location coupled with its amenities – softball diamonds, volleyball courts, a playground, pavilion and gazebo, among them — have made it a source of entertainment for residents and visitors alike. But did you know there’s a whole other “half” of Konkel Park, and that construction on a beautiful new pavilion there was completed this fall and will be ready for public use sometime next summer? “This brings a sense of awareness to how big Konkel Park is,” Parks and Recreation Director Scott Jaquish said. “A lot of people think it stops at the (walking) bridge. They don’t realize that there’s a park back here.” The project, which began in June, was part of city…

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Parks Department's Fall 'Recreator' Online Now

Hard copies are at the printers, but get a look at what the Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department has to offer today.

Greenfield Partners of Parks Raise $6,000 at Mini-Golf Event

More than 80 golfers representing various city departments, community organizations and vendors participated in the annual Greenfield Partners of Parks and Recreation Mini-Golf Invitational.

More than 80 golfers representing various city departments, community organizations and vendors participated in the 15th Annual Greenfield Partners of Parks and Recreation Mini-Golf Invitational at River Falls Family Fun Center and raised more than $6,000 to benefit the Partners of Parks and Recreation. The Partners of Parks and mission is to assist the department in the beatification of green space, purchase of park amenities, and the development of park site activity areas to benefit the Greenfield Community. The event was held Aug. 18. The Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department would like to thank all the  golfers and contributors who participated in this year’s event: event sponsor Dan Jansen Family Fest; event co-sponsors Horizon …

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National Night Out is Tuesday, Aug. 7

The community gathering is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Konkel Park.

Update: 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7 On Tuesday, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announced he and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm will attend Greenfield's National Night Out from 6:30-7 p.m. “These events are important every year, but in the wake of the tragedies in Milwaukee County this past week it’s particularly important we stand together,” Abele said in a statement. Abele will also attend the candlelight vigil in Oak Creek at 8:30 p.m. to honor the victims of the Sikh Temple shooting. Original story Greenfield’s National Night Out, an annual event put on cooperatively by five of the city’s major departments, is slated for Aug. 7 at Konkel Park. The community gathering is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Highlights include a …

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Editor's Notebook

City Celebrates Community Center's First Year

More than 100 people celebrated the center's anniversary at a social Friday.

Since Greenfield Patch launched in December 2010, perhaps no project has been more inspiring than the Greenfield Community Center. No other building has been a more clear-cut example of what good can happen when good people put their heads – and resources – together. When Ted Balistreri, owner of Sendik’s Food Market, presented a check for $20,000 to Parks and Recreation Department director Scott Jaquish and the city in January 2011, it marked the last major donation needed for the city to renovate its old library. Construction began in February, the center opened July 9, 2011, and since then Jaquish and his staff have worked diligently to ensure the building is self-sustaining without passing the buck onto taxpayers. On Friday, nearly 100…

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Greenfield Community Center Sign Nearing Completion

The monument-style sign that will have electronic reader boards, is expected to be completed within weeks.

The Greenfield Community Center sign, which will greet commuters as they travel down Cold Spring Road and Forest Home Avenue, is expected to be completed within weeks, according to Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department Director Scott Jaquish. The monument portion of the sign has been erected, and the electronic reader boards will be added soon. The sign created a bit of controversy during its approval process, but is expected to be a major source of annual income for the Community Center.

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Your Vote Could Mean $100,000 for a Greenfield Park

Third annual 'America Is Your Park' campaign rallies residents around their community parks to vote to their neighborhood park as “America’s Favorite Park.”

What could the city's Parks and Recreation Department do with $100,000 worth of improvements at Konkel Park? Or what if Milwaukee County had that kind of cash to upgrade Alan Kulwicki Park? (My vote would be for a statue of the late, great racing star!) This summer, Coca-Cola is rallying people to cast a “swing vote” for their favorite park candidate while issuing the the prestigious title of “America’s Favorite Park!” to any city, state or national park in the United States.    The grand prize? A sweet $100,000 recreation grant made possible by the Coca-Cola Live Positively initiative, which could go a long way in checking off a few items on the parks' list. “Parks are the anchors of our communities, but budget cuts have left them with …

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