RECREATION: PLAYING
AT THE
TRIPLEX
Kings Bay’s Newly
Branded Rec Center
Showing Triple Feature
For the award-winning Morale, Welfare and Recreation
(MWR) program at NSB Kings Bay, Ga. — winner of
the prestigious National Recreation and Parks Association
(NRPA) Gold Medal Award in 2014 — resourcefulness
and ingenuity are concepts that are woven into the fabric of
the program’s success. So when Kings Bay was faced with the
challenge of reinventing and rebranding one of its MWR facilities,
the MWR team created the Triplex, a facility that offers a
triple feature of Recreation, Liberty and Conference Services.
But the road to the creation of the Triplex was a long one, as Building 1039, as it has been known for years on base, has a storied history.
“It’s a change that is a long time coming,” explained MWR Director Bob Spinnenweber, who has oversight of MWR programs, Navy Gateway Inns & Suites (NGIS), and Child & Youth Programs (CYP). “Over the years, the activity areas located in Building 1039 have been home to various food, beverage and recreational activities. In the early years, the 1980s, it was known as the Clubs of Kings Bay, housing an Officers’, Chiefs’ and Enlisted Club. In the 1990s, shifts in mission, the de-glamorization of alcohol and increased food and beverage competition off base, impacted MWR’s ability to keep the clubs afloat. As a result, the Clubs of Kings Bay were consolidated into a one-club operation known as Propellers, and the food and beverage operation was themed as Paddy’s Pub and later Clippers Café. At the same time, recreation was introduced into the facility with a Community Center, Teen Center and Internet Café.” ...
Read more PLAYING AT THE TRIPLEX - KINGS BAY'S NEWLY BRANDED REC CENTER SHOWING TRIPLE FEATURE ...
DOG PARKS
Lyngate Park
Provides Pet
Paradise
With the opening of the Lyngate Dog
Park, dog owners living in
the city of Port St. Lucie,
Fla., now have a safe, secure and
fun place to take their furry family
members to get some exercise
and socialize with other dogs. The
city-funded dog park, which cost
approximately $130,000, officially
opened with a ribbon-cutting event
in October of 2013
“There are a lot of dog lovers in Port St. Lucie, and there was a big demand from the public for a dog park,” explained Ron Finks, Parks Division project manager for the City of Port St. Lucie Parks Recreation Department. “We tried for several years to find a way to fund the project, and an opportunity came when a cell tower construction company requested permission to build a tower on park property behind Lyngate Park. We had the cell tower company clear an expanded area at the rear of the park to provide additional space — approximately one acre of land — to construct the dog park. This reduced our construction expense and allowed us to proceed with the funding available.” ...