Cutting Edge Play comes to Meyer ParkSteve Jones - Councilman Place Five
Cutting Edge Play comes to Meyer Park
While attending a National League of Cities convention in late 2007, I had a chance to preview a new piece of equipment that was seeing some success in municipal parks around the country. It has been recognized that youth interest in computer use and video games is keeping children indoors and contributing to the overall "weakening and obesity" of many children nationwide. What I saw demonstrated by children at the convention was a game that combines the sights, sounds, and action of a handheld video game with an aerobic workout! Here again is an opportunity to reach out to yet another segment of our community that we may have previously been unable to serve. Not all kids are athletes that can participate in football, baseball, basketball, and the like.
I contacted the manufacturer and invited their representatives to town to meet with our Parks and Recreation Committee. My first thought about a possible location was Meyer Park, as we had already budgeted some renovation for it, and as a more passive park, thought that an addition of this type would bring something special to East Gulf Shores. Once our committee was satisfied this might be worthy of our investment, a presentation was made to the Mayor/Council. Following the presentation, the support was overwhelming, so we increased the Meyer Park Renovation budget to incorporate the addition.
NEOS as it is called, is going to bring yet another element to our municipal park menu that does not exist anywhere else in this state. As with the Skate Park, again with the support of a receptive Mayor/Council, committed staff members from Public Works, and Parks and Recreation, NEOS was up and running in Meyer Park on August 21st 2008.
Click the link below to see what NEOS is all about. I've played it myself and it is a blast! It is like playing a video game with your whole body.