Kyle Parks & Recreation
by KERRY URBANOWICZ
When I was a young man and I needed to research something, I looked it up in the section of the bookcase that had the thickest coating of dust – the encyclopedias. Remember those? Today, we simply “Google”, “Bing” or “Yahoo” to get the needed information. So, I wanted to find out the origin of New Year’s resolutions and this is what popped up:
“The tradition of the New Year’s Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.?The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year’s Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year’s gifts.”
So – what have you resolved to do this year? Is it the annual ritual of dropping a few pounds or exercising more? The Kyle Parks & Recreation Department may be able to help you with that. The Kyle PARD offers fitness programs for adults of all ages, including SeniorFit, CoreFit-Pilates, AquaFit and Indoor and Outdoor Bootcamps. Not to mention the many miles of trails around the city parks that are great for the walkers and joggers.
Is your resolution this year to join a team activity? The Kyle PARD may be able to help the youth with our Swim Team program or the adults may want to join the kickball league. How about resolving to learn CPR or First Aid? We offer American Red Cross training in CPR, First Aid, Baby Sitters Training, Lifeguard Training and Basic Water Rescue Training. Are you resolving to have your children learn how to swim? The Kyle PARD offers Red Cross swim lessons too.
Are you resolving to get the kids out of the house this summer? The Kyle Parks and Recreation Department offers a fantastic summer camp program for children and teens. Are you resolving to take more picnics with the family, fly a kite, play catch, kick a football or soccer ball, play a game of sand volleyball or play a round of disc golf? The Kyle parks offer all these amenities – and much more.
Is your resolution to volunteer your time to help your community? The Kyle PARD has opportunities year-round to do just that. Volunteers are needed for special events and committees, as well as landscaping and trail building. We can even use volunteer help answering the phones in the office, registering children for camp and painting inside and out. All talents and skill levels are greatly appreciated and welcome.
To find out how your Kyle PARD can help with your resolutions this year, please visit www.kylepard.com or drop by the office. We would love to help.
