About Onondaga County Parks

Accomplishments

County Parks Wins Regional Awards

Congratulations to Bob Ellis winner of the prestigous 2009 David M. Guokas Memorial Award for Professional Excellence at the CNY Recreation & Park Society Annual Meeting on February 26, 2010. Bob, a 34 year Parks employee, is currently running Oneida Shores and Jamesville Beach Parks in addition to working on special projects for the department.

Parks also won the Special Publication and Marketing Award for the Cross Country Skiing Card that was distributed to 40,000 Onondaga County elementary school students in 2008. The card was designed to look like a snow globe and promoted outdoor winter fun in Central New York.

l to r: Eric Bacon, President-CNY Recreation & Park Society; Bob Ellis, winner of 2009 David M. Guokas Memorial Award; Bill Lansley, Onondaga County Parks Commissioner

(l to r) Eric Bacon, President of CNY Recreation & Park Society; Bob Ellis; Bill Lansley, Onondaga County Parks Commissioner

Great Job! Ten Parks employees were recognized by their supervisors for Workplace Excellence in 2009 at the Parks 2010 Policy, Procedure & Priorities Review held at the Zoo in January.

Front Row - Art Kiggins, Highland Forest; Robin Augello, Main Office; Ferne Twomey, Western District

Second Row - Ted Fox, Zoo; Brenda Hazelmyer, Oneida Shores; Kevin Merrill, Jamesville Beach; Brian Nemier, Onondaga Lake Park

Third Row - Bill Lansley, Commissioner; Brian Kelley, Highland Forest Superintendent; Dale Grinolds, Onondaga Lake Park Superintendent, Walt Zelie, Western District Superintendent

Missing from photo - Bob Thomas, Trades; Frank Jordan, Safety & Security; Meg Valovage, Beaver Lake Nature Center

County Parks Employees Commended for Exceptional Service

Parks Commissioner Bill Lansley recently recognized four County Park employees for providing exceptional service to the public.

On October 19, 2009 dedicated Highland Forest staffers, Art Kiggins of Cuyler and Dennis
Maher of Lafayette, were integral in a coordinated effort with the Onondaga County
Sheriff’s office, including assistance from Air One, in the search and recovery of the Clay
resident who died while he was in the 2,700 acre park in Fabius.

Park Ranger Frank Jordan of Syracuse was cited by park managers at both Jamesville
Beach Park and Beaver Lake Nature Center. Jordan has been a mainstay in summer
waterfront operations at busy Jamesville Beach Park, and also played the coordinator role
with traffic and safety services at the 31st Annual Golden Harvest Festival.

More than 900 county residents recycled over 18 tons of paper as part of the ongoing
environmental and conservation missions of the Onondaga County Resource Recovery
Agency and Onondaga County Parks in October, thanks to the collaboration between
OCCRA and Alliance Bank Stadium Superintendent Brian Elwell.

Eric Sopchak, Onondaga Lake Park Senior Recreation Leader

Congratulations to Onondaga Lake Park Senior Recreation Leader Eric Sopchak, who was the recipient of the 2009 New York State Recreation and Parks Society Young Professional Award at the annual meeting held in April on Long Island.

In addition, Onondaga County Parks received the Society's Publication-Flyer & Poster Award for the "Are you Busy as a Beaver?" rack card and in the Exceptional Program category won for the Nature on Wheels program at Beaver Lake Nature Center.

The New York State Recreation and Park Society awarded "Get Moving, CNY" their Exceptional Program Award at the April 1, 2008 conference in Saratoga. Kudos to the Onondaga County Health Department and Syracuse City Parks, who collaborated to create the program along with County Parks.

The Central New York Recreation and Park Society announced that Onondaga County Parks had won the following 2007 Awards at their annual meeting on February 28, 2008:

Exceptional Special Event - Get Moving, CNY
Publication Award - Promotional Brochure - Fall Program Guide
Publication Award - Marketing - Beaver Tales, Beaver Lake Nature Center

Congratulations (and thanks!) to the following long-time County Parks employees:

30+ Years:
Don Bassett, Onondaga Lake Park
Richard Billings, Beaver Lake Nature Center
Bob Ellis, Onondaga Lake Park
Ron Smith, Veterans Cemetery
Bruce Stebbins, Beaver Lake Nature Center
Ron Young, Beaver Lake Nature Center

20+ Years:
Ron Abbott, Veterans Cemetery
Don Arquette, Oneida Shores
Joseph Brown, Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Scott Burbidge, Carpenter's Shop
Jon Cooley, Main Office
Chuck Doyle, Rosamond Gifford Zoo
John Eallonardo, Main Office
Gary Radford, Main Office
Debbie Ziegler Stebbins, Main Office
Adrienne Whiteley, Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Walt Zelie, Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery