InTucker Magazine

Ask Rip – December 2019

Rip Robertson is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Tucker.

As we begin to wind down the year, the activity is actually picking up here at the Tucker Recreation Center. I wrote last month about the renovations to our gymnasium and how you’ll soon hear the dribbling of basketballs and squeaks of sneakers emanating from the gym. This week, we will get the floor installed, meaning we are ready to host our first-ever Tucker Rec youth basketball league. If you have a boy or girl of any skill level ages 5-12, I hope you’ll go on our Parks website (www.tuckerga.gov/parks) and find registration under the “League Sports” tab.

If you don’t have a child, don’t worry! We are looking at other ways to use this great space. We learned in our Parks Master Plan process that there is a demand for space for adult basketball. I have also talked with the folks at the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association about bringing wheelchair basketball tournaments to our facility. Beyond just hoops, we plan to host pickleball, volleyball and a number of other sports in this great new space.

For those of you who follow us on social media at www.facebook.com/TuckerParksRec, you know about our second annual Advent Acts of Service campaign. It started on November 25 and will continue right up until Christmas. Each day this month, there will be a different act; some intended to serve you, and some intended for you to serve others. You can keep up at www.tuckerga.gov/actsofservice and I hope you will post photos of these acts to your social media pages with the hashtag #tkrcares.

I also want you to know that we’ll have some new procedures coming up in 2020 at the Tucker Rec Center. We’re going to be implementing a check-in system for safety and accountability at the Rec Center during the first quarter of the year. This will help us in our efforts to create a safe facility and allow us to better serve our participants and program offerings. More details will be coming as the program is prepared and implemented. Feel free to ask any of our staff at the Rec Center.

Finally, I want to wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons. For my wife and I, it will be our first Christmas with our new granddaughter Lilah. While we take a few days to enjoy that special time with her, I hope that you, too, have time with your families and the ones you love. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.