Liberty State Park is located on Upper New York Bay in Jersey City, New Jersey, opposite Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The park opened in 1976 to coincide with bicentennial celebrations and is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. Liberty State Park covers 1,212 acres (490 ha). The main part of the park is bordered by water on three sides: on the north by the Morris Canal Big Basin and on the south and east by Upper New York Bay. The New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension (Interstate 78) marks its western perimeter.

Geography

Most of the park's area is on landfill created by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) and the Lehigh Valley Railroad, defunct companies whose lines once terminated there. In the northeast corner of the park is the CRRNJ Terminal, a historic transportation building. Statue Cruises offers ferries to Statue of Liberty National Monument, Ellis Island and Liberty Island that depart nearby. A 50-foot from the Lehigh Valley Railroad can be found in the park at 40.709430°N 74.047327°W / 40.709430; -74.047327 (Lehigh Valley Railroad Track) in the park.

The southern Caven Point section of the park is separated from the main part of the park by the Liberty National Golf Club and is accessible along the water's edge using the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. The long thin pier at the foot of Chapel Avenue that was once part of the park has been demolished. The Peninsula Park lies between the Big Basin of the Morris Canal and the Tidewater Basin in Paulus Hook. The Liberty Landing Marina is located on the Big Basin.

Communipaw Cove is part of the 36-acre (15 ha) state nature preserve in the park and is one of the few remaining tidal salt marshes along the Hudson River estuary. The Interpretive Center, designed by architect Michael Graves, is part of the preserve. To the west lies the Interior Natural Area, which is off limits to the public and is being allowed through natural processes to recover from environmental abuse. The park is also the only state park in Essex, Hudson, and Bergen counties. Another section of the park is called Liberty Industrial Park.

History

Part of Liberty Park was a small island in New York Harbor named Black Tom. In the late 1800s, landfill projects helped join the island with the mainland. Audrey Zapp, Theodore Conrad, Morris Pesin and J. Owen Grundy were influential environmentalists and historians who spearheaded the movement that led to the creation of Liberty State Park. They are remembered by the naming of places and streets along the waterfront.

It is estimated the park suffered $20 million in damages during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. As of August 2015, the CRRNJ Terminal and Nature Interpretive Center remain closed due to storm damage. No timeline has been given for its completion.

Points of interest

Freedom Way and Liberty Walkway

A road called Freedom Way goes through the center and serves as a barrier between the area closed to the public, to its west, and the area that is open to the public, to its east. It has many bike paths, walkways, and fields.

Liberty Walkway, a crescent-shaped promenade, stretches from the CRRNJ along the waterfront south to the Statue of Liberty overlook, bridging two coves along the way. It is part of the longer Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. Halfway along Liberty Walkway is a bridge to Ellis Island, but only authorized vehicles are allowed. The southeastern corner of the park contains the Statue of Liberty overlook, picnic facilities, a playground, the U.S. Flag Plaza and Liberation Monument, the Public Administration Building, and a memorial to the Black Tom explosions. Picnicking and barbecing facilities are also located at the southern end of the park. Originally called "Liberty Walk", this part of the project won a landscape award in 1995. The name "Liberty Walk" was already associated with Philadelphia such as through a booklet The Liberty Walk Through Historic Old Philadelphia published by the American Wax Museum, Philadelphia (before 1969) which listed a walk rou nd 23 sites of historic interest.

Liberty Science Center

The Liberty Science Center, at the northwestern entrance to the park, is an interactive science museum and learning center. The center opened in 1993 as New Jersey's first major state science museum. It has science exhibits, the world's largest IMAX Dome theater, numerous educational resources, and the original Hoberman sphere, a silver, computer-driven engineering artwork designed by Chuck Hoberman.

Monuments and memorials

Liberation is a bronze sculpture designed by Nathan Rapoport as a memorial to the Holocaust, showing a U.S. soldier carrying out a survivor from a Nazi death camp.

Empty Sky is the official state memorial to the September 11 attacks of the World Trade Center. Situated on a berm the parallel walls engraved with the names of victims are oriented to face the former World Trade Center site. Designed by architect Frederic Schwartz, it was dedicated on September 10, 2011, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the attacks.

Transportation

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail runs just west of the park with a station at its entrance. Hornblower Cruises operates ferries to Ellis Island and Liberty Island, and a water taxi to Paulus Hook and the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal.

In July 2012, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority allotted $175,000 to study transportation alternatives to and within the park.

In March 2013, Jersey City received a $500,000 grant to study extending Jersey Avenue from Downtown directly into the park, which would simplify access and create a new gateway to the park. In May 2013, a new pedestrian/bike bridge was placed over Mill Creek at the small basin to replace an older one that had been destroyed by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. It is situated so as not interfere with any new road construction. In 2014 NJDOT announced that it would build a $10 million bridge over the Morris Canal.

Events

On Labor Day in 1980 future president Ronald Reagan made a campaign speech in his bid for election.

On July 4, 1985, Daryl Hall and John Oates played an outdoor benefit concert for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in front of an estimated 70,000 people at Liberty State Park. The concert was later re-played on HBO.

In 2000, Andrea Bocelli gave a concert at the park, broadcast on PBS, as American Dream â€" the Statue of Liberty concert.

In 2001, Cirque du Soleil premiered its new work. The Park was the site of the All Points West Music & Arts Festival, held from August 8â€"10, 2008, and hosted the festival again from July 31 - August 2, 2009, with such acts as Jay-Z, Coldplay, Tool, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

In 2006, the park began to host the Liberty Jazz Festival. This two-day event is normally held the first weekend after Labor Day each year and has included performers such as George Benson, Waymon Tisdale and other jazz artists.

In May 2010, plans were put forth outlining the use of the park as the new home of the United States Formula One Grand Prix for the 2012 season. These plans met outrage from the community, particularly the Friends of Liberty State Park, and were ultimately rejected by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

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C. B. Smith Park is a public park located in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The park is 299 acres (1,210,000 m²) in area and contains a water park known as "Paradise Cove". C. B. Smith Park offers many sporting activities including fishing, basketball, batting cages, miniature golf, as well as tennis and racquetball courts. The C.B Smith Park also has one area with the endangered Burrowing Owl.

The park first opened in 1959.

Since 1986, the 99.9 KISS Country Chili Cookoff has been held every year in late January (sometimes early February) on a Sunday, featuring country music and a chili competition.

External links

• Smith's Official Website
• Broward County Park and Recreation Division Homepage

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Hersheypark (known as Hershey Park until 1970) is a family theme park situated in Hershey, Derry Township, Pennsylvania, United States, about 15 miles (24 km) east of Harrisburg, and 95 miles (153 km) west of Philadelphia. Founded in 1906 by Milton S. Hershey, as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, the park is wholly and privately owned by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company as of 2016. The park has won several awards, including the IAAPA Applause Award.

The park opened its first roller coaster in 1923, the Wild Cat, an early Philadelphia Toboggan Company coaster. In 1970, it began redevelopment plan, which led to new rides, an expansion of the park, and the park's renaming. The 1970s brought the first looping roller coaster on the East Coast, as well as a 330-foot-tall (100 m) observation tower, the Kissing Tower. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the park rapidly expanded. Between 1991 and 2008, the park added eight roller coasters and the Boardwalk at Hersheypark water park. As of 2016, the park's area covers over 110 acres (45 ha), containing 70 rides and attractions, as well as a zoo called ZOOAMERICA - North American Wildlife Park. Adjacent is Hershey's Chocolate World, a visitors' center that is open to the public and that contains shops, restaurants, and a chocolate factory-themed tour ride.

History

In 1903, Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Hershey Chocolate Company, surveyed the town that would become Hershey. Included in his plans was a site along Spring Creek that would be suitable for his park. In 1905, a pavilion was built on the hill overlooking Spring Creek and a bridge was built over Spring Creek. While the bridge was able to be constructed, the land on the banks of Spring Creek, from Derry Church to Union Deposit, and areas further north of the creek (including the area currently occupied by Hersheypark Arena and Stadium) was actually owned by J.H. Nissley. In February 1906, Hershey purchased all but two tracts of land, near Union Deposit, from Nissley. In early spring, the Hershey baseball club staked out an area for a baseball field; a baseball diamond, with a track surrounding the field, as well as grandstands were built. The first game was played on May 5, which was a 4-0 loss to Felton Athletic Club. This is also noted as the first open-air event in Hershey.

Name

On April 24, 1907, Hershey's Park was opened to the public on Wednesday and an immense crowd enjoyed the all-day amusements. Hershey formally opened the park and called it Hershey Park. The festivities included a baseball game, in which Hershey defeated the Crescent Club of Harrisburg by a score of 13-1. Music was performed by the recently formed Hershey Band and other events were held on park grounds. Prior to that time, it had been called various unofficial names, including Hershey's park or "West End Park". In 1970, after more than 60 years of operations, park management decided to redevelop the park into a theme park. The name was changed to Hersheypark in 1971, and it has operated under that name ever since.

Amusement rides and attractions

The first ride was added to the park in 1908 - an Allen Herschel carousel often referred as the "Merry-Go-Round." This was followed in 1910 with the addition of the Miniature Railroad, which remained in operation until the end of the 1971 season. The park has operated a bumper car ride since 1926, a variety of boat rides on Spring Creek, and six dark rides, three which were funhouses. The park added its first two kiddie rides in 1926, The Prowler and The Regurgitator, and has added well over 40 since then.

Roller coasters

The park added its first roller coaster in 1923, The Wild Cat, for the town of Hershey's twentieth anniversary, which operated until 1945. It was replaced by the park's second wooden roller coaster, Comet, in 1946. Between then and 1996, the park added six roller coasters, including sooperdooperLooper, the first modern looping steel roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States, in 1977. In 1996, Hersheypark added its third wooden roller coaster (Wild Cat and Comet being the first two) naming it Wildcat (initially The Wildcat), after the original Wild Cat. Between then and 2015, the park added nine roller coasters.

Of the coasters that the park has had, only four are no longer in the park. One, a twin roller coaster called Toboggan (it was also called Twin Towers Toboggan or Twin Toboggans) which had been located in Carousel Circle, a water coaster called Roller Soaker which had been in Midway America and later The Boardwalk, a kiddie coaster with an oval track called Mini-Comet, and the Original Wild Cat. (The station of the Wild Cat was located in the Minetown area where the Convoy ride is currently with most of the out-and-back layout/structure built along the north side of Spring Creek between the base of Storm Runner's first drop and the station for Trail Blazer.)

Pools

The park has had several pools, the first located next to Spring Creek in Comet Hollow, the area themed as The Hollow as of 2014. The first pool operated from 1908 until 1911, which included a toboggan-slide ride called Shoot-the-Chutes. This pool was replaced by a cement pool which opened in 1912 and remained in use through the 1928 season.

That pool was replaced by a new pool complex on the western edge of the park, which included a large bathhouse, one large pool and a smaller pool, as well as a beach-like area and a lighthouse. It operated until 1971, when it was closed at the start of the Hersheypark themepark conversion renovation.

Hersheypark did not add another pool until 2007 when The Boardwalk at Hersheypark opened. It is a small wave pool for children, called Bayside Pier. That was followed by the addition of a much larger wave pool, called The Shore, which opened in 2009.

Themed areas of the park

Hersheypark developed a number of themed areas, the first being Carousel Circle, Der Deitch Platz, and Animal Garden in 1972, followed by Tower Plaza in 1975, Pioneer Frontier in 1985, Midway America in 1996, as well as The Boardwalk at Hersheypark in 2007. In 2014, Hersheypark merged several theme areas - Tudor Square, Rhineland, Founder's Circle and Music Box Way, became an area called Founder's Way, while the coal mining region themed area Minetown was rethemed as Kissing Tower Hill. The themed areas had featured different music to each area, such as polka-style songs being played in Der Deitch Platz and Carousel Circle, country music being played in the Pioneer Frontier themed area, the Beach Boys being played near Tidal Force and later in The Boardwalk, as well as Ragtime and jazz music being played in Midway America. However, the music was phased into being the same across the park, except in The Boardwalk and Pioneer Frontier.

Attractions

Rides

Hersheypark has had 142 rides in the park's history. The current count of rides is 70. The park has featured 15 roller coasters, two of which no longer stand - Twin Towers Toboggan and Roller Soaker. The park had two concepts canceled during their many years of operation, the first in 1942 Flying Turns and Turbulence in 2004.

The first ride the park purchased was a Herschell carousel in 1908. The most recent ride added was Laff Trakk, the first indoor spinning glow coaster in the United States, and also the parks 13th roller coaster.

Height categories

Hersheypark uses Hershey Company products as names for each height range to determine who can ride which rides.

All measurements are in inches:

Thrill ride ratings

Hersheypark uses a ride ratings system to alert guests to the aggressiveness of the ride. The "Ratings" for each ride are as follows: (descriptions come from the 2007 edition of the map of Hersheypark)

Entertainment

Hersheypark features a number of entertainment shows in a number of venues including Hersheypark Amphitheatre and the Music Box Theatre, as well as strolling shows throughout the park.

Dining

There are facilities for accommodating particular dietary needs, including a kosher restaurant (Central PA's Kosher Mart) and a variety of restaurants offering gluten-free rolls and bread. Groups can pre-arrange catering in one of six private picnic areas inside the park. Signs are posted prohibiting guests from bringing in outside food and drink. A casual sit down restaurant called Hersheypark Place (formerly Tudor Grill) is located just outside the park. A Chickie and Pete's Crab House restaurant and a frozen yogurt stand was added for the 2014 season.

Themed areas

Hersheypark is made up of six themed areas, starting with an area, Founder's Way, which spans from outside the main gate, to a junction where three sections â€" Kissing Tower Hill, The Hollow and Pioneer Frontier â€" meet and make up the central and southern end of the park, while two sections, Midway America and The Boardwalk, on the northern end of the park, bordering Pioneer Frontier.

Founder’s Way

Founder's Way is the first themed area of Hersheypark. It begins outside of the main gate near Tram Circle and is free to enter. It features rustic architecture when it was themed as Tudor Square (1973-2013) and is home to several shops, a Dunkin' Donuts and Hersheypark Place, the only full-service restaurant in the park. It also features breakfast with the Hershey's Product Characters.

Once inside the main gate, the area has a Bavarian architecture which was from its time themed as Rhineland (1973-2013). Most of this immediate area is on a hill, which has a wide variety of gift shops as well as a Nathan’s, Famous Famiglia Pizzeria, and the Central PA's Kosher Mart. Hospitality Services is also located in this area, as well as stroller rentals. At the top of the hill is where a statue of Milton S. Hershey and a surrounding fountain, which honors the chocolate maker and founder of the park. This is also where the Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel is located, in the middle of a circle which has a number of rides on the outside of the circle. From 1972 until 2004, this area was known as Carousel Circle. In 2005, Carousel Circle became Founder's Circle, until 2013, when it was merged with Music Box Way, Rhineland and Tudor Square.

The section of Founder's Way beyond Carousel circle is an area formerly themed as Der Deitsch Platz. This is home to the Craftbarn restaurant, a Get the Picture Souvenir Photo Stand, where guests can see and purchase pictures taken of them by park photographers throughout their day, as well as a Subway restaurant.

The Hollow

This section was named after the oldest operating coaster in the park, Comet, and lies along Spring Creek. This is one of the oldest areas part of Hersheypark; many rides have come and gone in this area. The park's first water ride, the Mill Chute installed in 1929, was alongside the creek where Great Bear runs today. The original location for the bumper cars, then called the Auto Skooters, is now the SooperDooperLooper Sandwich Stop. There were giant slides on the hill where the Hersheypark Amphitheater is located. A Streco turnpike ride was located underneath the high bridge that crossed Spring Creek to Minetown. In 1932 the Park installed a Traver Tumble Bug ride next to the Mill Chute. It was removed in 1981 to make room for the Wave Swinger. The park's carousel, before being moved to Carousel Circle in 1972, was located along the creek adjacent to the station of Comet. Before SooperDooperLooper came to Comet Hollow in 1977, a Himalaya ride was in that location, and before tha t, twin Eli Bridge Ferris wheels. A whip, and a station for the Electric Railroad were also located in Comet Hollow at one time.

One of Hersheypark's most significant floods occurred in 1972 as a result of Hurricane Agnes. A number of rides were heavily damaged or destroyed as a result. These rides include the turnpike ride, the Mill Chute and the giant slides. They were eventually replaced (the Coal Cracker (1973) and Twin Turnpike (1975) were put on higher ground in Minetown, and the Merry Derry Dip Fun Slide was put in Midway America twenty five years later in 1997).

Today, The Hollow features three roller coasters, Comet, Skyrush, and the first looping roller coaster on the East Coast, SooperDooperLooper. It also houses the Wave Swinger. Almost all of Great Bear's track courses through The Hollow.

Beginning with the 2012 season and renovations being done to this area, the famous chocolate smell will also be dampened, the park once used chocolate smelling chemical in building material but discontinued use due to concerns about safety. Additionally, the park changed the name of the once 'Comet Hollow' to the now present name of 'The Hollow'.

Kissing Tower Hill

Until the start of the 2014 season, this area of the park had been called Minetown, which had been officially opened in 1990 with the additions of Convoy, Red Baron, Flying Falcon and Dinosaur-Go-Round. All except Dinosaur-Go-Round and Flying Falcon are still in the area; Dinosaur-Go-Round was moved to Founder’s Circle for the 2007 season so the Frog Hoppers could be moved to its location to make room for the Boardwalk, and Flying Falcon was removed after the 2016 season to make room for Hershey Triple Tower. The section features many classic Hersheypark attractions, including the Sunoco Twin Turnpike, Coal Cracker log flume, Kissing Tower and Great Bear. It is also home to the Minetown Arcade, Minetown Restaurant, Hersheypark Amphitheater, Hersheypark Aquatheater and the Hersheypark entrance to ZooAmerica. The Minetown Restaurant is a cafeteria style place, and is the only area in the park where alcohol is served.

Pioneer Frontier

Pioneer Frontier is the southwestern-themed section of the park, and includes four of the park’s roller coasters: Trailblazer (the second oldest in the park), Sidewinder, Storm Runner, and Fahrenheit. It also includes the Frontier Flyers, The Howler, Mini Scrambler, and Livery Stables. It also has its own food court which features a wide variety of restaurants. The section previously included the area up to and including Tidal Force until 2007 when Tidal Force and Canyon River Rapids were rezoned into the new Boardwalk. However, the southern end of the section was expanded at this time, encompassing the Pirate (swinging ship), The Claw, and the Dry Gulch Railroad, all rezoned from Music Box Way.

Midway America

Opened in 1996 as a homage to the classic midway fair, Midway America features four roller coasters, including Wildcat, and Lightning Racer (a dueling wooden roller coaster), and two steel coasters, Wild Mouse, across from Wildcat, and Laff Trakk, a glow in the dark spinning family indoor coaster across from the Wild Mouse. The section also has the Whip, Music Express, Merry Derry Dip Fun Slides, Ferris Wheel and two kiddies rides Granny Bugs and Pony Parade.

The Boardwalk at Hersheypark

The newest themed area of the park, the Boardwalk waterpark was officially opened in 2007 and featured five new waterpark attractions along with three already standing rides: Roller Soaker, Tidal Force, and Canyon River Rapids. Canyon River Rapids and Tidal Force were rezoned from Pioneer Frontier to the Boardwalk, with Tidal Force later being zoned as Midway America. In 2009, the Boardwalk received an expansion known as the Seaquel which replaced Canyon River Rapids with Intercoastal Waterway (a lazy river), the Shore (a wave pool) and cabanas. Roller Soaker was removed for the 2013 season. Two new water slides and a spray ground replaced Roller Soaker.

In popular culture

In the American Dad! episode "May the Best Stan Win", a major subplot concerns the marital conflict arising from title character Stan Smith having visited Hersheypark without his wife, Francine. The park is spelled "Hershy Park" in the episode, as the real park was prior to the early 1970s. The episode also makes reference to the Chocolate World attraction. The amusement park depicted in the episode bears no resemblance to the actual Hersheypark, although it does depict park employees wearing Hershey's Kiss hats, similar to items sold as souvenirs at the real Hersheypark.

Gallery

References

Further reading

• Futrell, Jim. Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002.
• Whitenack, Pamela. Hersheypark. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.

External links

• Hersheypark
• Hersheypark at the Roller Coaster DataBase
• Geographic data related to Hersheypark at OpenStreetMap

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Delaware Park (also known as DelPark) is an American horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about thirty miles from Philadelphia.

Thoroughbred racing

William duPont, Jr. a designer of twenty-three racing courses, designed and built Delaware Park Racetrack in partnership with Donald P. Ross. Phillip T. Harris of Media, PA., was hired as the architectural engineer. The facility opened on June 26, 1937 and today is the only thoroughbred horse racing track in the state of Delaware. Races are run from May to October.

Race purses have increased in recent years owing to increasing casino revenues. With the United States national average horse racing purse of $20,762 in 2005, the average 2005 purse for DelPark of $30,650 has helped to attract more talented contenders and more first-time competitors to the venue for the 2005 and 2006 racing seasons. The 2005 average purse for DelPark placed Delaware fifth among states of the United States; the first rank for average purse was held by New York at $41,229 per race.

In recent years, near-Triple Crown winner Afleet Alex and Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, both won their career debuts at Delaware (Barbaro did it on the grass at 7â€"1), and the sprint champion mare Xtra Heat was based there. The track is now home to many horses who routinely ship to and win at the major circuits in New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Delaware Park is also the only mid-Atlantic track to regularly card Arabian races. The area has a strong Arabian and equestrian population. Michael Matz, Barbaro's trainer, won the silver medal in the equestrian events at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Matz is one of several mid-Atlantic trainers to perform on the national stage, along with Barclay Tagg, perennial leading trainer Tim Ritchey and J. Larry Jones, trainer of 2007 Kentucky Derby runnerup Hard Spun, who is also based at Delaware Park. Jones also trained the ill-fated Eight Belles, who also broke her maiden at Delaware before going on to finish second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby prior to her untimely death post-race.

Important annual races at Delaware Park Racetrack include:

Grade I:

• Delaware Handicap

Grade II:

• Delaware Oaks

Grade III:

• Barbaro Stakes
• Endine Stakes
• Kent Stakes
• Obeah Stakes

Delaware Park entries are drawn well in advance which often results in short fields after several late scratches. It is not uncommon to see four- or even three-horse fields at Delaware in bad weather. Small fields are an issue because Parx Racing (formerly Philadelphia Park Racetrack), Laurel Park Racecourse, Pimlico Race Course, Charles Town, Mountaineer, and Colonial Downs all run simultaneously. Delaware Park is not part of a racing circuit, but is instead a standalone track. During the off-season, horses who do not lay over for the spring meet often disperse to the above mid-Atlantic tracks, plus New York, while others go to Florida. Conversely, many Florida-based horses "summer" at Delaware.

Casino

The casino houses numerous slot machines, including some linked to the multi-jurisdictional progressive jackpot game Cashola. (Since 13 April 2011, Cashola ended after the last jackpot win.) As of 2011, about 8,000 people gamble at the casino each day.

Betting on NFL games was legalized in Delaware and made available at Delaware Park in 2009. Betting is only allowed on Parlay Cards featuring multiple teams, rather than individual games. Live table games are now offered after a new law allowing them was passed on January 28, 2010.

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Prescott Park is a ten-plus acre waterfront park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. The land was donated to the city of Portsmouth by two sisters, Josie and Sarah Prescott in 1940. The sisters, public school teachers, had used an inheritance to systematically purchase and clear properties along the Piscataqua River. The sisters' goal was to create a public waterfront park, free and accessible to all, replacing what had become a run-down and seedy industrial area. In 1949 the Prescott sisters' trust was established with $500,000.

Prescott Park comprises over 10 acres (4.0 ha) of waterfront property along the Piscataqua River. Since 1974 it has hosted full outdoor productions of Broadway plays for family audiences during the summer months. There are also many flower gardens and water fountains maintained since the mid-1960s.

The park is directly across Marcy Street from the Strawbery Banke Museum.

The Players' Ring Theater is located in the park.

External links

• Prescott Park official website
• Prescott Park Arts Festival

References

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Point Mugu State Park is a state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Southern California. Part of the Western Santa Monica Mountains, the park is located at 9000 West Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California. There is a fee-based parking lot that is open from 8 AM to 10 PM. Park gates do not permit entry after 10 PM. The park may be accessed from the eastern part of the Santa Monica Mountains from a National Park Service park, Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park, CA that includes the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, and from the western part of the Santa Monica Mountains by the Pacific Coast Highway. Point Mugu SP consists of two parklands, di stinct landside and beachside areas with different ecosystems with their own parking lots, separated by the Pacific Coast Highway. During low tide, the parks are joined by a walkway under an adjoining bridge.

FeaturesEdit

Point Mugu State Park features 5 miles of oceanfront beaches, palisades, chaparral-covered mountains, two major canyons with seasonal rivers, grassy valleys highlighted with oaks, sycamores, and the occasional native walnuts trees. A major landmark, the Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area features pinnacles visible from many areas of the park.

RecreationEdit

Opportunities for camping, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, picnicking, wildlife viewing, and horseback riding exist within the park. Horseback riding is available from the National Park Service entrance. Like all California State Parks, dogs are permitted when leashed in campsite areas. No dogs are allowed whether on or off-leash on the backcountry trails, i.e., any trail that is not paved. The western terminus of the Backbone Trail, a multi-use long-distance trail extending nearly 70 miles across the Santa Monica Mountains, is the Ray Miller trailhead at La Jolla Canyon in Point Mugu State Park. The beach offers ocean swimming and body surfing, with views of dolphins, seals, pelicans, and whales. No fishing as of 2011. Backbone Trail's Northern terminus is at the Ray Miller Trailhead, located just south of Point Mugu, in La Jolla Canyon.

GeographyEdit

Canyons/ValleysEdit

• Wood Canyon
• Sycamore Canyon
• La Jolla Valley
• Serrano Valley

MountainsEdit

• Boney Mountain â€" Boney Mountain Wilderness area, Boney Peak adjacent.
• Tri Peaks
• Mugu Peak
• Laguna Peak

External linksEdit

• Media related to Point Mugu State Park at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Point Mugu State Park website

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The St. John Providence Park Hospital is a hospital in Novi, Michigan in Greater Detroit. It is a part of the St. John Providence Health System.

History

Groundbreaking began in October 2005. It was the first hospital in Southeast Michigan to open in 20 years. The hospital was established due to population growth in western Oakland County. A previous branch campus of the main Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan, with 300,000 square feet (28,000 m²) of space was to be expanded to 700,000 square feet (65,000 m²).

The architect was NBBJ's Columbus, Ohio office and the general contractor was Barton Malow of Southfield. The hospital opening was scheduled for August 8, 2008. Due to an installation of information technology systems for the electronic medical record system, the opening was moved to September 5. The hospital was scheduled to open with 400 employees, with a planned expansion to 1,200 with the final 100 being available by February 2009.

The hospital building, with a cost of $229 million, was scheduled to be installed with 200 inpatient beds and it had capacity for an additional 68 beds. The medical office building was originally going to have 80,000 square feet (7,400 m²) of space. Dr. Peter McCann, a doctor of Eye Care Associated, stated that originally the demand was go large that the plans were altered so the medical office building was larger. Providence Park Physicians LLC invested $39 million into the medical office building. As of August 2008, only one space in the building, with 2,400 square feet (220 m²) of space, was not occupied. The total cost of the entire St. John Providence project was over $300 million.

In 2009, Art Van Elslander, who had supported the St. John Health System, made an unspecified donation to the health system; the system stated it was the largest donation it ever received. The system announced that the funds were to be used to expand Providence Park Hospital's neurosciences center and to buy capital equipment worth several million dollars.

Facility

The hospital campus is located near the intersection of Interstate 96 and Beck Road. The campus includes a 500,000-square-foot (46,000 m²) hospital building, a 210,000-square-foot (20,000 m²) medical office building, and the 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m²) Orthopedic and Ambulatory Surgical Center. The medical office building is on 24 acres (9.7 ha) of land leased by the hospital. The surgical center is on 7 acres (2.8 ha) of land and is leased by Novi Orthopaedic Center Properties LLC.

The seven story hospital building has 500,000 square feet (46,000 m²) of space. It includes an emergency department designated as a Level 1 trauma center. The hospital building includes hidden elevators, hallways, pathways, and tunnels so the public does not see carts and patients in transport. As of 2008, all of the 200 inpatient beds were private and 168 of them were ICU-ready. According to Rob Casalou, the hospital CEO, he took a one-week visit to the Disney Institute of Florida and came up of the ideas of the hidden elevators and hallways. The hospital design includes a six story atrium that allows natural sunlight.

The development also includes a 108-room hotel, Staybridge Suites Detroit - Novi, located on the other side of Grand River Avenue from the medical office building. The hotel was built for $10 million. The groundbreaking occurred in late October 2006, and the hotel opened in February 2008.

Services

Due to the number of Japanese residents in the area, the hospital offers cultural awareness training for employees, documents translated in Japanese, Japanese translators, and yoga classes conducted in Japanese. In addition the hospital website has Japanese welcome messages. The hospital provides required physicals for Japanese executives when they first arrive in the United States to report to work. The hospital established an official Japanese Health Care program in 2009, bringing together practices that had developed from having Japanese families in the institution's care.

References

External links

• St. John Providence Park Hospital

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