IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

The Return of DOWNTOWN ON ICE at Pershing Square

Los Angeles - Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys....The Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) is proud to announce the return of DOWNTOWN ON ICE, Los Angeles' largest outdoor skating rink with the lowest admission!!!

RAP celebrated the opening of the popular Southland tradition on Thursday, November 17, 2011. The Opening Ceremony was hosted by Olympic Champion Tara Lipinski who was joined by special guest Snoopy from "It's Christmas, Snoopy" at Knott's Berry Farm.

For the 14th year, Downtown On Ice provides a spectacular holiday destination for residents and visitors at Pershing Square everyday from November 17, 2011 through January 16, 2012. The outdoor rink will be open Monday through Thursdays from 12:00pm to 10:00pm and Friday through Sunday 10:00am to 10:00pm. From December 18 through January 2 there will be special extended holiday hours and the skating rink will be open from 10:00am to 10:00pm daily. Pershing Square is centrally located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles at 532 South Olive and is easily accessible by car, bus and Metro.

Admission costs are $6 for a one-hour skate session and $2 for skate rentals. Metro and Metrolink riders can save $1 on skating sessions with a valid Metro pass, Metro Rail ticket, Destination Discount card or discount coupon that is available on all mass transit lines.

Pershing Square will also be hosting their annual FREE Winter Concert Series that includes Hoilday Lunchtime Concerts and 12 Nights of Christmas. The Lunchtime Concerts will include a variety of fun family friendly music such as Country, Folk, Rock, Classic Rock, Disco, Alternative and of course Holiday music. Lunchtime will be jamming from December 19 to January 6 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. And don't forget that every Wednesday, Pershing Square also holds it's award winning Farmer's Market. Pershing Square's 12 Nights of Christmas celebration includes a Holiday "sing and skate" caroling, Santa Swing Style and Rock Around the Rink. The evening concerts will run December 12 through December 23 from 8:00pm to 10:00pm.

For more information on Downtown On Ice call Pershing Square at 213.847.4970 or visit www.laparks.org/pershingsquare/index.html.

A DOG-GONE SPOOKY HALLOWEEN

A BASH at Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park

Encino - Dogs -- big and small, short legs and tall and hairy and scary -- showed up in festive attire and looking for a dog-gone spooktacular time at Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park's Halloween Bash on Sunday, October 30, 2011.

The Department of Recreation and Parks and volunteers from the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park Park Advisory Board hosted the event that featured a doggie costume contest, park clean-up and a free Halloween photo area for the participating pooches.

A Monster Clean-up of the dog park kicked-off the festivities. Volunteers helped fill holes, clean chairs and benches, and scoured the premises of any unwanted trash. At 4pm all of the costumed canines gathered to see if they won Spookiest, Most Original or Judges Choice. The three winners then battled for the coveted title of Best in Show, which went to Dorothy and her three furry friends The Lion, The Tin Man and The Scarecrow!!

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all the volunteers and attendees. It truly was a dog-gone spooktacular Halloween this year at Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park!!!

CELEBRATING A PLAYFUL ADDITION

Dedication of Lanark RC Playground &

Summer Night Lights Program Tour

Canoga Park - The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) proudly celebrated the dedication of a new playground and other improvements at Lanark Recreation Center on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 8:30pm. RAP General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri was joined by Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and Councilmember Dennis P. Zine. The celebration also included a tour of the Summer Nights Lights (SNL) Program at Lanark RC.

The new state-of-the-art playground includes a 2-5 year old section and a "Jelly Fish" structure (donated by Play Power). The handicap accessible playground is a playful addition to the popular park. Other improvements include new basketball courts, volleyball courts, a new gym floor, a new roof and air conditioning.

Lanark Recreation Center is located at 21816 Lanark Street in Canoga Park 91304.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrea Epstein, 213.202.2690

BLOG CONTACT: Amy A. Garcia, 818.243.6488

FIVE DOWN, THREE TO GO

Dodgers Dreamfield at Pan Pacific Rec Center

Los Angeles - The Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) celebrated the opening of the twelfth Dodgers Dreamfield in the City of Los Angeles on Saturday, July 23, 2011. Pan Pacific's Dreamfield was made possible through a partnership between RAP and The Dodgers Dream Foundation and the LA84 Foundation. RAP General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri, Councilmember Tom LaBonge (4th District), the Dodger's Senior Vice President Howard Sunkin and LA84 Foundation's Vice President Patrick Escobar were all on hand to celebrate the fifth Dodgers Dreamfield to be built in 2011 in Los Angeles.

Dodger pitcher Javy Guerra and former Dodgers Tommy Davis, Wes Parker, Kenny Landreaux and Bobby Castillo helped celebrate the opening of the new facility and ran clinics after the ceremony for the Pan Pacific baseball players.

Renovations to the new field include refurbished backstop, fencing, outfield and infield turf. New dugout roofs, irrigation system, and infield/outfield transition turn, solar powered scoreboard, scoreboard signage and field signage were also added.

The Pan Pacific Dodgers Dreamfield is the fifth of eight fields to be dedicated in the City of Los Angeles in 2011. At the beginning of this year, the Dodgers Dream Foundation and LA84 Foundation announced a commitment to build Dreamfields at eight RAP facilities. Dodger Dreamfields already completed this year are Northridge RC, Martin Luther King, Jr. RC, Pecan RC and Lemon Grove RC. The three remaining fields that are set to be dedicated by the end of the year are Valley Plaza RC, Ritchie Valens RC and Harbor City RC.

The Pan Pacific Dodgers Dreamfield is located at 7600 Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles 90036.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrea Epstein, 213.202.2690

BLOG CONTACT: Amy A. Garcia, 818.243.6488

SKATING & GRINDING, SLIDING & SWINGING

Dedication of Westchester Skate Plaza & Playground

Westchester - The Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) dedicated our 17th skate facility at Westchester Recreation Center on Friday, July 22, 2011. RAP's Commission President Barry A. Sanders and General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri were joined by Councilmember Bill Rosendahl (11th Distict), Charles Annenberg Weingarten and professional skateboarders Eric Koston and Steve Berra to officially open the and dedicate the Westchester "Explore.org/ The Berrrics" Skate Plaza along with a new accessible playground and other park improvements.

The new 9,700-square-foot skate plaza was made possible through RAP funding and a $125,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation's Explore.org, a non-profit capacity building initiative. Westchester's "Explore.org/The Berrics" Skate Plaza was built by California Skateparks and features a variety of elements such as stair sets, rails and hubbas and is designed for hardcore street skating. Professional Skateboarders Luan Oliviera, David Gonzales, Curren Caples, Kurtis Colamonico and Braydon Szfranski were all on hand to test out the plaza, along with tons of local and not so local skaters. The opening of the new state-of-the-art skate plaza brought out skaters from as far as Carson City, Nevada.

The celebration also included something for the kiddies. A new sea-themed accessible playground was dedicated. The limitless playground features swings, slides and interactive elements for children of all abilities. The Westchester project also included the relocation of the park's outdoor basketball court, a newly designed park entry way, improvements to the recreation center, irrigation and landscaping.

Westchester Park is located at 7000 West Manchester Blvd, Los Angeles 90045.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrea Epstein, 213.202.2690

BLOG CONTACT: Amy A. Garcia, 818.243.6488

BREAKING GROUND

North Hollywood Multi-Purpose Center

North Hollywood - The Department of Recreation and Parks, Councilmember Tom LaBonge and the Bureau of Engineering pulled out the shovels and hard hats for the North Hollywood Multi-Purpose Center Groundbreaking Ceremony on Thursday, July 21, 2011.

The ceremony celebrated the start of construction on a new ADA accessible 2,200-square-foot facility. When complete, the one-story wood framed building will feature a multi-purpose room, lobby area, storage and equipment rooms, restrooms, a staff office and break room. Landscaping and outdoor amenities will include a children's play area, solar powered lighting, outdoor fitness exercise equipment, picnic tables, perimeter fencing and a new parking lot.

The North Hollywood Multi-Purpose Center Project is set to be complete by Fall 2012.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrea Epstein , 213.202.2690

BLOG CONTACT: Amy A. Garcia, 818.243.6488

A PLAYFUL UPGRADE

Dedication of a new PLAYGROUND at Louise Park

Van Nuys - The Department of Recreation and Parks, new Councilmember Mitchell Englander and a handful of eagered kids proudly dedicated a new playground at Louise Park in Van Nuys on Thursday, June 30, 2011.

The new Louise Park Playground features slides, swing, climbing apparatuses and shade structures. The equipment upgrade was a much-needed project, tree roots had broken the perimeter of the old playground's sand pit and posed a safety hazard for visiting children.

After the official dedication and cutting of the red ribbon, the new playground was filled with happy sliding, swinging and laughing children!!

Louise Park is located at 7140 Louise Avenue in Van Nuys 91406.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrea Epstein, 213.202.2690

BLOG CONTACT: Amy A. Garcia, 818.243.6488

92 ACRES, 360 VIEWS, A PREMIERE OPEN SPACE Dedication of Ascot Hills Park Phase II

East Los Angeles - The Department of Recreation and Parks, along with Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Councilmember Jose Huizar (14th District) and the El Sereno community, proudly dedicated Ascot Hills Park on Saturday, June 25, 2011.

The celebration included performances by the Wilson High School Marching Band and Drill Team. A traditional native blessing of the grounds was also performed by students and staff from Semillas Community School.

With its offical dedication and opening, Ascot Hills Park is one of the largest parks in the City of Los Angeles. The 92-acre parkland has an outdoor amphitheater/classroom, hiking trails with interpretive signage, ADA paths, full stream restoration, picnic areas, irrigation and native landscaping. The premiere parkland features a 360-view of downtown L.A., the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding mountains.

Ascot Hills Park provides the local community and visitors with a beautiful natural parkland in the middle of the City of Angels. Ascot is located at 4731 Multnomah Street in Los Angeles 90032.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrea Epstein, 213.202.2690

BLOG CONTACT: Amy A. Garcia, 818.243.6488