• COVID-19 Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Promotions
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • May 30, 2025

Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

"THE NEWSPAPER YOU CAN TRUST SINCE 1964"

  • News
  • Editorials
  • Education
  • Urban Business
  • Health
  • Religion
  • Upcoming Events
  • Classifieds

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Milwaukee County Parks Gears Up for Changing Season

March 28, 2015

By Eelisa Jones

milwaukee-county-parks-oak-leaf-trail-signAs Wisconsin’s weather begins its shift into spring conditions and the now familiar layers of ice and snow have begun to fade beneath the daily sunshine, some of us may feel a familiar ache to reconnect with the natural world. Milwaukeeans have over 154 parks – totaling over 15,000 acres – to satisfy this urge.

Our city has a history of natural and environmental advocates who have dedicated lifetimes of efforts to guarantee the opportunity for Milwaukee residents and visitors to experience that incomparable pleasure that the outdoors has to offer.

The Milwaukee County Department of Parks (MPC) oversees and maintains these parks’ operations to maintain these historical gifts granted to us from our political past.

As the snow melts, parks employees and volunteers are taking to the annual tasks of spring maintenance.

These tasks include picnic area repairs, litter clean-ups, bike trail upkeep, baseball diamond repairs, and hot-patching over 120 miles of roads.

Throughout the upcoming seasons, MPC will host various volunteer opportunities alongside a number of its over 50 friendship organizations like Briggs & Stratton, The Urban Ecology Center, and Parks People. MPC lists its volunteer opportunities on their website (enter “volunteer” in the site search) and on their “Milwaukee County Parks Volunteer & Outreach” Facebook page.

A number of MPC facilities are already open and available to the public, including its 15 golf courses, Noyes and Pulaski indoor pools, and nature trails. Residents and visitors can learn specific hours of indoor and outdoor pools by searching for “pool closures” in the site search. Village of Hope will continue its after-school academic support at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (1531 W. Vliet St.) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM.

The Courier had a chance to speak with Guy Smith, MPC Chief of Operations, to gain some insight into how MPC works internally and Smith’s vision for a successful parks system.

Milwaukee’s formidable natural assets drew Smith to MPC. He has worked at MPC for nearly eleven years. On any given day, Smith could be at any of the system’s 154 park locations.

He’s in nearly constant contact with his staff. Smith said that he felt blessed to work for such an expansive parks system. For him, a successful parks system is one that is accessible to people of different backgrounds with different interests.

“Whether you’re a biker or like to go geocaching or like to swim or like to bird watch… there is something for every resident and every visitor that is low cost or no cost,” said Smith. “It’s truly something that everyone can have access to.”

The MPC budget is set annually by the county board of supervisors and the county executive.

These officials approve a budget for the next year in mid-November. MPC staff and the board of supervisors maintain day-to-day communications.

Readers can learn more about MCP or provide feedback by visiting their website at www.countyparks.com or calling their Wauwatosa office at (414) 257-7275.

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Popular Interests In This Article: Eelisa Jones, Guy Smith, Milwaukee County Parks

Read More - Related Articles

  • How the Financially Troubled Milwaukee County Parks System Can Bounce Back
  • ‘You Can’t Use Bubble Gum and String to Keep Things Together’: Challenges Mount for Milwaukee County Parks
  • Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and Milwaukee County Parks Hosted their First Park and Public Safety Days
  • Milwaukee County Parks has been Recognized as an Important Bird Area
  • Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and Milwaukee County Parks Announce New Concessions this Summer
Become Our Fan On Facebook
Find Us On Facebook


Follow Us On X
Follow Us On X

Editorials

Lakeshia Myers
Michelle Bryant
Dr. Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi formerly known as Dr. Ramel Smith

Journalists

Karen Stokes

Topics

Health Care & Wellness
Climate Change
Upcoming Events
Obituaries
Milwaukee NAACP

Politicians

David Crowley
Cavalier Johnson
Marcelia Nicholson
Governor Tony Evers
President Joe Biden
Vice President Kamala Harris
Former President Barack Obama
Gwen Moore
Milele A. Coggs
Spencer Coggs

Classifieds

Job Openings
Bid Requests
Req Proposals
Req Quotations
Apts For Rent

Contact Us

Milwaukee Courier
2003 W. Capitol Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Ph: 414.449.4860
Fax: 414.906.5383

Copyright © 2025 · Courier Communications | View Privacy Policy | Site built and maintained by Farrell Marketing Technology LLC
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.