More and more, our neighborhood parks are playing a central role in our community activities and social lives. July is Park & Recreation month, a perfect time to get out and visit these neighborhood treasures and reflect on parks’ significance in our daily lives. After home, school, and church, where do many of us likelyContinue Reading
What’s New
Rancho Cordova Sunridge Park Splashpad
Last week, Ross Recreation Staff traveled to Sunridge Park in Rancho Cordova near Sacramento to see our newest Vortex Splashpad, and to get in-depth product training from Kevin Spence, Vortex’ lead systems’ engineer and Western Regional manager. Present with Kevin at the training were Judy Ogburn, Tara Bartosch, Alex Hailey, Casey Hilbert, Bob Hanes, Ross’Continue Reading
Lattice Educational Services
As Autism Awareness Month draws to a close we at Ross are able to really reflect on the importance of inclusive play and the value it brings to our communities. At Ross Recreation we are committed to helping create play spaces that include children of all abilities and provide accessibility and education for special needsContinue Reading
Creating a Rooftop Playscape
This past winter, our Construction Services group really showed their stuff. Working closely with the Emerald Fund property management team, Ross Recreation’s Bob Hanes and Landscape Structures’ Engineering Department devised a creative way to build an exciting rooftop play space for Rincon Green, one of San Francisco’s new sustainably constructed downtown apartment communities. Located inContinue Reading
Visitacion Valley School Playground Safety Seminar
This month I had the opportunity to meet with teachers and staff at Visicacion Valley School in San Francisco to discuss playground safety. Ross Recreation, lead by our Construction Services Manager, Bob Hanes, had successfully renovated the school’s play area and the San Francisco Unified School District was anxious to have a safe and successfulContinue Reading
How A Park Can Change A Community
Over the years, I’ve come to notice the positive changes new playgrounds can often exert on neighborhoods. Parks that were once either underutilized, or the centers of violent or illegal activities, are transformed into places where families gather and children play. The benefits of this kind of transformation can be enormous: crime decreases, property valuesContinue Reading
Shinsei Gardens
At Ross Recreation, we’re often reminded of our company mission: building and enriching our communities. This week, I had a personal tour of a special project in Alameda, CA that we were fortunate enough to have been involved with four years ago called Shinsei Gardens, an affordable housing community that houses a large number ofContinue Reading
Splashpads in the Community
When I travel to Portland to visit family and our Ross Oregon office, I’m always astounded at the number of small parks that feature splashpads. With Oregon’s reputation for cool, wet weather, it is a bit counterintuitive, but there the splashpads are; and particularly in summer when school is out and the weather warm andContinue Reading
Years of Outdoor Fun for Penngrove Elementary Kids
Building long-term relationships is the centerpiece of our Mission Statement and what we do at Ross Recreation Equipment Company. I was reminded of this recently here in Sonoma County when I was invited to Penngrove Elementary School’s playground grand opening. Parents, teachers, Petaluma businesses, PG&E (a substantial donor) and other community members had joined forcesContinue Reading
New Chapter for this Historic Sonoma Plaza
This month, volunteer Sonoma Rotarians teamed up with the town of Sonoma and Ross Recreation Equipment to upgrade and refresh a popular Landscape Structures play structure on the historic Sonoma Plaza. The plaza, a traditional town square and a source of regional pride for more than a century and a half, was the place whereContinue Reading
Designing Splashpads for Inclusive Play – Webinar
Want to learn more about inclusive splashpad design? Register now for Vortex’s upcoming informational webinar on practical tips to make sure your current or future Splashpad® is successfully designed with access and inclusive participation in mind. This session will cover: The value of Splashpads in communities Inclusive Play concepts Sensory processing and Splashpads How toContinue Reading
Monte Rio School Makes Fitness A Priority
The Monte Rio School District in Sonoma County, California, is taking physical fitness seriously. Over the past three years, Monte Rio School has built a fun, fitness-driven Landscape Structures playground, and this summer installed an outdoor fitness course on campus that will serve the needs of the students and the greater community when school isContinue Reading
Going Strong – Providing Decades of Play Value
Recently, the City of Santa Clara contacted Ross Recreation about the availability of replacement parts for two ancient Landscape Structures playgrounds: one at Carmichael Park and one at Rotary Park, both nearly thirty years old and according to the City, “Going strong”! The old redwood playground equipment was officially discontinued by Landscape Structures in theContinue Reading
George “Rocky” Graham Park is Now Open!
On July 11th, the community of Marin City joined together to celebrate the grand opening of their new George “Rocky” Graham Park. Ross Recreation, along with many other organizations involved in the design and construction of the park, were on hand to join the local residents in the celebration. After several years of planning, itContinue Reading
A Winner in Harsh Marine Environments
It’s no coincidence that many Landscape Structures play structures are found near the northern California and Oregon coast. Landscape Structures play equipment is the ideal choice for durability and longevity in harsh-on-metal marine environments because of the materials and finishes used in fabrication. 5” diameter vertical posts and beams are made of highly rust resistantContinue Reading
Grass Without Limits
At Ross Recreation, we don’t take on new product lines lightly nor frequently, but when we do, it is for the long-term. It is important that we are closely aligned with our manufacturing partners when it comes to quality expectations, innovative progress, life costing and customer support capabilities. With that in mind, we are proud and excited about our recent partnership withContinue Reading
Sheridan Elementary School Playground Safety Seminar
This month, Ross Recreation had the privilege of being a part of Sheridan Elementary School‘s safety seminar in San Francisco, CA! Playground safety seminars are an excellent way to get the students familiar with how each component is meant to be used, as well as a great opportunity to have the kids spend some time outside!Continue Reading
“Natural Play” – What’s it all Mean?
Much is written today about the desirability of “natural” play environments and I suspect that that is because of well founded concern that children are spending less and less time outdoors exploring the natural world. This unfortunate trend was well documented in the now famous 2005 book by Richard Louv called Last Child in the Woods,Continue Reading
Building a Fitness-Focused Playground in Phases
Over time, the Loyola School PTA in Los Altos, California has gradually built a fitness-focused playground for their Upper Grade students. Constructed in phases spanning 10 years, the final phase features a new Netplex structure that complements existing fitness components. The initial equipment consisted mainly of monkey bars, overhead ladders, rings, and balance components andContinue Reading
The Value in Maintenance
This month Ross Recreation hosted a complimentary Landscape Structures’ Learning Academy Maintenance Seminar in Sacramento, CA. With close to one hundred in attendance, the session included industry insight and hands-on information and techniques on playground repairs, risk management and graffiti removal techniques. The seminar put a focus on the importance of proper and consistent maintenance and safetyContinue Reading