The Beverly Hills Recreation and Parks Commission has announced a list of outdoor events in July that highlight the city’s parks and green spaces. This year’s theme, “Where You Belong,” seeks to celebrate the many ways parks and recreation programs bring together people of all ages and abilities.
Since 1985, July has been recognized as National Parks and Recreation Month.
The city held a handful of successful events to celebrate the movement in 2023. At the commission’s May 28 meeting, Recreation Services Manager Michael Muse proposed a list of this year’s upcoming festivities.
One of the most popular events last July was the senior excursion trip to the Greystone Mansion, where attendees enjoyed a private showing of a movie that was filmed on the premises followed by a tour of the property that took them to the specific filming locations. The commission plans to bring this back with a list of other activities that are appropriate for senior residents, including outdoor family movie night, family bingo afternoon and a much anticipated “yappy hour” for dog owners.
“The goal is to make sure that we provide programming inclusive of all age groups, so that everyone has a desire and a drive and a want to come to our beautiful parks,” said Muse.
Activities for younger age groups include the family fun derby race, where kids in middle school and below are eligible to race, sports day, a virtual 5k and the finale event at the Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market.
With an increase in outdoor activity in summer months, the commission also discussed resurfacing options for the dog park. Following January’s dog park survey, which gathered information on different dog parks around Los Angeles County, Joana Torres, community services manager, approached the commission with two options for the safest and most durable long-term solutions for upgraded ground covering. She first proposed Woof Fiber alternative wood fiber, which was a cheaper option, estimated to cost nearly $27,000. The second option, K9Grass artificial turf, is the safest material for dogs because it’s made without any “forever chemicals” that are known to have negative health effects over time. But this came at a much higher price point between $288,000 and $432,000.
“As a dog owner, [artificial turf] would be my first choice,” said Commissioner Tara Riceberg, who was hesitant to move forward with the cost. The commission has not yet made a decision due to a low attendance rate at the dog park, and questioned whether or not a costly upgrade would prompt enough residents to use the facility.
As members of the community look forward to upcoming events, the city has launched a new customer relations service called askBH, which can be reached Monday through Friday by email at askbh@beverlyhills.org, by text at 310-596-4265 or by phone call at 310-285-1000.
“Our goal is to provide an easy and reliable way to access city information and services through one point of contact,” said Amy Hahn, customer service manager. At the meeting, she urged residents to report potholes, fallen trees or any other concerns to askBH, and she likened it to a 311 service for information on upcoming events. “We understand that city government can be complex,” she said. “When you do have to contact the city, you shouldn’t have to do that alone.”
