 September 25 bears some personal significance to Mike Moran. On that date in 1983, he began working for the City of Iowa City's Parks and Recreation Department, after having earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.
On that same date this year, after 32 years, he will retire from the same department, but in a slightly different role than when he first walked through the door. Moran has worn a number of hats since joining the department: first, as Program Supervisor for Adult Sports and Fitness, then as Aquatics Supervisor, followed by a stint as Recreation Superintendent, and finally, since January 2010, as Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. He cites the work on the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area as his most notable career achievement, although numerous city parks have been built or improved, the trail system has greatly expanded, and two hugely popular public events facilities have been developed during his tenure.
Want to extend some best wishes? Stop by a retirement open house that will be held in Mike's honor on Friday, Sept. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center Social Hall. If you can't make the party, cards may be mailed to the Parks and Recreation Department, Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, Attn: Mike Moran, 220 S. Gilbert Street, Iowa City, IA 52240, or e-mailed to mike-moran@iowa-city.org.
Best of luck, Mike, and thank you for your many years of service to the residents of Iowa City!
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 Amanda Opitz has joined the Parks and Recreation staff as Program Supervisor of Customer Engagement. This is a new role in the department, in which she will oversee customer service operations and staff at both recreation centers and coordinate the department's marketing, public relations, and communications efforts.
Amanda holds a degree in journalism from the University of Montana, and because she grew up in Missoula, enjoys a wide range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, fly-fishing and camping, although she's eagerly exploring the Iowa City area to learn what recreational opportunities exist here. So far, she's pretty smitten with the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area.
Her enthusiasm for her new job is based in part on her passion for creating public spaces that are welcoming and inclusive to all users, and the ability of Parks and Recreation to enhance people's ability to connect with nature and their neighbors, thereby building stronger communities.
Welcome to Iowa City, Amanda!
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 September 2:
Taste of Market
Stop by the Farmers Market at Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp (across from City Hall) on Wednesday, Sept. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. for the annual Taste of Market. Volunteers and Farmers Market staff will be slicing, dicing, and grilling up samples from a variety of vendors for you to sample -- each one more delicious than the last. Arrive early, because the food goes fast! For more info about Taste of Market, call 319-356-5100 or visit www.icgov.org/farmersmarket.
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September 11:
Golf Fundraiser
Help
the Parks and Recreation Department raise funds for a swim scholarship program
by participating in the second annual Golf Fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 11 at
Pleasant Valley Golf Course in Iowa City. The event helps raise funds to ensure
that all local kids who want to learn to swim are able to, regardless of their
family's ability to pay for lessons. Tee times start at 11 a.m. Fees are $60
per person or $200 per foursome. Sign up at www.planmygolfevent.com/27722-ICPRgolf.
For more information, contact Aquatic Supervisor Matthew Eckhardt at
319-887-6117 or matthew-eckhardt@iowa-city.org.
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 September 19:
Kids' Day
Saturday, Sept. 19 is another one of the Iowa City Farmers Markets most popular events: Kids' Day! Head to the market in Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp (across from City Hall) from 9 a.m. to noon for an event packed with fun activities for the whole family! Activity stations will include Farm to School, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Children's Museum, Local Foods Connection, MacBride Raptor Project, Take a Kid Outdoors, a bee exhibit by Wolf River Bees, live music, and more.
Kid vendors are also being sought, so if you're between the ages of 8 and 18 and have been tending a garden or make crafts you could sell, consider being a market vendor for a day! There's no fee. Applications are available at www.icgov.org/farmersmarket.
For more info about Kids' Day, call 319-356-5100 or visit www.icgov.org/farmersmarket.
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Help us preserve the past
The Parks and Recreation Department continues fundraising efforts to preserve the log cabins that are now housed in Upper City Park. Built in 1889 and 1913 by the Old Settlers' Association of Johnson County, these cabins were named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. Your donation will help restore and preserve these tributes to our ancestral pioneer heritage, and also allow them to be used once again for community and educational purposes. To contribute, please make your check payable to the ICPRD Foundation, Attn: City Park Log Cabins, and mail or drop it off to: Parks and Recreation Department, Attn: Joyce Carroll, 220 S. Gilbert Street, Iowa City, IA 52240. Thank you for your support!
 Fundraising success
A little rain didn't stop the walkers (or the young bike-riders) from participating in this year's Terry Trueblood Fundraising Walk on Saturday, Aug. 29. The third annual walk raised more than $1,500 for pancreatic cancer research and for a special upkeep fund for the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area. Trueblood served as the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Director from 1986 to 2009, when he died of pancreatic cancer. Pictured above is Mike Moran, outgoing Parks and Recreation Director, who worked with Terry for 22 years and considered him a mentor.
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