Park district awarded $10,000 AARP grant

The New Rockford Park District has been selected by the American Association of Retired Persons for North Dakota (AARP ND) to receive a 2022 AARP Community Challenge grant of $10,000.

The New Rockford Park District is one of just four grantees in North Dakota to be chosen for the grant, and one of 260 organizations nationwide.

Dennis Nybo, Director of Parks and Recreation in New Rockford, said the money will be used to relocate the city’s outdoor skating rink to All Veterans Park, where a new building will be constructed alongside it.

The new structure will be used as a warming house for skating and sledding during the winter, and as a boat/kayak rental during the summer. The new money will also go towards updated lighting to increase security.

About what he’s looking forward to about the new funding, Nybo said, “We’re most excited about creating a new space for recreation and leisure opportunities for both 50+ citizens and visitors and our youth of all ages, stages, and abilities.”

Organizations awarded with the grant are expected to implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable in the long-term by improving public places, transportation, housing; diversity, equity and inclusion; digital access and civic engagement, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

Projects are also expected to reach completion by November 30, 2022, and Nybo confirmed with the Transcript on Wednesday that construction should begin on the new building within the next month.

When asked why they chose to spend the money on a new warming house and relocating the skating rink, Nybo described the old warming house as “an old chicken coop that’s lived out its years.”

He added that, because they’re planning to run kayak/boating rentals in the summer, it makes sense to have a new structure near the James River.

As for the new skating rink, Nybo said they’re looking at potentially utilizing the tennis court for a skating rink this winter, with plans for bigger and better options in the future.

“For the first year it’s probably going to be around the same size, maybe a little bigger,” he said. “We’re trying to get this switch over done and everything and then we can go for grants for some bigger options.”

With this grantee class, AARP is bolstering its investment of affordable and adaptable housing solutions in response to the national housing crisis.

Thanks to additional funding support from Toyota Motor North America, the program is also increasing its support of projects that improve mobility innovation and transportation options.

All projects are designed to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

• Create vibrant public places by improving open spaces and parks and activating main streets.

• Deliver a range of transportation and mobility options by increasing connectivity, walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, and access a wider range of transportation choices.

• Encourage the availability of a range of housing by increasing accessible and affordable housing solutions.

• Ensure a focus on diversity and inclusion while improving the built and social environment of a community.

• Support communities’ efforts to build engagement and leverage funding available under new federal programs through laws including the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and more.

• Increase Civic Engagement with innovative and tangible projects that bring residents and local leaders together to address challenges and facilitate a greater sense of inclusion.

• Other community improvements, including Health Services, Community Development, and Coronavirus Pandemic Recovery.

“We are incredibly excited to support the New Rockford Park District as they work to make immediate improvements, encourage promising ideas and jumpstart long-term change in New Rockford, North Dakota,” shared AARP ND State Director, Josh Askvig. “Our goal at AARP ND is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.”

Other North Dakota grantees include Bis-Man Transit, the Hazen Library, and the Devils Lake Park District. The full list of grantees can be found at aarp.org/communitychallenge.

The Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages.

Since 2017, AARP ND has awarded 19 grants and $147,096 through the program to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state. View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at http://www.aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.