A message from Marana Parks & Recreation Director, Jim Conroy, originally posted by Tucson Local Media.

The Town of Marana has a very exciting new year ahead in the Parks and Recreation Department. First and foremost is the creation of our Parks & Rec Master Plan, which will develop a blueprint for parks and recreation services over the next 10 years. The Marana Parks and Recreation Department represents many things to many different people. As a result, this master plan will address the future of park development to include active recreation parks, natural resources & preserve parks, linear parks and trails, pools, splash pads, and community centers to meet the interest and needs of our growing community.

The Master Plan will also address recreation programs. High quality recreation and enrichment experiences are an important component of the community and the Parks and Recreation Department’s mission.

The Master Plan will review existing park facilities and recreation program offerings and identify new parks and programs based on community input, which you can provide in one of two ways: The Master Plan Public Survey at maranaAZ.gov/ParksRecMasterPlan, and a series of community meetings in January and February. All meetings will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Master Plan Public Survey closes at the end of February as well.

The meetings will be at Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library on Jan. 23, Dove Mountain K-8 CSTEM on Jan. 29 and the Marana Municipal Complex (Police Station Community Room) on Feb. 6.

We are also welcoming the addition of several new events and programs coming to the spring 2020 season, as well as celebrating past favorites that invite the community to explore the outdoors, and maybe win some prizes along the way. Camping Under the Stars is returning with the theme “Favorite Family Movie” for the Tent Decorating Contest, and the Marana Meltdown Mountain Bike Time Trial offers the only timed ride on the Tortolita Preserve with nearly 10 miles of track for our resident bike enthusiasts.

For the runners in our community, we’re looking forward to launching the #RunMarana race series, with five running events in Marana to keep your family active and fit all year. And when you’re ready to cool down, the aquatics season will kick-off with fun activities at the Marana Pool, and everyone is welcome to enjoy one of the two free Marana splash pads.

School spring break programs are robust with options to keep the kids active. Basketball clinics and cheer camps return, as well as new STEM+Arts Camps. These camps are open to all youth, and feature themes like “EGG-cellent,” in which kids use their critical thinking and creativity while participating in various math and art activities, and “Spy Week,” allowing kids the chance to be detectives for a week, participating in scavenger hunts, and solving riddles and puzzles. The Parks and Recreation team has also partnered with Marana Police to offer free camp options for both kids and teens, giving an inside look to what the police do and why they do it.

More exciting news comes with the opening of a new amenity for the Marana community. The El Rio Preserve Observation Deck is now complete and open to the public. Those of you who attended our first ever Dragonfly Day got a sneak peek at the first of what will be many environmental educational opportunities at the site. Honea Heights Neighborhood Park is currently under construction, and the Town of Marana is eager to open this new park in early 2020.

This park will be a great addition to the Marana parks system and will provide another great environment for our residents to exercise, recreate and relax.

For more information on any of the above-mentioned recreation programs and events, visit the Parks and Recreation website or download our mobile app. Besides keeping you up to date with news and events, the Parks & Rec Mobile App has many functions: sign up for programs, search parks by amenities, and check facilities for weather or project closures. More info can be found at www.maranaAZ.gov/recreation. We thank the Marana community for making the 2019 season so memorable, and we look forward to more action, learning and fun in 2020.