City of Decatur | Be Active Decatur

We Are Parks and Recreation: Portia Langley

July 2, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette 2 Comments

Portia.Langley

My name is Portia Langley and I’m a Program Supervisor with Decatur Active Living. I manage Ebster Recreation Center and provide classes, programs and activities for youth and teens. This is my 11^th year in Parks and Recreation and I truly enjoy what I do. Being a positive role model to youth has always been a passion of mine and I’m able to do so every day at Ebster. As Program Supervisor, I help provide a fun, safe place to learn, grow and socialize with friends through after-school or summer camp programs.

I love being active and working in Parks and Recreation allows me the opportunity to get up and moving often. I enjoy playing pickleball at Ebster, riding my bike around Decatur, and performing on stilts at festivals and events.

Parks and Recreation is essential to the health and well-being of families and I appreciate being involved with making their lives better.

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living Tagged with #WeAreParksandRec, Ebster Recreation Center, Portia Langley

We Are Parks and Recreation: Greg White

July 1, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette 1 Comment

Gregory White (1)

Grew Up: Durham, North Carolina and went to the library every day as a child because my mother managed the branch libraries. Great way for my mind to explore places and dream.

College: Tuskegee University and earned MBA at Atlanta University

Family: Married to Joniese, and have three children, Noah, Jordyn and Jewel

Employed with the City of Decatur for 26 years

Hobbies: Photography, Negro League Baseball History, announcing high school basketball games, reading newspapers and bicycling

What I like about our work: I made a decision to get into the recreation field in 1989 with DeKalb County because I love people, communities, history and sports. I love connecting people from various backgrounds and creating new experiences. The recreation field is a wonderful platform to knock down barriers around race: team sports, special events, biking, swimming and enjoying the great outdoors. I enjoy working in Decatur because I have built wonderful relationships with people, local business community and schools. I enjoy the opportunity to document Decatur history and Decatur Active Living history. I grew up having fun and am able to have fun as a recreation profession.

How I stay active: I love to take early morning walks with my family in my neighborhood and on the weekends visiting local parks. I am active in Decatur riding the the City’s cargo e-bike and I walk the city removing graffiti. During the pandemic I have been active with my church providing vegetable boxes weekly on Thursdays for the community. This activity has been excellent for me bth mentally and physically. I am proud to announce that I have lost ten pounds during the pandemic by exercise, eating better, and rest.

Other Facts

President Elect for GRPA

Safety Patrol Captain- 1972

Captain of my high school basketball team- 1979

Thomas O. Davis Public Servant Award- 2011

Volunteer: Mike Glenn Camp for the Hard of Hearing and Deaf (26 years) Social Media Administrator- Mike Glenn, Atlanta Hawks TV Analyst and SWD Lady Panthers Basketball

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living Tagged with #WeAreParksAnd Recreation, GReg White

July is Parks and Recreation Month!

June 30, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette Leave a comment

Since 1985, America has celebrated July as Parks and Recreation Month. A program of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the goal is to raise awareness of the essential services that park and recreation professionals provide to communities throughout the United States.

This month, we are celebrating with the theme We Are Parks and Recreation. Throughout the month, we will be highlighting our passionate Active Living staff members who provide services that are vital to the health of Decatur.

We will also be posting activities as well as offering virtual classes, which you can register for via WebTrac. Continue to visit our Virtual Recreation Center as we work to add updates throughout the month.

The Nature Scavenger Hunt will be posted later this week.

Have a great week and stay active Decatur!

Parks & Recreation

#WeAreParksAndRecreation

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living Tagged with #weareparksandrecreation, Parks and Recreation Month

Move It Monday: Stretch for Flexibility

June 29, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette Leave a comment

monday

Flexibility influences all other forms of exercise. Most importantly, better flexibility makes every-day activities easier, from getting out of bed to walking up stairs to reaching a high cabinet.

Try these 3 stretches to improve mobility and reduce risk of injury.

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living, Exercise, Healthy Monday, Monday Campaigns

Active Living Updates

June 29, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette Leave a comment

Decatur Active Facility and Program Updates

Ebster Recreation Center, Decatur Recreation Center, McKoy Skate Park, Legacy Park gym and Decatur pools (including Oakhurst Indoor pool) remain closed until further notice.

The City of Decatur is gathering information to determine if and how we can open the pools this summer and still provide a safe environment for swimmers and employees. We are looking at ways we may need to make adjustments such as the number of people in and around the pools and necessary cleaning procedures. At the same time, we are paying close attention to the rate of new infections as a result of the new guidelines around the revised Stay At Home Order before making a determination.

City of Decatur public parks (including dog parks) are open, however, all playgrounds remain closed until further notice. Adherence to the following guidelines is imperative to protect the safety and health of our community:

If you are exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19, stay home, and avoid public parks and other public spaces.
Adhere to social distancing requirements and remain 6 feet away from others or you may be asked to leave the park.
Do not engage in contact sports or games, such as playground soccer, basketball, etc.
Bring hand sanitizer as bathrooms are closed.
Bring water as water fountains are temporarily unavailable.
Pavilions are open but group gatherings are prohibited

Tennis courts reopened Monday, June 15. You must call 404-377-7231 to make a reservation. Tennis Center hours are as follows:

Monday-Friday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Masks will be required to enter Glenlake Tennis Center.

Virtual activities are available through the Virtual Rec Center and have been updated. decaturga.com/activeliving/page/virtual-recreation-center to access these activities.

Virtual classes for adults and youth will begin in July. Register via WebTrac.

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living Tagged with COVID updates

Decatur Active Living Updates

June 23, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette Leave a comment

Decatur Active Living Updates

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living

Move It Monday: Practice Your Balance

June 22, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette Leave a comment

moveitmonday

Exercise is more than just aerobics and strength training. Balance is a lesser acknowledged component of physical fitness, but it is an essential element that can dramatically reduce your risk of injury. Good balance makes everyday activities easier, but it also benefits body awareness, coordination, joint stability, reaction time, and general long-term health.

Try these exercises to feel more stable.

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living, Exercise, Healthy Monday, Monday Campaigns

Honoring Juneteenth

June 19, 2020 by saraeholmes Leave a comment

On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galvestion, TX, and announced the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery. Juneteenth commemorates the African Americans freedom! We encourage to learn, listen, and celebrate today. There’s a lot happening around Metro Atlanta.

Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area will provide a livestream of Facebook of the Flat Rock Community Cemetery which is the oldest African American community in DeKalb. https://www.facebook.com/ArabiaMountainNationalHeritageArea

If you are interested in learning more about the history of Juneteenth watch the video below and click on the link provided. https://www.hellajuneteenth.com/juneteenth-history?fbclid=IwAR1F1XK-P33IfY-4snOv96ShVgKY9dANXSo6HMfpxHV6C27t-i3HCDoWw7Y

Filed under City of Decatur, Decatur Active Living

Youth Virtual Classes, Register Now!

June 18, 2020 by Portia Langley Leave a comment

Virtual Classes

Filed under City of Decatur, Exercise, Youth Classes, Youth Sports Tagged with karate, theater, Youth activities

Athletics Offers Conditioning Videos: For Youth By Youth

June 18, 2020 by Cheryl Burnette Leave a comment

We know the community misses the youth sports programs that Decatur Active Living offers during “normal” times. However, just because there are no youth sports doesn’t mean that you can’t practice drills, enhance your skills or engage in body and mind conditioning.

The Athletic staff will be posting a series of videos on the webpage to assist you with staying active and keeping your athletic skills sharp. Here is our first one: