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and park properties, assisted the Street Department with snow plowing in <br /> addition to all of the park facilities, parking lots and trails, and hauled over <br /> 300 tons of trash from the city parks. Additional duties performed by <br /> maintenance include mowing over 5700 vacant lots, storm damaged trees <br /> at 676 different locations through the city, over 3000 tree trimmings, and <br /> 164 new tree plantings. This past Arbor Day the City Parks and Recreation <br /> Department partnered with AEP Indiana Michigan Power Inc. for an Arbor <br /> Day Tree Give Away Program. Educational programs were offered and <br /> over 420 trees were given to local residents who participated in the day's <br /> event. <br /> The Recreation Division continued to offer a very comprehensive list of <br /> activities throughout the year. More notable has been the growing success <br /> of the O'Brien Fitness Center. The O'Brien Center recently celebrated its <br /> tenth anniversary with an open house and unique programming <br /> opportunity. Programs emphasize healthy lifestyles for all members. Lipid <br /> testing equipment, healthy foods cookbooks, breast cancer awareness <br /> programs, and veteran recognition events are just some of the new and <br /> creative activities going on at the O'Brien Fitness Center. This past year <br /> saw over 75,000 patrons past through the turn styles at the fitness center. <br /> In order to better prepare for the unexpected medical emergency, the Parks <br /> and Recreation Department currently have 114 employees trained and <br /> certified in CPR / AED applications. On three different occasions the past <br /> two years, park employees have played an instrumental role in the life <br /> saving procedures of"first on the scene" CPR/ AED applications. <br /> The Parks and Recreation Department continues to see its role in the health <br /> and wellness field expand. Through out country communities are facing <br /> growing health related concerns. Start up wellness programs and long term <br /> sustainable health initiatives are becoming core priorities for many cities. <br /> Health and wellness <br /> training is the fastest growing field in the park and recreation profession. <br /> Our Parks and Recreation Department will continue to look further into <br /> expanding its role in creating a healthier over all community in 2011. <br /> As we move further into the electronic age, the Parks and Recreation <br /> Department integrated a new online registration feature available to those <br /> - 8 - <br />