Roseville rightfully earning reputation as new park place

Imagine yourself on a sunny Saturday morning, a picnic lunch packed, a bag full of sports equipment, sunscreen, cameras and the kids hyped to spend the day at your local park with family or friends.The City of Roseville understands how our local parks play a big role in providing a place where lasting memories are made. We are working hard to bring you more of these special places during the next year. And with July designated as national "Parks and Recreation Month," we hope you will be able to find the time to visit our two newest parks our 47th and 48th that opened earlier this month.On June 4, we formally opened both Sylvia Besana Park, next to Catheryn Gates Elementary School, and Melba and Al Erven Park near Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. Besana Park contains a new soccer and practice baseball field, complete with a shaded group picnic area and children's play equipment.Erven Park includes a half-court for basketball, a ship-themed play structure and a play dinosaur sculpture for climbing.More parks are scheduled to open later this summer, including David Uribe Park in the Stoneridge area, and Paul Dugan Park in North Roseville. Uribe Park will have a basketball court, a children's play area, open grass areas and a looped walkway for exercise enthusiasts.Dugan Park includes a baseball and soccer field, picnic areas, and a bike trail connection. This summer, we will begin construction on several more parks, including Bear Dog Park, which will be located in Mahany Regional Park Blue Oaks Park next to Blue Oaks Elementary School John Piches Park in the Stone Point area and Bill Hughes Park in the Diamond Creek area.Each park design has something different for you to experience.Bear Dog Park, a fenced off-leash dog park, will include an obstacle course for dogs. Blue Oaks Park will retain 80 percent of its parkland area as open space preserve with only 2 acres being developed.Piches Park, located in a business area, will provide spaces for the lunchtime crowd, including a basketball court.Hughes Park will include trail connections, lighted tennis, basketball and soccer.For more information about all of the parks, visit the city's Web site at www.roseville.ca.us and click on the Parks and Recreation pages.