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Athens Parks announces accessible restroom, adjustable changing table, disc golf and a goat-grazing pilot for invasive-plant control
Summary
In the podcast episode, Athens Parks officials announced a new all-user restroom at the Athens Community Center, an adjustable-height universal changing table funded by an Athens County Foundation grant, disc-golf tee pads in the riparian area, and a goat-grazing pilot said to begin July 8 to manage invasive plants.
Athens Arts, Parks and Recreation announced several near-term facility upgrades and events in a July podcast episode.
Director Catherine Ann Jordan said staff converted a custodial closet on the main floor of the Athens Community Center into a single-user, all-user restroom to improve access near the gym and locker rooms. She also said the Athens County Foundation provided a microgrant that paid for an adjustable-height universal changing table, which the hosts described as important for community members who need a table that is not infant-sized.
Jordan described an ecological pilot to manage invasive plants: the city contracted with a vendor she named as Goats on the Go (based in Lancaster) to place goats in the riparian area behind the community center to graze on invasives. Jordan gave a July 8 arrival date and said animals will be checked multiple times daily and contained by an electrified fence.
Hosts discussed herd size during the episode: Helms stated "there's gonna be 4 goats," while Jordan noted she briefly misheard a figure that sounded like "40 to 50," and the podcast flagged the discrepancy. The department presented the pilot as an experimental, visible, and supervised vegetation-management approach.
Other items announced include concrete tee pads installed by the Athens Disc Alliance for a new disc-golf layout in the riparian area, a Concert in the Park scheduled for July 31 from 6 to 8 p.m., a Monday Morning Mingle in the community center lobby on August 3 (9:30–11 a.m.) supported by the Athens County Foundation, and National Night Out at the city pool on August 4 (4–7 p.m.). All events were described as free and family-oriented.
Jordan and Helms cautioned listeners not to touch or feed the goats, noting the temporary paddock will be electrified for containment and that caretakers will attend to the animals’ feeding and watering needs.
The department did not provide dollar amounts for the microgrant or for the goat pilot in the episode. For more information and updates, the hosts advised following the Parks and Recreation podcast and checking department event listings.
