cantonrep
Meet Steve Pedro.
He leads the crew that maintains Massillon's parks Steve Pedro loves his job.
That's because of the director of Massillon's Parks & Recreation Department's mission of service.
The best thing about working at Parks & Recreation is public involvement," Pedro said.
"I get to go to work with our team to try and make a difference in our city.
Every day is a great day in Parks & Rec.
The 57-year-old's efforts for others include four years in the U.S.
Air Force.
He was deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the first Gulf War.
Pedro is a 1987 graduate of Massillon Washington High School, and joined the military right out of school, serving from 1987 to 1991.
He also earned an associates degree in Turfgrass Management from Ohio State University.
Pedro grew up on Massillon's southwest side, and now lives with his wife of 30 years, Brenda, in the same area.
They have three children Claudia, Anthony and Lucas.
Pedro said he worked in various types of recreation jobs over his years.
I worked at the Boys & Girls Club of Massillon for 21 years, serving in several capacities, Pedro said.
I worked as a golf course superintendent for five years, and started with Massillon Parks & Recreation in 2016 as parks superintendent.
And, in 2017, I was named director of Parks & Recreation.
Pedro explained the city's Parks & Recreation Department has four divisions parks, Legends of Massillon Golf Course, Massillon Recreation Center and Massillon Senior Center.
There are 30 parks in the Massillon system.
What are a few of the regular tasks you do for Massillon Parks & Recreation? As director, I work with our parks superintendent, golf course manager, recreation superintendent and Senior Center manager every day, to ensure we are offering useful services to our patrons.
How does taking care of The Legends of Massillon Golf Course differ from caring for a park? There are many differences between maintaining the golf course and parks.
The golf course requires mowing at razor-thin heights with special mowers, monitoring soil conditions and aggressive treatments to ward off turf diseases caused by low mowing and diverse weather conditions such as cool temperatures and rain in the spring, dry conditions in the summer and fall, and wet and cold conditions in the winter.
While our parks are considered one of the most important attractions in our city, the general maintenance is less intense than the golf course.
We focus on public safety, general aesthetics and functional recreation.
Our turf areas must be resilient to heavy, unpredictable foot traffic.
Constant cleaning of restrooms, trash removal, and equipment repairs are scheduled regularly.
Tell us several things about Massillon parks that people might not know Some residents may not know that Massillon has 30 parks that cover about 450 acres.
We mow approximately 200 acres weekly.
Within our parks, we have 14 ball fields, 14 playgrounds, 5 pickleball courts, 6 tennis courts, 11 basketball courts, restrooms, the Campbell Walking Path and an inclusive playground at Reservoir Park and a splash pad at Wampler Park.
What are your favorite birds or animals that you see in the parks? I enjoy seeing wildlife in our parks.
My favorites are deer and insects.
I had to take an entomology class in college.
Learning about different types of insects and the benefits they provide us was my favorite.
One for fun: What was your favorite game with friends and family growing up? When I grew up, my friends and I played baseball at the fields on 8th Street SW.
When we werent playing ball, we went to the Boys Club every day.
The Boys Club opened many doors for me.
I met friends that I am still in contact with to this day.
We learned that we were all the same.
Regardless of race, ethnicity, or which side of town we lived on.
Editor's note: Five questions with ..
is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community.
If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to [email protected].