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<br />~ popular; financing is the major sticking point. <br /> <br />Participation in recreation programs was also at a <br />relatively high level. Thirty-two percent of the households <br />reported children participating in a youth program during the <br />past year. The most popular program was soccer, a result unique <br />to this community. Satisfaction with youth programs was <br />virtually unanimous. By ten-to-one, residents also felt that <br />current offerings met the needs of their households. Youth <br />programs, then, are both well utilized and well regarded. <br /> <br />A similar pattern emerged in the evaluation of adult <br />recreational programs. Twenty percent of the sample reported <br />participation during the past twelve months. Softball was the <br />most popular program. Dissatisfaction with any offering was <br />almost non-existent. And, seventy-six percent of the residents <br />felt that the programs met their needs. This is one of the <br />strongest evaluations the researchers have found to date. It <br />should. be no surprise that a two-to-one majority, sixty-one <br />percent to thirty percent, favor a joint agreement with the <br />School District for providing, programs rather than the City <br />offering programs on its own. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Consistent with the high regard of local recreational <br />programs, only eleven percent of the sample reported household <br />members travelled elsewhere to recreate. This "leakage" is <br />between one-half and one-third the norm. Anoka County sports <br />programs seemed to be the out-of-town draw. But, even so, almost <br />eighty percent of the users of out-of-Elk River programs would <br />transfer to city-sponsored offerings if they were comparable. <br />These results, however, should not be construed as indicating <br />that residents used Elk River facilities exclusively: sixty-one <br />percent of the sample reported visiting other county parks during <br />the past year. And, a fifty-one percent to thirty-two percent <br />majority feel that Sherburne County should develop a regional <br />park system to augment other nearby facilities. While venturing <br />to facilities at other locations, then, residents clearly prefer <br />their local facilities to other offerings. <br /> <br />A series of facilities which could be added to the park <br />system was listed to gauge residential interest. A nature trial <br />with explanatory sign posts engendered the most interest, with <br />seventy-four percent indicating members of their households would <br />be "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to use it. An outdoor <br />swimming pool drew an interested level of sixty-five percent. A <br />nature area with an educational interpretive center ranked next <br />with sixty-six percent of the households expressing interest. <br />And, play equipment was the fourth most popular facility at <br />forty-four percent likelihood to be used. These preferences are <br />clearly consistent with the household recreational patterns <br />discussed earlier. <br /> <br />Attitudes toward the value of a park and recreational system <br />are very strongly held. SeventY-four percent of the citizenry <br />felt that a good city park and recreational system would increase <br /> <br />4 <br />