Happy Easter everyone.

Take the family to public skate from 1 to 2:45 p.m. today in Riverside Arena. It’s fun for the whole family. The cost to skate is $4. If you need skates, we have rentals for $1.

We will continue to hold skates from 6:45 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and April 14 and 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturday and April 18.

Mark your calendar to volunteer during the ninth annual Community Pride Clean Up day on April 25. The event will start at 9 a.m. in the Municipal Pool concession area and parking lot. Participants can pick up bags and gloves and head out to a green space of their choice or one will be assigned to them. This is a great community effort to pick up the trash in public parks and green spaces that is left behind by the winter winds. We wrap up by noon or sooner. Full garbage bags and white recycle bags can be left by park cans or at the end of trials for pick up.

Austin Youth Baseball registration is going on now through April 15. You can register at our office or South Central Athlete, 110 Fourth Avenue NE.

A child is eligible to play if they are between the ages of 7 and 15 by June 1, 2015. All participants are guaranteed at least three full innings of play each game. Players will not be notified of their team until at least May 25. Please do not call South Central or any of the board members about teams until after May 25. All games start at 6 p.m. and will play two games per week. Requirements for participating in Austin Youth Baseball are your child arrives five minutes prior to practice, and 15 minutes prior to games.

Attendance is mandatory unless the coach is notified that the player will not be there. Registration cost is $30 per player. Maximum of $50 per family during the sign-up period.

Anyone who registers after the cut-off of April 15, will be charged late registration of $35 per child with no family discount. This fee will be accepted only if there is available space in their division.

Other dates to look for in April are:

•April 10: our summer brochure should come home with students from school.

•April 24: Arbor Day – plant a tree. Spruce Up Austin will plant three trees.

•April 25-26: Free Austin All Stars Baseball tryouts for U12, U13 and U14 at Todd Park South Complex.

•April 25: Community Pride Day, volunteer to pick up trash in parks and public places.

•April 27: Deadline for Adult Softball and Adult Kickball team registration.

•April 29: Mandatory meeting for Adult Softball team Managers.

Information on the above items can either be picked up in the Park and Recreation office, found on the city website or our Facebook page.

If you are interested in men’s and co-ed softball, co-rec kickball or sand volleyball those registration deadlines are coming up so get your teams together.

Information on all leagues can be found on the city website below and like us on Facebook. You will need to have your entry fee, roster and player fees paid for by 5 p.m. on the respective deadlines, paid at the Park & Recreation Office.

Have you ever given it a thought to join the Friends of the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center?

The benefits of being a member include the semiannual newsletter, an invitation to the Friends Annual Meeting, $5 off each child’s fee for all summer adventure programs, $5 off tickets to the Thanksgiving Feast, members-only bus tour field trips, members-only events and classes for youth and families at the Nature Center, an opportunity to give a one-year gift membership to a non-member and an opportunity to support and promote environmental education programming. A membership can make a great gift to give, check it out.

If you are interested in renting an hour of ice we will have ice into April so call our office for available hours. We have had birthday parties or get together with friends and family for some ice skating.

Did You Know: 100 mature park trees intercept 538,700 gallons of rainfall annually, reducing the need for storm water controls? (Source: Center for Urban Forest Research)

Liking us on Facebook “Austin Park & Recreation Department, Austin MN” gives you updates. The City of Austin website is at www.ci.austin.mn.us for more Department info. Park & Recreation Office; 121 4th Avenue NE.