Aledo names first Parks & Rec Director
Aledo has hired its first Parks and Recreation Director.
Troy Blaser has been hired at the new Parks and Recreation Director to lead the city's parks and recreational programs. He officially began his role on January 2 and has already shown his passion for creating meaningful recreational opportunities for all residents.
Blaser is an Aledo native and graduated from Aurora University with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration. He has spent over 15 years enriching communities with innovative recreation programs. His career includes leadership roles with the City of Wilson Parks and Recreation, Nash County Parks and Recreation and the Town of Garner Parks and Recreation in North Carolina. He's won awards including the Young Professional Award from the North Carolina Recreation & Park Association and a leader in organizing youth sports, special events and community-wide initiatives.
Blaser will manage and expand the city's recreational offerings. 'I think there's a lot of potential here. The people want it,' he said. 'I had a great feeling about the role and this opportunity. I was excited to take it.'
One of his biggest priorities is overseeing the development of the Aledo Aquatics Center. This state-of-the-art facility will transform the city's recreational offerings, giving residents a place to gather, exercise and relax.
'It's exciting. It's an awesome opportunity for Aledo,' said Blaser. 'It's a beautiful looking facility. I grew up going to the old swimming pool, and the new facility is a great opportunity for our city.'
Blaser has experience in coordinating youth athletics programs, planning large-scale events like daddy-daughter dances and Halloween festivals, and served as a miniature train conductor for special community occasions.
'The right people are in place to make good things happen. We are looking to bring more tournaments to Aledo and give opportunities for kids to learn, play and grow,' said Blaser.
The new position was created from a collaborative effort among the City of Aledo, the Aledo Park District and the Mercer County Family YMCA. 'His addition to our staff perfectly captures the city's commitment to fostering partnerships that prioritize the well-being of our residents,' said Chris Hagloch, mayor of Aledo. 'We are excited to see Troy transform Aledo's recreational offerings. He will allow us to better serve our community.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
49ers' George Kittle Sends Hilarious Message About Brock Purdy
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The San Francisco 49ers made two key moves this offseason with two of their star players. Both George Kittle and Brock Purdy were rewarded with major contract extensions. Kittle received a lucrative four-year, $76.4 million deal to keep him in town. That deal might take him through the rest of his NFL career. As for Purdy, the 49ers' franchise quarterback got a five-year, $265 million deal from San Francisco. Despite trade rumors that started popping up about him, the two sides always wanted to work something out and were able to accomplish that goal. George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with Brock Purdy #13 after a touchdown during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with Brock Purdy #13 after a touchdown during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. Photo byWith the two players receiving major pay raises this offseason, Kittle spoke out and offered a lighthearted joke about his teammate's new contract. Read more: 49ers' Christian McCaffrey Speaks Out With Major Injury Update "He did get paid half a country, good for him," Kittle said. "He's buying everything from here on out. Hopefully, he's paying for the Halloween party this year, and it's not me and Juice anymore." Over the last three years, Purdy and Kittle have had a lot of success together. That seems likely to continue for the foreseeable future with both players locked up long-term. Last season, Purdy struggled a bit compared to what fans have come to know and expect from him. He played in 15 games and completed 65.9 percent of his pass attempts for 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. On the other hand, Kittle had another productive season at the tight end position. He racked up 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. Even at 31 years old, Kittle is still among the elite tight ends in the NFL and is one of the most consistent weapons any quarterback could ask to play with. Read more: Broncos Urged to Pursue Blockbuster Trade To Support Bo Nix It will be interesting to see what the upcoming 2025 season has in store for Purdy, Kittle, and the 49ers. San Francisco missed the playoffs last season after being in the Super Bowl the year before. Getting back to the playoffs and making a run will be their one and only goal. Clearly, these two stars are on the same page and are close friends. Kittle is happy for Purdy getting his new deal and vice versa. Hopefully, they can lead the 49ers back to contention and reward the franchise for believing in them with their massive new contracts. For more San Francisco 49ers and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Duke Reacts to Major Announcement Featuring Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Ahead of NBA Draft
Duke Reacts to Major Announcement Featuring Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Ahead of NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Duke Blue Devils had a dominant season in the ACC, capturing both the regular-season and conference tournament titles behind standout performances from freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach. Advertisement Now, following a heartbreaking Final Four loss to Houston in April, the trio is expected to hear their names called at the NBA draft on June 25 in Brooklyn. On Wednesday, it was announced that all three have been invited to the green room—reserved for top prospects and their families—to walk the stage and shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver when their names are called. They are three of the 13 players who received the prestigious invite thus far. On Wednesday morning, Duke's social media team celebrated the milestone with a post featuring a photo of the trio and the caption: '3 of 13.' Cooper Flagg is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Advertisement That outcome has been widely expected since the start of his freshman season at Duke, and with the Mavericks unexpectedly winning the draft lottery, it now seems all but certain he'll be the first name called. As for Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, there remains some uncertainty regarding their draft positions. However, both are widely viewed as lottery-caliber prospects, indicating they are likely to be selected within the top 14 picks. Duke Blue Devils stars Cooper Flagg (2) and Kon Knueppel (7).© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images All three played pivotal roles in Duke's successful season and fully embraced the team-first mentality preached by head coach Jon Scheyer. Despite knowing their individual stats might not be as prominent on a talent-loaded roster, they bought in—and the results followed. Advertisement The Blue Devils notched 35 wins, won the ACC,and reached the Final Four for the first time since 2022. Now, all three are poised to see their NBA dreams become reality in just a few weeks. Related: Cooper Flagg Makes Big Decision with Mavericks Ahead of NBA Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
D11 policy limits, bans transgender athletes
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs District 11 Board of Education has decided to pass a policy that would ban transgender athletes from playing on a sports team that matches their preferred gender. The policy, 'JBA Preserving Fairness and Safety in Sports,' was introduced during the first week of June by D11's Board Jason Jorgensen. The policy bans biologically male students from competing on athletic teams or sports designated as female, women or girls' sports, and biological female students from competing on any male, men's, or boys' sports. D11 Board of Education noted that the school district's interscholastic athletic teams or sports shall be designated based on biological sex: Male, men, or boys Female, women, or girls Coed, mixed, or open 'Allowing men and boys to compete against women and girls is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports,' the policy reads. The policy would also ban biological males from entering a women's locker room and biological women from entering a men's locker room. Check out the full policy here: JBA-Preserving-Fairness-and-Safety-in-Sports-1Download The policy passed with only one vote in opposition. 'These policies they do not help anyone,' said Director Julie Ott during the Board's June 11 meeting. 'They are not respectful of every parent because there are parents who are not here tonight because the parents don't want to out their own children, they cannot stand up for their children…' Ott voted in opposition and noted that the policy is disrespectful towards parents and students. 'It is not coming from hate. It is not coming from fear, it is not coming from any of those negatives,' said Director Sandra Banks. 'I want to be fair and to be able to be fair, maybe we need to change the conversation to where it is.' Earlier this year, School District 49 in El Paso County passed a similar policy and is suing Colorado to enact it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
