By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–The Helena Parks and Recreation Department recently made some noticeable upgrades to their department website.

The new website features a much cleaner look compared to the old website and is much easier to navigate.

The website homepage features a slideshow with various youth team pictures and a top menu with the options to choose home, registration and account information, a list of sports, a list of schedules and standings, activities and frequently asked questions and contact information.

Helena Parks and Recreation Director Jason Powers had thought about upgrading the website for some time, and after a month of working with software company Jarvis, the website has now gone live.

“Those who want to rent a pavilion used to have to go to the city of Helena website and now you no longer have to,” said Powers. “We have all the sports listed and current information related to each sport. We have links to schedules, directions to the various facilities and parks we go to and more.”

Powers said he is encouraging people to create an account that will then allow them to register for different sports and make payments.

Other features of the new website include information on the parks, community center, amphitheater and inclement weather information.

When discussing how easy the website is to navigate, Powers also said the new website is smartphone-friendly.

“This website is very smartphone-friendly and easy to use,” said Powers. “We encourage people to bookmark this on their smartphone and use it.”

The first youth football games for Helena will begin Aug. 31 and soccer games will begin Sept. 12.

Helena Parks and Recreation is also still looking for one to two part-time public address announcers for youth football games in Helena this fall. The possible night commitments would be Monday, Tuesday or Thursday from 6-9:30 p.m. If anyone is interested they should contactPowers at jpowers@cityofhelena.org or at 620.2877. This would be a paid position.

The new website can be found at Helenaparkandrec.org.