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I've always heard of the Alcatraz swims but never thought I'd actually do one. About two months ago, my friend Corvin — a determined athlete who is losing both his sight and hearing due to Usher Syndrome — asked me to guide him for the Escape from the Rock (Alcatraz) duathlon. Impulsively, I agreed to guide him for the 1.5-mile swim leg. About two seconds after I sent the email, it hit me that I’d just volunteered to swim from Alcatraz, in shark-infested waters, with extremely strong currents, tied to another person. Does this qualify as temporary insanity?

There’s a joke about the milk bottle game at Coney Island: A terrible storm swept through and flattened the entire amusement park; nothing was left standing — except those milk bottles.

- Submit Datebook items to [email protected] or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Entries are subject to editing, and publication is not guaranteed.

Natural beauty, open spaces, and history are just a few reasons why we love our parks. The sense of stepping into the past or the thrill of pushing one’s limits with Mother Nature are feelings hard to describe or put a price on, but for generations it has been these feelings that have kept our parks alive.