There are things in this world that are very rare. Things like a concealed carry gun law that makes our world a safer place. Things like diet food that tastes good.

Another thing that is very rare is a political appointee who does an outstanding job and gets praise from all sides of the political aisle.

Meet Sue Black.

Black is the award-winning director of the Milwaukee County Parks. She presides over 15,000 acres of land that, collectively, may be the very best thing about living in Milwaukee. Nothing else comes close for class, diversity and cost to use. Nothing.

Black was recruited from the state park system by former Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. It may be either the best decision Walker ever made or the only good decision he ever made.

With continually decreasing levels of funding, Black has scrapped and scraped and tapped into creativity to raise both the profile and the level of attraction at the county parks.

In this time when the economy continues to slide down the toilet and we all seem to have fewer dollars to spend on recreation, let me suggest a long look at the attractions in our parks.

Everybody knows about the Boerner Botanical Gardens and the Domes and the wonderful county golf courses. But there are a bunch of other things to do and see in the parks that you might want to consider.

Go for a walk: Grab your honey or your kids and go for a walk. There are trees to climb, boulders to stand on and all kinds of animals and plants to see. Go to Grant Park for the Seven Bridges hiking trail. It will take your breath away.

The National Pastime: The Brewers are the best baseball team in the county but plenty of softball and T-ball games abound. Watch old guys play slow pitch and watch the ladies slide hard into home. Watch little kids learn which end of the bat to hold and how to swing hard in case you hit it. All of them will put a smile on your face.

Tennis: There are more tennis courts than you can shake a racket at. Many of them have been repaved and updated. You can almost find one open when you want to play. Or if you'd rather watch, go the Lakefront at McKinley Park and watch four guys over 70 years old play doubles. Your heart will beat a little louder when you watch these guys run to get a drop shot.

Music: All over the county there are free – I repeat, free – concerts all summer long. You can see everyone from the Milwaukee Symphony to Paul Cebar to Streetlife on stages in the parks. Jazz in the Park is a little hoity-toity for my taste but you can go to lots of other parks for great free music.

Swim or splash: You can find pools, well-designed water parks and splash pads all over the county. And one of the most amazing things of all is that, even though these are municipal facilities, they are kept very clean and well disciplined. It's an amazing achievement.

Learn something: The opportunities for learning run the gamut from golf and tennis to birds and bees (I mean really, birds and bees). The Wehr Nature Center in Whitnall Park is an absolute marvel to behold and offers classes that are sure to teach you something you didn't already know.

Ride a bike: You can cruise or you can mountain bike on tough trails. The fresh air and exercise are spectacular.

Let your dog run: The dog parks offer a chance to let your dog off leash and get plenty of exercise and fun with other dogs. Plus it's a great way to meet new people with whom you share an interest.

This is just a sample of the incredible resource we have. Credit must go to the staff and to the various citizen support groups that offer so much to the parks.

But the bulk of the credit has to go to Sue Black. Let's hope she continues to bridge the political wars that roil the county.