RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Disgraceful park reflects what city thinks TO THE EDITOR: Over the Fourth of July holiday, I took my niece and nephews to Simpson Park on Liberty Street and was appalled at the current condition of this once fairly decent park. Not only is it an aesthetic eyesore, but numerous safety hazards make this place an accident waiting to happen. The park is surrounded by a rusty, dated, chain-link fence that serves no purpose and is falling down in numerous locations. The dysfunctional gates are locked shut and are falling apart as well. Landscaping consists of several poorly pruned oak trees, two stumps, and a dead, branchless, tree trunk chopped off at about 10 feet high -- not exactly an inviting green space. The tennis court is in desperate need of being resurfaced, and the dated chain-link fence is falling apart even worse than that surrounding the playground. Weeds can be seen coming up through the court, and there are cracks running throughout the entire surface. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this "park" is the condition of the playground equipment itself. When we arrived there were swings partially dismantled from the set, and were hanging with just one chain. All of the climbing equipment is outlined by old, rotten 4x4 posts that are lying on the ground loose, broken, and covered with jagged edges. The few remaining rungs on the domed-shape metal climbing set, as unbelievable as it may sound, is literally held together with duct tape. My sister even found a piece of wood that had flipped over, exposing several rusty nails that were now pointing straight up. She took the initiative to throw it in the trash, but it amazes me how this kind of thing can go unnoticed. Does the city routinely perform any sort of inspection of the grounds, or the equipment? Is there anything budgeted for upkeep, regular maintenance and landscaping? I understand there has been some discussion to explore the possibility of a new swimming pool for the City of Washington. Perhaps before there is any action on this idea, some time and money could be devoted to turning this blighted corner into the type of park the City of Washington deserves. Demolishing the filled-in pool area, and its poolhouse, as well as doing something about the "grass" basketball court might also be an option. Other simple solutions such as installing a new, black, rust-proof fence, planting new trees and shrubs, a new brightly painted sign, and a general overhaul of the equipment would be a vast improvement over the current design. If money is the issue, private donations could be an option. If the town can raise enough for an annual fireworks show, then why not a park it can be proud of. I, for one, would gladly contribute. With all the boasting Washington does about the overall quality of life it can provide its residents and newcomers, there is nothing "quality" about this park provided by the city. Right now, Simpson Park is a disgrace and in desperate need of some attention. I challenge the city council to walk through this park and prove me wrong on anything mentioned above. Civic space like Simpson Park reflectswhat a city thinks about its residents and how much it's willing to invest into the quality of life for everyone in town -- black, white, Hispanic, or Asian. With the current state of Simpson Park, the city is essentially saying, "We don't care." The residents of Washington, both adults and children, deserve better.
MIKE BARRY Washington, D.C. (Part-time Washington, Ga., resident)
|
for larger version       |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
