Elden F Gillespie Park

*** I don’t know much, but I know…***
The Elden F. Gillespie park is a very well used park by the community. It is located next to Sarah McGarvin intermediate school. The school shares the basketball courts, tennis court, and park with the community. I used to frequent this park for many years when I lived nearby.
Currently the park appears to be undergoing some major needed renovations. The park’s basket ball courts, tennis courts, and restrooms have been fenced off while the renovations are taking place. Over many years this park has been well used by the community, but it has seen a lot of neglect. The city has done little to maintain this park for many years. The grass was overgrown and unsightly. Trash can be seen left everywhere on the grass. The public restrooms are always locked.
I am very surprised that the community has not stepped up and said something to their representatives about the poor condition of this park. There are very nice single family homes in the surrounding area that would benefit from a nice CLEAN looking park. The people in the Windmill apartment complex or Cinnamon Creek apartment complex could also benefit from a nicely maintained park as well. Even Sarah McGarvin school could benefit from a nicely kept park.
Bottom line…
Why does this park look like shit? There may be little or no funding allocated for the maintenance for this park. Who knows?
Here’s what i do know. People who live nearby need to voice their opinion and speak up! Tell your city council that this is NOT acceptable! It is always easier to maintain something you have, instead of letting it go to shit and have to rebuild!
Here’s another biggy. Everyone who goes here needs to clean up after themselves! If everybody does their fair share and picks up their own trash the park wouldn’t look so dirty. If you see some trash, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to throw it away into a trash can.
The answer to this problem is NOT to go down the street to mile square park because you don’t want to get your hands dirty or you don’t want to deal with the problem. Remember, the community starts with the individual, like you and me.