Why parks are important

Local parks are of great importance to our community. Parks provide a calm, soothing space where you can meet up with your friends and children can play safely.

Parks are often taken for granted by those that don’t understand their importance. Parks are where many childhood memories and friendships begin. Most people can vividly remember the pleasant and cheerful activities and encounters they had at pubic parks. And that includes during sporting events.

In El Dorado Springs, the City owns and maintains three public parks. Each has playground equipment and a shelter house.

The Park is located downtown. It not only has the bandstand, and walkways and park benches, but southwest of the Main area is the playground, possibly the first in El Dorado Springs – and there has always been some type of play equipment there.

The Ballpark Complex also boasts playground equipment located just south of the ball parks. The amount of equipment and quality of equipment has continued to improve through the past 40 years.

The newest and biggest of the city’s parks is the Southside Park located on Long Lane off of Park Street.  The southside of the park contains the shelter house and some play equipment. The northside is open for playing ball.

There might be people in this area that aren’t aware of the parks and that they are free to the public.

This past Monday afternoon two of the parks were being utilized by children and watchful parents.

The maintenance of these parks falls to the city to make sure the grounds are clean, safe and well maintained. That includes repairing equipment, and utilities, weed eating and mowing, etc.

The city parks have a budget of around $90,000. In the case of the City Park, that also includes the maintenance of the community building, the Spring Basin, the fishpond and the benches, etc.

When was the last time you went to a park? You don’t have to swing or slide (you can if you want to). Take yourself, take your kids or grandkids – take a lunch to be eaten in the shelter house. Enjoy the day. Take a little vacation right here in El Dorado Springs.

PS -I know the Lions Club is raising money to improve the Lions Club Park. There is some play equipment at Grace Church on the Corner of Broadway and St. James. My grandkids are well acquainted with it. That is the first place my Louisiana grandkids go when they start their “Park Tour.”