May is highlighted this year as "Parks Month."
We go to area parks to walk in silence or mingle with friends, enjoy a baseball game, horseshoe game, basketball or soccer game. Others may enjoy fishing, boating or swimming. You may enjoy a lunch, family reunion or an evening cookout. Perhaps hiking and finding a cave to explore may be your thing, or just allowing your children safe playtime on playground equipment.
Over the past years, Decatur has planned and established several parks in our town for our citizens' enjoyment. Decatur is fortunate to have a park system that provides all of the above and much more.
We have a total of seven parks in Decatur. The names of parks are: Edmiston Park, where you can enjoy baseball and softball games; McCollum Memorial Park, where you can enjoy a small private picnic; Veterans Park, where you can walk on the track, watch soccer games or enjoy a large playground area (and public restrooms are available); Royce Johnson Memorial Park, which is an excellent area for picnics and cookouts; the old City Park, where our swimming pool is located -- it has plenty of room for a game of basketball, tennis, horseshoes and an impromptu game of baseball or soccer with family; Crystal Lake Park off Highway 59, north of town, where you can fish, boat and swim -- this lake is supported by the Army Corp of Engineers; and Compton's Ridge Park, located at Crystal Lake south of Arkansas Highway 102, where you can fish, bird watch, hike in the bluffs and explore the caves.
All of our parks are maintained by our street department. New signs identifying these parks with their park names have been installed. The City Park sign is ordered and will be installed next week. All of these parks are wonderful locations for your pleasure and can now be located easily.
Our parks are open to the public. Please remember, no overnight camping is permitted in any of the City Park System parks and littering is against the law. Remember, too, that all dogs must be on a leash.
Your city council, in conjunction with city staff, is working on many projects. Some of the projects include: opening the swimming pool at City Park, scheduled for June 1; a farmers' market and community garden; additional playground equipment at Royce Johnson Memorial Park is ordered; a grant application has been submitted for additional sidewalks to be built from Arkansas Highway 102 at the middle school entrance, east to Bredehoeft Road, then south to Stadium Street, then west on Stadium Street to the high school; a sidewalk from Rooster Street to Stadium Street will be built too; applying for a grant to build a large walking trail around Veterans Park through a Blue and You grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield; grant money is being requested to continue work on a personnel elevator for City Hall to make the second floor functional; a new soccer field for the youth program; and many more.
Your Decatur Chamber of Commerce is in full swing, making plans for our annual Decatur BBQ.
City committees that are functional today are: Library; Planning and Zoning; Parks; Cemetery; Economic Development; and Historical. Anyone interested in serving Decatur is welcome to help us make a difference.
... about Town for the month of June will highlight our city pool.
Ways to stay connected with local news and events are to read the Westside Eagle Observer newspaper and check the City's website at www.decaturarkansas.com. Your may also email me at [email protected] and follow my Facebook page.
My personal prayer is that God blesses each of you.
Bob Tharp is Decatur's mayor. He may be contacted at the emai address listed above. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 05/06/2015