Memphis parks not alone in craving TLC

The AP had a great article yesterday on how Congress is declining to fund maintenance and repairs for the National Mall. I keep saying that Overton Park is the park most seen by out of towners, given the zoo traffic (though Tom Lee also gets a lot of tourist traffic). Either park is an argument for putting a little more maintenance into the places that are the welcome mat for Memphis. Apparently, however, this problem is not confined to Memphis. You could argue that the National Mall is the welcome mat for our nation, and it, like Tom Lee, has damaged sod that is not fixed after large events. Like Overton Park, it is struggling for basic maintenance in these difficult budget times.

I'm thrilled that Rainbow Lake, unlike the Mall reflecting pool, will be cleaned up and repaired beginning today. Maybe we can make this a start on reclaiming the landscaping that George Kessler had in mind when he first laid out Overton Park. The grass has mostly stayed mowed this year, but a little more grooming and removal of both limbs and litter would make a vastly better impression in the mind of our visitors and raise the quality of life for daily park users.

Tom Lee in sad shape after Memphis in May

Joe Royer, a South Bluffs resident, sent out these photos of Tom Lee Park on Father's Day. Every year, Memphis in May blocks off Tom Lee from use for at least a month and leaves it in deplorable condition. With the greater number of people living downtown, Tom Lee is the only neighborhood park for many, as well as being one of the most visited parks by out of towners. It's a disgrace that the park is left in terrible shape for months every summer. Memphis in May takes in a huge amount of money, and they could at least clean up after themselves at the end of the month. Other cities have banned large events in their parks because the parks are too valuable to the city.

The Riverfront Development Corp., which manages downtown parks, does not have an email address listed on their website, but you can call them at 312-9190. If they hear from the public on this, it gives them more pull with the city to get something done.