On Vacation

I'm off on vacation for the next couple of weeks, but I'll be home to tend this space again at the end of May. Y'all enjoy springtime in the park while I'm gone.

Graffiti

There has been a strong uptick of graffiti in the park over the last months. It is all through the forest trails, on water fountains, posts, anything that doesn't move. It's always something of a problem, but I'm seeing a lot more of it lately.

I asked Larry Franks at Parks about it. He promptly got a police gang expert out to look at it, and it doesn't seem to be gang related, which is the good news. (And I hadn't noticed any change in the usage of the park over that period, so that makes sense.)

The bad news is that means that some of our regular park users have a destructive bent. So please remember (and remind anyone you see with a spray can) to take only pictures and leave only footprints. We could do without the litterers as well.

Music in the Parks

Di Anne Price plays the Shell

My friend Mark Jones reposted some news of bygone days from the Commercial Appeal.

100 years ago: 1910

"Main Street retailers have petitioned the Park Commission to have a band concert every Saturday night in Court Square. The businessmen point out that music will induce people to come downtown and will improve business Saturday night."

How lucky are we to have the Shell doing the same thing for Overton Park? Tons new people have been introduced to the beauty of our park thanks to the free concert series at the Shell.

Please remember, though, that the concerts aren't really free. The Levitt foundation is making a donation for the first five years, but that only covers about 25% of the current season. If we want this great music to continue, we need to support our shell and make a donation to help them get great bands.

This year's season starts May 21st. Come on out, bring the blanket and a group of friends, and put something in the bucket.

By the way, don't you miss the Park Commission? I wish we still had that layer of protection for our city parks. The recreation opportunities they provided (concerts in a bandstand, athletic leagues, etc.) were a real benefit to the city.

Coming up on Mud Island

I just got the following list of events from the Mud Island publicity people. They didn't say who the band is for Rock-n-Romp, but what a great place to have it.

Call 901-576-7241 or visit www.mudisland.com for more information about any of these.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

River Run Race & Scavenger Hunt

12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Admission: Free

Travel from Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico hunting for items, solving trivia, and performing crazy tasks in Mud Island River Park’s River Run Race & Scavenger Hunt!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Sleep Out on the Mississippi

Join us for Sleep Out on the Mississippi at the beautiful Mud Island River Park. Campers sleep underneath the stars next to Ole Man River. Just bring yourself to enjoy this unique camping experience. We provide a 12’x12’ tent, dinner, live entertainment, recreational activities, campfire with marshmallows, and breakfast. Just bring your sleeping bag. Advanced reservations required due to limited space.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Rock-n-Romp

2:00 pm. – 5:00 p.m.

Admission: Free (Adults: $5 Donation to Rock-n-Romp requested)

Rock-n-Romp is a backyard party consisting of local bands and musicians playing music for parents and their kids! It’s all about exposing kids to live music in a kid-friendly way.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Funday Sunday – Father’s Day Olympics

11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Admission: Free

Celebrate Father’s Day at Mud Island River Park by participating in the Father’s Day Olympics! Games of strength, agility, and speed for father and child teams of all ages

Businessman Joe Royer talks about the importance of parks

The finish line of the Outdoors, Inc. Canoe and Kayak Race

Joe Royer, local kayaker, bicyclist, and co-owner of Outdoors, Inc., has written a wonderful guest editorial this week in the Flyer about how well-maintained parks contribute to the overall success of a city. Joe has spent decades fighting an uphill battle in Memphis to promote outdoor activities and the parks that host them.

Many city leaders do not see this as one of the important issues in Memphis, and it is their short-sightedness that lands us at the bottom of so many negative national lists. The RDC, for example, is in charge of our riverfront, but they seem to be purely interested in large, land-based capital projects, not in improving access for watersports. The river is Memphis' only wilderness adventure, and we should be promoting it and making access to it easy. Instead, the RDC closes boat ramps, wants to rip-rap the cobblestones, and is constructing a huge new flagship boat facility to serve now-defunct companies while making no provision for smaller watercraft.
photo by Joe Royer of Elmore Holmes on a wintry morning

Memphis has had a similar short-sightedness about our parks, letting developers and city building projects nibble away our parks bit by bit. This is why it is so crucial to get an easement that will protect all the remaining open green space in Overton Park. I have hopes that Mayor Wharton will make positive strides in both maintenance and protection for our parks. We'll see what priorities his proposed budget will contain.

T.O. Fuller Threatened -- Online Petition to Sign

The state budget cuts are threatening to close the golf course at T.O. Fuller State Park here in the Memphis area. It's the only other area park I know of that has an active park friends group that does maintenance and projects, and it would be a shame for the state to cripple one of our important area parks. As at Overton Park, the friends of T.O. Fuller feel that the park gets attention and maintenance because of the presence of the golf course. I would fear for Overton if we lost our golf course, and they fear that the closing of their course is a prelude to the closing of their park.

Middle and East Tennessee have many beautiful state parks, and it feels like a West Tennessee state park in an African American area tends to get less attention and care from far-flung state officials than some of the more flagship parks in tourist areas. Please rally around and take a minute or two to show support for an area park. There's an online petition to sign on the Friends of T.O. Fuller website.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!