There will be plenty more smiling kids in the Detroit area as numerous parks around the city have been re-opened and made safe for kids to play. Detroit is an area not usually known for much positive news, with a lot of its problems being much larger than any one group of people can solve on their own.
Despite the bigger problems, local groups and church leaders in the area decided to to take control of almost 70 public parks. They made the parks a priority as one sign of hope and something young kids could look forward to. It was never believed that so many parks could have been re-opened, but the ministries forged on to ensure that this dream became a reality.
The Adopt-A-Park program was revamped last year under the Mike Duggan administration, and even though it had existed under his predecessors, it lacked vision and guidance. Under the revamped program, many organizations such as churches, business, book clubs, and community organizations teamed up to help. Any group that adopted a park had to commit to three things: 1. To cut the grass every two weeks or less; two, 2. Remove all trash from the park; and 3. Ensure that edges and weeds were trimmed. These three things must be done, whether summer, spring, or fall.
Each park is assessed by the city every other week and scored publicly on their responsibilities. Hence the aim is to have the best-kept parks and a sense of pride amongst the persons who are taking care of these various parks.
While the program is new, the existence of groups taking care of parks has been going on for a while. For example, local residents have long been taking care of Ramsay Park in Grandmont so much so that a man who lives close by and takes care of the park has been nicknamed “Mr Ramsay.”
The park reopening and the system in place has been well-received by everyone in the community. They see it as a necessary means for sustainability of the parks remaining open. Despite the gloom around the city’s bankruptcy, there is a glimmer of hope that is being spread by Duggan. In other cities, the resurrection of local parks may seem to be a minor achievement, but to the kids of Detroit, the re-opening of the parks means the world to them.
