Back in August of 2004, we had a new park open in OKC, the first new regional park in 20 years. I visited this park today. I must say, I was extremely impressed. The park is located at 4210 SW 119! I highly encourage you to visit it sometime.

The park has two major ponds, and will have fishing soon (Summer 2005).
http://www.okc.gov/Parks/southlakes/gallery/lake.jpg

The event center was extremely impressive. One of the nicer event centers I've seen.

http://www.okc.gov/Parks/southlakes/gallery/event_center.jpg

The athletic fields and aboretum haven't been developed yet, but they should be nice once developed.

The soccer complex and basketball courts were quite impressive.
http://www.okc.gov/Parks/southlakes/gallery/bkb.jpg

The playground made the playground at Will Rogers look sick.
http://www.okc.gov/Parks/southlakes/gallery/playground.jpg

The picnic tables and pavilions looked very modern and nice.
http://www.okc.gov/Parks/southlakes/gallery/picnic.jpg

I hope that in the near future, we can improve all of our city parks, and possibly build a few more new ones.

I think Proactive Volunteer's idea of MAPS for Neighborhoods, should include money for improving our neighborhood and regional parks. The playground equipment at many of our neighborhood parks could use improving. Flower Park on Classen could use flowers!

Tunring our city into a large "park", would go a long ways in improving both quality of life and the overall appearance of our city.

I say let's propose a "MAPS for Neighborhoods" following MAPS for Kids.

Looks good. I will pay it a visit soon.

Why on earth is it out... on the EDGE of the suburbs? Nobody even lives west of I 44.

Why on earth is it out... on the EDGE of the suburbs? Nobody even lives west of I 44.

Really? Then where are all those people in Mustang and on the western edge of Will Rogers living?

Oh come on now... this thing is between Portland and Meridian, and Mustang is out by Sara Road, and I think Mustang has it's own park off of 74th Street anyway. Those people on the EAST side of Will Rogers, are first of all in a ghetto, and second of all bordering another park... Wilson Park? Something like that.

I think Proactive Volunteer's idea of MAPS for Neighborhoods, should include money for improving our neighborhood and regional parks. The playground equipment at many of our neighborhood parks could use improving. Flower Park on Classen could use flowers!

Tunring our city into a large "park", would go a long ways in improving both quality of life and the overall appearance of our city.

I say let's propose a "MAPS for Neighborhoods" following MAPS for Kids.

Patrick, please drive by Flower Garden Park and see their landscape project. The neighborhood association applied for and received a grant to plant trees and shrubs and a flowerbed in the park. I can see this project from Classen.

MAPS for Neighborhoods!!! This is doable!!

Patrick, please drive by Flower Garden Park and see their landscape project. The neighborhood association applied for and received a grant to plant trees and shrubs and a flowerbed in the park. I can see this project from Classen.

MAPS for Neighborhoods!!! This is doable!!

Thanks Proactive for letting me know. I'll have to check it out. A floweerbed would add a lot of appeal to that park, and hopefully finally erase the laughs that come with its name.

I love to see neighborhood associations step in. I think many of our problems could be helped a lot by simply having stronger neighborhood associations. That might even lessen the impact of rental houses on a neighborhood.

The neighborhood also planted a lot of trees. Now remember, this project is only maybe two years old this spring so there is lots of room for growth.

The federal government is cutting all of the cities CDBG funding across the US. This year the funding was cut around 5%. This totaled to $50,000 that has been going to neighborhood assoications for capacity building. Next year the cuts are rumored to be 50%.

In my opinion, this is a horrendous thing to do to neighborhoods in OKC as they they were only receiving $330,000 out of a $6 million dollar allottment.

Without this funding, Neighborhood Alliance, Possibilities, Inc., Community Action Agency and other capacity building non-profits will find it hard to continue their capacity training in our neighborhoods. Grant makers are already over burdened with funding requests, so it is questionable if funding will be able to be identified to replace the CDBG allotment.

These cuts could also effect the Skirvin, Dell and the Native American Cultural Center if the citizens do not work with our City government and send letters to every one of our US Congressmen asking them to not drastically decrease the CDBG funding.

The United States provides foreign countries with better economic development funding, health care and education funding than they do our own country.

So please, help our neighborhoods and our city by writting every one of our US Congressmen and our President and ask them to not cut CDBG funding.