Ambivalent over Orchardly Park update
The City of Oakwood has conducted a grand opening of the newly reconstructed Orchardly Park yesterday on June 30. Living only a block away from Orchardly Park, my family and I have watched the reconstruction with increasing ambivalence, tinged with hostility. Of course, the updating of the eighteen-year old park playground equipment is understandable. Our kids give such equipment hard use. Eighteen years is, in fact, a fairly good run these days and demonstrates well the durability of the present equipment. Most of it remains in a very usable state of repair and could have easily been maintained for more years. City planners, however, evidently decided a complete update would improve the playground considerably. But is what they have done an improvement?
The results of the still incomplete reconstruction are problematic. Instead of a tastefully updated community park, we are presented with a crowded display of ostentatiously “modern” playground equipment. In this age of global warming and skyrocketing oil prices, when we need more green, not less, the new playground builders destroyed grass and greenery and replaced them with rubber and metal. Moreover, the sheer marvel of the ridiculous new playground, with its towering theme-park-like spires and its state-of-the-art water fountain, is bound to attract more and more visitors to the playground from all over the Dayton area. None of us is against visitors, but this is supposed to be a community park, nestled in our neighborhood, surrounded by our houses. It is not a regional attraction gated off from the community, surrounded by parking lots, and supporting itself with ticket sales. Has anyone considered the increased traffic this new park may bring to the area - and along with the traffic, the parking problems, noise, decreased air quality from automobile exhaust, and danger to children? I suspect the quality of life in this part of Oakwood will be negatively affected by the reconstruction of Orchardly Park.
Like all things, this park, too, will soon age and grow obsolete. The metal will tarnish and lose its luster of newness; the plastic and rubber will decay and fade under the sun; the equipment will break down. In eighteen years, perhaps sooner, the city planners will have to consider another update. What will they do then? Perhaps they will do what should have been done in 2008: they will create a green, healthy place for the children and families of the community to enjoy safely.
Matthew Adkins, Ph.D.
Oakwood
See Orchardly Park Master Plan in photo gallery >
Orchardly Park needs name change
In light of the Grand Re-Opening of Orchardly Park, there should be one more innovative change… the park’s name. Wonderly Park was its original moniker, named after Jacob Wonderly, a fruit farmer who owned a pretty sizable part of the southeastern section of Oakwood and whose peach orchards took up a large part of the land 100-plus years ago, including the park.
How did anyone come up with the less-than-bright re-name Orchardly Park? There ain’t no such word or name. The streets of Orchard and Wonderly border the north and south side of the park respectively. Did someone feel Orchard was being unfairly left out? What about Delaine, the third street that borders the park on its east side? Why wasn’t the park re-named Delorchard? or Wonderlaine Park? Taking the last two letters of Mr. Wonderly’s name and tacking it on to the rear end of Orchard is pretty trite. Why don’t we just take John H. Patterson’s name from Patterson Road, borrow the last two letters and rename Shaforon Park?
Should the park have its name changed to a more dignified title or not? I’d like to see it changed back to Wonderly Park myself. How about you?
Lance Winkler
The Oakwood Register
oakwoodregister@aol.com
To the mayor and lovely community of Oakwood
It was quite a shock to my young daughter and I when we discovered my middle aged wife had suddenly passed during the night. Captain Lantz , Officer Liston, and (another woman EMT/ Paramedic?, I did not catch her name) immediately responded to our cry for help.
Their professionalism and courtesy were not only exemplary, they displayed genuine concern. In their profession, emotional detachment and callousness is often accumulated as a shield to guard their own mental health. I sensed only genuine sympathy from them.
Days later, Captain Lantz again visited us, concerning himself with our welfare and offered emotional support. Oakwood is very lucky to have such wonderful men and women in their emergency services. My Daughter and I will never forget their thoughtfulness during our time of crisis.
I would also like to thank our neighbors for their concern during our loss. It is truly a pleasure to be a citizen of Oakwood.
Donald and Alyia McKinney
In loving memory of Colleen McKinney
September 14, 1960 - June 23, 2008
Relay For Life promises food, fun, fundraising and ceremony
It’s time again for the Relay For Life in Oakwood, held this year on July 11-12 at Oakwood High School Mack Hummon Stadium. 2007 was the first year for the Relay in Oakwood, and we raised over $65,000 for cancer research and support in the area, far surpassing our goal of $45,000. This year will be even bigger, with live music, games for kids, food, cornhole, and much more.
The Relay For Life is an all-night American Cancer Society fundraiser, where teams of friends, family, and co-workers take turns walking around the track for 18 hours, symbolizing the long and difficult fight against cancer. The first lap is the Survivor Lap, where we invite all cancer survivors to kick off our event and be celebrated for their fight against this horrible disease. At dark the luminaria ceremony helps us to remember those we’ve lost and honor those who have fought and are still fighting.
We light luminarias with the names of those touched by cancer, and we read all of their names. If you are a survivor, caretaker, or someone who wants to help Oakwood beat this disease, please join us at 6 p.m. on July 11.
For more info please visit www.oakwoodrelay.com
Ted O’Connor
Relay For Life of Oakwood Co-chair
Oakwood
An idea for our stimulation checks....
We have a dream—a dream of a better world that we all have the opportunity to contribute to THIS year. In the next few months, we will receive money we didn’t expect—we are going to get a check from the government to “stimulate” our economy.
We have a great idea of how to stimulate our economy—let’s get rid of this resource-draining thing called cancer! Cancer takes not only our money but more importantly our best people with it. We are ready for a brave new world-a world without cancer—how about you?!
If each of you donate one percent of your “stimulation check” to a life-changing cancer-ending cause (only $10-$20), we can indeed stimulate America to a new life, a new world—a world about doing something for others and leaving the world a better place for our children. If you donate more, it may happen even sooner!
Many wonderful organizations could use your money to help them rid the world of cancer.
This summer and fall, our team, the Oakwood Carewalkers, is participating in several cancer fundraising events:
* The Oakwood Relay for Life 18-hour walk on July 11-12
(www.oakwoodrelay.com)
Team captain: Sandy Mudry
* The Chicago 3-Day 60-mile walk August 8-10
(www.the3day.org)
Team Captain: Mary Linzmeier
* Making Strides for Breast Cancer 5K walk on October 18th (www.makingstrides.acsevents.org)
Team Captain: Leigh Ann Fulford
These are just three of many cancer fundraising events, and we are just one of MANY teams. However you do it, we hope you will support this dream—a world without cancer for our children.
We really and truly believe there is a cure out there just like the Wright Brothers believed they could make a machine fly 100 years ago. People thought they were crazy but look where we are today!
Please consider leaving a legacy with just a small percentage of your stimulation check. It’s the gift that will not only last a lifetime, it is a gift that will keep on giving and giving and giving…. We can’t think of a better way to stimulate the future for our children and their children!
Our very best wishes for a brighter future for all!
Leigh Ann Fulford
on behalf of The Oakwood Carewalkers
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July 1, 2008
Volume 17, No. 27
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