The city park board is asking Wichitans for ideas on how to upgrade our parks and greenways. Among the ideas so far: dog parks, where mutts can run loose (isn’t that already being done in some neighborhoods?), indoor water parks, and more bike and walking paths.
Dog parks are fine, but what about cat parks? Think giant balls of yarn, scratch-post stations, designated fur ball-coughing areas.
Or how about a Haranguers’ Corner? This would be modeled on Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London, and enable anyone with strong opinions to rant at will. Kind of like this blog.
Other ideas here in my column.
Hey, WE Bloggers, have any serious or playful park ideas? Let’s hear them.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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39 Comments
Could they take them all to Greenburg and let them play with that giant ball of twine…?
How about a neo-con fundie corner, where all the neo-con fundies can gather, wring their hands, and plan their next step in taking over the world. It should only take up one tiny area of Joyland Amusement park.
Cats don’t need parks, they already own the world. Mine was telling me that humans were bred as a servant class with thumbs to open cans. He said they made a mistake giving us intelligence, that dumb servants don’t even know they’re servants.
Cats don’t need parks, they already own the world. Mine was telling me that humans were bred as a servant class with thumbs to open cans. He said they made a mistake giving us intelligence, that dumb servants don’t even know they’re servants.
I always thought walking and jogging parks should be established. Have a police station (small one) in it to establish security.
Have pathways, bike ways and generally a pedestrian park for the promotion of fitness. One could even put tennis courts, swimming pools and other activities there.
Maybe a good idea for moving a new main Library from downtown as people could have access to a fitness park along with the benefits a Library could offer.
Why not make use of some of the abandoned rail road track beds, and make hiking, biking, walking paths… There is a long one over in Missouri that follows an old rail line, that is just gorgeous!!
It even has small “rest area” type stopping points, with food, refreshments, restrooms, etc., along the way…
I want to see West Bank stage developed into a nice, grassy ampatheater. The land could be used as a nice picnic place by day and a concert stadium by night… it would make a great large gathering area for all kinds of events, not just concerts. Allow the public to “reserve” (for a fee) it for weddings, funerals, parties, church, boy scout camping, etc…
Chas
The CoW is already devloping two different “Rails to Trails” projects. One is out east from about 135 out to Rock/Webb and the other is out west from West Street to Goddard.
There is not too much more of an ideal that can be added to the list except for a Maze.It is kind of an old attraction that has been used in parks, public and private for centuries but it does have its appeal.
Oh Oh Oh… Wiseman, that reminds me…
Did you guys see that the religious right is blocking the construction of a “Stonehenge” type earth clock and calendar???
I WANT to see that one built, that will be so cool to take the kids to see how our earths orbit is predictable enough to track the time, days and years…
But of course, the churchies think it’s a Satan worshiping shrine. F Off Churchies.
It pisses me off that we can not have something like that to share with our children because of someone’s closed minded point of view.
Tie parks together with a series of paths using the River, major streams, and RR lines. This is done in other cities to great benefit.
The positive health effects of walking are well known. So, good walking paths – not way out in the county bu in town – will be good.
These can be established in riparian areas that are flood-prone; occassional inundation will not be a major problem. Ideally any improvements should be above the ‘5-year’ fflood line.
When I was at WSU I had access to Heskett but didn’t really use it a lot. However, I DID ‘wander’ the campus just about daily. We have relatively mild climate here – as long as there is shade for the summer and wind-breaks for winter we can be outside year-round.
I would add linear walkways along streets in town to facilitate walking between parking and attractions and simple ‘wandering around.’ Look, for example, at Commonwealth Avenue in Boston for a pedestrian-friendly environment. Also places to simply sit, relax, and ‘commune with nature.’
This falls into our idea Ben about closing Lewis between WaterWalk and the Arena, allowing for a nice, grassy (in some areas) brick, walk way that no cars are on…
Tony – I think the problem with the ’stonehenge’ thing s that it is being done with PRIVATE mony. ow, if we could get a tax passed to pay for it our resident ‘libertarian’ would be all for it!
lewis … and I would also block the brick streets in Old Town during ‘use hours.’ Open for deliveries between 4AM-10AM only.
Dam thoes private citizens for trying to make our city better…
;^)
I would also put a Pedestrian stop light across 2nd and Douglass…
yep
By the way – cats ARE useful. Every dog should have a chew toy!
;^)
And remember, Ben,the taco shops need a source of meat!
If we have bicycle paths, pedestrian paths, and jogger paths, why can’t we have motorcycle paths? Someplace where motorists can’t run over us.
Interesting questio XXX. However, I doubt that it would be doable. A bike path, etc, does not require a lot of width, length, etc, and can be blended in with other park settings. Motorcycles really are motor vehicles.
As a former biker and now a small-car driver I can relate. I had to dodge the murderous idiots and, compared to the suburban assault vehicles out there, I still do.
I think the answer might be better enforcement of right-of-way and also make the penalty for killing someone a LOT more severe.
Perhaps a vehicle weight restriction on certain roads? I doubt my Civic is as big a threat to you as a Hummer.
Pistol ranges!
Has anyone said Pistol Ranges yet?
Indoors or outdoors ranges?
Nathan – while I recognize that as a recreation I tend to see it as more a private-sector activity. Also, for a number of reasons, I would tend to favor them indoors.
Isn’t there a placedown on Pawnee – Bullet Stop or something?
Nice combination park would be a Pistol Range Cat park.
There’s so many stray cats running loose now, might as well kill 2 cats with one stone.
Cheney runs a nice public out door range.
It can be done.
However, I think a semi indoor/outdoor range would be perfect.
I’ll defer to you on that nathan since I am really not knowledgeable on them. I suspect an outdoor range works best ‘out yonder’ rather than in the city.
True, the problem would be the noise.
Have to be an indoor range then…
Oh well, I can dream.
It is better than paying 8 dollars an hour at the Bullet Stop.
I first visited Wichita’s Riverside Park with my parents in about 1948. I believe Wichita’s only ZOO was there at that time. If somebody knows otherwise, please correct me.
In any case, I have two suggestions for our city parks.
1) Remove all of the worthless, runty Bradford Pear trees, better known as “tree on a stick,” from city parks and public rights-of-way.
Replace these worthless Pear trees with the ageless, virtually undestructable, deciduous BLACK OAK TREE or whatever variety is best for Wichita.
The grandfather of Wichita Oak trees is located about half mile east of East High School, south of Douglas about five blocks, near an alley. In my opinion and others, this tree is the most majestic tree in Wichita. It towers perhaps 100 feet in height and provides an umbrella canopy over a large area of its neighborhood. In the fall, it drops hundreds of acorns to be carried off by squirrels to far distances to start the next generation of Oak trees.
2) My second suggestion is to create small “political parks,” a concept I have seen used in a few other cities. In these small “political parks,” all political candidates would be allowed to install their own political signs. Rules would be posted in the park regarding size, length of time, permissable language, removing, etc. Also perhaps anyone interested would be allowed to stand on a soap box and speak on any issues he wishes.
I first visited Wichita’s Riverside Park with my parents in about 1948. I believe Wichita’s only ZOO was there at that time. If somebody knows otherwise, please correct me.
In any case, I have two suggestions for our city parks.
1) Remove all of the worthless, runty Bradford Pear trees, better known as “tree on a stick,” from city parks and public rights-of-way.
Replace these worthless Pear trees with the ageless, virtually undestructable, deciduous BLACK OAK TREE or whatever variety is best for Wichita.
The grandfather of Wichita Oak trees is located about half mile east of East High School, south of Douglas about five blocks, near an alley. In my opinion and others, this tree is the most majestic tree in Wichita. It towers perhaps 100 feet in height and provides an umbrella canopy over a large area of its neighborhood. In the fall, it drops hundreds of acorns to be carried off by squirrels to far distances to start the next generation of Oak trees.
2) My second suggestion is to create small “political parks,” a concept I have seen used in a few other cities. In these small “political parks,” all political candidates would be allowed to install their own political signs. Rules would be posted in the park regarding size, length of time, permissable language, removing, etc. Also perhaps anyone interested would be allowed to stand on a soap box and speak on any issues he wishes.
Pistol ranges…? and Cats…?
Now you’re talking
To EAGLE Opinion staff: I just noticed another double posting above from me. Couldn’t your “mindless robot” check be modified somehow to stop this time-waster which also usually results in a double-post?
JWink – I disagree about the pear tres; I have some very nice ones in my yard. I also, however, have oak, maple, cottonwood, hedge, mimosa, redbud, and mulberry. I think there is a place for ALL of them. I would add evergreens; probably specially red cedar.
The idea would be shade and windbreak. Also ornamental.
I think an interesting thing might be to induce garden stores to ‘adopt’ certain parks or parts thereof. Think of a beautiful garden area with a sign “Courtesy Acme Landscaping” on it. I cannot think of better advertising.
I would be okay with a Cat ‘n’ Pistol range concept – as long as the cats were also armed and allowed to shoot back.
I know that my two cats would be more than a match for most of the NRA types on intelligence alone, and they certainly are quicker on their feet.
There is some money to be made here – I am betting on my cats.
Easy money.
At UCLA we had a “free speech” area where anything goes. This is not to say the we should not respect freedom of speech in general; simply that when we go to a park for a picnic we usually want peace not politics. However, at that location anyone could haranrue on anything. It was often amusing; hellfire preachers sometimes, etc.
The nice thing about it was that a person could go there and be ‘intertained’ or not go there and have peace and quiet.
Shotgun best for cats, no aiming necessary.
Republank,
“Shotgun best for cats, no aiming necessary.”
WOW! Very impressive! Republank, the fearless “big game” hunter(sic) wants to kill some defenseless cats.
Cats sleep most of the time, so Republank might be able to do it.
Nathan,”Cheney runs a nice public out door range.
It can be done.
However, I think a semi indoor/outdoor range would be perfect.”
You don’t need to go to the trouble- just put a door next to the backstop. There’ll be 14 cats waiting for it to open before you get it anchored!