Bailey Park doesn’t ‘look as good as ever’
“The fact of the matter is I think Bailey Park looks as good now as it’s ever looked.” After reading that quote in Sunday’s 缅北禁地 I had to pause for a moment and wonder if Mayor Ed Fike put any thought into that statement. Ed, you’re correct in stating that improvements to the park have been made, if the only focus is baseball, but that’s only one component of the park. Your perception that the park looks as good now as it ever has; however, is wrong. Not everyone watches baseball, and in fact some of us would rather watch grass grow, but do not take that as an insult to the pastime. I sincerely hope that those improvements prove fruitful and that more of our youth participate in organized sports of any kind, but this is not about sports or baseball.
Bailey Park has another side with a dilapidated building, pavilion, unusable tennis and basketball courts, and outdated and sometimes unsafe playground equipment. Many of us that live on the streets near Bailey Park have children that we take to the park to play, run around, and not be on today’s ubiquitous electronic devices. Although some improvements were made, such as fresh paving and mulch-though poorly spread, it is not enough. The new parking area located next to the playground equipment has become a location for people to drive in, park out of the sight of police, and sit and smoke weed. I really don’t care about the weed so much as I care about the sign at the entrance that says the park is smoke free.
It is difficult for us to bring our children to a park when we must worry about the safety of the equipment, the blighted, and occupied, rental property sitting right next to the park, and the lack of other choices that we have by going to Areford or Hutchinson Parks, both which should be considered model parks. The vision that both mayoral candidates have included developing the Sheepskin Trail through Uniontown. What perception does Uniontown give visitors passing through on this trail with Bailey Park in its current condition? I say to the mayor of Uniontown, no matter who that will be or is by the time this is published, we can do better and create a park experience that residents and visitors alike can enjoy with pride.
I know I am not the only resident with ideas for Bailey Park, and I would hope that my neighbors would be willing participants in any discussion to improve the park. We could start by fencing in the park along the back of the Charles Street properties and restricting unauthorized vehicle access. That means moving the parking area on the East Berkeley Street side. Remove the paving where the tennis courts used to be, remediate the grounds, and put in new playground equipment and build a pavilion that is closer to the future Sheepskin Trail. Review usage of basketball and tennis courts and upgrade those facilities to equal the quality of other local parks. Install surveillance cameras like those at Areford Park and step up enforcement on park hours. Bailey Park could also be developed to host small festivals close to the trail, be available for other public and private events by permit, and even be a location for local vendors or food trucks to engage in business with a portion of their profits going back into upkeep of the park. There are many possibilities but realizing those possibilities will take community effort.
I realize that this vision of Bailey Park will not happen with tax revenues, but it can happen with volunteers, local business support, and fundraising efforts. More importantly, further improvement to Bailey Park will take leadership. Ed or Bill, no matter which one of you is elected, you need to reach out to those in the community who have a greater vision and support their effort to change perceptions and make our community better. I stand willing to take a lead in this effort, but I also call on my neighbors. This is not something that can be done alone, or in a vacuum. If we want to move Uniontown off a list that says we are the 35th poorest community in the country, we can start by changing perceptions, those of outsiders yes, but more importantly, our own.
John Schoener is a resident of Uniontown.