Wednesday, May 04, 2005

4 MAY 05: THE REAL GREEN ISLAND



If you've attended Civic Center events, you've probably driven by it. If you work downtown, you may have passed it dozens of times. But have you ever parked at Uptown Park for a visit? And no, I'm NOT talking about the grassy median in the middle of Broadway....



Its official name is "Uptown Park Water Resources Center" - a small bit of green space just north of the Second Avenue and Veterans Parkway bridges. From the driver's seat, it appears crews care for it very well. Except maybe for a few years ago, when the grass was quite obviously spray-painted green during January. [True!]



Yet as nice as Uptown Park looks, I can't recall ever seeing anyone IN the park enjoying it when I drove by. Why wouldn't anyone take advantage of this green patch of Columbus? After all, Linwood Cemetery is only visible in the distance....



I decided to visit Uptown Park for the first time on a recent Saturday morning. The day began with a drive up the hill to Veri Best Donut Co. on Talbotton Road - a place obviously concerned about safety. The attendant seemed more boxed inside than the doughnuts on the window trays



I took two carry-out doughnuts (since there's nowhere to "dine in" besides a parking lot), and drove back down the hill to Uptown Park. The first challenge comes in finding a place to park. There are plenty of driveways, but no signs visible to help you find the right one -- so it has something in common with Columbus Park Crossing.



After a moment of searching, I turned left from 17th Street into Uptown Park -- and the driveway led me to a brick building in the center. I suppose that's the "water resources center" part. But unlike other Columbus parks, it had no drinking fountain sticking out the side of it.



From my parking space, around me lay empty black asphalt walking paths amid the rolling grass. But it rained heavily the night before my visit, so a spot on one path was covered with standing water. Attention, track athletes - I found a great place to practice the steeplechase.



There's a small wooden gazebo in Uptown Park, so I walked there to dine on my doughnuts. But the gazebo had no place to sit -- which explains the lack of band concerts inside it.



As I chewed my doughnuts, my thoughts were confirmed about why people don't stop at Uptown Park. Men began walking across the grounds from the Salvation Army shelter, right across the street. Don't take crumbs there to feed the birds - a homeless man might need them for lunch.



No, none of the Salvation Army tenants came up to me and asked for a handout. Perhaps I was hidden inside the gazebo, and they didn't see me. Or perhaps they thought I had leftovers from last night's dinner tray....



With this part of breakfast concluded, I went back to my car and drove out of Uptown Park. I realized later I missed the REAL parking lot, closer to Second Avenue on 17th Street. But on this weekend, no one in a city uniform was there to correct me - or ask me if they could borrow a giant pipe wrench.



Perhaps Uptown Park's problem is that it's an isolated island of sorts. No one lives for blocks around it. Downtown offices are on the other side of the bridges. And the people at the Salvation Army aren't likely to organize short-track bike racing on the footpaths.



(And the park's location a few blocks from the expanded Riverwalk should NOT be an issue. After all, people actually go to GOLDEN Park - and it's even closer to the river.)



THE BIG BLOG QUESTION on the proposed Columbus city budget ended Tuesday - and 11 out of 12 voters say public safety should be exempt from budget cuts. We'd like to thank all of you police officers, who have this blog bookmarked on your computers.



By the way, that planned budget protest outside the Government Center Tuesday never happened. Fraternal Order of Police leaders decided it wasn't the proper time, after a lieutenant was shot Monday night outside Peachtree Mall. For once, Columbus law officers and civil rights leaders have something in common.



But public safety came up during Tuesday night's Columbus Council meeting. Mayor Bob Poydasheff reported 86 people have applied to be police officers recently, but only eight are being considered. How many of the rest put the word "union" somewhere on their applications?



Did you hear about what happened to police in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia? All the squad cars were parked Tuesday, because the city lacked the funds to pay a $42,000 auto insurance bill. Maybe Columbus officials should check with Butts Mill Farm, about training police horses.



Now for other items from a Tuesday which felt more like March than May:


+ The Phenix City Council voted to reduce the sales tax on the Lee County side of town by two percent. That way, items at the new Publix store won't have a ten-percent sales tax anymore -- and shoppers can only beef about the regular high price of beef.



(The Phenix City Council agreed to a settlement, in which the city will pay Lee County schools money for three years to make up for lost sales tax revenue. Somehow this doesn't seem fair. Phenix City Central's football team should be given a three-point lead over Smiths Station the next three seasons.)



+ A stop at Columbus Park Crossing revealed to me Friedman's Jewelers is about to close. I don't know what will replace this store, but keep in mind - this is one of the few strip malls in Columbus without a pawn shop.



+ A Wilder Drive resident told Columbus Council he doesn't feel safe, because someone is firing shots from nearby Belvedere Park. OK, let's clear this up right now. Tuesday's blog entry was NOT designed to encourage other people to fire on songbirds.



+ The RiverCenter presented a stage version of the Carson McCullers novel, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." And when hunters go out in pairs, they don't seem to have much heart for deer....



+ The Columbus High boys' soccer team advanced in the state tournament by humbling Harlem 8-1. So you don't look out of touch and silly, remember this: the "Harlem Shuffle" is out, and the "iPod Shuffle" is in.



+ Instant Message to high school senior Kyle Neely: Wow! You've already sold enough AFLAC insurance to move yourgrandparents out of public housing and into a condo?! I'm impressed by your example, and your dream to become a billionaire. But remember one thing - the Amos family doesn't have a billion yet.



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