April 1, but we’re clever and cool! / Don’t try to trick ye olde Wash Park Profool.
Er, -file. “Fool” comes from ye olde Latin follis meaning windbag, so on with the news!
First, we encourage you to turn to page 28 for a new feature, "Neighborhood Notes," which does not replace this deathless prose you are now eyeballing. DO go read about the Wednesday, May 3 Annual Meeting of UPCC and the Saturday, May 6 Celebration of McWilliams Park’s 50th birthday at 4:00p.m.!
TA-DA! Another apartment building coming to jolly UPark—across from Observatory Park. Can it waive open space requirements? A simple amble right across Evans. When Weaver’s Automotive didn’t give out 2017 calendars, we shoulda known something was up, or coming down. Now, Weaver’s moved north to Louisiana (Avenue, not the state). Apartments cometh. UP zoning chair Pat Cashen says it’s within zoning. S. Madison neighbors are restless—the developer plans parking north of their long-time apartments on the west side for the new apartments on Evans (contaminated no-basement site?), so new folks will walk/drive past them back/forth. Well, you wouldn’t want to take up good apartment space with parking, huh?! More to come.
Laura McWilliams Conley’s great historic material on the creation of McWilliams Park shows how neighbors care so much to have parks that they work amazingly well to get them. The city seldom says, “Hey, want a big park”? It’s bake sales, school kids writing letters, making reasonable requests of the city, buying some trees, a ton of time and effort. But, at last, there you are with a dandy park. Trees and open space are top priorities in UPark. Arbor Day is April 21. Plant, or at least, greet a tree. Arbor Day foundings include University. Park in 1886 (planting 1000 trees), McWilliams Park in 1967, Buchtel Centennial Park in 1986. And Happy 106th Birthday to Ruth Purkaple!
News/Views of UPark? Contact Diana Helper, 303-733-4902, chapinhelper@gmail.com.
Diana Helper is a writer, rhymer, editor, singer, former Miss Squeezebox, Miss INC-link, student of civic swivets, purveyor of parks, Prairie Queen, Oberlin alumna cum loud. She and John and their couch Bullwinkle are longtime UP residents.
