[Elfsea] Park research - long

DonnelShaw at aol.com DonnelShaw at aol.com
Sun Nov 25 20:17:45 PST 2001


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In a message dated 11/25/01 9:34:33 PM Central Standard Time,
XaraXene at home.com writes:


> Xene here:
>
> This weekend, aided and abetted by Maili Donnel MacGregor, Llywelyn and
> Arnbjorn, I traveled and viewed 22 parks.  This endeavor put almost 200
> miles on our vehicles and took a total of about 8 hrs.  This was a  *very*
> large undertaking. We used the Fort Worth Mapsco 2002.
>
> The amenities that we were looking for were as follows:  Bathrooms (minimum
> of one porta-potty), Wheelchair access, Picnic tables, Playground, Shade,
> Accessibility, Parking, Water, and level Melee fields.  The possibility of
> having target archery was also looked at, but that will depend entirely
> upon
> the Parks and Recreation Departments of Fort Worth and Arlington - which we
> have no control over.  Also, the possibility of using the fighter practice
> as an on-going demo and recruiting base was figured into our information.
>
> 1) River Legacy Park - The over-all park with every amenity was River
> Legacy
> Park in Arlington.  It had everything listed above, including an upscale
> clientele and lots of people on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  The main
> area had flush toilets up on a hill, and a porta-potty down by the big
> playground.  It even had a working water fountain - apparently a very rare
> commodity in any of the parks. The *only* drawbacks are that the location
> is
> north of I-30 on Green Oaks Blvd NW, and that the park could be *too*
> popular. At the end of one of the roads, there was a really cool pavilion
> that you can reserve with a big open field next to it.  I don't remember if
> there was a porta-potty there or not. Arlington Parks and Recreation
> Department *might* put another porta-potty in an area that we ask them to.
> Mapsco 68M

(I think this one is the best over all park. It also has a lot for the
children to do and they can be easly watched. )


>
> 2) Village Creek Park - A better location for those who drive from the
> south
> and west, and probably *my* first choice, is Village Creek Park in Fort
> Worth.  It is just off Hwy 287.  It is the first exit after the I-20, 820
> east and 287 split, and has an exit on both sides of the highway for
> Village
> Creek Park Drive. Turn north on Village Creek Park Drive, then take a left
> (west) on Wilbarger.  The parking lot is a gravel area on Wilbarger, but
> there is lots of parking on Edgewood Terrace South and on Wilhelm.  Again,
> every amenity including a *great* central location, shade, etc.  Drawbacks
> are that the water fountain didn't work - typical for every Ft. Worth park
> -
> and the Handicapped Porta-potty needed cleaning & toilet paper which can be
> solved with a phone call to Ft. Worth PARD.  It is large enough for War
> Practice and combat archery - at the other end of the park, next to the
> highway there was a golfer using it for driving practice.  There is a
> covered pavilion which can be reserved and lots of picnic tables.  Also,
> for
> fighters and non-fighters alike, there is a 1/2 mile walking path around
> the
> park. The clientele is not as upscale as River Legacy, but the site has
> high
> visibility next to the highway with easy access from both directions.  The
> neighborhood also seemed fairly safe. Mapsco 93A
>
> 3) Highland Hills Park - This park is just south of I-20 (loop 820 SE) in
> Fort Worth and just east of I35W.  Take Oak Grove Rd. south off I-20, then
> east (or a left) on Glasgow, which dead-ends into the park.  There is a
> Recreation Center there, but it is closed on Sundays.  It has a large
> parking area, a playground, and lots of open fields.  There is a covered
> pavilion and another 1/2 mile walking path.  The handicapped porta-potty
> had
> the ramp messed up so I couldn't get the bathroom door all the way open,
> but
> I could see that the inside was clean.  The water fountain wasn't working,
> and there wasn't as much shade there as at the previous two parks, but
> there
> was some.  There were *huge* open fields including a baseball and soccer
> field.  For muddy days, there was a basketball and a tennis court.
> Drawbacks - the shaded areas were under pecan trees - with lots of pecans
> that needed to be raked up. We didn't see anyone out at the park on a
> windy,
> sunny afternoon, so we couldn't gage the clientele.  The surrounding
> neighborhood was clean and nice middle-class, though.  If recruiting at
> fighter practice is to be considered extremely important, then this
> probably
> would not fulfill that.  *Attention archers!!* the backside of the park is
> a
> railroad track, and this *might* be a possible place to shoot without
> endangering anyone. Xene's second choice.Mapsco 91V
>
> 4)Handley Park - Located off East Loop 820, take the Lancaster Ave E. exit
> and Handley Park is between Beaty and Greenlee on the East side of 820.
> Donnel believed this park was used before Elfsea moved to Randoll Mill.
> The
> bathrooms were small and not handicapped accessible, but there was a
> porta-potty down the hill next to the baseball diamond.  There is a small,
> older playground and a covered pavilion that can be reserved. Good Parking,
> easy access, okay environment.  Drawbacks are the bathrooms, the water
> fountain wasn't working (*again*), and Donnel remembers the wind coming off
> the highway being cold in the winter. It's not as pretty or flat as Village
> Creek Park. Mapsco 79H

(I remember spending  weekends there for fighter practice. I really liked the
park. I do remember it was cold in the winter but it was wonderful in the
summer. So there are positives. I also remember using  rec center there for
dance practice. We had one LARGE  room to our selves. That is what most
people showed up and did during the winter. But then GW as just starting and
there was a definate Turney season. )



> 5) J.W. Dunlop Sports Center - Located just down the street from River
> Legacy at the corner of Fielder and Green Oaks Blvd NW, we have used it
> before when the bridge at Randoll Mill was being repaired.  It had a
> playground that looked like a castle, shade, picnic tables, and small BMX
> court, plenty of lighting for evening practice, and the bathroom inside the
> baseball arena was unlocked and clean.  I seem to remember that the
> bathrooms weren't always open, though.  Good family area, good recruitment,
> nice clientele.  Drawbacks are the same as River Legacy, only two blocks
> further south.  A bit of a walk from the playground to the bathroom.
> Mapsco
> 68Q
>
( The playground really Rocked on this one. Mental note take kids.
This is one that I really liked as well. But bathrooms are a walk but
acceptable distance.)



> Donnel and I did drive through Trinity Park Saturday evening.  The area by
> the duck pond is pretty and shaded, but no porta-potty's.  Also, no safe
> area for archery at all as there were too many people around.  That area is
> also the turn-around for the motorists at the park.  The other area by the
> playground is very popular and has a porta-privy, but parking will be at a
> premium. Donnel remembered how hard it was to get around in the park during
> MayFest.  We were both *very* concerned about the car traffic in the park.
>
( They would block off part if not all of the park. I remember  having to
meet Mara and we crammed as many as we could into her truck(?) to get into
the park at this time.)


> I know that some people have their hearts set on Trinity Park, but I hope
> that they will look at the information that we worked so hard to gather so
> that everyone could make an informed choice.  I apologize that we didn't
> make it by Bedford Boys Ranch, but we were trying to find a site that was
> west of Randoll Mill and east of Trinity Park - that no one had been able
> to
> find before.  Also, Donnel and I just couldn't *stand* it when people told
> us that we had no other choice.
(correct)

 I'm also too hard-headed to give up -
>
> Village Creek Park was park #22.
>
> I hope to be at Moot, and have pictures of some of the parks.  Llywelyn is
> having problems getting the new camera to talk to our computers, so I am
> going to try it again at work.
>
> In Service,
>
> Mistress Xene - Loud-mouth Laurel and Persistant Pelican
> (Lady Maili Donnel MacGregor)



> p.s. One of the nicest parks we found isn't inside Elfsea.  It's Crawford
> Park in Cedar Hill - just off Hwy 1382.  Maybe we can have a war practice
> there someday.  Even the water fountain works!!
>
Yes this was definately the best.


> p.s.s. - Get Donnel to tell you about Glenwood Park - where we witnessed a
> fight, a drug deal, and what looked like a prostitute getting picked
> up......and no other people in a very otherwise pretty park.

WE ARE NOT GOING THERE. ASK ME AT MOOT.

>
>




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