[Elfsea] Park research - long

[Vicki Marsh]

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

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

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

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.

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.  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

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!!

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.