Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 12, 1993 TAG: 9308120424
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Kids could play on the swing set and the merry-go-round, ride on a bell that swung back and forth, shoot some hoops on a dirt basketball court. They would play pickup games of baseball.
But over the last 15 or so years, the basketball goal has been taken down, and the merry-go-round and bell have been removed. The nemesis of every kid who's swung a bat - that grizzled resident who takes your baseball when it comes anywhere near his yard - complained enough that the kids had to cut out the games.
Now, "It's just a swing set over there - that's it," said Jeff Lanning, 23, who used to play in the park.
Lanning and some neighborhood residents want the city to spruce up the park, put in some equipment and make it a place where the kids have something to do.
Rachel Deel wrote a letter to the editor about it. She raised five kids nearby and now cares for a foster child, a 13-year-old girl.
"There's not anything more in that park than you have in your back yard," she said. In the letter, she wrote, "When will Bowman Park become a real park? For 20 years, the answer has been the same: It's not in the budget."
This year it is in the budget, said Lynn Vernon, acting manager of Roanoke parks and recreation.
Approximately $10,000 is slated to upgrade the park's play area by June, he said. That probably will include buying some new equipment and adding some sand to the play area.
Vernon has fielded a handful of requests in the last couple of years to upgrade the park.
"It's just been pretty much a green space," Vernon said.
In terms of size, as parks go, Bowman isn't much. Only about two acres, "it's a neighborhood pocket park," Vernon said.
It's situated between two streets about two blocks off Williamson Road, with yards bordering each side. It's a grassy field with the swing set and slide in a corner.
Other parks in Northwest Roanoke, such as Washington Park near Lincoln Terrace Elementary School, are too far away for kids to walk to, said Jetta Cole, who has two grandsons living with her.
"I'd rather they have something over here," she said. "It doesn't have to be anything big . . . just something to keep them off the streets."
The money allocated for Bowman still won't do much for teen-agers looking for something to do. Lanning thinks a basketball court might be in order, but Vernon said a paved court would cost about $15,000 and other considerations - noise, neighbors' wishes - would have to be taken into account.
"Once you get so old, you don't want to play on a swing set anymore," Lanning said.
by CNB