ParkblogFebruary 21, 2011

                           GREEN GROW THE GRASS ROOTS

Dreams? At first they seem impossible mused actor Christopher Reeve, then they seem improbable, and then when will powers are brought to bear, they become inevitable. If all goes well in the year 2011, a long-standing dream will be transformed into exciting reality, the birth of Barbara’s Park up on the legendary Posse Grounds. While public parks in many communities in the southwest and across the nation are under siege due to budget cuts, Sedona’s dream of a public park for all the people, thanks to powerful local support,  is bright and shiny and awaits final City Council action soon.

                    Even now amidst February snow blanketing the Mogollon Rim, one runs into the whisperers. “When?” asks the poet Lane. “Will there is a party,” asks the intrepid Randy Mahannah who remembers the old days of jazz festivals up on the Posse Grounds. “Will there be bathrooms,” asks publisher Ranger Bob. And yes, pending approvals by Sedona’s Parks and Rec, there will be live music, poetry slams, and classes of all kinds and a powerful sense of community.

           Friend’s President Maddy O’Callaghan sums up the essence of this exciting project. “This is not a commercial venture but a partnership between the City and local volunteers. Perhaps to say ‘we are building an athletic field for the arts’ will underscore how much this park will be for community use.”

           Sums up swarthy Jim Eaton, longtime Sedona leader, “beauty is many faceted. It can be physical, environmental or it can be the beauty of people working together with a dream in common that’s beyond their own interests. There is a true need for this park, and it is a good design.”

                                                   —–James Bishop, Jr.