On a sunny day, it’s a sure bet the Stockford Village Neighborhood Park will be a flurry of activity. But that wasn’t always the case.
The park, which has been called “the dark park” by area residents, was often empty.
“It was kind of creepy,” said Tashanti Mitchell, who lives in nearby apartments and has three children.
These days, brightly colored, new play equipment stands out amid tall trees.
Now, Mitchell’s 11-year-old son goes to the park every day, she said.
“When the sun is out, they go to the park,” she said. “Before, the kids stayed inside.”
It’s a nice stress relief for her children, Mitchell added.
The park was built in 1978. An old monkey bars and a swing set didn’t appear to appeal to the neighborhood’s children. The old play structure was also not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
More to the point: “It was boring,” said 18-year-old Sheriffa Naytah, who lives in the neighborhood.
Clark County Parks, which operates the county’s parks, bought new play equipment for the 4.2-acre neighborhood park with help from a $10,000 grant from the Parks Foundation of Clark County.
The new play structure has four swings, a bridge, a climbing wall and two slides. It is also accessible for those with disabilities.
Don’t get Kystran Knight started on the slides.
On a recent afternoon, the 3-year-old made a beeline toward one of the slides.
“Can I try the curvy slide?” she asked.
As soon as she hit the ground at the bottom of the slide, she said, “Can I go again?”
Her mother, Mariah Watts, said, “There used to be nothing here, but now we come here every day.”
County grounds staff, with the help of local volunteers, spread more than 100 cubic yards of wood chips and cleared brush to make way for the bright blue and green equipment.
“Our goal was to transform the park’s image, and make it safer and more enjoyable for children,” Karyn Morrison, west parks grounds maintenance crew chief, said in a statement.
Columbian staff photographer Natalie Behring contributed to this story.
