Hawkins Park, about a mile down the road from Carpenter’s Park, is gaining some attention, according to Ann Smith, director of the Arc of Santa Rosa. The Hawkins family deeded the park to the county for citizens with disabilities and their families, Smith said.
Four years ago, the park received $50,000 in renovations, according to the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), but Smith said with lack of funding, the Arc has been unable to keep up maintenance. Water has been shut off at the park for about a year, she said.
Until last weekend, nature was clearly the only user of the park with weeds growing in the cracks of asphalt in the parking lot and cement sidewalks, showing neglect. The Blue Knights Florida XXXI, Blackwater Chapter, a law enforcement motorcycle club, Smith said, came to the Arc to help clean up the park. “They wouldn’t take no for an answer. There were five people on riding lawnmowers. They did everything.” Smith said the Blue Knights also offered to solicit businesses for help and supplies with larger needs.
She also said the MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) club of Pace/Milton expressed interest in helping clean up the park.
Smith said she was contacted by Santa Rosa County Commissioner District 2 Bob Cole who met with her and Cody Covert from 901st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at the park. Cole said Covert’s group does yard work for deployed service members and offered to help at the park as well. Cole said he also reached out to Representative Doug Broxson to find out two things: getting the park under county control, and finding out how exactly the $50,000 was spent and will bring the subject up in the next county commissioner meeting. Both Smith and Cole said the biggest problem getting attention to the park is marketing. If marketed properly, Smith said, the park will get use.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Help in progress for Hawkins Park