Nearly four years ago, a group of citizens interested in improving Northside Park — also known as Ashford-Presley-Stingley Park — invited Barbara Blackmon to an event at the park that drew a large number of citizens, as well as some candidates campaigning for office at the time.
It was during that event — organized by Doris Fox Davis, Lashawn Speed-Lias, Cheryl Bayne, Dennis “Bo” Adams and Donald Speed, Jr., of Family Options in Fresno, California — that they shared their vision for the area with then state senate candidate Blackmon, who said she would seek state funding for the park at every opportunity if she were elected.
This year, after annual attempts, Blackmon was able to shepherd a line item into Senate Bill 3049 that allocates $200,000 for “Improvements and Construction for Ashley-Presley-Stingley Park (Northside Park).” Her efforts were supported by Sen. Lydia Chassaniol, Rep. Jason White and Rep. Kenneth Walker, who had also been made aware of the Committee’s plans for the park.
"We had been working on this for as long as I've been in the Legislature. I promised the citizens that if I could get some money for this, I would," said Blackmon in a telephone interview Tuesday evening, after the print edition of The Star-Herald had gone to press. Blackmon said she was in regular contact with Ward Two Alderman Henry Daniel about the efforts throughout the years and she credits the success of this year's effort to cooperation from her fellow local legislators.
"It was through the joint efforts of the representatives and the senators from the area that we were successful in getting the money," she said.
Daniel and Speed-Lias said Blackmon called them to deliver the good news following the vote last week.
“It’s a good thing, but it depends on how everything is planned out from here,” said Daniel Tuesday morning. Any plans for the park will need approval from the city, he added.
At the Board of Aldermen's meeting Tuesday night, Daniel said thanked Blackmon.
"We'd like to thank Sen. Barbara Blackmon for her time, effort and concern for the citizens of Kosciusko and getting the city $200,000, which is 100% non-matching funds, for improvement of the Ashford-Presley-Stingley Memorial Park. The funds will be available July 1," he said.
“We planted those seed four years ago and now we’re reaping the benefits,” said Speed-Lias of the efforts to obtain funding for the park. “I’m excited to say there is some movement on this project.”
Four years ago, the Committee for the Revitalization of Northside Park listed the following improvements for consideration:
- Installation of bleachers at the basketball court;
- Installation of chain nets at the basketball court;
- Remove old pavilion /construct new pavilion with bathrooms and BBQ grill;
- Installation of warm-up/stretching/exercise stations along walking trail;
- Improvements to existing building to make it a multi-purpose building;
- Installation of playground equipment for small kids;
- Installation of playground equipment for bigger kids;
- Installation of benches at the playgrounds;
- Installation of additional parking spaces closer to playground areas;
- Development of a reservation system for use of the basketball court;
- Installation of additional lighting in the park;
- Installation of water fountains;
- Installation of a skate park and adult basketball league play.
Speed-Lias said she expects the group to ask the Board of Aldermen to allocate an additional $50,000 to help defray increased costs since the group originally developed the plans.
Courthouse square paving
White also confirmed that the City of Kosciusko will receive $365,000 in new funding to pave the roads around the courthouse square downtown, as well portions of some of the roads that enter and leave the square.
Mayor Jimmy Cockroft said the support of state officials, and the funding they have obtained for the city, is appreciated.
“We’re thankful to Senator Blackmon and Representative White for their help in these two areas. While we have many needs across the City, funding like this just helps to make repairs and improvements in these selected areas a little quicker than normal,” he said.
Pre-K reading program funding
In recent years, Kosciusko Lower Elementary has been able to provide the Barksdale Reading Institute program to 120 pre-k students per year, with half the cost born by the district and the rest by a Barksdale grant. That grant, however, was set to expire at the end of this school year.
According to Rep. Jason White, he was able to get a line item into the same bill that allocated the funds for Northside Park to replace the $275,000 Barksdale grant funding.
“We’re on Cloud 9 that we will be able to keep our partnership with Barksdale,” said KLE Principal Michelle Nowell. “I believe we got it (the funding) because our Pre-K has been recognized as such an exemplary program.”
