On January 23, 2013, I attended the Friends of South Park Friends monthly meeting and asked to speak. Below you will find my speech that I read to all of the attendees.
This past Saturday I went to the South Park Game Preserve with my dad, grandma and siblings. This is a place we go a lot, and every time we go I get the same thought. I believe the Game Preserve needs fixed up. All of the buildings are in bad shape, it is not giving the community a nice place to visit animals you don't see everyday, and the animals deserve a great home not an average home.
One of the big reasons I think the Game Preserve needs a makeover is the condition of the buildings. The main building has two parts and a little shed. All three of these have old, cream color paint that is chipping on part of the buildings. Parts of the buildings are overgrown with vines and they are boarded up in a couple of places. It appears dangerous and ugly. It looks like at any point they could collapse and harm the animals and people visiting. The way the buildings are make the park look poor and uncared for.
I think a good solution to this problem is making the buildings into an educational center. South Park is close to many schools and lots of people would be able to come to the education center as a field trip. The center could have the history of the game preserve and South Park, and also have information about the different animals that live there. I've always wondered why there are buffalo and peacocks in South Park. I also think more people would come to the Game Preserve if it looked better.
The whole community would benefit from changes to the Game Preserve. Right now the buildings are in bad condition, maybe even unsafe. Fixing them would make the Game Preserve more inviting. Taking it further and making it an education center would make it a real positive change for the entire South Hills. I am sure it would cost a lot of money to make these improvements, but if the park had fundraisers they would be able to make money to make these changes. I am willing to start by putting my own dollar in.
This past Saturday I went to the South Park Game Preserve with my dad, grandma and siblings. This is a place we go a lot, and every time we go I get the same thought. I believe the Game Preserve needs fixed up. All of the buildings are in bad shape, it is not giving the community a nice place to visit animals you don't see everyday, and the animals deserve a great home not an average home.
One of the big reasons I think the Game Preserve needs a makeover is the condition of the buildings. The main building has two parts and a little shed. All three of these have old, cream color paint that is chipping on part of the buildings. Parts of the buildings are overgrown with vines and they are boarded up in a couple of places. It appears dangerous and ugly. It looks like at any point they could collapse and harm the animals and people visiting. The way the buildings are make the park look poor and uncared for.
I think a good solution to this problem is making the buildings into an educational center. South Park is close to many schools and lots of people would be able to come to the education center as a field trip. The center could have the history of the game preserve and South Park, and also have information about the different animals that live there. I've always wondered why there are buffalo and peacocks in South Park. I also think more people would come to the Game Preserve if it looked better.
The whole community would benefit from changes to the Game Preserve. Right now the buildings are in bad condition, maybe even unsafe. Fixing them would make the Game Preserve more inviting. Taking it further and making it an education center would make it a real positive change for the entire South Hills. I am sure it would cost a lot of money to make these improvements, but if the park had fundraisers they would be able to make money to make these changes. I am willing to start by putting my own dollar in.