|
 
1992 ~ 1994 ~ 1996 ~ 1997 ~ 1998 ~ 1999 ~ 2000 ~ 2001 ~ 2002 ~ 2003 ~ 2004
1992 - Bob Brame, director of Park
Commission, hosted the first meeting of a
newly reconstituted Park Friends. The main
issue addressed at this meeting was how to
insure that Park tenants adhered to the
Master Plan approved by the City Council and
Park Commission in 1988. The Zoo wanted to
pave the area in front of the greensward to
create a permanent parking lot. This was
unacceptable to PF and was not part of the
Master Plan. Also addressed at this meeting
was the idea of closing the people gates,
and therefore, the circle road,
permanently. Letters were sent to the CA
and to the Mayor’s office presenting this
idea, but it was not approved for various
reasons, one of which was the feeling that
security would be less if the road was
closed. After the ice storm, the road was
closed due to storm damage and never
reopened when statistics showed that crime
had decreased in the Park since the road
closure. City Council proposed a senior
center in Overton Park for the first time;
this measure was opposed by PF as a further
incursion into the Park by developers.
back to top
1994 - PFI was designated a 501(c) 3
through the work of John Houseal, President
PFI.
back to top
1996 - Wayne Boyer was appointed by
Mayor Herenton as the new Director of the
Park Commission replacing Bob Brame. PFI
was active in the City Council meetings that
were held to approve this appointment.
back to top
1997 – The City Council launched its
first attempt to dissolve the Park
Commission over issues of control. The City
Council wanted to acquire a golf course in
Whitehaven that the Park Commission had
deemed unnecessary, and that was utilized
mainly by residents of Mississippi. Lyn
Reed and Melanie White went to the Council
and spoke for PFI on behalf of retaining the
Commission. The Mayor’s office was
completely in favor of keeping the
Commission and had a legal ruling from the
City Attorney stating that the Commission
could not be dissolved by the Council.
White and Reed convinced the Council that
replacing the hours the Council provided on
a volunteer basis with paid hours of city
employees would be very expensive. In the
end, the Council voted unanimously to keep
the Commission and formally commended them
for their work for the city. PFI developed
an “Adopt a Park” plan and worked with Wayne
Boyer to gain approval by the City
Council. PFI approached Boyer to provide a
designated security patrol, or ranger, for
the Park.
back to top
1998 ( August) - John Houseal
resigned as president of PFI
(September) – Glenn
Cox elected president of PFI, Melanie White
elected secretary/treasurer (total funds in
treasury: $698.00)
(November) – A new
membership form was developed; first PFI
trash pick up day and gravel spread held at
Overton Park
back to top
1999 – Old Forest Trail Map developed by
Don Richardson and printed by PFI with the
aid of a grant from the Community Foundation
of Greater Memphis. Don Richardson worked
with the Riverfront Redevelopment working
group. PFI became involved in the selection
of a Cancer Survivors Park location. PFI
hosted a meeting to which representatives of
the Zoo, Brooks, and Art College were
invited. The purpose of the meeting was to
discuss co-sharing of the costs of a private
security service for the Park. The Zoo
representative opted to skip the meeting and
told PFI that the zoo administration was not
interested in being a part of such a
discussion because they did not have any
security issues. PFI co-sponsored the
Overton Park Junior Open for the first
time. The first PFI newsletter was
developed and printed by Dr. David Kesler.
back to top
2000 – (June) Through the efforts of
PFI and MPD Director Walter Crews, streets
signs were finally installed in Overton
Park. (July) Lyn Reed and Melanie White
met with Mayor Herenton to discuss safety in
the Park. Also communicated with Herman
Morris about getting lights installed at the
parking lot by Rainbow Lake. Morris said
this was not possible. (August) John Vergos
created a board to take over responsibility
of finding locating for Cancer Survivors
Park. Glenn Cox appointed to the board.
(October) Glenn Cox wrote follow up letter
to Herenton on the need for security in the
Park. Also in October, after repeated
requests to the Park Commission to repair
the OP Golf House brick work, White sent a
series of photos of the disrepair to John
Vergos. Repairs were begun and completed.
City Council launched another attempt to
disband the Park Commission, this time with
the Mayor’s help. Despite letters reminding
him of his previous stance against
dissolving this civilian authority, along
with a copy of the legal opinion given by
his own lawyer saying it was not legal to
dissolve this group, the Mayor and City
Council agreed that they wanted final say in
all things relating to parks and greenspaces
and dissolved this Park Commission board.
Don Richardson of PFI worked on new City
Tree Ordinance. Beginning of
Second-Saturday hikes.
back to top
2001 – PFI became co-sponsor of
Centennial Tree Planting Program. With Dr.
David Kesler of Rhodes College, PFI
completed first GPS mapping of kudzu in the
old forest. Kesler also began development
of the PFI website. Due to increased
cruising and male prostitution in the Park,
PFI joined forces with the Memphis Gay and
Lesbian Alliance to try to curb such
activity in the Park. Through John Vergos,
and with the help of the West Precinct, PFI
worked to have the hours in Overton Park
changed from “6:00am to midnight” to “dawn
to dusk.” PFI worked to stop the building
of a Walgreens at the corner of E. Parkway
and also lobbied the City Council to stop a
cell tower from being placed in Overton
park.
back to top
2002 – Through the efforts of BOD member
Don Richardson, The Old Forest Arboretum was
certified as a level one Tennessee State
Arboretum. Three hundred trees provided to
Division of Park Services by National Tree
Trust planted by PFI members and friends
along with the newly hired DPS Urban
Forester. Fred Hoffer put pressure on zoo
to clean up debris from the Asian exhibit
that was being dumped in the North East
corner of the Old Forest. Willy Beardon
made Overton Park Documentary available to
PFI members. Fred Hoffer, David Kesler,
Gray Clawson and Eric Miller reported that
their weekly assault on the Old Forest Kudzu
was working. PFI included in national survey
of Urban Parks conducted by the Trust for
Public Lands.
back to top
2003 – PFI ( Dr. Fred Hoffer) continued
its kudzu eradication program and helped
VECA to spray the Kudzu invading the
Greenline. PFI again co-sponsored OP Junior
Open. PFI, in cooperation with DPS planted
18 memorial trees in Overton Park. Grand
Opening of Old Forest Arboretum. PFI (Don
Richardson) began work on revised Old Forest
Trail Map. Cox and White worked with DPS to
arrange for repair of Old Forest Trail which
was damaged in July Tornado. Hoffer once
again took Zoo to task for dumping
construction debris in Old Forest. PFI
tried, to no avail, to arrange another
meeting on Park Security with Councilman
John Vergos. After four years and eight
editions, David Kesler turned over the
responsibility for the PFI newsletter to
Willy Bearden. At this time, Bearden also
inherited the web page responsibility from
Kesler. Carol Chumney replaces Vergos on
the City Council and Scott McCormick takes
over as chair of the City Council Parks
Committee.
back to top
2004 – PFI works with DPS, Richard
Beckwith and Carefree Irrigation to develop
plan for installing irrigation system in
Formal Gardens. PFI signs contract with
City of Memphis to fund installation of
irrigation system and to provide funding for
maintenance of and improvement of the Formal
Gardens over the next few years. PFI
offers DPS $15,000.00 in maintenance money
for Old Forest Walking Trail if DPS will
bring trail back up to safe standards and
remove asphalt. DPS refuses to remove
asphalt but does re-spread crushed limestone
on trail and removes some sections of
dangerous steel edging. PFI hosts several
weekends of volunteer privet pulling along
trails in Old Forest. PFImeets with
docents of Memphis Zoo and begins
relationship of interaction with this park
neighbor.
back to top
|
