Parks & Recreation round up: by Chairman John Miles

This has been a busy summer for Cave Junction parks. We have opened the new spraypad and the new playground extension with three new inclusive play features. I drive by several times a week and smile when I see these areas of the park packed with children of all ages, from a few months old to senior citizens, all enjoying what the Parks and Recreation Commission has worked so hard to accomplish.
We are not done. City staff pushed to get the spraypad in operation before the heat of the summer, so their other duties were delayed. Now they are working hard to catch up on their regular work. If you see one of our city workers, give them a thank you and a friendly wave. They deserve it and appreciate being noticed. Since they pushed until summer was upon us, some of the landscaping was not finished before it got too hot. The bare dirt area next to the playground and spraypad will be planted with grass and shade trees this fall so next summer there will be other areas to relax in while the kids are cooling off.
Unfortunately, there has been some vandalism that will need repair during the off season. To combat future problems, park lighting has been improved and cameras are being installed. This has used up much of our park budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. New park rules and ordinances are being written which will give clear guidance to both users of the park and city staff about what can be done in the park. It has been a time-consuming process; trying to give park users as much flexibility and freedom as possible while still keeping the park as a family friendly venue.
Now that the Lion’s Club Labor Day Festival is over, we have reached the end of the summer park season. The spraypad is now closed until next summer. School has started, people’s priorities are changing, so parks are used differently than during the summer. The Parks and Recreation Commission is always looking for feedback from the community. What do you like? What could we do better? We are mostly volunteers and we need input from the community to help us be responsive to community needs.
Please come to our meetings or email us at cjparkcommission@cavejunctionoregon.us.