The Charlie Burton Park is a small haven for kids living on Gibnut Street. Its founder, Gee Micheal Reid, stressed the importance of this safe space for kids who may otherwise be drawn into gangs or other criminal activities. And while Reid has ensured the upkeep of the park since he created the space, Hurricane Lisa knew no bounds - ripping up its zinc fence and its trees.
So while the park is partially unusable, it won't be so for long. Through a collaboration with the police department, officers left their precincts and began chopping the trees and branches, removing them from the lot.
And while Reid explained that he was grateful, he also expressed his disappointment that the neighborhood kids didn't volunteer to help clean the park they use so frequently.
G Mike Reid, Park Founder
"You know, a funny thing because I couldn't look through the window because I had a piece of board over it but the next day when I came out, and it's like, wow, this is starting all over again. Fortunately, it's not as bad as it looks because the fence is still there, we just have to pull it up, I don't know if you saw the extent of the damage there, but it was nerve-racking but I imagine, when I think of what other people have gone through, it's not so bad after all."
"I'm hurt because the trees were there giving nice shade, we had built some picnic benches underneath and I mean, that part is the part… I don't know if we'll be able to replace them, how long they would take to grow back, if any of them would recover from the damage. But that's basically the bigger part of the problem."
"I spoke to the commissioner and he asked what he could do to help and I told him, well, we need a little manpower and he said well no problem, Gee Mike, we'll have some guys over there with a couple of machetes and so said so done, they're here and I'm really grateful and a lot of times the police take a lick but when you really need them, they're usually there so I have to say thanks to the commissioner and the entire police department for their assistance."
"I think the community has to be more proactive and get involved and do some of it on their own so that was kind of like what we had in mind here. I was hoping that our guys who came out and use the park and played would have been the ones to take the initiative. We haven't been so lucky and it really, the part that hurts me the most is that the next generation and I don't see a willingness on their part to be involved in the running of this country. I don't know what we will do with the two years we lost to COVID, the future, I try to be optimistic but we're facing some problems."
Reid says they will work on stabilizing the fence with poles next, but will probably need to have a food sale to fund it.
