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COLUMBUS — Members throughout the community along with city officials took part in cleaning up MidTown Park Saturday, March 25.
The park clean-up led by Friends of MidTown Park, was organized by Willie Mae Williams. The day featured painting the park’s trash cans, park restrooms and the doors on the Thomas B. Hancher MD Pavilion. They also painted a four square, squiggle maze, and worked on lining the basketball court.
Dr. Tom Hancher, former mayor of Columbus, came to the park to commend Williams on her efforts of keeping the park clean.
“What Willie Mae Williams is doing is leadership of her neighbor and community to help maintain something that is enjoyed by all the families throughout Columbus,” Hancher said. “She has been a wonderful influence on the community by organizing these things and to help maintain this park.”
The park, before becoming what it is today, used to be the site of a cement plant. When Hancher was mayor, he was able to obtain a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife helping the area to become MidTown Park. The pavilion was renamed last year in Hancher’s honor.
Current Columbus Mayor Lori An Gobert was also in attendance helping with painting. She describes what Williams is doing for the park as simply awesome. “We appreciate her organizing the funds of MidTown park, keeping it going and trying to rejuvenate this area,” Gobert said. “She does an amazing job and a passion for this park.”
Williams said she met Columbus resident Jana Moffett, who also assisted with painting at the park. Moffett said she brings her children to the park almost every weekend and works closely with Williams.
She said the organization started as a Facebook group until Williams encouraged her to make the group into a nonprofit, which they are currently working on.
“We hope to get something done once a month to where we can get someone coming to lead yoga, activities for the kids because some families who live here or those who have moved in recently don’t know that it’s here,” Moffett said.
Williams said this past weekend was Phase One of what she would like to see done at the park. She said Phase Two will consist of painting or replacing the park’s benches. The next clean-up day will be announced in the near future.
Williams would like to thank those who volunteered to help make the day possible: Dr. Tom Hancher, Emily Guidry Lewis and Philip Schmidt of Restore Hope Niger, Charmaine Katz of Habitat for Humanity, Robert Katz, Family & Youth Success (FAYS): Kameka Edwards REALTOR, Sarah Hernandes, Dr. Robert Gobert of FAYS, Bill Smith, Henry Hernandez, Columbus resident Curtis Carter, Mayor Lori An Gobert, Councilman Keith Cummings, Reggie Austin of Austin’s Transportation, City of Columbus employee Fred Heger, Friends of MidTown Park: Jana Moffett, Cathy Plasencia, Sharonda Axel Smith and Brad Moffett, KULM, H-E-B and Brookshire Brothers.
