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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series of articles about Quaker Park and its impact on the Emporia community. Today’s article discusses local mobilization efforts to save the park through the petition process.
As proposed development plans threaten the future of Emporia’s Quaker Park, concerned citizens are rallying together to save the community space.
For Eric Paul, there’s no question about what should happen with the longtime park space. Paul, along with fellow Emporian Don Loux, is gathering signatures on a petition to save Quaker Park. The goal is to gather at least 462 registered voters — 10% of the number of voters who participated in the last election.
Paul’s involvement began when he stumbled upon discussions about the park’s fate on social media and local news outlets. Intrigued by the prospect of Quaker Park being sold off, he decided to visit the park firsthand.
“I don’t actually live near Quaker Park,” Paul said. “My immediate reaction was, ‘Oh, we shouldn’t be selling off parks. This isn’t a good idea.’ So, I decided I should go see it for myself and took a bike right over there one Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, and, you know, sort of expected the park to be empty from the things that I’ve heard.”
What he found surprised him — contrary to the perception of it being underutilized, Paul discovered a vibrant space teeming with activity, with children playing basketball and families enjoying the greenery.
“When I got there, there were like eight kids running around, there was a handful of them playing basketball, some people running around the grass,” he said. “I spoke to a woman who was there with her kids. She said that her brother lives a few houses down and that in the summer months there’s always kids playing at that park. I left the park with the impression that maybe it’s not as underutilized as the city seems to think.”
Loux agreed that he did not believe the park was underused but pointed out that the city has neglected updates and improvements at the park for years.
“There’s nothing there except the basketball court,” he said. “I’ve heard from people that there used to be picnic tables and other things and they’ve all been taken away.”
Paul looked into the petition process but found the lack of centralized information confusing.
“I looked into all that was involved in the petition process and it seemed like I was not getting a whole lot of information,” he said. “I called Lyon County to ask about potentially obtaining voter rolls if we were going to do a petition to make sure people were actually registered. They told me to try to call the city. The city told me no, we don’t have that kind of stuff and go through the county. It just seemed like there was a lot of confusion.”
Recognizing the need to centralize information and organize efforts, Paul launched a website dedicated to saving Quaker Park. The website, located at https://sites.google.com/view/savequakerpark, includes information on Quaker Park as well as contact information for Emporia City Commissioners and how to sign the petition.
Loux said his motivation for wanting to save Quaker Park was pretty simple.
“I don’t think the city commission should be getting rid of any city parks,” he said. “They tried to do it with White Memorial Park back in 2022 and now they’re trying it again. They say that they have the power to get rid of surplus property, but that doesn’t mean they should do that.”
Paul said the response to the efforts has been overwhelmingly positive, with many residents expressing support through the website’s contact page and offering to assist in collecting signatures for the petition. Even those residing outside city limits have shown interest in supporting the cause.
Paul envisions a bright future for Quaker Park, advocating for city investment to enhance its amenities and preserve it as a public green space. He emphasized the importance of community input in shaping the park’s development, citing examples from other regions where residents were involved in the design process.
“I’d love to see the park remain a park,” he said. “I’d love to see the city put some money into it. I think it’d be great if they would ask for input from the people who live around the park. Not only would that make for a better park but also increase the sense of ownership of the people who live around the park.”
Paul believes that the city should prioritize preserving green spaces over alternative development options, echoing the sentiments of many residents who cherish the park’s role in their community.
“I think the city commission has a very difficult task of trying to deal with the housing situation in Emporia, but I just happen to think that they’re missing the mark here,” he said. “Developing parks should be the very last thing on the list.”
Registered voters interested in signing the petition can visit Tallgrass Art & Frame, 615 Commercial St., from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, and 4th Avenue Confectionary, 9 E. Fourth Ave., from noon – 2:25 p.m. Wednesday, noon – 4 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday.
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