An uphill battle and the winds of change

When we moved to our little town in the summer of 2001 the little park in the center of town was looking a little run down. We were in the middle of a drought, so the grass was brown. It looked more like a vacant lot than a park.
In May of this year after a few months of renovation they re-dedicated the park as a Veterans Memorial Park. The sad grass had been replaced with new sod, a half circle monument dedicated to veterans, ringed with flags stood against what had been a bare wall, comfortable benches were places in places to make the park both more practical and aesthetically pleasing.
Small improvements have been added throughout the summer.
This week workers were busy in the park building pergolas, putting the finishing touches on the park.
We’ve been watching the improvements with interest. It is amazing how an investment of time and money can take something so ordinary and turn it into a little gem in the middle of town.
Of course City Fathers hope the improvements in the park will spread to neighborhood building, revitalizing downtown. They are fighting an uphill battle. But I hope they succeed. I want to live in a place where charming shops thrive, instead of a community where downtown is just a few vacant buildings on the way to the big box stores.