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By Ethan Cotton
Every time I pass by Oneida City Park, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride. It’s beautiful, it’s spacious, and it’s one of those places that just feels like home. The Huntsville park, on the other hand, may not have the same wow factor yet, but I think both parks hold amazing potential for the future.
In Oneida, I’ve heard that much of the park’s land remains undeveloped in the forested area. But what really caught my eye is something closer to the main walking track. On the left side of the back loop, there’s a field edged by a creek. I can just picture the track being extended along that creek, continuing all the way to the bridge. Imagine adding fish food dispensers in designated no-fishing areas, where families could relax and feed the fish. Add a few benches along the water, too. The sound of flowing water has a way of washing away the day’s worries.
A project like that could give the town a nice boost of accomplishment while allowing time to carefully plan for future, bigger improvements. Sometimes progress comes best in thoughtful, scenic steps.
As for Huntsville’s park, there’s a wide open field there seems to be construction, but if the park owns the field across the road this might still be possible. One idea might be to create a wide, gentle-flowing creek, and if the natural flow isn’t possible, maybe a system could be installed to circulate the water, kind of like a larger version of the creek at Timber Rock Lodge. Or, maybe it could become a small pond. Add some sidewalks, benches, and perhaps one day even a fountain, like the one at our Roane State campus.
I don’t have any power or money to make these things happen but I do have imagination, and a love for this beautiful county. Sometimes, that’s where good ideas start.