Saturday morning was the fall meeting of the Friends of Brechtel Park, and it was quite the success. We managed to have not just one but TWO representatives from the New Orleans City Council in attendance, something that just doesn’t happen very often for a community meeting.

The meeting started out with a short introduction by the president of FOBP, Aylin Maklansky. After she spoke, I was thrilled when Aylin used my video about helping to restore Brechtel Park. (see the video below) This same video has already made it’s way to a Boy Scout troop in New Jersey who is planning a spring trip to New Orleans and has Brechtel on their list for clean up sites!

By the time that City Council President Jackie Clarkson and Councilman Arnie Fielkow spoke, every seat was taken. The council has committed to help FOBP get the funding that was approved by voters several years ago and to work with the Friends to guide us through the maze of city funding and politics. Additionally, representatives from Parks and Parkways, West Bank Redevelopment and the Algiers Economic Development Foundation were in attendance and offered their support and assistance as well.

New members were signed up, new board members were drafted recruited, and some great ideas for park functions and improvements were suggested. In an example of how everyone brings something to the table in this group, a local resident brought a photo of an alligator that was seen in the pond at the park. Before the meeting was even underway, the Wildlife and Fisheries had been contacted and had promised to send someone out to “relocate” the alligator. Hmmm…I wonder where relocated alligators go?

It is only through the efforts of members of the community that we can restore the park to the vibrant meeting place that it once was – and can be again. Become a member of the Friends of Brechtel Park today.

I’ve written before about Brechtel Park in Algiers, reminding everyone that we have a diamond in the rough – 112 acres on the America’s Wetland Birding Trail that is right in our own backyards and has the potential to rival any other park on the West Bank.

I try to keep up with what’s going on with the park through newsletters from the Friends of Brechtel Park. When my newsletter arrived this week, I was shocked to find out that there is no money (as in zero, zilch, nada) being budgeted by the New Orleans City Council for improvements to the park. In both 2000 and 2004, Brechtel Park was included in bond issuances approved by New Orleans voters. To date, no capital improvements have been made and now there are no funds being allocated for the next FIVE years. Click here for more details about the lack of funding.

I remember when I was a teen and in my early 20s, the park would be jam packed on the weekends with people picnicking and grilling, fishing, playing baseball or softball and children running up and down the "hills". I have pictures of my oldest son, who is now 23, fishing with a cane pole from the banks of the lagoon. I have memories of kite flying contests and frisbee games and getting up early on a weekend morning to be sure that we could get a "good spot" to spend the day at.

Curiosity got the better of me after reading the newsletter, so I took a drive through Brechtel this afternoon. It’s a beautiful day…sunny, mild temperatures…perfect for being outside. I can’t begin to express how sad I was that I saw only a handful of people in the park. One family was walking, one was packing up from lunch and playtime and the only person using the baseball field was the gentleman practicing his fly fishing technique. My husband (who used to be a New Orleans police officer) remarked that years ago, there were regular police patrols through the park on the weekends because there were so many people crowding in. That certainly is no longer the case….

From a distance, it’s still just as beautiful as it ever was, even though many of the old trees were lost during Katrina.

Up close, the tell-tale signs of neglect are evident in picnic tables that can’t be used, benches overlooking the lagoon that are overgrown with vines, rusty pipes that used to hold BBQ grills, the old sand lot that is covered in weeds, and the single port-o-let that serves as the restroom for the entire back section of the park.

The original master plan for the park included a butterfly garden, a water park, additional restrooms, a bird viewing tower, a jogging and biking trail, a multi-purpose center and more. After today’s visit, I’d be happy to just see the badly needed repairs done.

What can you do to help?

First, consider joining the Friends of Brechtel Park – volunteer your time or your talent on one of the 13 committees that desperately need a helping hand. There is currently an opportunity to apply for a $50,000 grant from the KABOOM organization to add playground equipment to the park and assistance is needed with the grant application.

Second, contact James Carter (District C Councilman), Jackie Clarkson (Council-at-large) and Ann McDonald (Parks and Parkways Commission) and advocate for funding for the park.

Third, make a donation!

I have already volunteered to join the board – won’t you join me?

Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living. All rights reserved.

Growing up in Algiers, I remember when Brechtel Park was originally located along Behrman Highway.  Mom and dad would take us out on the weekend to run through the park, play on the monkey bars and merry go round and get rid of all of the pent up energy we kids seemed to always be full of.  It was the scene of the first Earth Day concert in Algiers back in the 70s and the place for teenagers with a fresh drivers license to cruise through and show off their newfound freedom.

In later years, the golf course was installed at the Behrman Highway site and the back side of the land was developed into the park’s current location off of Lennox Drive.   As a parent, I have many fond memories of taking my own children there.  Feeding the geese and ducks, fishing from the banks of the ponds, attending crawfish boils on Scout Island and meeting up with friends for picnics on beautiful Sunday afternoons.  Watching the kids climb on all of the new and improved playground equipment that is supposed to be safer,  and I guess it is until they fall off.   Seeing the joy in their eyes as they rolled down an honest to goodness hill, something not seen very often by kids who live below sea level.  Even a man made hill makes a great spot to play King of the Mountain!

During Katrina, the park suffered a great amount of wind damage.  Many of the large, old trees were lost, bridges were ruined and shelters were damaged, turning a once beautiful park into a sad memory.

I took a drive through Brechtel last weekend to see how the recovery is progressing and saw some hopeful signs.  A volunteer group was hard at work replacing all of the boards on one of the bridges, shelters have new roofs and freshly painted picnic tables and new play equipment has been installed in one section of the park.   Scout Island is undergoing a clean up effort, with the bridge there also being repaired, evidenced by the bright white painted boards, waiting to be installed.  There was a birthday party in full swing, complete with balloons, a space walk and an extended family bbq going on.

The park is only open on the weekend at this point, Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm and admission is a bargain at $1 per vehicle.  Shelters are available to reserve for parties and reunions by calling (504) 286-2139.

There is still so much work to be done to bring Brechtel back to the recreational gem that it used to be.  To achieve this, a newly formed group, Friends of Brechtel Park, is actively recruiting volunteers to help in the restoration of this West Bank treasure.  The first meeting will be held on Saturday, March 15th, at 10:30 am at the Park Timbers Club House.  Everyone is welcome to join and the meeting is open to the public.   You can also sign up for email notification of events at the Friends of Brechtel Park website, which is still under development.

Let’s work together to create another place on the West Bank we can all be proud of and make sure that our children have the chance to make some great memories too!

Have you noticed all of the freshly planted trees in Algiers along Behrman Highway and Holiday Place?  For the past week, a crew has been out planting tons of new trees from Holiday in Walnut Bend all the way along Behrman to the parish line. 

There are several types of trees being planted on the neutral ground and along the fence in front of Brechtel Golf Course.  I’ve seen oaks and what appears to be some type of pine, along with some others that I can’t identify.  I love to see Algiers continuing to turn “green” and can’t wait until the trees take root and begin to leaf out in the spring.

What’s your opinion on this beautification project?  Comments are welcome!