Person Field has long been the poor stepsister in the lineup of Coeur d’Alene public parks, but today it is more vulnerable than ever. Citizens, beware: There are some wolves looking to take dubious advantage of this little sister. Person Field is a three-acre park, located at 15th Street and Garden Avenue. She’s not fancy and has no real landscaping to speak of. But this simple, open, grassy park is prized by the surrounding neighborhood and Lakes Middle School is just a couple blocks to the north. The field is used for football practice, softball teams, track practice and lacrosse teams. The city owns only half the park, the school district owns the other half. Two years ago, the school district wanted to build a new Lakes Middle School on Person Field. The proposal was not made public in any reasonable way. It slipped through most of the system without notice -- Mary Souza/City Pulse, Coeur d'Alene Press.
DFO: Hands down, Person Field is the most underutilized park green space in Coeur d'Alene. It serves an important purpose in providing a softball diamond for the recreation department in the spring and early summer and a field for soccer and Pop Warner football at other times. But the back half consists of little more than a weed infested track that few use. I can't blame neighbors for fighting to keep the green space. But it should be upgraded -- by the city or school district.
Question: What should be done with Person Field?
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
ever. Citizens, beware: There are some wolves looking to take dubious advantage of this little sister. Person Field is a three-acre park, located at 15th Street and Garden Avenue. She’s not fancy and has no real landscaping to speak of. But this simple, open, grassy park is prized by the surrounding neighborhood and Lakes Middle School is just a couple blocks to the north. The field is used for football practice, softball teams, track practice and lacrosse teams. The city owns only half the park, the school district owns the other half. Two years ago, the school district wanted to build a new Lakes Middle School on Person Field. The proposal was not made public in any reasonable way. It slipped through most of the system without notice -- Mary Souza/City Pulse, Coeur d'Alene Press.
