Praise for park plans

For more than 22 years, the Oxford Area Recreation Authority has worked to provide shared recreation facilities for residents in the member municipalities of East Nottingham Township, Elk Township, Lower Oxford Township, Oxford Borough, and West Nottingham Township. The centerpiece of the Oxford Area Recreation Authority’s work has been the Oxford Area Recreation Authority Park, located at 900 W. Locust Street in Oxford. The park debuted more than a decade ago with walking trails, picnic areas, and sports fields, and since then the improvements have been small but continuous. New amenities have been added, and the park is now the home to community events like the Haunted Park and Hayride and the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce’s Harvest Festival.

The Oxford Area Recreation Authority is now making plans for future improvements to the park. Details about a master plan were shared at a public meeting, and in the future this community gem will provide even more amenities for local residents. There are plans to add pickleball courts, space for skateboarding and golf, and an amphitheater. Parking spaces are being added to accommodate the increased number of visitors.

We applaud these plans and hope this park continues to grow in the future.

Oxford has a need for more park space and a drastic need for more sports fields.

Young people in the area have long needed a place to skateboard. Pickleball is enormously popular. The ill-effects of spending too much time inside and tethered to cell phones and Game Boys and iPads has been well-documented. Now more than ever, people need a reason to go outside—and the Oxford Area Recreation Authority Park is a fine one. 

Remember, honor, and teach

This coming Saturday is the day when Wreaths Across America will take place—at more than 4,000 locations throughout the U.S., wreaths will be placed on the graves of military veterans. There are numerous locations in Chester County where volunteers will help to honor and remember the sacrifices of veterans who served their country, and one important aspect of the initiative is to teach the younger generations about the need to value and defend our freedoms. Please participate if you can.