LETTER: Writer: Can parks department help clean up before the festival?

With the Chisholm Trail Festival coming soon and the many events scheduled for Athletic Park, I would hope the city parks department will do a lot of cleaning up, etc., especially north of the stadium.

The overgrown old cedar trees have a lot of dead limbs and trash underneath them. Most of these trees have never been trimmed.

The trees along the sidewalk south of the statue plus those near the circular drive are very unsightly, to say the least.

Then there is the gazebo. The supports have never been refinished, since it was built many years ago. Also, the trim boards are all weathered, warped and cracked.

Since the parks department has a lot of extra employees for the summer months, surely some maintenance could be done before the car show and Fourth of July activities.

I live west of the park and drive through it numerous times each week. All the things I’ve mentioned are very noticeable.

— John E. Wiebe,

Newton