The Texan (Bellaire, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 20, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 16, 1985 Page: 9 of 16
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The making of
Pitman Park
From Page 2
developed park. Since June 1983 volunteers have
been working weekends pruning, tilling, planting,
building benches, picnic tables and litter
receptacles, cutting and uprooting bamboo,
demolishing an old cottage in the park and laying
turf.
In this effort they had the support ot the
business community and received thousands of
dollars worth of gifts which included lawn mowers,
fertilizer, tools, dumpsters, bulldozers, trees and
shrubs, and much more. A volunteer landscape
architect supervised the work. Other architects
donated the design for a lighting system. Nine
companies donated materials and services for its
installation. Benches, picnic tables and waste
receptacles were built by volunteers with donated
lumber and nuts and bolts.
The Navy Reserve helped build a parking lot
paved with perforated concrete blocks planted with
grass. Thirty-seven companies donated equip-
ment, materials and labor for the project.
The Friends are also renovating the 60-year-old
house in the park for community activities. This,
too, is being done entirely with the help of
volunteers, donated materials, and donated
contract labor. The foundation has been leveled
and a new roof put on while volunteers scrape and
paint.
Many dedicated volunteers continue to maintain
the park. One lady comes regularly to clean the
fish and iilly pond. A bird keepers’ committee
takes care of the pheasants and ring-neck doves in
the aviary, a retired couple mows and edges the
street easement. The Park Mothers work in the
park one morning a week while their pre-schoolers
play, this extraordinary rnnimonjty involvement
has produced a unique constituency giving the
park tender loving care. The results show.
The project was not without obstacles. For two
years the Friends were raising money for a “pig in
a poke." The property was screened from view by
a thick hedge and was not accessible to visitors.
Midstream in the project a supportive city council
was replaced by a council more concerned with a
loss of tax revenue than with the gain of a park.
The new council passed a resolution requiring that
a donor of parkland must also provide for its
development and perpetual maintenance. These
additional burdens did not stop the Friends, who
were convinced that the property had to be
preserved for public use in spite of the obstacles.
They agreed to develop and maintain the park.
Patience paid off. Another election brought a
council with which the Friends have a close
working relationship. Jointly they prepared an
application for a second matching grant from the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the
acquisition of the remaining 40 percent of the park
site.
In his letter to the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department Bellaire’s Mayor Sam McKinney said
in part:
“The receipt of last year’s grant was the
crowning achievement of an effort that was begun
several years ago to purchase the Henshaw Estate.
It began as just a dream that perhaps this land
could be purchased as a park. Of course, the land
would be nice to have but its cost was just too great
for the city to consider purchasing. I he only
alternative was to raise the money through private
donations. A monumental task, the Friends of
Bcllaire Parks accepted the challenge. Through
hard work and unbelievable dedication of its
members, the Friends raised the necessary funds.
The fund raising has been only part of the story.
Every weekend volunteers came to the property to
mow, trim, edge and clean up. Also, they have
been responsible for doing or having done the
improvements which now add so much to the
enjoyment of the park. 1 think, you will agree that
this has been a community effort that is certainly
unique and special...
There are few things that we can point to these
Have with nriftn hut I uiorfnjnly thinlf that thic natlf
acquisition project is one of them. What 1 feel
makes it so special though is that everyone, Texas
Parks and Wildlife, Friends of Bellaire Parks and
the residents of Bellaire can all take pride in
knowing that a beautiful park has been provided
for future generations to use and enjoy."
On May 24, 1984 the Mayor accepted, jointly
Evelyn Nordyke’s column, “The Bcllaire
Connection," will not appear this week. Watch for
it next week.
with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission the
Friends of Bellaire Parks, an award of ‘‘distin-
guished achievement” from the Houston Chapter/
American Institute of Archictects, the Houston
Municipal Art Commission and the Gulf Coast
Section of the American Society of Landscape
Architects “for an outstanding contribution to the
environment of Houston by rescuing the Henshaw
estate to create Russ Pitman Park.”
The city’s application for matching state funds
for the remaining 1.5 acres of the park received a
positive response. On November 8, 1984 the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Commission approved a grant
ot $184,776 of which $24,350 is to match a
comparable local expenditure for development
which includes a nature interpretive trail and
exhibits, a picnic paviilion, picnic tables and
benches, a toddler’s play area, an herb garden, a
wildflower heritage garden and a storage shed.
Now, after four years of persistent effort by the
Friends of Bellaire Parks, all of Russ Pitman Park
belongs to the city. On January 15, $249,308 raised
by the Friends and $160,426 "matched” by Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department paid for the
purchase of the northern 40 percent of the park
site.
We are most grateful to the more than 2,000
individuals, corporations, and foundations for their
support, to the Texas Conservation Foundation
and the Trust for Public Land for their help, to the
Texan Newspaper for the excellent coverage, and
to all who have contributed their time and their
muscles. We can all be justly proud of our
accomplishment.
Although thf Friends must still raise lo^al
matching funds for the planned development, the
integrity of the entire park is no longer in question.
We have no doubt that the generous support this
project has received will continue until the
development of Russ Pitman Park and the
renovation of the Henshaw house is completed.
Tax deductible gifts sent to the Friends of Bellaire
Parks, P.O. Box 777, Bellaire, Texas 77401 will be
deeply appreciated.
THE TEXAN NEWSPAPER
JANUARY 16. 1985
Shape up
Fitness Specialist
Elaine Wood conducts a
Fitness after Forty Class
at the Southwest
YMCA. The class is
designed with basic
stretching and strength-
ening exercises, i ne
perfect class for retired
people and people
getting back into ex-
ercise. The class is also
available on tape to
assist in home exercise
programs. Call the
Southwest YMCA at
667-6546.
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Herrera, Nick. The Texan (Bellaire, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 20, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 16, 1985, newspaper, January 16, 1985; Bellaire, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth638317/m1/9/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bellaire Friends Library & Historical Society.