Deadline nears for naming Maricopa’s first public park

The City of Maricopa’s first-ever public park is scheduled to open in August 2006. An 18.8-acre park with many amenities, including softball and soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, ramadas and even a tot lot, the site is a former thousand-acre pecan grove at the intersection of Porter and Honeycutt Roads. However, the park still needs a name!

Director Marty McDonald reviews plans for the park with the PRL committee.

Beginning October 15, at the Founder’s Day celebration, area residents have had the chance to submit names for their first public park. The Founder’s Day Name the Park booth featured drawings of the park, and Rebecca Molus won the raffle for two tickets to the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and its pre-party, donated by Superintendent of Schools Alma Farrell. There were 92 entries for the park’s name submitted at that event.

Currently there are 135 entries, most all of them unique with only a few duplications. According to Parks, Recreation and Libraries (PRL) Director Marty McDonald, “There are some really humorous ones.”

PRL committee members Chris Wendt (left) and David Aviles man the Founder’s Day Name the Park booth.

“There are a lot of families deserving to have a park or building named after them, but with this first park we want the name to capture the spirit of Maricopa – both past, present and future,” McDonald explained. “The name should be easy to pronounce and conjure positive images of our city, the state of Arizona or the Southwest region.”

The deadline for submitting a name for the park is November 18 at 5 p.m.

The PRL Committee will review all suggestions and decide on the park’s name. The person or family entering the winning name will receive free Parks and Recreation classes for a period of ONE year. They will also participate in the park’s grand opening celebration as well as at a special groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for January 2006.

Members of the PRL advisory committee (left to right) Chris Wendt, Dan Conlon, chairman Scott Bartle, Director Marty McDonald, David Aviles, Mary Lou Smith and Dawn Madden.

It is not too late to submit your winning suggestion! The Name the Park Contest is open to everyone. You can turn your entry into City Hall, or submit it via email. Please include your name, contact information, the name you picked and the reasons for its selection. For further information, contact PRL Director McDonald at (520) 568-9098, Ext. 204.