Sherbondy Park Re-opens

Florida Connections Newsletter, Vol 4, No 3, Fall 2006

Once an un-safe, dilapidated, rundown park, the Sherbondy Park is now safe and usable again.   Opa-Locka’s oldest park (located in Miami-Dade County), Sherbondy Park, received a $75,000 upgrade that paid for the resurfacing of two backetball courts, ten computers for the recreation center and a play structure specifically for toddlers.  The park opened at the end of July, 2006 after being closed for two years. 

The Opa-Locka Front Porch Community Council received funding for this project from a competitive grant that they applied for in 2005 through the Office of Urban Opportunity.  According to the grant proposal the the Council submitted, the goal was to replace some problematic behaviors in the community with positive influences through early intervention, safe play activities and computer training. 

The Opa-Locka Front Porch Community also partnered with the New Opa-Locka Optimist Club, the City of Opa-Locka and the Youth Co_Op, Inc. on this project.  Because of the new upgrades the City of Opa-Locka anticipates the new tot lot to be used by approximately 100 preschool aged children per month, the teen pregnancy rate will reduce by at least 10% through health education literature and the FCAT scores will improve by approximately 10% through the training given in the computer lab.

Sherbondy Family Association

www.sherbondy.org