our issues: PARKS WAR
Battle Over Soldier Spring Park
– Continuing a Legacy
What started with Grace
Cartwright could continue
with Lawrence Colvin and
the Weatherford Mountain
Bike Club
BY MARSHA BROWN AND MELISSA DILL
O
Liz Blitzer, owner of Hay USA was a self-proclaimed
workaholic — right up until she took a tumble off of
an 18-wheeler while unloading hay. She fell 30 feet
and landed on asphalt. The fall broke half the bones
in her body. After nearly a year in a wheelchair, a
friend got her to take up mountain biking, something
she says saved her life.
Photos by Steve Schillio
nly a few short months ago, Soldier
Spring Park was a peaceful place that almost no one was interested in. Not many
visited the park — except for the ball fields, and few
peo ple consider them when talking about the park.
Then, one evening, a group of local mountain
bicycle enthusiasts offered to add a 4.5-mile mountain bike trail to the park — at no expense to the
city (i.e., at no expense to the taxpayers), and that’s
when the misinformation and hysteria hit the fan.
“It’s about having more healthy and fun things to
do here Weatherford,” said Liz Blitzer, a member
of the small group of mountain bicyclers who have
offered to chip in efforts to give the city one more
exercise and recreational opportunity. “We want to
give kids as well as adults one more recreational and
exercise option. We want to give back to our community in the form of something to do that doesn’t
cost money each time you do it, something that’s
healthy for the body and the spirit.”
Sounds great, right? Who would object to getting a
new bike trail, especially one that will essentially be
a gift to the community?
Enter an organization called Friends of the Beauty
Way.
About the Park
Soldier Spring Park is a 55-acre park bounded by
Russell Street on the north, Curtis Elementary on the
east, Charles Street on the west and Thrush Street on
the south. It includes lighted tennis courts, softball
and baseball fields, a planned Veteran’s Park as well
as an area of both planned and volunteer trails used
by bicyclists, walkers and hikers. There is a Texas
Historical Marker in the park which gives some his-