Presidents Park News
One of the perks of being involved with Friends of Legion State Park is being made aware of what is happening in all the state parks. On May 3, I was invited to attend a Friends of the Park state wide meeting in Jackson. Present at that meeting were members of other friends’ groups from other state parks. Some times it is nice to know you are not alone.
The meeting was very informative with many issues discussed. Did you know that we have 21 state parks in Mississippi. Those parks are operated by 103 employees. Unfortunately, that number means the parks are understaffed and 45 more employees are needed. Park employees are paid from the general state fund, not from the parks and recreation budget. The money we spend at state parks goes back into the parks for maintenance and upkeep.
One of the topics discussed was how to generate more revenue. In that order to help with that, a new reservation system has been put into service. It will eventually monitor peak usage time at each park individually and adjust pricing for that time period. Simply put, an RV pad at Legion will possibly cost more on an SEC football weekend or during hunting season.
All the parks are having improvements and additions being made. Here at Legion, we are putting in an 18-hole Disc Golf course. Word has it that Disc Golf has become a very strong attraction in the parks. With tournaments being staged, bringing in people from out of town. We are also looking into the possibility of establishing a mountain bike trail. This trail would be for mountain bikes and hiking as no motorized
vehicles will be allowed.
One of the things I am most excited is A/C in the lodge. Our plan was approved by History and Archives and the units are in place. Now all we need is an electrician to run the wiring and they can be put into service. This will make the lodge usable during the hot summer months, bringing more revenue into our park.
There is much more going on, join us for our Park Open House on Saturday June 24, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Learn what is happening in your local park and how you can be a part of all this by joining Friends of Legion State Park.
