GROUP OPPOSES PLAN FOR CHURCH TO RECEIVE LAND.Byline: Jim Skeen Do you mean:
A citizen committee is campaigning against a proposal by Vice Mayor Henry Hearns for the city to give five acres to a neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. church to create a park. The land, near 18th Street West and Avenue J, was donated do·nate v. do·nat·ed, do·nat·ing, do·nates v.tr. To present as a gift to a fund or cause; contribute. v.intr. To make a contribution to a fund or cause. to the city in 1979 by Forrest For·rest , Nathan Bedford 1821-1877. American Confederate general who was active at the battles of Shiloh (1862) and Chickamauga (1863). He was a founder and the first leader (1866-1869) of the Ku Klux Klan. Hull, then a city councilman. Hearns wants the city to give it to the Lancaster First Assembly of God Church for a park that would be open to the public. ``I called the church and they were very interested,'' Hearns said. ``We're looking at providing the church with the land with the intent of them making a park out of it - not just for the church, but for the community.'' A committee calling itself Keep the Promise, Save the Park, wants the city to establish the park and keep the land under public control. Members say the city should honor As a verb, to accept a bill of exchange, or to pay a note, check, or accepted bill, at maturity. To pay or to accept and pay, or, where a credit so engages, to purchase or discount a draft complying with the terms of the draft. the intention of the donor The party conferring a power. One who makes a gift. One who creates a trust. donor n. a person or entity making a gift or donation. DONOR. He who makes a gift. (q.v.) , an ophthalmologist ophthalmologist /oph·thal·mol·o·gist/ (of?thal-mol´ah-jist) a physician who specializes in ophthalmology. oph·thal·mol·o·gist n. A physician who specializes in ophthalmology. and one of the city's first councilmen. Hull gave the land for a park or a city hall site, said Timothy Hayes, an insurance agent and former mayor who served on the council with Hull. ``Once it becomes private property, it's essentially gone. They have control,'' Hayes said. ``Our cause is correct. . . . We think the citizens of Lancaster want this park.'' The committee has collected about 750 signatures on a petition urging the city to turn the Hull property into a city park. The city needs neighborhood parks Neighborhood parks, which generally range in size up to 30 acres, serve as a social and recreational focal points for neighborhoods and are the basic units of a park system. Many include a playground. of one to five acres each, Hayes said. ``Here's an opportunity to start.'' The church already has a park on 20th Street West that is open to the public and frequently used by Little League and soccer teams, community groups and others, said the Rev. Jim Majeski, pastor of the Lancaster First Assembly of God Church. ``It's been our policy to keep it an ungated park. The only restriction we try to enforce is on alcohol use and drug use,'' Majeski said. The 1,400-member congregation CONGREGATION. A society of a number of persons who compose an ecclesiastical body. In the ecclesiastical law this term is used to designate certain bureaux at Rome, where ecclesiastical matters are attended to. has eight buildings next to the church park. Any more construction would need to be onto land that is now the church park, members said. The Hull land could then become a new park maintained by the church, Hearns said. The church could give some type of permanent recognition of Hull, Majeski said. Councilman Michael Singer said the council should pay attention to the petition signed by 750 wanting a city park. ``All they want is some trees, grass and a few park benches. We've had significant interest from citizens for a park. Let's give them one,'' Singer said. The Hull property was considered for a city hall site, but city leaders chose other land - on Fern Avenue north of Lancaster Boulevard. City officials also decided to expand a senior citizens' center near City Hall rather than build a new center on the Hull site. At least twice, city officials considered selling the land for apartment development, but residents of the neighborhood and friends of Hull protested. |
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