Video: Eupora Parks Getting Some Much Needed Attention

By: Salena Schaffer

Rundown and forgotten … Eupora town leaders say they’ve seen it for themselves. Their community parks are not up to par for what their residents deserve.

They’ve been working on taking down the old and putting in the new.

Mayor Dan Burchfield says that they have a clear idea as to what they want to do … they just need to find the funding to do it.

“We had a brief presentation at the last board meeting from the advisory committee and now my job as mayor is trying to find the finds to make that vision come about…” said Burchfield.

Burchfield says Eupora already has a lot to offer and he believes better parks will set their town apart from the rest.

“We have a lower tax base, we have available housing, we have a very low crime rate, we’ve got great schools and great medical facilities and we’re in easy commuting distance within the Golden Triangle. so what’s another component to that… Parks.” said Burchfield.

People who live in Eupora are not the only ones who visit the parks. Visitors from neighboring towns also bring their families.

“The people who use our park facilities come from Choctaw county, Montgomery County, Oktibbehah County, you know we serve a large area, our market area is very wide.” said Birchfield.

Eupora Park Director, Rusty Bowen has the same goal as Burchfield and is working towards it until he sees it’s done.

“I hope to see continuous improvement, I hope to see let’s get some soccer fields and intramural fields built at the end of this park, the Gary Park. And I hope we can kind of get the Stennett Park revamped and put back into circulation so that we have that going on for us.” said Bowen.