By Staff
CLEANING UP William Smith, left, Dexter Thomas and Johnny Patton spend Wednesday afternoon cleaning a county park on St. Luke Street, just north of Interstate 20/59. The cleanup effort came two days after resident John Nelson complained about the state of the park in a letter published by The Meridian Star. Photo by Carisa McCain/The Meridian Star
By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
April 25, 2002
Two days after complaining in a letter to The Meridian Star, John Nelson finally got results.
County inmates spent Tuesday and Wednesday cutting weeds and removing trash from a county park on St. Luke Street, just north of Interstate 20/59.
Nelson began calling county supervisors about three weeks ago, complaining about weeds that he said had grown 8-feet high at the park which residents use for jogging and walking.
But, he said, nothing happened.
Then he wrote The Star a letter to the editor in which he complained that Lauderdale County Supervisor Q.V. Sykes had neglected the park. Sykes' district includes the park.
Sykes, however, said that Nelson's letter had nothing to do with his decision to send county inmates to clean the park.
When the county built the park three to four years ago, Sykes said, Meridian officials had agreed to help maintain it because it was inside the city limits.
Monty Jackson, Meridian's public works director, said he didn't believe cleaning the park is the city's responsibility.
County inmates first arrived at the park around 8 a.m. Tuesday, waking Nelson to the sound of lawn mowers just outside his window and across the street.
On Wednesday, workers filled 35 plastic garbage bags with trash they had removed. And Nelson said he believes it was all linked directly to his letter.