Is it just me, or does anyone else find “Oakwood Green Park” too stuffy a name? Yes, the former Oakwood Country Club should be honored. But the new shopping center is already named “Oakwood Commons.”
I have a better suggestion: name the park after the public figure who made it happen, Mayor Georgine Welo of South Euclid. She convinced the developer, Mitchell Schneider, to donate 20 acres to her city and $400,000 for improvements to the land, including a wetland. Furthermore, Mr. Schneider will donate every drop of rainwater runoff from his shopping center to the wetland.
But arguably the most impressive concession Mayor Welo obtained from Mr. Schneider is his assurance that Oakwood Commons will be economically and environmentally sustainable. The Walmart at Severance Town Center was, clearly, not sustainable. But the new Walmart Supercenter will be.
And this is why the park should be named “Georgine Welo Park”: so our grandchildren and great-grandchildren visiting the park and shopping at the Walmart Supercenter 50 years from now will be reminded of the far-sighted leader whose legacy they enjoy. If you agree, please ask South Euclid City Council to pass an emergency resolution renaming the park.
Rich Sones
Cleveland Heights