Rudy Karimi - District 14 Park and Recreation

Thank you to Lori Brown and FOX 4 News for continuing to bring attention to this story and for sharing my statement.

The field at Willis Winters Park represented years of advocacy, hard-earned funding, and a special place built for our community and student athletes.

I'm heartbroken and angry to see the senseless destruction at Willis Winters Park. Our new baseball field, designed to be a premier, all-weather home for our community and Woodrow Wilson High School, has been severely damaged by illegal firework use.

The photos show the scorched result of this negligence. As a result, the baseball field is closed and unusable for all activities.

Dallas Fire and Rescue responded to the scene early this morning, and we are currently working with an arson investigation team to assess the damage. Please know that repairs on synthetic turf are complex and costly.

I know how much this field means to our families and the Woodrow Wilson community. We will continue to expedite the assessment and determine next steps. I appreciate your patience and your commitment to keeping our parks safe.

Dallas Park and Recreation Department
City of Dallas - District 14

Dear Kiest Tennis Center Youth: Thank You 🙏

I want to speak to the 20 or so teenagers and young adults who came to City of Dallas - City Hall this past Wednesday, arriving at 9:00 AM, and being made to wait nine grueling hours to finally step up to the podium to raise your voice about your cause. I'm sorry, and thank you.

Your advocacy for the tennis center was undoubtedly some of the most powerful and moving civic engagement our City has seen in a very long time. You should be incredibly proud of yourselves.

Moving forward, I want our youth and our neighborhoods to know that we also need to see this incredible energy at the Dallas Park and Recreation Board meetings too.

When this contract issue was sitting before us, we only heard from a single individual. And if I may be entirely honest, nothing is more convincing or impactful to me than seeing a community's youth step in and speak for themselves. You belong in the rooms where these decisions are being shaped from the beginning, not just where they go for final approval.

The Dallas Park and Recreation Board is built to listen to you, and we have a proven track record of acting when the community speaks up. Most recently, this board removed four community centers from closure due to budget cuts. Before that, this board pushed the State Fair of Texas to reinstate free passes for Dallas teens just like you.

Good representatives are there to amplify your voices and deliver positive outcomes you deserve, but we need you at the table with us early in the process.

Please, come advocate like this when these park and recreation issues are still sitting with the Park Board. As one of your representatives, I have always said that public speakers are the absolute best part of our meetings. And our process is designed to be accessible, supportive, and efficient. Much more-so than what you experienced Wednesday night at the City Council meeting. At the Park Board meetings, you:

🔹 Speak first. At our 10:00 AM meetings, public speakers always go first on the agenda.
🔹 Get your full time: Everyone always gets their full three minutes to speak.
🔹 Are in and out: In most cases, you are done and on with your day within a half hour. No nine hour waiting required, ever.

To the Kiest Tennis Center youth: you aren't constituents of my city council district, but we are always one Dallas. Thank you for showing us what community leadership and ownership looks like. You fought hard and you won in protecting your program. Now that the ball is back in our court, please come and speak to us too. Help us help you. We will do better. And we will stand with you. ❤️🌳🎾

🦒 EXCLUSIVE COUNCIL DISTRICT 14 REVEAL: Gracie Giraffe is found (and she's already on the Dallas Park and Recreation Department payroll)!

No city-wide hiring freeze could have stopped this. Our department quietly made a strategic, off-market hire. Turns out, when you have a backlog of tall tree branches that need pruning and acres of park grass to manage, you bring in a specialist.

Welcome to the team, Gracie! Personally, I'm thrilled to have someone else who is always willing to stick their neck out for our public parks ❤️🌳

🚧 Lindsley Park Playground Update ⚠️

Mother Nature remains undefeated. This past weekend's heavy flooding washed away practically all of the engineered wood fibar cushioning at the Lindsley Park playground (the stuff that looks like mulch).

Seeing the playground's bare ground on our Sunday morning bike ride was a little unreal. Since the required "fall zones" are currently without their protective cushioning, the large playground and swings area are temporarily closed. The junior playground remains open since it uses poured-in-place rubber foundation for its fall zones.

An order for the engineered wood fibar has been placed and I will provide an ETA once one is provided. Thank you for your patience while our Dallas Park and Recreation Department works hard to get Lindsley Park's playground safely back in action.

City of Dallas - District 14
Lakewood Hills Neighborhood Association
Hollywood / Santa Monica Neighborhood Association - HSMNA

🐴 Spotted in Council District 14: Maggie and Pecos!

If you've spent time at Willis Winters Park - formerly Randall Park, Lindsley Park, or along the Santa Fe Trail, you might have crossed paths with two of our neighborhood's most unique park lovers: Maggie and Pecos!

They recently had the honor of marshaling the Hollywood / Santa Monica Neighborhood Easter Parade, and they frequently trot their usual route from Willis Winters Park over to Lindsley Park and back.

While they are Junius Heights neighbors, Pecos calls a nearby East Dallas boarding stable home. I caught up with them this morning at Willis Winters Park to learn a few fun facts about our favorite four-legged park lover. I also got to share a few fun facts about our beloved park. Here's what I learned about Pecos:

📸 A natural star: Pecos is super photogenic and always camera-ready, as you can see!
🛌 How he sleeps: Pecos sleeps both standing up and lying down. Horses can actually lock their knees to take a power nap while standing, but they lie down on their sides when they need deep REM sleep.
🍬 Favorite snack: Pecos' absolute favorite treats are watermelon flavored Sour Patch Kids!
🛝 Playground plans: When asked what Pecos would do on a playground, Maggie says she's pretty sure Pecos would head straight for the swings. (Note to self: advocate for a horse-sized swing in the next bond) 🤣
👯‍♀️ A lifelong bond: Maggie is 19 and Pecos is 12. They've been together since Pecos was just a year old. It's incredibly clear that she and Pecos are best friends who care deeply about each other.

Maggie and Pecos want you to know they are both incredibly approachable, so if you see them taking a break under the historic pavilion, don't hesitate to come say hi!

I want you to know that our Dallas Park and Recreation Department parks and trails aren't just for people, they are vibrant spaces that bring our entire community together, even the equestrian side of it! ❤️🌳🐎

City of Dallas - District 14

🚨 ADVOCACY ALERT 🚨

This morning, two Dallas residents appeared before the Park Board to advocate for greater accountability and transparency regarding public, City-owned assets at White Rock Lake.

Their comments touched on a principle I believe that applies across our entire park system: public-private partnerships are a privilege, not an entitlement. They should always serve the public interest first, remain accountable to taxpayers and be accessible to the people of Dallas, who ultimately own these assets.

What park, trail, recreation center, athletic field, lake, or public facility do you think deserves a closer look, whether because it's doing exceptionally well or because it could be doing better? Would love to hear about it!