One thing I heard a lot at Saturday’s volunteer cleanup at Bicentennial Park was that people had no idea there was a 5-acre park in East Terrace off of 222nd St. SW.

Bicentennial park is only 3 blocks from the main thoroughfare going through East Terrace (44th Ave W) but unless you live in one of the few houses down that street, you’d really have no reason to drive by the park.

As more and more blackberry bushes were cleared and the day went on, an old 9 hole disc golf coarse appeared and a trail recently built by an eagle scout emerged. While the park was transforming before our eyes, the bags of alcohol bottles and cans piled up made it obvious how the back of the park had been used for the many years.

Volunteers talked about ways to improve the park: redoing the disc golf course, fixing up the soggy baseball field, getting new play equipment, etc.

The city wants to know your ideas on how to improve the underused park. Members of the city’s Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission and Neighborhood Park Improvement Subcommittee invite you to attend a community meeting to discuss ideas about potential park improvements and amenities the community would like to see included in a conceptual plan for Bicentennial Park. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the Flex Room at Cedar Way Elementary School, 22222 39th Avenue West.

The city received a grant for a sidewalk project to connect 39th to 44th Avenues on the north side and in front of the park. The sidewalk project is planned for 2011, so the city is looking for community input on the future of Bicentennial Park so improvements can be coordinated.

The park was originally owned by Matt Hirvela, who desired to see the site preserved as park property. The site was acquired by the City as a children’s park in 1968.