Press Release: City Will Dedicate Fowlkes Community Park at 1 p.m. on Oct. 21

PRESS RELEASE Mayor Gavin Buckley

Public Information Office 160 Duke of Gloucester Street Annapolis, Maryland 21401

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Media contact: Mitchelle Stephenson, 410-972-7724 or [email protected]

City Will Dedicate Fowlkes Community Park on McGuckian Street at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21

ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 19, 2021) - The City of Annapolis will cut the ribbon on Fowlkes Community Park at 1200 McGuckian Street at 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 21, 2021. This "pocket park" is situated at the pedestrian access point at the end of McGuckian Street (where it intersects with Russell Street).

The park is named for Lloyd and Gilda Fowlkes, native Annapolis residents who live next to the park and have cared for it as a public space since they moved to their home on McGuckian Street in 1975. Mr. and Mrs. Fowlkes, individually and combined, have provided musical entertainment as well as imparted professional educational knowledge to thousands of Annapolis/Anne Arundel County residents for over four continuous decades - much of which has involved volunteer hours. As it relates to this new Park, they have provided countless hours to maintain this City-owned property, as well as accessing our City's resources when necessary.

On being honored with the park dedication, Mrs. Fowlkes said, "Fowlkes Community Park has a people and a family-friendly ring to it!"

The Fowlkes will be joined by Mayor Gavin Buckley, Alderman Fred Paone and Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles. The ribbon cutting will also include Recreation and Parks Director Archie Trader and others.

Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles said, "I applaud the Parks and Facility Division Chief and his staff for creating a wonderfully beautiful park. It is amazing to me how they skillfully construct parks with such creative ease.

Pocket parks are generally defined as frequently used public spaces created on small, irregular pieces of land, often in vacant building lots or along the center of a broad avenue. This pocket park is created in a space that is an often-used pedestrian and bicycle throughway adjacent to Ceremony Coffee Roasters.

"People have been using this park in an informal way for years," said Alderman Fred Paone, whose ward the park sits in. "This more formal park with seating and proper landscaping will make it a great place for families to take a break. Recreation and Parks did a great job taking on what the Fowlkes family has been doing for decades."

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