Oak Park Celebrates Opening - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Oak Park Celebrates Opening

It's the anniversary weekend of the 2011 Mouse River flood.
And in this summer of hope, we recognize the work left to be done, and celebrate how far we've come.
A piece of the valley has been restored -- and with that -- a sense hope for the rest of the valley.

Oak Park is back and ready for use.
The Weekend of Hope kicked off yesterday afternoon with a ribbon cutting ceremony welcoming the community back to Oak Park.
It continued today with various events and activities open to the community --- since the community played a huge role in getting the park to where it is today.

(Ron Merrit, Park Director, Minot Park District) "People care enough, you know, that they wanted this park put back together bad enough that they volunteered their time to help us. That is how important it is to the community."

The park was filled with more color this afternoon than it has been in a long time.
Free food was served along with musical entertainment, bouncing castles and games.
Flood related merchandise was available for purchase including t-shirts and high-water plaques.
The Weekend of Hope is just one of many triumphs - people of Minot will see in the coming months.

(Ron Merrit, Park Director, Minot Park District) "Just a day of kind of a continuing of the celebration of getting our park opened up again. To give people a chance to get out and see the park and get away from whatever they are doing at home, you know, rebuilding their homes or whatever is going on."