A promising idea to combine the dilapidated Butts Park in south Jackson to a planned nature park in Clinton failed after Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba killed the plan. Randy Bell reported in the Clinton Courier Wednesday:
Clinton Mayor Phil Fisher believes a nature park to be built on eighty-four acres which stretches south from near I-20 to the Jackson city limits might become more of a regional destination if the City had more land to include in the project; but his efforts to convince Jackson leaders to agree to a “friendly annexation” of the adjacent Buddy Butts Park appears to have been unsuccessful.
“I shared a vision with the mayor of Jackson,” Fisher says, “and how adding the three-hundred-plus acres of Butts Park to the eighty-four acres would allow an exceptional opportunity for Clinton, south Jackson, west Jackson, Raymond and unincorporated Hinds County.”
But Fisher says Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba wasn’t interested in giving up the land without Jackson receiving “something tangible” in return.
Fisher says Clinton doesn’t have any land to swap or enough money to buy the park, and he had hoped the economic benefits Jackson could reap from the project would be enough to convince Lumumba. He says the Jackson mayor suggested a joint effort between the two cities, but Fisher insists on Clinton having authority over an expanded park.
“As long as [Butts Park] is within the Jackson city limits, a future mayor/City Council [in Jackson] could end the agreement and take the infrastructure Clinton built,” he says.
Fisher says making Butts Park part of Clinton would also avoid issues of police jurisdiction.
“Clinton needs to control access to the park to keep the criminal element out,” says Fisher.
Fisher says he and the Jackson mayor met twice at Lumumba’s office and again for a tour of Butts Park, during which Fisher says he laid out the concept for the nature park, which could incorporate and improve several features of the Jackson park, including walking and biking trails, the go-cart track and the drone/model plane airfield, while showcasing the history of the area. Rest of article.
It's a shame this idea could not get off the ground. The area around Butts Park is the last decent part of south Jackson.
The city of Jackson simply does not have the money to revitalize the park. Period. The park is an eyesore, a real _____ hole. The city should invest what money it can into Livingston Park and give up Butts Park.
There is a compromise to be made if both leaders are interested. Jackson has an interest in stabilizing that area but lacks the money or personnel to do so. Mayor Lumumba is naturally going to oppose any attempt to annex the park without Clinton giving something in return. The city lost the airport, water system, and sewer system. Suggesting just giving up an area of land to another city will not fly. In Lumumba's eyes, Jackson will not lose anything else unless forced to do so. Such a position is completely understandable.
Clinton could pay for the land. However, there is a compromise solution. Clinton and Jackson could enter into a long-term lease for the park. Jackson retains ownership of the property. Clinton pays Jackson to lease and develop the premises. The two cities could work out an agreement to give jurisdiction to Clinton police in the park.*
Thus Jackson retains ownership and maybe makes some money it can invest into other parks, Clinton develops and brings stability to the area, and citizens of Jackson and Clinton have something nice to enjoy. Instead of yet another burb pillaging Jackson, Jackson would enjoy investment from Clinton in a positive way.
A solution can be reached if, and only if, both parties want to make it work.
* Or would an agreement with the Sheriff to deputize Clinton police working in the park work? Feel free to shred that idea. ;-)
36 comments:
Jackson's motto should be "It may be a sack of dung, but it's OUR sack of dung."
I bet if you agree to name the park after Labamba, Jackson would agree.
Lubumble says ‘something tangible in return’ like a greasy palm full o’ cash! No grift for the Bumble, no park for Clinton and South Jackson!
LuDUMBa strikes again. Wants no part of anything that could help the city. What a dummy.
3:11 You're on the exact right track! Like with the Capitol Police and new court: "We may be the crime capital of the country, but we don't want to change it, because it's OUR crime!"
Yeah, Phil should have hired an "appropriate" proxy to go talk to Baby Chok. He's learned enough from Bennie to allow direct negotiations with a White mayor!
The biggest reason Jackson will not improve is not having a leadership team in place with a vision. The mayor and city council don’t h want to admit that the city has been on the wrong track for 25+ years, they would rather continue to lead the nation in population loss, crime, failing infrastructure, etc.
This one project alone will not save the city, but it could be a start and signal to local mayors that Jackson is willing to work with them to make the metro area a better, safer place to live.
Reason 214 why Jackson doesn’t have nice things
There was a fantastic disc golf course there at one time, not too long ago.
It is not a new concept. The City of Jackson gave Riverside Park and Mayes Lake to the State over 30 years ago.
“Clinton needs to control access to the park to keep the criminal element out,” says Fisher.
Not so patiently awaiting the trolls to scramble from under the bridge on this one.
Another Jackson success story
They don’t care if the plane is crashing as long as they are the pilot ! Seriously what else would jax do with the property ever ??!!
The same reason the zoo is all but closed. The state tried to help Jackson keep it going by moving it to I-55 and they declined. The same reason the airport doesn’t have any open restaurants or any vendors. On and On. Totally crap show of an administration.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, 5:55 pm
The airport authority has a competent and impressive CEO in place now.
Ha, any of you bums want to give me 300 acres? I promise I'll do something really nice with it.
Dude just get out of the way of progress please
Sid Slater style title demerit.
The WORST thing you could EVER do is go in partnership with Jackson.
Chokwe is mad at the world. Clinton should wait until next administration to make a deal with city of Jackson. Lumumba is an absolute idiot.
Congrats to Mr. Fisher for putting some effort into what could have been a win-win project.
Hopefully, he will now invest the resources into doubling his police force and SWAT teams plus building a concrete wall on Northside Dr. at the Clinton city limits.
Article states: "In Lumumba's eyes, Jackson will not lose anything else unless forced to do so. Such a position is completely understandable."
Oh we understand. Anything Lumumba touches turns to poop. Here the Marxist Mayor has a chance to give up some land he has no use for (other than to add to his blight). Clinton is willing to spend the money on the improvements that will aid the citizens of Jackson and Clinton.
Help the citizenry of Jackson? "Pay me money," says Lumumba. He reminds me of the third world nations with starving people who force relief agencies to pay bribes before they will let the relief agencies feed the starving.
All a part of being the most radical city on the planet.
I remember racing go carts and rc cars out there when I was younger. One of the coolest things was the MS River scaled model. Or could be turned into something nice, instead Lumumba is going to Lumumba.
Grew up across the street and attended JPS so forgive the grammar.
Most people would be surprised the history of Butts Park and the surrounding area. From German pow’s building and designing the MS river model to state high school track and field records set there that still stand today.
I wonder if mayor lumber was made aware of the German soldiers once held captive and forced to work in the city with soul.
“The city lost the airport, water system, and sewer system.”
When did the city lose the airport? Was the lawsuit dismissed? Can someone please explain?
To be fair, the Clinton Mayor just asked for 300 free acres of land, and the only benefit to be vague economic benefits of an attraction. Whatever the state of it is, it is an asset of the City of Jackson.
But to be real, 9/10 Jackson residents don’t care about Butts Park. The only downside was that Lumumba was going to be embarrassed by a city of 30k developing something to its potential that used to be in his city. And everyone who would have went to that park would have a first row view of the lack of leadership from the Mayor of Jackson.
Maybe i’ll have to go to the zoo today. You know, the one in Hattiesburg that has a ropes course, full animal displays, and is building a fully fledged waterpark?
The first and foremost reason this was dead from the get-go is that it does not, in any respect, merge with Chokwe-The-Elder's concept of a black separatist nation within this state.
Chokwe-The-Younger and Baby Rukia have The Nation well set to accomplish Dad's dream. Don't need no park with white folk in charge of it.
When will you people finally realize that this family of modern-day grifters is about nothing but accomplishing Dad's Dream? Watch their every step and you'll realize that's their daily goal. STOP hoping they will flip a switch and become normal.
Clinton should probably take the money they were going to use to develop the Jackson portion and build a very big wall along the boundary.
Butts park has horrible roads, graffiti everywhere and a litter problem.
But it also has 6+ miles of single-track trails suitable for mountain biking or trail running. It's a hidden gem.
"Lubumble says ‘something tangible in return’ like a greasy palm full o’ cash! No grift for the Bumble, no park for Clinton and South Jackson!" January 5, 2024 at 3:32 PM
Greasy palmfulls of cash are so 20th Century! That's how things used to get done, back when the Carpetbaggers and Scalawags and Gold Coast and Gulf Coast boys used to make deals at the Mayflower Cafe (you know... back when Jackson still had working traffic lights and such-as, and rakeoff percentages were still single-digit).
These days, it's more about Hermes, Paris gift cards (redeemable, online, although considering how frequently Jackson's luminaries and functionaries go to Paris...) or Credit Suisse cards (So digital! So CONVENIENT!).
Once upon a time, it frustrated me when people did things that just didn’t make common sense. But just because something doesn’t make common sense doesn’t mean it doesn’t makes sense to the person behind the decision and what it is that motivates them. The mayor excites people by screaming from the hilltops of injustice, and makes promises of prosperity. The truth is, it’s all a lie, because whenever an opportunity to make anything prosper is presented to the mayor, he gives it lip service, then spikes it at the last hour. Because he’s really not interested in prosperity, especially prosperity, shared with a town like Clinton and its leadership. People like the mayor of Jackson need people to be miserable so that the promise of prosperity is that much more enticing, and the story of oppression is that much more convincing. Lumumba needs failure, he needs suffering, he needs collapse, because that is how he retains power. The people that follow him are made up of those who wish to siphon off that power, and those who are deluded enough to accept that our city must collapse if that is the only way to free the land. Do a little research into our mayor and his associates. Research the Republic of new Africa. Research free the land, search for our mayor and the various speaking engagements he has participated in over the years. You will find socialism Afrocentrism and a host of other idiotic ideologies. It’s easy to laugh at him because he will not reach the goals he preaches, but he will succeed in the destruction of any semblance of order and prosperity that remains in our city if he remains in office. Jackson is a long way from recovering, and it very well might have seen it’s best days, but it will most certainly continue to get worse if the black population of Jackson continues to buy the lie. Jackson won’t have a Republican mayor. And it’s highly unlikely Jackson will have a mayor that attains office On anything other than a campaign of racial division. However, I would gladly trade your traditional race hustler for our current psychotic little wannabe dictator any day.
Transferring Park land to another government agency is not a new concept for the City of Jackson. They gave Riverside Park and Mayes Lake to the State of MS over 30 years ago to form LeFleur's Bluff Park.
Make a point or don't, 12:05.
What is really needed are some federal dollars to clean up and renovate the Mississippi River Basin Model which is a National Historic Engineering Landmark and the most historic and valuable part of that entire property. I'm not against improving the trails either but it is the river model that could turn that area into a real tourist attraction.
The city transferred title to the state for LeFleur's Bluff State Park only after the state had invested $2 million to improve the area in 1989 after the park had been closed in 1987. It also did not involve any de-annexation of city limits. The Clinton mayor may have some good ideas for the trails but his proposal sounds legally more like "give us complete control of the park for nothing and let us do whatever we want with it." Which doesn't sound like a very serious or cooperative proposal to me. If it had been Lumumba proposing to take land from Clinton in the same manner the know-it-alls on this site would be callint it an attempted "illegal land grab."
The Friends of the MS River Basin Model has some things moving - some of the articles are old on their website (last link), but they have monthly cleanup sessions and the over all master plan looks epic.
Cleanup (and other) Activities
https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=baee8c2fcea29cd162d6142b7&id=4d4aa8e41e
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofMississippiRiverBasinModel/
MRBM Master (remodel) plan
https://friendsofmrbm.org/explore/
I applaud the effort! I wonder how much more assistance they would get with a Clinton address....
The idea that the Mayor of Jackson would or should give Butts Park to Clinton in exchange for nothing is laughable. I think what makes the most sense is some sort of long term lease where the city of Clinton agrees to make improvements to the park, Jackson guarantees a certain number of officers at the park and they give Chokwe a poltical win in a big ribbon cutting ceremony. The lease will likely keep being renewed as Jackson does not seem like it’s going to have the funds to maintain its parks anytime soon. Keep in mind that when Jackson Fest was going to happen at Butts Park Clinton City government killed it when they realized since the bridge was out the concertgoers would have to go through the city.
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