ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — The Kellus Turner Park is the only one of its kind in West Odessa. The Friends of Kellus Turner Park are determined to show the community the beauty and potential it has to become a staple in the area.
One thing for Michele Spinks has always been clear.
“I grew up beside the park," Spinks said. "I lived in West Odessa almost my entire life. And I knew that it needed work.”
Michele is a volunteer with the Friends of Kellus Turner Park, a group dedicated to keeping the park beautiful.
“We’ve had cleanups," Spinks said. "We’ve had walk and talks where we get out there and walk the trails and talk about the possibilities that the park has and the future it could be for the West Odessa community.”
During Ector County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday morning, the friends received permission to continue their "Plant the Park" initiative. This allows volunteers to plant sunflowers, lantanas and bluebonnets, which are near and dear to Michele.
“I'm determined to honor my grandfather's memory and plant bluebonnets," Spinks said. "He had bluebonnets all over his yard in Andrews and I want them at the park and their native and if they survived, they survive."
With the sunflowers, come beautiful butterflies.
“Wouldn’t it be awesome, Oh, wow, there's a park in West Odessa that’s on the monarch trail," Spinks said. "We could be on the monarch trail that doesn't cost anybody any money. It's just we do what we need to get to that point.”
The group's ultimate goal is to make the public aware that Kellus Turner Park has the potential to be much more than people realize.
“There's 33 acres out there," Spinks said. "There's like, two, two and a half miles of walking trails and then there's a ball field and the basketball court tennis court area and the pond that's getting renovated. You know, I mean, there's a lot, there's playground equipment coming changes are happening. It's just been small ones, you know, because there's a lot in the county that needs to take be taken care of. And so, but it's working is happening."
The work does not stop there. Friends of Kellus Turner Park are in the process of becoming a non-profit organization not just to serve the park, but the community as well.
“It's a blending of spaces," Spinks said. " You know, we have community areas with the ball field, the future pavilions that are going to be replaced, you know, the tennis court, the community centers right there. And then of course, the school. So we have a blending of entities going on, right? They're surrounded by this huge green space. And that takes a multitude of different skill sets. In order to actually make that flourish in its best capacity. And I felt like the nonprofit was the way to go.”
Restoration and beautification are the goals for Friends of Kellus Turner Park. And soon, everyone will be able to enjoy the view.