Springtime at the park

The Ville Platte Native Plant and Heritage Garden is a hidden gem in the city. The garden park was established 21 years ago this spring. Near the outdoor classroom is a plaque that reads: “In memory of Corine Roberie whose vision and diligence helped make this garden possible.” Roberie was a member of the Magnolia Garden Club and Vice President of the Friends of the Arboretum. The Heritage Garden was a passion project for her.
Located across from Sonic, the park contains a walking trail with various oaks, a couple of redbuds, parsley Hawthorn, ash, and hackberry trees among others, as well as irises, spider lilies, Mamou plant, and mulberry. There is a quaint bridge over a tiny, picturesque pond where egrets can occasionally be found alongside small turtles sunning themselves on cypress knees.
Now, trash cans frequently overflow, going for months without being emptied. Recently, there was effort made to clean the park entrance, but litter is strewn throughout the rest of the park. A month or so after Hurricane Delta, the fallen trees and limbs were cut and piled up in the park and has yet to be removed. Last year, the fences were repaired, but the old fencing materials were piled up near the trash bins for months.
The park has become a refuge for the downtrodden who leave clothes, food containers, and bicycle parts thrown about. No crime issues have been reported in the park recently, according to Ville Platte Chief of Police Neil Lartigue. In the past, however, small baggies of drugs have been found there.
Councilman Mike Perron said when he was first elected Corine Roberie met with him to show him the park and to stay on top of it. “We had someone to take care of it regularly, but once he retired, it kind of fell apart,” said Perron. “People used to go there regularly. It was a beautiful place. It would be great if we could get more help. It was so beautiful.” Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said they are hiring more street workers because they are expanding the street department so that certain crews will be assigned and responsible for an assigned zone.
Last year, Evangeline Tourism had agreed to take on the cleaning of the park as a project, but the pandemic halted progress. Now, there is new hope for the park. Tourism president Jay Gielow said they plan on raising the tree canopy by cutting lower branches to provide better air flow. Gielow said they are getting bids on other projects, adding Cabot will be helping. Some of the other projects include fixing the bridge, removing invasive plants, pressure washing, fixing signs, and electrical work. Also, they will develop volunteer workdays.
According to Elizabeth West, Marketing Director for Evangeline Tourism, their office received a state grant for tourism in the amount of $43,071. Each town in the parish was able to use some of the grant. Crooked Creek will get a new cabin; Pine Prairie is using theirs for Christmas lights; there will be a new sign for the entrance to Turkey Creek; Mamou is using theirs on signage; Chataignier is going to buy new flags with the town’s logo and the American flag; and Ville Platte’s portion is going to the Heritage Garden. The remainder of the grant money will be used for operation and promotional expenses for the tourism office. West said they usually budget for advertising, but the Louisiana Office of Tourism was able to allocate advertising funds to them so that Evangeline Tourism could use that money for other projects. “We’re excited and we want to keep pushing tourism because it helps all of us, citizens and businesses alike,” said West.