Growing up in Algiers, I remember when Brechtel Park was originally located along Behrman Highway. Mom and dad would take us out on the weekend to run through the park, play on the monkey bars and merry go round and get rid of all of the pent up energy we kids seemed to always be full of. It was the scene of the first Earth Day concert in Algiers back in the 70s and the place for teenagers with a fresh drivers license to cruise through and show off their newfound freedom.
In later years, the golf course was installed at the Behrman Highway site and 
the back side of the land was developed into the park’s current location off of Lennox Drive. As a parent, I have many fond memories of taking my own children there. Feeding the geese and ducks, fishing from the banks of the ponds, attending crawfish boils on Scout Island and meeting up with friends for picnics on beautiful Sunday afternoons. Watching the kids climb on all of the new and improved playground equipment that is supposed to be safer, and I guess it is until they fall off. Seeing the joy in their eyes as they rolled down an honest to goodness hill, something not seen very often by kids who live below sea level. Even a man made hill makes a great spot to play King of the Mountain!
During Katrina, the park suffered a great amount of wind damage. Many of the large, old trees were lost, bridges were ruined and shelters were damaged, turning a once beautiful park into a sad memory.
I took a drive through Brechtel last weekend to see how the recovery is progressing and saw some hopeful signs. A volunteer group was hard at work replacing all of the boards on one of the bridges, shelters have new roofs and freshly painted picnic tables and new play equipment has been installed in one section of the park. Scout Island is undergoing a clean up effort, with the bridge there also being repaired, evidenced by the bright white painted boards, waiting to be installed. There was a birthday party in full swing, complete with balloons, a space walk and an extended family bbq going on.
The park is only open on the weekend at this point, Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm and admission is a bargain at $1 per vehicle. Shelters are available to reserve for parties and reunions by calling (504) 286-2139.
There is still so much work to be done to bring Brechtel back to the recreational gem that it used to be. To achieve this, a newly formed group, Friends of Brechtel Park, is actively recruiting volunteers to help in the restoration of this West Bank treasure. The first meeting will be held on Saturday, March 15th, at 10:30 am at the Park Timbers Club House. Everyone is welcome to join and the meeting is open to the public. You can also sign up for email notification of events at the Friends of Brechtel Park website, which is still under development.
Let’s work together to create another place on the West Bank we can all be proud of and make sure that our children have the chance to make some great memories too!
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