Join our FOGP Facebook Group

We primarily push updates to the Friends of Goodwin Park community via our Facebook Group. 

Please follow us there, and join one of our upcoming events. 

If you would like to send us a message, you can do from the Facebook Group, or via email at FOGPHartford@gmail.com. 

Thanks!

FOGP

https://www.facebook.com/friendsofgoodwinpark

We Are Back - Sort of

You will find the most up to date info about Friends of Goodwin Park on our face book page.  Please check us out there and like us so that you will always see the latest news from us.

The value of this site is that it contains "all you need to know" about us: mission, accomplishments, etc.  We will also use this site to "archive" important information about FOGP and our activities.

Latest News

Because of the virus,  we are not holding public member meetings at this time.  However, the board is meeting monthly via zoom so that we can continue identifying and advocating issues of concern at the park.

This Year's Priorities

(1) Preventing further erosion of turf between the playing field and the inner gate.

Due to years of illegal parking in this area, the stretch of land from the paved path to the ball field to the inner gate is now dirt or mud depending on the weather. Additionally, it is the repository for excessive littering/dumping.  

The city has agreed to create a parking area 20 feet deep and 120 feet long by placing large stones as barriers to the grass and covering the dirt with processed asphalt.  For the next 75 foot stretch - from the defined parking area up to the gate - the city will place large rocks at the edge of the area to prevent intrusion and a cement bell to prevent people from driving around the gate.  FOGP will be in contact with the city until this work is completed.

(2) Restoring the Wildflower Meadow

Last year, with new personnel in place, the city accidently destroyed the wildflower meadow located just past the inner gate as you enter from Maple Ave. This was done to  convert the area into a parking lot so that organized athletic teams would be able to park during their games.  When informed, the city promptly cancelled that project and agreed to work with us to restore the meadow.  No progress was made last year, so we have once again initiated efforts to get the city - with our help - to restore the meadow.  (More on the meadow at a later date including steps taken and benefits to the park and to the community.) 

Fast Pitch Softball in Goodwin park

Azucareros d Hartford is now using Goodwin Park for home games on alternate Saturdays.  The team members, all from Hartford, bring their families to watch and cheer them on. This makes for a family friendly environment with lots of love and laughter as team members warm up, don uniforms and play ball.  The next game will be Saturday, July 1.  Games are slated for 1:00pm but are more likely to start later than that.  Bring a picnic lunch, meet team members and enjoy!

Wild Kingdom

Wild Kingdom: Doing More With Less To Keep Hartford's 26 Parks In Shape
David Halohan, Hartford Courant, April 25, 2017

Tom Baptist, who is Hartford's Department of Public Works Superintendent in charge of parks, cemeteries and athletic fields, views the city as a wild kingdom. His job is to get its biologically diverse parks ready for the various species — including Homo sapiens (taxpayers) and Vireo olivaceus (red-eyed vireos) — which flock to them each spring.

Keep Our Park Clean

Though littering and dumping of trash in the park have decreased over the last five years, it still remains a problem.  If you see overflowing trash cans, areas where trash and other items -like the couch that was recently deposited in the parking area near the  playground - have been dumped please call 311.  Report what you see and give the location in the park.  The city's department of public works will respond as soon as possible.  (Keep in mind that the department is operating with a significantly reduced workforce.)

February 2, 2017
Though we are in the midst of winter, I am looking forward to spring when we will see the results of work by FOGP in 2016: even more daffodils at the Maple Avenue and Hubbard Road entrances and the first wildflower sprouts in the meadow we are creating.  We hope these additions increase your enjoyment of the park.

HELLO from FOGP

Greetings and best wishes from the Friends of Goodwin Park.  We have been absent from social media for several months but aim for better communications in 2017.  Members of FOGP take a break during the winter month, but regular meetings will resume in the spring.  In the mean time, the board is reviewing accomplishments for 2016 (we will publish them soon) and looking ahead to 2017.  And don't forget - Goodwin Park is a great place to walk -even in the winter!