A tale of two parks

Penn Park, in center-city York, and Springettsbury Township Park, in the suburbs, are separated by about five miles.

What brought them together in the media spotlight this past Sunday was the stabbing death of a teenager, Shah Jordan. Earlier Sunday, Shah and his mother had visited Springettsbury Township Park to enjoy the beautiful views and walk the rolling paths of the recreation area near the Galleria Mall. Just hours later, Shah was stabbed in the neck and lay dying at the southwest corner of Penn Park, near his home.

It is a tragedy for the teenager, his family, the young man accused of stabbing Shah, and for York City, too. It reinforces the perception that the city -- including Penn Park -- is a place to avoid.

That is tragic in that Penn Park (or Penn Common) is one of the oldest, most historic areas in York County. It is the only tract of land laid out in the 1741 plan of York that exists today (although in smaller dimensions). It has echoes of pre-Colonial, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War rustling among its trees. It was a gathering place for generations of families who would "take the air" by strolling the gravel paths that crisscrossed the flat landscape. Statues to hero-firemen, flower beds, fountains, basketball and tennis courts, and a playground were there for all to enjoy.

Over the years, it gained a reputation as a "Needles Park," a place of foreboding and danger. "Don't walk through the park," parents warned children.

There are plans afoot to revitalize Penn Park -- to once again make it a family-center destination. It could become -- in essence -- a Springettsbury Township Park in the heart of York City.

That would be a fitting future for a treasured part of York's past.