Twin Falls Works to Remedy Illegal Parking by City Park

City Park is crowded.  Especially warm weekends.  The festival season is upon us.  Twin Falls has grown by a third in 20 years, and the Magic Valley on the whole shares the distinction.  More people work out to bigger festival turnouts.  It also points to a glaring need for parking downtown.  Courthouse construction is finished, opening some space on weekends, but my personal observation is that people want the shortest walk.  The two parking lots at St. Edward Church are the easy button, and for some self-absorbed people (often the young, from my observation), it’s the place to dump your car.

Inconveniencing the Old is a Youthful Habit

The church has half a dozen Masses over the weekend, and often Saturday weddings.  The first Mass begins at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings.  Many parishioners arrive up to an hour early for prayer and contemplation.  One fellow I know parks in a lot and crosses the street with the use of a cane.  He’s in his late 80s.  He can’t walk six blocks.

The First Steps Have Been Taken

When I was asked by an usher if I could bring this up with the city, I got a response that nobody knew it was a problem.  Which, I believe, is a denial of the obvious.  Then I was told it was the church’s obligation to police its own property.  You got that?  St. Edward has been in that location for 125 years, and now that the city profits from festivals, it’s not a government responsibility.  I did find that the city manager and two councilmen were receptive, and they worked with the church, which is why they posted signs a few days ago.

Will it work?  I’m not putting any money on it.  But I thank the city for the first effort.