Relocation to New Park
Paradise Park residents were invited to a meeting in the hall (on Kelly Street) in the winter of 2000. To our surprise, a stranger introduced himself as Jay Palmer, commercial developer. He said he had purchased the park we had to move our units out within three months?? What chaos this announcement made! In subsequent visits, Mr. Palmer moderated his situation, giving us more time before a decision had to be made by residents and promising to build us a first-class park, which he did. But there were many stumbles along the way.
That spring it was determined that some units had to be moved temporarily within the old park to make room for big equipment. That temporary area was called the Red Zone. The developers promised that no one would move to the new park until it was ready. They promised that no work would be done for the incoming Lowe’s until we were ALL out. So we began to watch the progress.
On April 5, 2002, the mist dampened no spirits as 200 or so people gathered at the corner of S. Cage and Hall Acres Rd for the ground-breaking of the new Paradise Park-Pharr. Jay Palmer and son Greg did themselves proud. They said all the right things, had a tent and about 100 chairs, provided Irma ‘s donuts and coffee, and hired a 6-piece mariachi band which played before and after the speeches. The morning was extremely well-organized, even right down to traffic directors with employees Roberto, Martin, and a couple of other men.
Jay called our attention to the poster which announces the opening for August 2002. Jay admitted when he met us for the first time “two Januaries ago”, he had planned on buying our park and building a shopping mall. When he met the 400 of us, he realized we were a family. That week, or soon after he went to Sunday School and to his shock he saw a poster in the Sunday School room. “Relax, Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in Me…I go to prepare a place for you (in Paradise).” (John 14: 1-2.) Jay said he did a double-take when he saw that poster. Now he’s incorporated it into the sign of the park! He even had a minister from his church for a blessing of the land, the new homes, and the residents.
Pharr Mayor Medina, various commissioners, Irma running for commissioner, and Jay’s mother and his wife were presented. Jay introduced his Sunday School teachers, which I thought had to be a first! Son Greg was probably the 2nd to speak, giving a prepared speech, which had some flowery phrases but which was very appropriate. He did really well and he learned his lessons well! Jay said Greg had been out of college 3 weeks when they came to our park to make the announcement, “and he was soon in deep water”. That day Jay said Greg was “being baptized with fire”.
We saw no evidence of a TV station or The Monitor . When it came time for the dirt-shoveling, the park residents and the 2 Palmers were in the first shot, but then the politicians lined up for the photo opp which we knew they had eagerly anticipated.
The mayor discussed three things;
1) a bypass to reroute the tractor trailer traffic around Pharr,
2) moving the transfer station, and
3) the possibility of requesting a traffic light for our corner.
He said one semi does the damage of 96,000 cars, so they are working on routing these trucks around the city as they use the Pharr International Bridge. Each speaker mentioned the ‘family’ aspect of our park, and most thanked us for the volunteer hours as well as financial benefits to Pharr. Greg mentioned that in 1972, 143,000 winter Texans were in the Valley, a 7% increase over the previous year. Another speaker said that 36% of the Winter Texans in the Valley volunteer in some way at schools, hospitals, etc.
Jay and the others all said the right things. The components of the morning cannot be faulted, in our opinion. It was an Occasion. After the ceremonies, Greg continued to reiterate that they expect to be finished with the park in July and moving houses in August, “before you come down again”.
That autumn the drought ended as the park details were being finished. Jay Palmer was heard to say, ”Wouldn’t you know it, the drought ended when I was building a trailer park.” Units were being moved from the old park to the new one on E. Hall Acres, but the park wasn’t finished. With all the rain, there was more mud than people or trailers combined. It was said everyone had ruined a pair of shoes, trying to maneuver. “Paradise Boots” were invented, using Walmart plastic bags to protect shoes. It was a mess. Morale was low. While the park wasn’t yet finished, neither was the old park emptied, but work began for the Lowe’s construction. The last units were moved from the old to the new park in Feb. 2003. Then our streets were paved. The moves and the new concrete costs were subsidized by the Palmers. Sixty-five units were moved in 3 months. The rest would move within a year.
Still without a completed rec hall, continuing the usual activities challenged us. The weekly potluck became “meet us at ____ restaurant” for weeks. Then in 2004 a new normal began. When it rained, our land lines went out. This was a frequent problem. If a truck drove over uninhabited lots, it sometimes broke a water main, leaving bunches of us without water for some hours. Getting electricity all hooked up took phone calls and determination and patience on our parts. As soon as the cold and rain stopped, we began to appreciate the curbs, wide streets, and large lots.
Then the fun began. At a costume party Bill Hamel showed up without a shirt and with only a “barrel” as his pants, as he had “lost his shirt to the IRS”. The dance and entertainment producers created committees to get these activities going again. Free movies happened on Sunday nights. Thanks to Donna Dwyer and other active folks, a residents’ government emerged, complete with By-Laws and elections. Our activity calendar proved that one could find something to do every morning and afternoon here in the park, which was becoming more beautiful with each month. The murals in the hall were painted during our absence that summer. People outside our park have told us we have the most beautiful park! Waiting for it was traumatic at times but now we are happy! Rosemary Hinkley 3/28/23
