COMMISSIONERS' CORNER: District Parks' Hidden Gems

Five elected Boca Raton residents – three from within city limits, two from within the larger district - comprise the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District commission. All spent a tremendous amount of time at District parks even before becoming commissioners. Few know those parks as well as these five people do. Here are their hidden gems within the District parks.

Susan Vogelgesang (Pictured, with husband Phil)
There are two parks in the city of Boca Raton that have some amenities that bring me back to my childhood. Both Sugar Sand and Patch Reef parks have walking trails and picnic pavilions that are inexpensive opportunities for family fun. Dating myself, as a child it was a true family or neighborhood occasion to pack a picnic and head to a local park for a weekend afternoon. Kickball, tag, hide and seek, and s'mores kept us busy for hours, and no one was staring at a cell phone or tablet.

These pavilions are ideal for birthday parties, family reunions, or just a fun afternoon away from video games. The trails offer opportunities to learn about nature, possibly even to spot a fox or bobcat along the way, and experience the real Florida on foot. Family time truly makes unforgettable memories!

Erin Wright (Chair)
I like the trail areas in Patch Reef Park. If you are taking your children to an activity in the park, you can drop them off and go for a nice little walk in the woods by yourself. And if your kids are younger you can bring them with you. It's quiet and you kind of feel set apart from everything else.

Bob Rollins (Vice-Chair)
The park that I think has really kind of been overlooked is Patch Reef Park itself. When I first got involved with youth sports here in town, everything went through Patch Reef Park. It has just a nice, cozy feeling. Lynn University played two soccer National Championships there. To their credit they won one of them. The entire park just has a homely family feel. You've got tennis. You've got pickleball. You've got baseball, football and lacrosse there. It's just a complete park. I think it's probably the jewel in our crown. Spanish River is fantastic from the standpoint of rectangular fields and you have those baseball fields over there, but there's nothing that compares to that one little park at Patch Reef. Look at the things we do in there. There's no other park that has all of those activities available to the public.

Craig Ehrnst (Treasurer)
Each park had individual contributors in the community give to it. So, the special hidden gems are the many hands and people who were involved in building it. It's more than just an elected body, more than funding, more than materials, more than land. It is the people who had the idea and came to the board with passion. Each component of the park was built because of the passion of someone who had a vision. It may not have been us, but they had the passion and the vision. So the hidden gem of the park is to appreciate the passion and the vision that got that component there.

Steve Engel 
Without a doubt, Ocean Strand.

You can enjoy the beauty and solitude of what nature has provided us, just minutes from the hustle and bustle of downtown Boca.