My phone has been blowing up the last couple of weeks at the recreation department, and it all has to do with our new park signs around our Carrollton community.

I had a lady call me earlier in the week, explaining to me that it was about time we put a sign up in front of Longview Park. The funny part of this story is that the woman informed me she has lived on Longview Street for 10 years, and passes by the park every day on her way to work.

I did not have the heart to tell her that we use to have a sign right where the new one was, and the only thing we have changed is how they look. She had passed it so many times over the years that she never even saw the original sign.

Our Parks and Facilities Maintenance Division, led by Kent Johnston, has been putting up new park signs all over Carrollton. We all came to the conclusion that the old signs that we had did not really have anything to do with our parks and recreation department, and we wanted to spruce them up a bit.

Another person called me this past month asking where that seal came from that we have on each of the new signs in our parks. Again, I did not have the heart to tell him that it was the logo that we have printed on everything at this recreation department for the last 30-plus years.

Most of the feedback we have received has been very positive, but change is hard for everyone. I just never thought it would be that difficult for folks over new signage around Carrollton.

Another person stopped me while at the Cultural Arts Center, and told me they did not realize that we had that many parks in Carrollton, and they only noticed it because of all the new park signs. I told them our maintenance division was responsible for more than 23 parks in the city limits of Carrollton, plus all the buildings that the department oversees, plus the new amphitheater. It is not an easy task, but Kent and his supervisors do a fantastic job staying on top of them which is no easy feat.

The happiest park sign for me is “Grace Park” which is named after my wife’s grandma, and was land her son and daughter donated to the city years ago. For some reason we never got a sign put up over the years, but it sure looks great on Newnan Street. She was one of the nicest people I ever knew so it was nice to see that project through for my mother in law Sally and my wife Mandy.

Hope you like the new signs, and if you ever want to know where all the parks are in Carrollton then pick up one of our fall/winter or spring/summer brochures and head out and check them out.

Maierhofer is director of the Carrollton Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department.