2016 LOCALS LOVE US: Johnson Park is a Marble Falls favorite

MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls Parks and Recreation Director Robert Moss recently announced that Johnson Park received a Lone Star Legacy Park designation by the Texas Recreation and Park Society.
TRAPS has only handed out a total 29 designations across the state so far. 
But to residents and visitors to Marble Falls, the honor simply confirms what they already know: Johnson Park is in a category all its own. 
And for the third consecutive year, it was voted Locals Love Us favorite park in the Marble Falls area by The Picayune readers and KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune listeners. 
“Johnson Park is a legacy to the community,” Moss said with a grin. “So no, it doesn’t surprise me.”
He noted a recent Saturday in January when the temperature was 86 degrees complete with a blue sky and a light breeze. People were in the park dressed in T-shirts and shorts. They were fishing, playing volleyball, enjoying the playscapes and frolicking with their canine companions in the off-leash area. 
Moss could smell the burgers on the park’s many barbecue pits and hear laughter and music as he drove through the area. 
He smiled as he saw so many enjoy themselves on that picturesque day.
“When you say Marble Falls parks, that’s what people describe,” he said. “We have other parks, but Johnson Park is where they’re going to go.”
He noted that 25,000 people attended events at Johnson Park, which is located at 230 Ave. J South, including reunions, parties, weddings, festivals and other gatherings.
“But that’s a small portion,” he said. “We don’t count people who are having a picnic or passing through who aren’t going to rent a facility or attend an event.”  
Moss said he believes Johnson Park has helped strengthen relationships, noting it’s a popular site for weddings and reunions.
“It’s all about relationships,” he said. ”That’s what a park is for — for recreation and to get away from the stress of life.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com