MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

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August 3, 2012

Butterfly project boosts profile

— Building a Butterfly House and Garden will add another tourist attraction to Muskogee.

The project, which broke ground last week, will be built with funds raised by Friends of Honor Height Park and a $200,000 matching grant from the City of Muskogee Foundation.

Muskogee’s poverty issues are well-documented.

Our city does not have an unending supply of funds to support such projects.

The foundation needs to be used as an addition to local fundraising instead of a piggy bank to be busted open for every good cause in the city.

That’s why it is so encouraging to see the Friends of Honor Heights Park meet its share of the funds needed to build the project.

It is also very gratifying to see businesses such as Georgia-Pacific provide major funding.

G-P gave $70,000 toward the project.

“This is a real important education project for Muskogee and Honor Heights Park,” said G-P Manager of Public Relations Gil Luton. “We just felt like for the long term, this will go a long ways. It will attract families and kids to the premier park in the state.”

The project, hopefully, quickly will become a tourist attraction as Luton states.

It has the potential to grow Honor Heights Park into a yearlong destination for tourists.

Area residents are well aware of the beauty of the park.

And the park is well-represented during the spring when the azaleas bloom.

It clearly attracts tourist traffic for the Garden of Lights during the holiday season.

Hopefully, the Butterfly House and Garden can extend the tourist season by helping to bridge those main attractions.

The project could provide another great reason to visit Muskogee.

The project also will serve as a reminder of what generosity and our foundation can achieve.

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