In what some see as a baffling move, the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department is promoting a weekly preschool biking event in Town Square Park, a downtown space long associated with drug use, crime, vagrancy, and public safety concerns.
The “Biker Buddies” program is aimed at children ages 3 to 5, and is being held every Tuesday in July from 10 am to 1 pm. Parks and Rec. officials are urging parents to “bring your 3–5-year-old downtown” to participate in what they describe as a fun and confidence-building experience, complete with strider bikes and free helmets courtesy of the Anchorage Health Department.
But Town Square Park, located at 544 W 5th Ave, is not known for tricycle races or family picnics. It’s known for crime, trash, human waste, and open drug use. Families avoid it, not roll into it with toddlers on training wheels…