Community briefs: Catalpa Oaks partly reopens in Southfield, Oak Park launches SeeClickFix, Grant School marks 100 years
A rebuilt Catalpa Oaks County Park is partly open after about 15 months of work, with fields to follow in spring. Oak Park residents can now report potholes and other problems through a free app. And Royal Oak Township's Grant School is collecting memories for its centennial.
By OCJ Staff
Southfield: Catalpa Oaks County Park partly reopens
Catalpa Oaks County Park in Southfield has partly reopened after about 15 months of construction, according to an Oakland County Parks release published Monday, Oct. 19, by the Oakland County Times. Residents got a first look Saturday, Oct. 17.
The 24-acre neighborhood park now has:
- a bigger, universally accessible playground with accessible paths and a plaza
- shaded seating and a second picnic pavilion
- an outdoor "Fitness Court," a roughly 1,400-square-foot bodyweight circuit with seven exercise zones
- a newly paved parking lot and upgraded recreation fields
- stormwater features meant to fix drainage problems
The recreation fields will stay closed while new turf grows in. They are expected to open in spring 2027, when the county plans a formal ribbon-cutting, according to the county.
The work was paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act money and the Oakland County Parks capital improvement program, the county said. A $50,000 partnership among Oakland County Parks, Priority Health and the National Fitness Campaign helped pay for the fitness court. The release did not give a total project cost.
County Commissioner Yolanda Smith Charles, vice chair of the county parks commission, said every family "deserves a great park close to home."
Southfield turned the park over to the county in 2007, and it was dedicated as a county park in 2012. It already had a 0.8-mile walking loop and the Vincent Gregory Pavilion.
Oak Park: SeeClickFix replaces city service request system
Oak Park has launched SeeClickFix 311, according to a city news release dated Monday, Oct. 19, and published by the Oakland County Times.
Residents can use the website or the free mobile app to report non-emergency problems such as potholes, graffiti, streetlight outages, sidewalk damage, park maintenance issues, fallen branches and abandoned shopping carts. Users can attach photos, mark the location on a map and follow the status of their request.
The system replaces the city's previous service request tool, the city said. City Manager Erik Tungate said the platform is meant to give residents an easier and more open way to reach City Hall. The release did not say what the city pays for the service.
Royal Oak Township: Grant School centennial memories wanted
Grant School in Royal Oak Township turned 100 this fall, and organizers are still collecting memories, according to a Ferndale Schools account published Oct. 19 by the Oakland County Times.
Friends of Royal Oak Township held a 100th birthday party at the building Saturday, Sept. 26, with history displays, a centennial photo and a "100 Wishes for Grant" collection. Ferndale Superintendent Camille Hibbler and members of the Ferndale school board attended.
Grant opened in September 1926 and was the only school in Royal Oak Township. Over the years it served students through eighth grade, then elementary grades, and also held preschool and adult education. It later became Grant Early Childhood Center and is now home to Tri-County Educational Center, which still serves Ferndale students. A state historical marker was installed in 2023.
Former students and staff who missed the event can send memories or photos to Friends of Royal Oak Township at bhall@forot.org.
Sources: Oakland County Times (Oct. 19, 2026: "Catalpa Oaks Partially Reopens with Expanded Play, Fitness and Gathering Spaces"; "Oak Park Joins SeeClickFix So Residents Can Make Service Requests with App," a City of Oak Park release; "Generations Gather to Celebrate 100 Years of Grant School History in Royal Oak Township," a Ferndale Schools account).