BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Neighbors in Omaha's Little Italy neighborhood are pushing for more upkeep at Dahlman Park, hoping to bring the space back to what they remember from decades past.
Pat Vendetti, co-chair of the Little Italy Neighborhood Association, has a long history with the park.
"Sixty years ago yesterday, we were down at the bottom of Mosquito Hill, which most of us know as Norman Park. We were cleaning out that part of Dahlman Park for our baseball field," Vendetti said.
The park was the setting for fond memories for Vendetti and his friends, who played Little League baseball and football there.
"1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, with the backstop right over here," Vendetti said, recalling the old layout. When asked how far he could hit the ball, he said, "A home run over the fence!"
Now, Vendetti and other neighbors say the area has fallen from the lively park of his childhood. Litter and overgrown plants are creeping onto pathways, and several trees have died.
"I mean, there's like seven old trees that are dead, need to be replaced, cut down," neighbor John Hart said.
Omaha's supervisor of park operations, David Austin, spoke by phone about some of the neighbors' concerns, explaining why the trees declined.
"They die very quickly once they are stricken with Dutch Elm disease. So that's what happened to those trees over there," Austin said.
Neighbors say they are happy with what the city has done so far, including installing a new playground area for children and a new tennis court.
Vendetti said he hopes the momentum continues.
"With their advice and direction, we can maybe just get this ball rolling, and then hopefully within the next many years we have a park as we remember back in the 1950s," Vendetti said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
