The government shutdown, which began on December 22, 2018, caused the National Park Service to close almost every park under its purview. I visited the National Park Service’s website and found the following statement:
During the federal government shutdown, this website will not be updated and may not reflect current conditions. Some national parks may remain accessible to visitors; however, access may change without notice. Some parks are closed completely. Some visitor services may be available when provided by concessioners or other entities. For most parks, there will be no National Park Service-provided visitor services, such as restrooms, trash collection, facilities, or road maintenance.
Martin Luther King Jr. National Park in Atlanta was one of the closed parks. Was. The park will reopen on Saturday, in preparation for Monday’s national holiday, thanks to a $83,500 USD grant from the Delta Airlines Foundation. The grant will cover clean up, administration, maintenance, and operating cost of employees not covered under fee collection funds. The grant will allow the park to remain open until February 3, 2019.
Final Word
This is a great gesture from Delta Airlines. I am sure the workers will appreciate being able to open the park for visitors. If you will be in Atlanta in the near future, please visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Park. In some strange way, I feel the government shutdown is slowly bringing American citizens together. Do not get me wrong, I hate to see people out of work, but maybe this was needed so we can focus on diversity and inclusion.
