New park in Twin Lakes named in honor of Dr. Arthur Woodard

MIAMI-DADE, FL – A County lakefront park being developed in Twin Lakes will bear the name of the beloved late educator who long maintained the once-private land for local families to enjoy.

The Miami-Dade County Commission on Oct. 6 approved a resolution sponsored by Chairman Jean Monestime to name the park under construction at Northwest 99th Street and 12th Avenue as “Arthur Woodard Park” – a designation sought by the community that loved him.

“As the community approaches the one-year anniversary of the death of Dr. Arthur Woodard, it is fitting that we preserve his legacy and dream by naming this park after him,” Chairman Monestime said.

A lifelong educator and coach, Dr. Woodard served as principal of Miami-Douglas MacArthur High School North until his 1991 retirement.  After Hurricane Andrew, he helped lead efforts to bring the Orange Blossom Classic Festival parade to West Perrine, which played an important role in the area’s recovery.

In 1969, Dr. Woodward decided that the neglected patch of private lakefront land in his Twin Lakes neighborhood could be put to better use, and he began maintaining it at his own expense so that families could play and picnic there. The County’s decision many years later to acquire the land and begin developing it into a County park was the fulfilment of a personal dream.