Johnie McKeithen Park is a spacious 10 acre park in Deerfield Beach with two entrances, one off Northwest 1 Terrace and one off of Deerfield Avenue. The park was named in honor of Johnie O. Mckeithen, a veteran. Johnie along with his wife Oveta Thompson-McKeithen were Deerfield Beach community activists and leaders. Oveta has her own park in town named after her. Mr. McKeithen passed away in 1987.
Mckeithen Park has some great if basic amenities to offer the neighborhood. It has a large pavilion with restrooms, one small picnic pavilion, a basketball hoop, two tot playgrounds, and my favorite part, a walking trail connecting the park's east and west areas with exercise stations. Throughout the park are a lot of trees to provide shade.
The city is interested in making improvements to the park including adding a skateboard rink but area residents are resistant. Professional skateboarder Jamie Foy who is from Deerfield Beach offered to pay for the rink and a park redesign. Right now basic park park improvement plans are underway but the park is pretty quiet. It will be interesting to see if the future holds more improvements that will attract the young people in this community to the park. read more