From David Volz
Oakland Park is opening a new place to get outside, get active, and spend time downtown at Greenleaf Park, 1300 Park Lane East. The new park brings a full basketball court, tennis and pickleball courts, a playground, a shaded pavilion, and new landscaping to the heart of downtown, creating more opportunities for recreation and community gathering.
Oakland Park Fire Rescue welcomed six new firefighter-paramedics on August 17 as they began a five-week department training program. The recruits have completed their first week of EMS training and will continue with additional instruction, including live-fire exercises, vehicle extrication, and advanced medical training. After completing the program, they will be assigned to one of Fire Rescue’s three shifts and serve across Stations 9, 20, and 87. During a one-year probationary period, they will continue training and working toward performance objectives as they develop into fully functioning members of the firefighting team
The Oakland Park’s GIS team earned third place in the StoryMap competition at the 2026 South Florida GIS Expo. The annual event brings together GIS professionals from across the region for education, training, networking, and the exchange of ideas and new technology. The city’s Exposure Oakland Park project showcases local parks and facilities through an interactive online experience featuring maps, information, photos, and 360-degree virtual tours. The project was recognized for using GIS technology in a creative and engaging way to tell Oakland Park’s story and make information more accessible to the public. The project reflects Oakland Park’s growing use of technology to improve access to information and city services, including Janine, the city’s AI-powered website assistant, and Cody, a pilot AI tool that helps residents submit Code Enhancement requests.
More than 80 guests came together for Oakland Park’s annual Senior Appreciation Night at Funky Buddha, enjoying dinner, music, dancing and plenty of time to connect. The evening included raffle baskets and a fun “Guess Who” game featuring childhood photos submitted by participants. The celebration capped off a week of special activities for Oakland Park’s Active Adults and recognized the residents who help make the program such a vibrant and welcoming community.
