Number 25

"the play area...it's a smorgasboard for rats."  Kid's place at Cole Park, the city's downtown park, is a notorious rat haven.  The park has again been shut down for public health and safety to address the rat problem after 13 rats were caught.  On one of the previous occasions when the park was closed for rats, 65 rats were caught.  This past March, the park was closed for rats but families continued to take their children to the play area because signs were only posted in English.  This is a classic example of the city not following through to provide real services.  They build a park, but don't keep it safe.  They build roads, but don't repair them.  They buy ships and leave them to rot on land.  A parent writes of Cole Park: Cole Park is not a place where I would ever take my children.  The children's play area has been recently vandalized, not to mention people actually relieving themselves on the children's play area (ie, swings/slides).  The ants are unbearable so there is no sitting in what little grass they have.  Living in Corpus Christi is like being babysat by your stepbrother.