Adopt-a-Spot

From a median to a park, Oakhurst resident Sharon Kutilek Buse is an example of how one person can make a lasting impact on a neighborhood and a city.

Oakhurst resident Sharon Kutilek Buse, also known as “the park lady,” is an example of how one person can make a lasting impact on a neighborhood and a city. For almost five decades, Sharon has been caring for green spaces and planting trees in Oakhurst, the historic neighborhood she calls home.

A founder of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, first editor of the Oak Leaflet newsletter, founding member of the Oakhurst Patrol (later known as the Citizens on Patrol), the Oak Cluster Garden Club, Not in My Neighborhood anti-child sex trafficking organization and the 501(c)(3) Friends of Oakhurst Park organization, Sharon has championed Oakhurst for almost five decades.

It all began in 1979, when she and husband Gary Kutilek planted a live oak tree in the Bluebonnet Drive median in Oakhurst to honor the upcoming birth of their son, Josef. This small gesture was the start of Sharon’s 46-year journey of caring for this little piece of green space. In 1985, she and Gary planted two additional live oaks in honor of the birth of their second son, Mikael. Because there was no water source, Sharon and Gary hauled water in five-gallon buckets to water the saplings until they could survive on their own.

Over the years, there was intermittent assistance from the neighborhood association and garden club, but it was Sharon and her family’s constant and consistent care that transformed the median from a triangular weed patch into a welcoming green space that served as home to an old post oak and the three young live oaks.

Sharon and Mark later formally adopted the tiny triangle through the City of Fort Worth Adopt-A-Spot program. Sharon donated the vintage-style park bench, and her son Josef and neighbor Janice Morgan donated the pet drinking fountain.

Sharon refers to the median as the “Bluebonnet Common Area,” where neighbors meet and are often seen sitting on the bench while their pets drink from the fountain and cool off in the shade of the beautiful oaks.

In fall 2015, Sharon and Mark, through their company, Pecan Creek Bee Farm Inc., submitted the paperwork and formally adopted Oakhurst Park under

the Fort Worth Park Department’s Adopt-A-Park program. On Oct. 14, 2015, Sharon founded Friends of Oakhurst Park (FOOP), with the mission to "protect, reforest and conserve Oakhurst Park for future generations.” 

“When bullying became a problem in our neighborhood, FOOP sponsored an anti-bullying campaign where both children and adults placed their painted handprints on a park bench and then signed a pledge not to bully in our neighborhood or our city,” Sharon said. “FOOP also sponsored the Blue Ribbon Tribute to law enforcement honoring the families of officers and first responders who live in our neighborhood.” 

Oakhurst Park had always served as the center for social events, but during the pandemic, it served as the focal point for food delivery and an escape as neighbors began to quarantine, work from home and social distance. And thanks to FOOP, the grass was green, the flowers blooming, and food trucks had a beautiful place to serve neighbors, Sharon recalled.

In addition to overseeing the recent playground replacement project, Sharon also organized two neighborhood reforestation projects. The Reforest Oakhurst Park Project led to the planting of 10 oak trees in Oakhurst Park, and the Reforest Oakhurst Neighborhood Project resulted in the planting of 123 trees throughout Oakhurst. Sharon’s goal with both projects was to replace Oakhurst’s dead and decaying trees so generations to come can experience the beauty of a tree-filled neighborhood as it is today.

In 2024, Sharon rescued the 50-plus-year-old iconic Oakhurst Park toucan play pieces, had them restored and placed back in the park. They were formally dedicated to the park during the Oakhurst Neighborhood Centennial Celebration.

The love of green space, pride of neighborhood and devotion to community by Sharon Kutilek Buse and the Kutilek and Buse families are examples of community service at its best.

Find more information: friendsofoakhurstpark.org.