Last year, a senior at Del City High School managed to successfully negotiate the complex pathways of working with adults, city government and other students to leave a lasting positive imprint on the environmental appeal of a city lake.

Christina Linduff planned, organized, and - with the aid of a few friends -- completed the installation of a toddler playground and a volleyball court at Del City's Eagle Lake. In the process, she has managed to establish Eagle Lake as a popular destination, she recycled playground equipment that had sat in storage, and she gained an appreciation for the safety and legal issues involved in such a project.

Our judges say she deserves to be very proud of her accomplishment and they remarked on her unusual level of maturity. We concur and add that thousands of visitors to Eagle Lake in the years to come who see her name on the playground sign will appreciate that Christina Linduff is good news for purposeful parks in Oklahoma.