Nice day for a stroll

Spring brings beautiful weather, so why not escape to one of Worcester’s city parks to enjoy the surroundings, play basketball, tennis or a number of other sports, or just take in some fresh air after the long winter?

Some of the city’s parks are loaded with fun things for kids to do — Green Hill Park’s playground (and farm, in season), East Park and Greenwood’s spray parks come to mind, for starters — while other recreation spaces (the Cascades, Hadwen Park and others) offer great hiking that seems a world away from an urban environment.

For a classic stroll in the park, though, the city offers a landmark, and a route named after a prominent Worcesterite who’ll be glad you got off the couch and got some steps in.

Elm Park dates back to 1854, making it one of the oldest public parks in the nation. Its signature bridges and pond bear a passing resemblance to Central Park in New York, albeit on a much smaller scale. The park straddles Park Avenue and includes Newton Hill, where the new Doherty Memorial High School is taking shape next to the existing one. But the area between Park, Highland, Russell and Elm has relatively new markers at each corner, each engraved with the words “Morse Stroll,” atop Worcester’s heart emblem.

That heart symbol actually does double duty, as part of the city seal, and also to reinforce the heart-healthy aspect of a stroll around that rectangular portion of the park. The stroll is named for Worcester’s longtime Public Health Department commissioner, Leonard Morse, who retired in 2011. Dr. Morse has a particular connection to the park, having investigated the effect of Canada geese on its ecosystem and working to introduce goose population limits to keep the park healthy.

Dr. Morse achieved fame for solving a 1969 mystery illness outbreak among Holy Cross football players, which caused the season to be canceled after two games. Dr. Morse determined that hepatitis A was the culprit — there was no test for hepatitis at the time — and the players had drunk water from a tainted hose.

The city dedicated the stroll path around the park in 2015, in a celebration of the doctor’s career. “I think it’s a good barometer to say, ‘What would Dr. Morse do?’,” City Manager Ed Augustus was quoted as saying at the time. Dr. Morse told those in attendance that it takes him about 2,000 steps to complete the three-quarter-mile circuit around the park.

In 2017, Dr. Morse and his wife, Maxine, moved to Virginia, to be closer to family. My wife and I were fortunate enough to buy the Morses’ home on the West Side, and we still enjoy the couple’s domestic achievements: a lovely home, a beautifully landscaped yard, lush blueberry bushes and a flagpole that once stood at the old Belmont School near Lincoln Square.

Everyone can enjoy the Morse Stroll, and on a pleasant spring day, what could be better? To your health!