TOWN INFORMATION

Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Willis (right) highlighted all the effort that had come together to get Beaty Park to this important groundbreaking event.

Tuesday afternoon, members of the community gathered at the small lot on Beaty Street where construction will soon begin on the new Beaty Park.

Town Manager Jamie Justice kicked the event off, and then turned it over to Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Willis. She thanked countless groups and individuals for making immeasurable contributions to the process leading up to the groundbreaking.

Willis then turned it over to Anna Simpson from the Dodd Studio – the primary consultant for the development of the park. She highlighted that the park design is for a “nature based park that blends conservation and recreation.”

Brian Conroy from Citizen Design talked about his group’s effort to design a couple of small-scale buildings that will fit into the natural aspects of the park.

Mayor Rusty Knox wrapped things up by making the connection to the fact that it was his father, Mayor Russell Knox, who signed the original agreement for the property with Mrs. Clontz on December 16, 1985.