Dateline: May 1, 2008

Donations, volunteers driving park upgrades

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

It may be a slow pace, but work continues on upgrades to Clarendon’s City Park.

City crews have been kept busy installing waterlines as part of another grant; but when they have slack time, they head to the park and work on a $37,000 project that is being paid for in large part by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Most recently, donations from private businesses have been received to add more value to the project.

AMA•TechTel Communications donated 150 marigolds last week; and a few days later, the Clarendon Steakhouse donated $200 cash to the project.

City Clerk Jeannie Molder wrote the grant and has been the driving force behind the improvements. Last week, she was joined by her husband and fellow city employee, John Molder, and their friend Connie Sparks after hours in planting the AMA marigolds in the park’s rock terraces.

Combined with previously donated and planted irises, the terraces should soon be a spectacular purple and gold sight to behold for those enjoying the park’s amenities.

Still ahead is the planting of several trees that the Molders have been raising at their home just for this project.

And the biggest change will be the creation of a “Tot Park” with playground equipment for little kids on the south side of Seventh Street where city workers have already removed antiquated equipment and an unused volleyball court.

New playground equipment will also be installed in the main City Park, and the grant will also pay for additional picnic tables and barbecue grills.

The old maypole will remain in the new Tot Park, and the old big slide and playground dome will remain in the main park.

All playground equipment will have sandboxes installed around them for safety purposes.

The terms of the grant, which was awarded last August, gives the city two years to complete the project.