City of Sweet Home Recipient of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Grant

SWEET HOME, Ore. October 9, 2019 — The City of Sweet Home Community & Economic Development Department was awarded an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) Local Government Grant in the amount of $241,809 for the Lower Sankey Park Phase II Project. This grant was ranked second out of the seventeen large grants awarded by the OPRD. The City celebrated this occasion with a groundbreaking ceremony at noon on October 5th, 2019, during the 13th Annual Harvest Festival.

The project will replace aging playground structures with new accessible equipment, construct approximately 1,280 feet of paved and natural trails, path lighting, a historic Weddle Bridge plaza, tables, benches, bike racks, and signage at Sankey Park in Sweet Home, Oregon.

Each year OPRD gives more than $4 million to Oregon communities for outdoor recreation projects with this year's total being over $5.7 million. Since this program's establishment in 1999, nearly $50 million in voter-approved Lottery money funded grants have been awarded across the state.

The City of Sweet Home is grateful for the community support to revitalize Sankey Park, especially the dedication and time of our Park & Tree Committee. The following members have given countless hours to our City; Chair Lance (Wally) Shreves, Bob Dalton, Debra Northern, Nancy Patton, Alice Smith, Lena Tucker, and recent addition James Curtis. Committee Chair Shreves even enlisted his talented wife, Adrianne Shreves, to create 3D visualizations for the grant presentation. Adrianne captured our vision using the 2D project designs drafted by Staff Engineer, Joseph Graybill, then wonderfully communicated those ideas through stunning graphics. Mrs. Shreves's in-kind donation of her work was a critical piece in our grant presentation. For many years former Park & Tree Committee member turned City of Sweet Home Associate Planner, Angela Clegg, has been passionate about returning Sankey Park to its former glory. She initiated the writing and submission of the OPRD Local Government Grant application. The City also received support from many community members and businesses in the form of monetary and other in-kind donations. We are grateful for the continued support of the residents.

The Sweet Home Public Works Department has been crucial in the City's ability to implement and execute a project of this magnitude. From the leadership of the Director, Greg Springman, and Operations Manager, Dominic Valloni, to the specialized insight of Engineer Technician, Patricia Rice, to the boots-on-the-ground tenacity & attention to detail of our Facilities & Park Crew Lead, Kevin Makinson.

Sankey Park will be open to the public during the bulk of the project. The Community can expect to see more changes soon.   

###

If you would like more information about this event, please contact Angela Clegg at 541-367-8113 or aclegg@sweethomeor.gov.