Town increases open space with park
Date: 10/17/2012
By Carley Dangona
carley@thereminder.comSOUTHWICK — At a special meeting Oct. 10, the town voted to accept the donation of Whalley Park from John and Kathy Whalley, who established the 70-acre park in 2009 in honor of their late son John Whalley IV.
In addition, the town approved another donation from the Whalleys of $100,000, towards the upkeep and maintenance of the park, and earmarked $1.5 million from the Community Preservation General Unreserved Fund (CPGUF) for the park's completion.
"It's going to be a very important and useful addition to our open space portfolio," Karl Stinehart, chief administrative officer for the town, said. "It's a substantial investment made possible by the donation from the Whalleys."
Stinehart discussed the finalization of the park. He estimated that the final measures, including lighting and paving, would be assessed during the fall and winter, in the hope that the work would begin in the spring. Once finished, the Board of Selectmen will determine the date for the grand opening of the park.
"It's going to be a great destination for the kids," Stinehart added. "In addition to the recreational use of the fields, two of them meet the requirements for high school sports [providing additional practice and game space for students]."
Daniel Call, commissioner for the Park & Recreation Commission, stated, "I think it's a great opportunity for the town of Southwick. What the town didn't have [and now does] and other communities do, is an area for adults and children to enjoy baseball, softball and soccer. If they're going to participate, they need a field. For the very young kids, there will be a brand new, state-of-the-art playscape."
He continued, discussing the importance of the donation. "Upon entering our town is a sign stating, 'Welcome to the town of Southwick, a recreational community,'" Call said. "The park supports this statement of character. Due to the generosity of the Whalleys, we are not starting at the beginning. The park is 80 percent finished — the balance is already paid in [referring to the CPGUF]. We did the right thing [by voting in favor of the donation]."
