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Waynesburg park and veterans projects unfold

Canton Repository - 2/22/2021

WAYNESBURG Village officials are putting the finishing touches on a public recreation project and are aiming for a new display to honor the families of veterans.

With new courts for basketball and volleyball, a new baseball field and playground equipment, Waynesburg Park got a major upgrade and overhaul.

"One of the last projects we did was put a pickleball court in," Village Councilman Scott Anthony said. "It is very popular. And there aren't many places in Stark County to play it."

Anthony spearheaded the project to upgrade Waynesburg Park, which largely was funded with a $200,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Contributions also came in from local businesses.

"If you factor in all that, I bet we put $250,000 to $275,000 into the park," Anthony said. "We have got some amazing businesses in our area. There are a couple of things we want to do. We want to put in a couple bocce courts and a permanent cornhole board."

Meanwhile, a short distance to the east also in the 200 block of W. Lisbon Street, village officials are launching a campaign to create a brick-surface patio around the Blue Star Memorial plaque. Bricks are being sold that will be personalized with the buyers' names. Price of the bricks is $75.

"Hopefully, we can get started on that this spring," Councilman Shawn Dennis said. "It is for our veterans. It is for the men and women who fought in our wars. We are going to dress it up a little bit more. We want to put in a platform, a patio floor."

The Blue Star Mothers of America is an organization that provides support for women who have loved ones, such as children, grandchildren and foster children, serving in the military.

The Blue Star Memorial plaque sits on the site of the former Waynesburg Elementary School. Waynesburg Park occupies the elementary school playground. The school was vacated when Sandy Valley Local School District constructed a new elementary school.

Waynesburg Park takes up 4.9 acres while the Blue Star Memorial site is on 0.7 of an acre.

The Blue Star Memorial now features the plaque mounted on a pole. The brick surface will be constructed around it.

"They will be ground-based," Mayor Douglas Welch said. "They will go in a pattern. Depending on how many we have, we will start going to the park with them. It is a pretty popular thing for state parks in Ohio."

The plaque arrived in Waynesburg a few years ago through a request from the area chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America.

"They chose us," Anthony said. "And we had to provide the spot. We already had the landscaping. They came to us and wanted somewhere to put one. They provided the plaque."

Efforts on the part of Waynesburg officials to enhance the Blue Star Memorial receives appreciation from a Stark County agency.

"It is a very nice tribute," said De Ann Williams, executive director of the Stark County Veterans Service Commission. "The families have sacrifices at home that go unspoken. It takes a toll on the families as well."

Reach Malcolm at 330-580-8305 or malcolm.hall@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: mhallREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Waynesburg park and veterans projects unfold

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