Originally posted to the web in News, on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 4:55 PM CST.
Unique ideas planned for Boetto park
By Patti Jares . Staff Writer
 |
| The Boetto property will house the town's new park, funded by a generous grant from the Wellik Foundation.
|
Thanks to the Town of Wickenburg and the generosity of the late Viola Wellik and her love for the Wickenburg community, the town will soon have a park unlike any other in town. The unique project has been made possible with a $250,000 grant from the Wellik Foundation.
This park will provide a more intimate setting than heavily used Coffinger, Sunset and Maguire parks. The community will have the opportunity to utilize an outdoor fitness center, consisting of 10 light workout stations located along a walking trail that will meander through the park. There will also be a small playground and one or two picnic tables. The center of the park will feature a large, colored wagon wheel, made of concrete and surrounded by park benches, where small groups can gather. And to honor Wellik's passion to preserve Wickenburg's history, each exercise station will include a historical account of the town.
The idea of the park's design came from Community Services Administrative Assistant Tonya Forbrook, who wrote the grant with Community Services Director Steve McKay.
“My mom lived by a park like this in Scottsdale,” said Forbrook. “It was the neatest thing, with workout stations and walking trails - I'd never seen anything like it. With this new park, residents will have the opportunity to work out any time they want, free of charge, and if they want to just sit on a park bench and read a book, they can do that, too.”
The limited space will discourage large groups, such as family reunions.
“This location will be more quiet and passive,” acknowledged Forbrook. “Seniors can walk the trail, or a family can enjoy a picnic. But at the same time we want a place where kids can have fun, with equipment they can get better on, like a five-foot climbing wall, and a playground that they won't get bored with.”
The park will be located on South Jefferson Street, on the property formerly owned by the Boetto Family. Wellik donated $78,000 towards the land in 2000, and the Town of Wickenburg provided $100,000 to complete the purchase.
Another important feature of the park is the fact that it is completely wheelchair accessible - the first one of its kind in Wickenburg. Sidewalks are attached to a handicapped-accessible parking lot and also attach to concrete slabs that hold picnic tables, allowing easy access for wheelchairs and walkers.
“We don't have a name for the park yet,” said Forbrook, “but it is a memorial to Vi Wellik, for her generosity and love for this town.”
The Wellik Foundation board consists of President Wendy Stambaugh, Beth Gallant, Janette Baker Bryant, Frank Forsberg, Steve Mittenthal, Jane Nash, Hank Suverkrup, and James Watt.
The park will be completed by a combination of contractors including Ed Rubash and Sons, Date Creek Plumbing, M.C. Merrett Construction, Grantham Fence and Supply Co., and Wickenburg Landscaping.
Print this story
Email this story
|
