By Jeniffer Graham
ROWLESBURG – Rowlesburg officials are looking at ways to keep flood water from damaging their $150,000 commercial building.
The building houses the park’s kitchen equipment and supplies, and is on the lower part of the park, near the river. During recent flooding water got into the building.
At the Tuesday Preston County Commission meeting, Duane Hamilton, director of the Preston County Office of Emergency Management, said Preston County “dodged the bullet,” referring to flooding.
Hamilton said he was in Rowlesburg last Sunday and water was up into the Rowlesburg Park.
Rowlesburg Mayor Eric Butista and Park Commissioner Delores Riggs said they would like to see a new building built on higher ground.
“There was discussion about building another building where the old tennis court was and put the equipment in it, but it’s dependent on money,” Butista said.
Riggs said this time the town was lucky. She said the water got up to the building but only wet the floor and didn’t damage any of the equipment or supplies inside.
“We had everything moved that we could. We put it into a trailer and then moved the trailer,” Riggs said. “Volunteers moved the picnic tables up to the old tennis court.”
Getting things moved before the water came up was possible with volunteers who helped. Butista said all of the upkeep and work at the park is volunteer-based. He said no one is paid.
Butista said getting the park back in shape will require a lot of mopping, raking and getting rid of debris.
“We get a lot of compliments about the park,” Riggs said. “It takes a lot of work and we hope to get some more grants.”
She said the park commission wants to revamp the restrooms to make them more handicapped accessible.
“Our goal is to get the building (that houses the kitchen) in better shape,” Riggs said. “We’d like to replace the whole building.”
She said recently her husband and other volunteers cleaned up along the portion of the river that banks against the park. She said they removed all of the debris and high weeds so the river can be seen again.
“I want to thank everyone who helped us move the stuff out of the park and into the trailer, the volunteers who moved the trailer and the picnic tables,” Riggs said.
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