KINGWOOD — According to an official, 2021 was a productive and positive year for the Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission.
“Overall we just had a really, really good year,” said Executive Director Rachelle Thorn.
Thorn was at the Preston County Commission’s meeting recently to give commissioners an overview of how the previous year went.
The department was awarded many grants throughout the year.
One was $3,500 from the West Department of Arts, Culture & History for a springtime rural youth art engagement event, Thorn said. The Friends of the Cheat’s Preston Trail Towns partner program covered the rest of the cost.
“It was really sweet and adorable and cute,” Thorn said. “We made some really amazing pieces of artwork that are now at Tunnelton. And yeah, it was just a really, really positive experience.”
Another grant from the trail towns program paid for security cameras at Tunnelton Park, which has cut down some of the nuisance historically associated with the park, Thorn said. Electricity needed to be installed so the cameras could be set up.
“So we’ve successfully kind of gotten that site back,” she said.
There were a few great workdays at Tunnelton Park. Thorn said the town was in the process of donating some land, which will be used for additional parking and fitness stations. Two Little Free Libraries were also donated by Jay Bob and placed in the park.
Kingwood also had workdays and landscaping done in 2021. Boulders were placed in the park to create a natural play area for kids. Thorn said there are grant proposals out seeking funding to expand the natural play area.
In Masontown, an outdoor education center was built by a Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout award. Thorn said the building is pretty and a great, useful addition.
Wellness in the Park, a fitness program, ran for six months with 195 classes taught by six local instructors across three locations. A fourth location with eight instructors is planned for 2022 but the timeframe will be shortened from Memorial Day to Labor Day because that’s when the program gets the most participation.
“We certainly do see all of the good things that have come and appreciate all of your hard work during your tenure with Parks and Rec,” Commission President Samantha Stone said.
