#2 Update on Park Committee Discussions
th
April 17, 2012
MEMORANDUM
TO: Library Board
FROM: Bryan J. McCormick
RE: Park Committee update
The Library Park Committee, which consists of representatives from the Friends of HPL, the
Lions, JPAC, the city and the library, have been meeting and working on a plan to complete the
park. The members of the committee also spent some time last Friday weeding and spreading
mulch, and we will likely need one more session in order to have the park ready for use this
summer.
The committee has been discussing a new idea for how to finish the park. Originally, the plan
was to have a sheltered area with a ‘flying book’ as a roof, a space that could be used for
activities or other events. Other suggestions were a gazebo and a fountain, two ideas that are still
on the table. Other ideas have been considered as well (such as water cannons that shot water out
over the river) but nothing has really gained strong interest in the group and we had been in a
holding pattern as far as doing additional work on the park.
Before his passing, Roger Axtell had approached Steve Huth and Yuri Rashkin, both members of
the Lions, about the possibility of having the “Path of Nations” at Library Park. The “Path of
Nations” are the flags and marker stones that identify the countries where Parker Pen used to do
business. Roger had gone ahead and gotten a cost estimate for the project from J.P. Cullen, and
Yuri had contacted relatives of the Parker family who sounded interested in the project. The Park
Committee looked at the proposal from J.P. Cullen and it certainly looks like a project that would
work in the park, would fit in with the proposed Downtown Riverfront Revitalization Plan, and
would likely be supported by the community.
The Lions, JPAC and the Friends of HPL were going to be reviewing this proposal and giving a
recommendation to proceed or not to proceed. If the committee members are all in agreement
then we will likely draw up new plans for the project and present that proposal to the community.
I will keep the Library Board informed of the process and will show you project ideas once we
have an agreed upon plan in place.