Dozens turn out to celebrate completion of the city’s expanded Mayor’s Park
By ELIJAH BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Thursday, July 11, 2024 — The recently completed and expanded Mayor’s Park at the corner of North Third Street and Broadway was officially dedicated Thursday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and comments marking this historic occasion.
A crowd of local officials, organizations, and residents turned out for the ribbon-cutting event held in the bright afternoon sunshine.
Kim Huston, the former president of NCEDA and one who supported the effort to expand the park, said gathering spaces like the new park will be places for friends and families to meet, enjoy and make new memories.
“That’s what Mayor Dick Heaton had in mind when he brought together various members of the community in late 2021 and tasked us to build the perfect downtown gathering space,” Huston said.
The resulting park is the result of years of hard work, collaboration, and dedication from a wide array of people in the community, she told the crowd.
“It’s a testament to what we can do as a community when we come together with a shared vision for our community.”
The park is a symbol of the community’s commitment to enhancing the equality of life for all the city’s residents, she added.
Bardstown Mayor Dick Heaton told the crowd that while the original renderings were stunning, the actual park is beyond “whatever I could have envisioned,” he said.
The City of Bardstown purchased the property on March 1, 2020, with the same council members then as are serving now, he explained.
“The one thing they said when we decided to buy this property, is they wanted something significant to be here,” he said.
Heaton said they kept some of the original elements that were part of the original Mayor’s Park built during Mayor Dixie Hibb’s tenure. Those elements include the Rotary Clock, the Rotary Library Box, and the stones in the expanded park came from the original park.
Heaton said 83 percent of the $812,000 raised to build the park were grants or private contributions. He credited Councilman Joe Buckman and Councilwoman Betty Hart with helping secure the last $30,000 donation to its construction.
Heaton said financial support for the park came from all sectors of the community, particularly from longtime businesses, some of whom have operated here for several generations.
Mayor Dixie Hibbs was on hand for the ribbon-cutting and she shared the cutting duties with the giant golden scissors with Mayor Heaton.
Heaton said the park’s only missing component is a flagpole, an omission that will be corrected as soon as it is determined what size pole and flag are best suited for the park.
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