Dec 11, 2018 5 min read

By Terri J. Startare

Park Board

It was a very good year for Town Park. Pool general admission was up, Camp Splash attendance was up, evening pool events increased and pavilion rentals were booked solid. Of course, we had good weather and an unfortunate pool closing near us helped spur our success, but our volunteer board believes hard work and continuing to improve amenities is a driving force behind Town Park’s popularity. Plans to continue our growth include a new pavilion, a new slide and new pickleball courts. Improvements to the pool house and grounds are also part of next year’s plans.

The new pool manager, Adam Manion, had a great first year and added many new events and new staff to this year’s pool season. A big thank to former pool manager Jim Reynolds for his years of hard work and dedicated service at the pool.

Crosbie House cleaned

Now more than 150 years old, the Crosbie House serves as a landmark at the park’s entrance. The park was originally the property of William Crosbie, a horticulturist who had a nursery on the land in the 1860s, and he lived in the house until his passing in 1911. It remained occupied for many years after that, but for the last 20 years (or so) it has primarily been used for storage. The park board, along with help from the borough, recently completed a long overdue cleaning. Multiple creative ideas for its future use are being considered.

New pickleball courts planned

Canonsburg pickleball will soon be getting new courts in Town Park. The group has raised $55,000 toward the construction of three new courts. Since its inaugural day on April 16, 2016, pickle ball membership has increased to 72 players. We anticipate our program to grow with new courts.

Unfortunately, the weather has hindered construction of the new courts. We are hoping the project will get underway in early spring. We are excited to be able to give this gift to the community. You can follow Canonsburg Pickleball on Facebook. Special thanks to Jim Sulkowski for the pickleball picture/logo. For more information, email canonsburg.pickleball@gmail.com

A big thank you to our local public works department and the Washington County “FITS” group for their efforts in maintaining our grounds. Long-awaited plans for repairs to the pool house roof and structural walls have been approved. Bids are being gathered and work should be completed in 2019.

Renovations to other park amenities are prioritized and funding is being pursued. We are writing and submitting for matching grants through the various agencies available such as Washington County LSA (Local Share Account), DCNR and DCED. Playgrounds, pathways, walking trails, parking lots, drainage culverts, tree replacement and a new pavilion are all being submitted as part of several grant applications, as well as ADA improvements for accessibility to all. The main water fountain and steps are going to be one of the first projects rehabilitated and plans to replace the BPW Pavilion are on the drawing board.

Bonfire a roaring success

The Bonfire event was a huge success, and our way of saying thank you to our Town Park and pool friends. Even though it rained, we had more than 100 residents of all ages enjoy refreshments, music and community involvement. Everything was free and we served more than 200 s’mores made by Jean Scarsellato and Carol Imperatore. Tina Bails provided treat bags. We also picked up a few new neighborhood volunteers. Many requested the bonfire become an annual event.

We are still working with an arborist to replace the ash trees and older trees throughout the park. As many of you know, we have lost a lot of trees over the past several years. While replacing trees with ones that are best suited for our environment, we are also looking to add some color and sound barrier amenities to our project, especially around the basketball court. Most of the implementation will depend on our successes with the grant awards.

Making an entrance!

Next year we are going to implement a grand entrance to Town Park with road maps to the numerous activities and locations throughout the park. We are looking for volunteers to help us with the design and implementation of this huge project.

We are planning to start a volunteer group to help us with gardening and clean up days two to three times a year. If interested, please message us on Facebook.

Visit us on Facebook or www.canonsburgboro.com for all the latest information on all programs and activities. You can mail correspondence to 68 E. Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317, and our physical location for those needing GPS directions is VFW 191 Drive, Canonsburg, Pa. 15317.