Community Corner
VIEWFINDER: Making A Difference And Creating A Park
More than 50 volunteers turn out to help with the project in an undeveloped area of 57th Avenue West this past Saturday.
They braved the rain to make a difference.
More than 50 people turned out Saturday morning to help with the creation of the city’s newest park as part of the annual Make a Difference Day.
The Leach Creek property is at 5900 57th Ave. W.
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Leading the project were members of Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, the community connector for University Place.
“It went fantastic,” said Gary Cooper, Public Works and Parks Director for the city of University Place, at the end of the session, which the weather limited to a little more than two hours.
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The morning started with a ribbon cutting and then the crews got to work on the 15 acres, cutting branches, pulling brush and hauling trash. By the end of the event, the pile had grown to include a motorcycle frame, mattress, tent, fishing rods, an assortment of beer cans and a pink pacifier.
“We got so much done in a little time,” said Susie Hancy of the Parks Department. “A lot of the volunteers were neighbors from the area. They have been wanting to see it cleaned up.”
With the trash and branches set to be hauled away, Cooper was already thinking about the next step.
“We’ll be continuing to clean up, adding trails and working with the community to envision the look,” he said. “But there is no immediate landscaping planned.”