NEWBERRY – Newberry City Council held a ribbon cutting last week for improvements made to Wise Street Park, located at 2420 Holloway Street in Newberry.
While there have been improvements made to the park here and there over the years, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Scott Sawyer said some of the most recent improvements included a new picnic shelter, a quarter-mile walking trail and new public restroom facility. Sawyer said the improvements made to the park had been long overdue.
The restroom facility was completed through a Parks and Recreation Development (PARD) grant, while the walking trail was due to a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant – both through South Carolina Parks Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT).
Sawyer introduced Neal Hamilton with SCPRT who has worked with the city throughout the process.
“When we first received the application, I could feel that it was an important project,” Hamilton said. “It’s competitive to get a recreational trails program grant, so that says a lot about this project. It looks great and we hope everyone enjoys it.”
The next phase of improvements to the park, Sawyer said, they hoped to obtain funding from a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, funds had not yet been awarded. That grant would be for improvements to be made to the park’s basketball courts, playground equipment, a community garden added and a few other potential items.
Mayor Foster Senn thanked the community for their support and for being at the ribbon cutting.
City Councilman Carlton Kinard represents District 3 in the City of Newberry, which includes Wise Street Park. Kinard said he and the community were excited to see the improvements come to the park.
“I always say it takes a village,” he said. “Growing up in this park, whether it was playing baseball or just coming to the park to play on the playground, we knew it took a village. We want to make sure that that village stays strong, and we look forward to working hard to make that happen.”
Sarah Eargle, with Newberry County First Steps, spoke on behalf of the StoryWalk that park visitors may notice along the new walking trail. The StoryWalk allows for taking the pages of a book apart, placing them at designated locations along the trail so as visitors are walking along, they’re reading a story.
“It’s a great literacy opportunity, it’s a lot of fun and an outdoor activity that families can do together,” she said.
An additional StoryWalk can be found in downtown Newberry.
What makes the StoryWalk at Wise Street Park unique is an element added by Hugh Gray and staff at Westview Behavioral Center.
“As you’re taking kids around the StoryWalk, you’re reading a story and building their literacy skills, academic achievement and their connection to school,” he said. “Having it in a great park like this, you’re also building their connection to community. Spending time as a family also builds that connection as a family.”
Gray said for those that may be bringing older children to the park, a “level up” element was added to the StoryWalk stops and includes a physical challenge or dare at each station.
“They might do pushups, sit-ups or even a two-mile run,” he said.
City Manager Matt DeWitt said the Parks, Recreation and Tourism department brought together some great organizations to make the walking trail and other improvements a reality.
“The upgrades they’ve made to parks around the city have been truly impressive and something our citizens can be proud of,” DeWitt said.
Still to come as part of the current improvements phase are park benches, which will be placed approximately every 200 feet on the trail. Sawyer said the benches had arrived and would be placed along the trail as soon as possible. Electricity will also be run to the picnic shelter to allow for ceiling fans to be installed.