FOR MORE INFORMATIONTo learn more about the dedication ceremony, call Amanda Sulcer at 423-775-9242.
By Kimberly McMillian
Correspondent
GRAYSVILLE, Tenn. - Kristopher's Kingdom park, named after a small boy who died in a fire, has been given new life with equipment, landscaping and security cameras.
The park will be rededicated in a ceremony later this summer.
The Graysville park was renamed in 1997 after 5-year-old Kristopher Adams, who died in a 1996 mobile home fire, said Amanda Sulcer, municipal clerk at Graysville City Hall.
The Tennessee Municipal League this year honored Graysville with a 2010 Small Town Progress Award for its progressive efforts on a $1 million annual budget, and the city received a grant to help fund the park's renovations.
The city's Mayor and Board of Commissioners voted unanimously in November 2008 to make the park renovations a priority over the next four years and set aside some money in the annual budget to accommodate the costs, said City Recorder Michelle Horton.
The commission and the Parks and Recreation Board decided to install commercial-grade equipment rather than the wooden equipment used in residential areas.
Also, changing the park's surface from pea gravel to wood chips meets Americans with Disabilities Act compliance standards, said Ms. Horton.
New grills, trash receptacles and sidewalks will meet the required standards for a community park, she said.
Installation of surveillance cameras at the park will aid with safety concerns for families as well, said Christina Panther, chairwoman of the Parks and Recreation Board.
"It has been a long time coming," she said.
Ms. Panther said she hopes the park will attract family gatherings for cookouts and children will want to play on the new equipment.
Kimberly McMillian is based in Rhea County. Contact her at kdj424@bellsouth.net.