We've had a busy summer!

The Parks Conservancy has just finished its first summer managing Hamilton's Parks, and while the constant rain kept us busy mowing much of that time, we've still made significant permanent improvements to the parks’ infrastructure.

At Millikin Woods, we replaced a shelter that had been destroyed by vandals’ fire several years ago. We have also laid the foundation for three new shelters in Millikin Woods and have plans in place to add a “sprayground” next summer.

You will be able to see a drastic improvement in Crawford Woods Park when we have a grand-reopening in the spring. We will not only dedicate a sprayground for the neighborhood children, but we have also built a new restroom and replaced three shelters that were practically in ruins -- as well as a major upgrade of the parking lot. The difference is astounding!

We are also quite proud of the rejuvenation of the old Wilson Pool site as Jim Grimm Park, not only with a sprayground but a whole new playground set thanks to the generosity of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

And as a matter of public safety, we have installed security cameras in some of our parks, especially those that attract a lot of children, such as the parks with spraygrounds.

We've still got a lot lined up for 2016, including the construction of Marcum Park, which we know will make an excellent companion park to the RiversEdge Amphitheater.

Here's a slide show with some before and after pictures of some of the construction projects we've worked on this year. It's easy to tell which are "before" and which are "after"!