Ribbon Cutting at Orangeville Welcome Park

By Patsy Stoddard

The Orangeville City Council hosted a ribbon cutting for their new Welcome Park along with the Emery County Business chamber. The Welcome Park has been several years in the making. The park now boasts a new bathroom/shower facility. Mayor Roger Swenson said the facility is for everyone including the soccer teams that use the field as well as the boulderers that visit Orangeville on their way to Joe’s Valley.
The showers are operated on a timer and coins in the slot will get you a few minutes to shower.
Mayor Swenson said Orangeville is a welcoming place and they want visitors to use the park facilities. There is a walking trail around the park. “We will be getting some of the sod from the Millsite golf course to finish the grass at the park. We really want to thank our youth council and council member Carol Stilson. Their visit to the state legislature where they met with Sen. Hinkins was instrumental in securing money to build the restroom/shower facility.
“Sen. Hinkins was able to secure highway funds because of the proximity to SR-29.
“We want to make Orangeville a better place to live. We also have plans to improve the city park. After the work is complete on the Cottonwood Creek flooding project we would like to level that ground out and maybe do a girls softball field. We are still in the planning stages on that project.
“Several eagle scout projects have also helped this park become what it is today. They have helped install sidewalks. We also had the parking lot repaved. We will be installing a digital welcome sign/marquee where we will announce community events. There have been a lot of people involved in this project. Malone Moss helped with the showers for his eagle project.”
The building’s exterior reflects the outdoors with its river rock finish. The welcome park also put in new drainage. Plans are for the bathroom and shower to be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The door locks are on a timer.
Mayor Swenson said they have approximately $250,000 in the project. The state legislature provided $200,000 and the town put in another $50,000. Mayor Swenson said Nelco was the contractor who installed the bathroom and Johansen and Tuttle did the engineering work. The sidewalks have heated sensors which will prevent snow and ice build up. “Mayor Swenson said, “This will be good for our city.”
The group gathered in front of the new building where Sen. David Hinkins and Mayor Swenson cut the ribbon. The ribbon cutting took place during the annual Orangeville Days celebration for the July 24th pioneer holiday. Council members and business chamber members as well as some of the scouts involved with the project were on hand for the event.