BROWNSTOWN

A group of Brownstown Central High School students has spent recent mornings getting “down and just a little dirty.”

The volunteer efforts of the students in Blake Hackman’s horticulture class have paid off with a freshly landscaped Heritage Park — just in time for Sunday’s 2 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The students spent about an hour each day planting trees and bushes and putting down mulch at the park in the 100 block of East Walnut Street.

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Besides benefiting efforts to improve their community, the students received another bonus from the fruits of their labor — getting out of class for a bit.

“It was nice to have the opportunity to get out of class and do something different,” senior Joe Adkins said.

Sophomore Alex Caffee said she was pleased with the progress her fellow classmates had made.

“This is the first day I have been here this week, but they have done a lot of work,” she said.

Hackman said there’s a bigger project in the works down the road.

“We are going to place a sculpture that should be done next semester as the corner guard in memory of the late Wilma Wessel,” he said. “It is going to be a really neat thing. We have been working with the Wessel family on it.”

Wessel died Jan. 7 of this year and was a member of the Heritage Park committee and Brownstown/Ewing Main Street. The Heritage Park project was conceived by and developed through the cooperation between the town council and Brownstown/Ewing Main Street.

“This was her vision,” Hackman said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include performances by local musicians Tyler Wessel and Joe Persinger, and the Bicentennial Choir will perform. There also will be speakers and light refreshments.

Anyone planning to attend may bring their own lawn chairs.

“We will also be taking this opportunity to acknowledge all of the many volunteers, the financial donors and the countless hours of work that has been donated to making this happen,” said John Nolting, president of the Brownstown Town Council and Heritage Park committee member. “They were out here during the hot days to the rainy days to the humid days.”

Nolting said those involved in the project, including the construction of a stage this summer, are excited about the future of the park.

There is still more work to do.

“We are still in need of donations for benches and tables for anyone who is still looking to donate or participate,” Nolting said. “There is still time to purchase pavers. As a future project, we are really hoping to buy the two empty lots west of the pavilion to extend the park.”

Donations may be made by calling Brownstown Town Hall at 812-358-5500.

The Heritage Park committee will begin work again in January to formulate plans for additions to the facility. The spring of 2017 will see the placement of benches, picnic tables, audience shade screens and other enhancements to the area.

People may reserve the use of the pavilion and grounds at Brownstown Town Hall. There will be a rental fee and a deposit required. In addition, a list of rules for use will be available.

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What: Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Heritage Park

When: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday

Where: 100 block of East Walnut Street, Brownstown

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