Volunteers are being encouraged to help clean up and make repairs at Westbrook and Nelson Street parks from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 2, when Mount Olive Friends of the Parks holds a community workday at the two parks. The public also is being invited to attend the Friends of the Parks meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 21, that will be hosted by Mount Olive American Legion Post 103 on North Chestnut Street. From left, Josh Phillips, Mount Olive Parks and Recreation director; Tony Martin, Friends of the Parks president; and Donta Lewis with Mount Olive Parks and Recreation, pose in front of the Kids World Playground at Westbrook Park. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Since a community-led volunteer effort built Kids World playground at Westbrook Park in 1999, the park and Nelson Street Park have relied on the community to help maintain them.
The public will have the opportunity to do just that when the Mount Olive Friends of the Parks holds a community workday at Westbrook Park and Nelson Street Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 2.
Things to bring, but aren’t mandatory, include work gloves, pitch forks, garden rakes, shovels, wheel barrows, blowers and power tool as well as a fun attitude and the willingness to make an impact, said Tony Martin, Friends of the Parks president.
Volunteers will gather at Westbrook Park, located across from the Piggly Wiggly on North Breazeale Avenue, before some head to Nelson Street Park in the southern end of town.
“We have various projects to complete, such as moving mulch, raking straw and leaves, cleaning signs, and fixing areas around the playgrounds,” Martin said. “These efforts will also be taking place in Nelson Street Park, but we will all meet at Westbrook.
“Different businesses in town are donating food, beverages, snacks. We want to encourage everyone to bring tools. If they have any carpentry skills, bring some carpentry tools with you because we are going to try to make repairs on some of the structures.”
The goal is to rake all of the park and clean it up, he said.
Close to 200 cubic yards of mulch will be spread at Kids World as well.
Mulch already has been spread recently at Nelson Street Park, and smaller amounts have been done in recent years at Kids World.
This will be the largest load that has been spread in about a decade at Kids World, said Josh Phillips, Mount Olive Parks and Recreation director
“We want four to six inches of mulch out on this playground,” Martin said. “We are going to have plenty of things for people to do. There are areas to clean up. There are repairs to be made, painting in the restrooms.”
Phillips added, “We usually put mulch in the parks twice a year. So when you do start seeing low areas, mainly it is under a swing set or slide, and it is compacted more elsewhere, that is why there are little divots, but we do get mulch in a couple of times a year that way all of that stuff is covered up.”
Martin encouraged people who see an issue at either park, no matter what it is, to inform the town.
“Inform Parks and Rec., the city clerk or even the chief of police, but let somebody in the town know that you are concerned about an issue with the parks,” he said.
“We will get it handled,” Phillips added. “And if it is a safety concern, especially in Kids World, or any structure that children are on, it’s going to get fixed immediately.”
Workdays over the past 29 years have been what has kept Kids World and playgrounds at both parks here, Martin said.
Kids World was built in 1999, and Friends of the Parks, which helps maintain Nelson Street and Westbrook parks, was formed in 2000.
However, a combination of older members who have aged out or have passed away, along with COVID restrictions, have taken a toll on its membership.
Efforts to revitalize the organization, called Bringing the Friends Back, is going well, Martin said.
The Friends of the Parks’ next meeting is at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 21, and will be hosted by Mount Olive American Legion Post 103 on North Chestnut Street.
The public invited.
“We want to hear from everybody, see everybody,” Martin said.
Also under way is a fundraiser to expand the George Fulghum Depot at Westbrook Park, home of the popular Pickle Train.
The project also includes the addition of a window that will allow the depot to serve as a concession stand, Martin said.
Some of the work cannot be done by volunteers and must be done by licensed contractors, and finding contractors has been a bit of a challenge since COVID, Martin added.
Already in place at two locations in Westbrook Park are water and electrical hook-ups for food trucks and concession wagons.
“With more volunteers we are going to be able to run the Pickle Train more often,” Martin said. “So if someone has a birthday party coming up in either park, if we can staff it, we can rent the Pickle Train out for those types of events or any other event that is in the park.”
At the Friends of the Parks last meeting, the board created the Pickle Train Committee. At that same meeting, two people signed up to act as Pickle Train operators, and a couple of others agreed to help Martin with the train.
It takes three to four people to successfully operate it and help the children in and out of the cars, he added.
“We are excited about the Pickle Train and having this new committee form because the Pickle Train has become so popular,” Martin said. “We get calls to take it to a lot of places now. Having more volunteers for the train makes it easier for us to take it places.”
Confirmed organizations and people planning to attend and donate their time and/or equipment on the workday include: Friends of the Parks; Amanda Raynor and students from the University of Mount Olive; Bethel Church of Goldsboro; Girl Scout Troop 389; Carver Alumni; American Legion Post 103; Tony Martin with Beautancus Tree Farm Satellite Rotary; Nelson Powell; and Lisa Dismore.
For more information, or to make a donation, contact Phillips at 919-658-9538.
“The more money we have, the more we can do,” Martin said.
