(6/27) Hamiltonban Township is pleased to announce that Phase 2 of the Hamiltonban Community Park is already underway. This has been an exciting project long in the works for the township, dating back to 2007, when the idea of a community park was first introduced. The Hamiltonban Township and Fairfield Borough Joint Parks and Recreation Commission members are pleased to bring grant/tax money back to the citizens of Hamiltonban Township and Fairfield Borough to promote healthy exercise and recreation.

Phase 1 of the project was finished last year and was completely funded by a Community Conservation Partnerships Program grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) received back in March 2015 in the amount of $63,000, as well as a $15,000 grant from Wellspan Health. As of February of this year, additional grants were awarded to help fund this project including a second DCNR grant in the amount of $68,500, a 2016 Adams County Parks, Recreation, and Green Space Grant ($23,625), and a 2017 Adams County Community Foundation Grant ($2,500). Members of the Commission are proud to say that phase 2 of the park is also completely funded through the help of these grants and the support received via donations from businesses and individual members of the community.

Phase 2 of the project should begin in July and will include the completion of a quarter mile walking path with five adult fitness challenge stations, a swing set, a natural play area, a demonstration pollinator meadow and interpretive signage that will highlight local history, our Fruit Belt and area watershed. The fitness stations will be ADA accessible and will be positioned along the walking path. They will include a chest press, lat pull down, balance steps, dual leg press and a dual ski-walker.

On June 9, with the help of Fairfield High School athletes, the Commission began installing the fence around the pollinator garden meadow and it will soon be complete. The construction of the demonstration meadow itself will take until spring to complete, so the area can be weeded and "purified;" actual planting will not occur until spring 2019. The interpretive panels are currently being prepared with the preferred verbiage and the Commission is securing a company that will produce the appropriate design. The exercise stations, play area and swings will all go in during the next few months and will be ready to use within approximately two weeks from the start of construction. The construction will not interfere with the current pavilion and play set area so the park will be open throughout the summer.

So far, phase 1 has been received very well by the community. The pavilion has already been rented once, and Supervisors are hopeful that once the second phase is completed, the park will receive even more attention. Additionally, Hamiltonban Community Park hosted the first ever "Music at the Park" evening on Sunday June 10 from 6-8 p.m. Entertainment for the evening included Kaptan Zaplan (original tunes and classic rock) and an Open Mic portion. Members of the community were invited to bring their lawn chairs and blankets for this premiere event. The next Music in the Park event will be held on the second Sunday in July and a third event will be held on the second Sunday in August. Music in the Park will feature local Fairfield Area musicians and hopes to provide an evening of fun for families and friends.

The Commission is continuing their fund raising efforts to complete the third and final phase hopefully in 2019 or 2020. Phase 3 will add a smaller path loop around the pond area, add more educational signage with additional trees, plantings and split rail fencing. Donations towards the park and memorials for benches and trees may be directed to the Hamiltonban Township Secretary/Treasurer by email hamiltonban@embarqmail.com or by phone 717-642-8509. This venture has been a collaboration of community individuals, businesses and foundations in partnership with DCNR. Community donations are important for the Hamiltonban Township and Fairfield Borough Joint Parks and Recreation Commission to be able to sustain this self-funding effort.