CHESAPEAKE – Chesapeake’s Veterans Memorial Park is taking shape.

Wednesday, August 08, 2001

CHESAPEAKE – Chesapeake’s Veterans Memorial Park is taking shape.

Recently, the village added playground equipment, including swings, slides and a "moon climber."

The playground equipment compliments the park’s centerpiece, a "pavilion-style" shelter.

The shelter’s cost was $10,146.20, but the village will receive a $7,609.65 reimbursement from the state. With the reimbursement, only $2,536.55 will come from the village’s coffers.

The equipment joins other additions that have been made to the park over the summer, including a flag pole set at the park’s entrance, park benches placed around the paved walking track that circles the park and lighting has been constructed around the walking trail.

The community has also given the village a helping hand in constructing the park. In addition to volunteers that have lended time and labor to constructing the park for their community, Chesapeake Elementary students have helped shape the park’s appearance and landscape.

Students at the school grew flowers in their classroom throughout the school year and donated their plants to the village.

The students raised the flowers from seeds provided to them by the Chesapeake post of the American Legion. The Legion received the seeds through an essay contest by the "America, the Beautiful" pilot program based in Washington D.C. The Legion received 30 dogwood trees, 1,000 packets of flower seeds, and more than $1,000 worth of tulip bulbs.

In the next few weeks, a grill will be installed, adding yet another item community residents can use in their new park.