The Wymore-Blue Springs Area Fund has helped with refurbishing the Arbor State Park entrance signs. They plan to add restrooms to the park this spring.
Christina Lyons
Although covered with snow now, the new playground at McCandless Park has been a popular place in Wymore. The restrooms and concession stands were also added.
Christina Lyons
The new playground offers an area for young children and an all-inclusive playground for 5-12 year old youth.
The Wymore-Blue Springs Area Fund has been working since 2018 to update two parks.
Jared Mckeever said work started on the McCandless Park project.
“We started working on updating the small playground, the bathrooms that were not in good working order and then the larger playground,” he said. “We wanted to revitalize the park and make it an area that was inclusive for all children. We wanted to make it a place people wanted to come.”
He noted that there were several entities and organizations that partnered to make the work possible.
“The Southern Gage Kiwanis has been instrumental,” he said. “Some of the other partners include the City of Wymore, Exmark, Martha and Margaret Thomas Foundation, Gage County Foundation, Gage County Tourism, Jordan Murphy Memorial Run and several years of Big Give Gage donations, in addition to individual donors.”
“We’ve been able to raise over $500,000,” he said. “In McCandless Park there are new trash receptacles, a new picnic shelter, security cameras, picnic tables and benches, a small playground for younger children and an all-inclusive playground for children five to twelve. We also have a restroom and concession facility. “
Director of Gage County Tourism Dakota Hurley said when the park was finished earlier this fall, it was always busy.
“It looks amazing, and it has been busy with kids since the day they took the construction fence away,” she said.
In Arbor State Park the group has helped refinish the park entrance signs and are planning to install a new restroom in the spring of 2024.
Mckeever noted there is a new mentality.
“I was talking with someone, and they said “Wow, we didn’t have anything this nice when we were kids. That’s the new mentality. We needed to do some things differently and do it well.”
“We want Southern Gage County to be a place people want to live, work and thrive,” he said.
The Wymore-Blue Springs Area Fund hopes to add to their endowment fund and continue to offer grants to area organizations.
Dean Marples joined the board in 2009 when he replaced Margaret Thomas. He has served as vice president and president of the foundation.
The Wymore-Blue Springs Area Fund has helped with refurbishing the Arbor State Park entrance signs. They plan to add restrooms to the park this spring.
Although covered with snow now, the new playground at McCandless Park has been a popular place in Wymore. The restrooms and concession stands were also added.
