By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Nov. 5, 2020) The Berlin Parks Commission on Tuesday agreed to recommend the final draft of its commemorative program to the Berlin Mayor and Council.

The program will allow individuals, families or organizations to honor the memory of loved ones or to memorialize a significant event through the dedication of park amenities or living tributes.

“This will go online,” said Deputy Town Administrator Mary Bohlen. “Once it’s approved, it will go online.”

Bohlen also provided a follow-up to the tennis programming at Stephen Decatur Park in September and October.

According to Worcester County Recreation and Parks, about 13 people participated in the clinics and an average of five people participated in the drop-in tennis evenings.

“I think that working with the county recreation like this is really great,” Bohlen said.

Commission member Laura Stearns asked if the Stephen Decatur Park scrap tire path could be replaced with different material.

“It’s something that is really well used and it’s in such deplorable condition,” she said.

Bohlen responded that the scrap tire material was an experiment and it does not work well this far north.

“Part of the issue with grant funding for a project like that is grant funders prefer to fund new projects,” Bohlen added. “That would be considered more of a repair and maintenance kind of thing. It’s not impossible, but it’s fairly unlikely.”

Stearns believes the path should be a priority project because it is a safety concern.

Bohlen said to replace the path material would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and the town staff patches the path when it can.

“You have to prioritize when you’re doing these great big projects,” Bohlen added. “You’ve got to prioritize.”

Commission member Patricia Dufendach agreed that the commission should make a list of priorities.

Resident Tony Weeg emailed Bohlen about another project he believes is a priority in Berlin – a skate park.

“I would say that these kinds of really high-dollar projects, the only way that they’re going to happen is with fundraising of some kind, and that is not something that the town can undertake for a number of reasons,” Bohlen said.

She emphasized that money for projects will need to come from different sources than the town or typical grant funding.

“This is not enough to move with, but it’s definitely a start,” Bohlen said about Weeg’s proposal.