The Peru Gazette

By Adele Douglas

It’s now a little easier to see that there’s a park developing at the former Heyworth Village Apartment site, which, before that, was the site of A. Mason and Sons Lumber Mill.  Tree cutter John Kelly did a good job of improving the sight lines from Rte 22 while keeping the nicer trees.  In the Park, Town crews have installed benches and mounts for the interpretive signs, which should be up shortly.

Down behind the 1836 stone building, Kara McBrayer and Bob Gallinger review the plans Bob drew-up for the gardens.

Town Supervisor Pete Glushko lends a hand to get everything planted.  Bob and Pete were two of the four Lions to help out with the planting project.  Three-month old grandbaby McBrayer supervises from her stroller.

Day two of the planting project and two more Lions join in.  Roy Perry and Mary Hensel plant shrubs in the rain garden, which is supposed to keep the rain water that runs-off the parking area and roadway from flooding into the river, and filter out any contaminates. Bob, in the red hat, gives helpful advice about the difference between dirt and soil.

Bob, Kara, Roy and Mary planting flowering shrubs along the access road to the Park. While planting was underway in the Park, Don and son Adam McBrayer were clearing a trail to link Heyworth/Mason Park to Little Ausable Park.  The hope is that Town Highway crews will be able to build a stonedust trail along this route, providing a safe connection between the parks for walkers, joggers, cyclists and strollers.

    Before Don and Adam

                                                                                                              After Don and Adam

Thank you volunteer Lions and three generations of McBrayers for two days of incredible progress in the Park.  And a special thanks to our garden guru Bob Gallinger for all the planning and purchasing of plants, and his stellar tractor maneuvering.