Weekly Update 12/11/2015

From Bob Schwartz, City Manager


Asbury Street Park – Commissioner J. C. Henderson came to the Tree Board meeting Tuesday evening to present a ceremonial check for $100,000 from the Board of Commissioners for the development of the Asbury Street Park. The picture includes members of the Tree Board. (Left to right, Jody Reid, Beryl Budd, Jerry Roseberry, Cheryl Ready, J.C. Henderson, Sandy Henderson, Andrea O'Toole, Anderson Wright, and LaTrelle Oliver.) Here is the press release for the event:

Today (Tuesday, December 8) at 5 o'clock in the City Council chambers of the City of Oxford, Commissioner J.C. Henderson will present a check for $100,000 on behalf of the Board of Commissioners of Newton County to Mayor Jerry Roseberry on behalf of the City of Oxford. This is a contribution by Newton County toward the Asbury Street Park being built in the City of Oxford. The funding is from Newton County’s 2006 SPLOST project and is a portion of the funding set aside for recreation. The park is being designed by a citizens committee. The $100,000 is only a portion of the total cost of the park. The balance of the cost will come from City of Oxford capital project funds.

Joining Commissioner Henderson and Mayor Roseberry will be Cheryl Ready, chair of the Oxford Trees, Parks and Recreation board along with members of the Trees Parks and Recreation board. In addition, there will be members of the Asbury Park Citizens Advisory Committee present.

Asbury Street Park Planning – The Asbury Street Park Citizens Advisory Committee has been working to come up with a list of amenities they would like in the park. We have placed a survey online on our home page and our Facebook page. And, we included a survey form in our utility bills this month. After narrowing the list down some, the committee will meet with graduate design students from UGA who are scheduled to help design the park early in 2016. We have placed two signs on the park site to encourage more participation in the discussion.

“Shop with a Cop” – Wednesday night, Chief Dave Harvey, Lt. James Pilgrim, and Officer Jeff Novak participated in the Covington Police Department sponsored “Shop with a Cop” at Walmart. Each child was given a $100 gift card and a police escort to do some Christmas shopping.