Area parks receive grant money
HORSE CAVE, Ky. – Monday, Governor Andy Beshear announced his selection of 41 projects totaling more than $4.3 million to receive funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
All selected projects will upgrade parks and recreation spaces across Kentucky, including right here in south central Kentucky.
The federal program was designed to protect important natural areas, help local communities acquire land for outdoor recreation spaces and to develop or renovate public, outdoor recreation spaces.
Auburn received $25,000 to construct a nine-hole disc golf course.
People are currently driving all the way into Bowling Green to play disc golf, so this addition will be exciting for the people of Auburn, according to Auburn Mayor Mike Hughes.
“We are very excited to receive this Land and Water grant. It’s a 50% grant. We still have some skin in the game but it’s a big help to us. They will get half of that paid for and we can leverage up our local funds that way,” said Hughes.
Edmonton received nearly $67,000 to purchase trash cans, bleacher shade structures and make the bleachers ADA accessible.
Munfordville also received funding and will use the $40,000 to add two playsets in the playground and purchase and install new grills.
Horse Cave was granted nearly $50,000 to build an entirely new city park.
The new park will include a walking path and trails, 10 parking spaces, nine wooden benches, trail signage, two picnic tables, five trash receptacles, two gazebos and planting 30 native trees and various shrubbery.
The new park in Horse Cave is in the place of an old hotel that was torn down, according to Horse Cave Mayor Randall Curry.
“We wanted something to fill the void where Owen’s hotel used to be which was very popular in the years when I was growing up. This here is also where, underground, it’s where Hidden River Cave also runs here and what we describe as the Dome Room is just right over the ridge over there,” said Curry.
In the press release, Beshear said that parks and recreation spaces are an important part of every Kentucky community to keep people healthy and happy.
