Shrewsbury – State Rep. Hannah Kane (R- Shrewsbury) and State Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury) announced they were successful in securing funding for Shrewsbury’s Dean Park in Governor Baker’s Capital Plan for fiscal year (FY) 2016. The Capital Plan, which lays out the administration’s five-year investment plan, has committed $250,000 toward the park’s restoration.
Dean Park will celebrate its’ 100th year anniversary this fall.
Angela Snell, director of parks and recreation for the town of Shrewsbury, has advocated for funding to address several of the park’s draining issues that are causing extensive erosion, among other structural issues.
“Right now we have a critical need to make improvement to areas of the park that will help protect and preserve the pond and the surrounding amenities so that this park can be used for the next generation of residents,” she said.
“I am extremely thankful to State Representative Kane for securing the funding for Dean Park environmental projects. As we are approaching the 100th Anniversary of Dean Park, we are excited to have funding to make improvements to the infrastructure to the park and pond,” she added. “The park is enjoyed by thousands of visitor each year and this will help make sure future generations are able to enjoy the facility. I am also thankful to State Senator Moore for his work on the Environmental bond bill.”
Kane, who lives near the park, knows first-hand the joy it brings to both Shrewsbury residents and those who visit from all over Central Mass.
“My family and I are fortunate to live just down the street from Dean Park, and we are constantly using the park for exercise, fishing, baseball games, football practice and to watch the beautiful fountains in the evenings. Our community is extremely lucky to have such a high quality park to enjoy and it was important to me to advocate for the resources needed to address the erosion and drainage issues that have plagued the park in recent years,” she said. “I am grateful to Senator Moore for including the initial funding request in the 2014 Environmental bond bill and pleased that the Baker-Polito Administration included the funding in the FY16 Capital Plan for the improvements at Dean Park.”
Moore, who originally filed the $250,000 funding request for inclusion in the 2014 Environmental bond bill, is also pleased to see it included in the governor’s FY16 Capital Plan.
“Having listened to the needs of local officials and community members, I was happy to work with then-Representative Matthew Beaton to secure this funding in the 2014 Environmental Bond Bill that is now being released as part of the Governor’s Capital Investment Plan,” Moore said. “I recognize the importance of Dean Park within the community, and will continue to support efforts to restore the Park to its full potential as a vibrant recreational space.”
Dean Park, donated to the town of Shrewsbury by the Dean Family in 1915, has been a focal point for the community, featuring baseball diamonds, softball fields, tennis and basketball courts, picnic areas, a walking trail and Dean Pond.
Charles A. Dean donated the 75 acres that make up Dean Park in memory of his parents James and Kiziah Stearns Dean. At the park’s official opening on October 27, 1915, Charles Dean and his nieces Bertha and Grace led the first Flag Raising in the park. With the participation of the Sons of Veterans as well as townspeople, a history of the park was shared and a boulder inscribed with the park’s dedication from Charles Dean to his parents was placed at the main entrance.
