Greencastle Mayor ready to see parks become busy this year

With school winding down and temperatures warming up, Greencastle Mayor Lynda Dunbar knows those two things can only mean one thing -- it won't be long before families start flocking to Robe-Ann Park and other parks throughout the city of Greencastle. 

After undergoing improvements last year, Robe Ann Park is ready to welcome crowds and will see a busy season this year, as the July 4th fireworks will return after being at Big Walnut Sports Park last year. In addition, the Putnam County Fair Parade will step off from Robe Ann Park, and the park will host the Putnam County Farmers Market, according to Dunbar. 

"There are a lot of events that will be happening at Robe-Ann," Dunbar told The Putnam County Post. 

Dunbar said donation letters have already been sent out for the fireworks show. 

"We are planning on having a nice fireworks show and we are excited about that," Dunbar said.

In addition, she said she is excited about the return of the Farmer's Market back to Robe-Ann Park. 

"We have construction downtown and a lot of our downtown businesses are closed during the Farmers Market time. We have a lot of extra space, parking, areas for children to play and shade. We are excited about that, and it is an opportunity to show off the new improvements at the park to the community," Dunbar said. 

There are also renovations to the aquatic center at Robe Ann Park, as well.

"There will be some new and exciting things at the pool this summer, and we may try to extend the hours if we can maintain staffing. The pool has a new filter system in it. We invested a chunk of money in that and should save money in chemicals. It will be much more efficient and we shouldn't have too many problems not passing our tests. There are a lot of positives happening at the park," Dunbar said. 

Dunbar said the upgrades at Robe Ann Park will also extend to Emerald Palace later this year, as there will be a fundraising drive this fall to help aid with an upgrade. 

"You will see news for the fundraiser to spruce that up, and we are super excited about that and the major facelift. It gives the community an opportunity to come together and really transform something that will serve generations to come. That was a great investment 25 years ago, and we are ready to reinvest for the next 25 years," Dunbar said.