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Park on Trade, Rogers Park, Veterans Park recipients for 2019

COLUMBUS—The Polk County Appearance Commission presented its annual beautification awards for 2019 this week. 

The awards are given to projects that beautify the county and can be seen by the public. 

The awards were presented during the Polk County Board of Commissioner meeting on Monday by Polk County Appearance Commission Chairman Joe Cooper. 

The recipients included the Green Blades Garden Club for their work on the Park on Trade in Tryon; to the Town of Tryon for their work on the Rogers Park amphitheater and to the Town of Columbus for their work on the Charters of Freedom, located in Veterans Park. 

Cooper spoke on the importance of the work done to make Polk County look better. 

The criteria for a beautification award includes that the public can view and enjoy the improvement and that it has to be open to the public, whether located on public or private property. 

“Our county has to be a place where people want to visit, want to live, want to do business,” Cooper said. 

Past president of the Green Blades Garden Club accepted the award for the Park on Trade. 

Cooper said the club was organized in 1952 and has put their knowledge to good use in the park, which was formerly a vacant lot on the corner of Trade Street. 

Tryon Commissioner Bill Ingham accepted the Rogers Park amphitheater award.

Cooper said the park itself is a nature retreat in Tryon with large native trees, a rock wall, public restrooms and a stream running through the park. He said the amphitheater is now complete and makes the park more beautiful than ever. 

Ingham thanked John Vining, who he said had a vision a little over 20 years ago for Rogers Park.  

Columbus Councilman Robert Williamson accepted the award for the Charters of Freedom. 

Cooper said the Charters of Freedom are now a permanent feature of Veterans Park and Polk County was fortunate enough to be one of the counties to receive them. Cooper said they will serve as an important educational resource and he’s told they are made to last 300 years. 

Williamson said the town could not have done the work without the cooperation from Polk County. He introduced town employees and VFW Post 9116 members who attended the meeting and helped with the site preparation and thanked all the volunteers involved with the project, including county crews. 

“Veterans Park looks better now than we’d ever imagined,” Williamson said.