Idle Hour Park improvements have neighbors already dreaming of spring
Even though it feels like winter just arrived, Idle Hour Park neighbors, including the Lexington Senior Center, are already dreaming of spring.
Parks & Recreation invited all of the Park’s neighbors to join in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new raised garden beds and benches along the half-mile trail in the Park.
The improvements are designed with seniors in mind. Garden beds are raised, and benches are designed for comfort and conversation, especially for those with hearing or vision impairments.
“We want Lexington’s parks to offer great experiences for everyone,” said Monica Conrad, Director of Lexington Parks and Recreation. “Our partnership with AARP Kentucky has allowed us to invest in our park and in our community, especially our aging participants.”
Kristy Stambaugh, the City’s Director of Aging and Disability Services, said the improvements offer seniors an opportunity to enjoy being outside. “Many of our participants want to be physically active outside, and it is up to us to provide opportunities for that to safely happen,” she said. This city improved and expanded the Park when it developed the new Senior Center.
The raised garden beds, which offer the opportunity to work in the garden from a standing position or from a wheelchair, will include flowers, vegetables, and herbs, with the hope of using produce in cooking classes at the Senior Center.
The improvements were funded through an AARP Community Challenge Grant Program. Under the program, AARP Kentucky works to offer additional opportunities to bring people together, and to make cities a great place to live for all ages.
This article also appears on page 14 of the December 2017 printed edition of the Hamburg Journal.
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