As spring gives way to summer the wonderful weather beckons us outside to celebrate fellowship, family and our beautiful community. Dalton’s many parks play host to thousands of people throughout this special season and offer many great opportunities to celebrate.
Several years ago I was describing Burr Park to a friend from out of town, and I told him that Burr Park was where we welcomed the world to Dalton. Admittedly, this was probably a modest overstatement, but those of you who know me understand that the park means the world to me, and I applaud those who share my opinion that it is one of our community’s crown jewels.
Throughout the year I receive positive feedback about our Off the Rails summer music series. These events, scheduled for most Friday nights beginning in June, are only a portion of the events that will take place in Burr Park in coming months.
As you can imagine, the challenges associated with keeping Burr Park “visitor ready” are significant. My hat is off to the city of Dalton and our Public Works Department for taking care of the grounds and associated facilities. It is a full-time job and we’re lucky to have their talented team members to help us with maintenance issues and critical upkeep of the lawn.
Last year, the chamber of commerce estimated that over 60,000 people visited the park for one of the many events during the year. If early attendance at some of the events this year is any indication we will easily exceed that number in 2023. Now that’s where the maintenance challenges come in.
In the coming weeks Public Works, which takes care of the lawn, will be making some physical improvements to the park with special attention being paid to some of the worn and deteriorated areas. This will mean that for the next several weeks there will be some parts of the park where access will be restricted, allowing some recovery of the grass and some lawn repairs to take hold. The hillsides on either side of the stage will require a little respite from their usual traffic. We have been assured that with periodic TLC (tender loving care) we should be able to again welcome those who wish to slide down the hillsides, but until we do some needed rehabilitation we need to limit access to these areas.
Each of you can help the city and Public Works by making a healthy lawn and beautiful grounds job one as we begin a new season of fun and fellowship at Burr Park — truly where Dalton welcomes the world.