Administrators announced May 6 a ribbon-cutting for the new Dimmick Park playground, in conjunction with the Hellertown and Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce and the Hellertown Summer Concert Series. The event will be held July 14 at 5:30 p.m.

The playground project is a $512,000 investment which is the first major borough playground upgrade in 30 years. The project’s funding came from grants by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program and the County of Northampton Community Block Grant Program.

Included will be new state-of-the-art playground equipment that will have age specific sections, such as a two- to five-year-olds and five to 12-year-olds area, new safety surfacing, 4-foot fencing, new parking, new trees, seating, canopies for shade and handicap access paths and sidewalks.

The playground will located in the eastern section of Dimmick Park and will be at least 30 percent larger than the old playground. Officials hope the new playground will be completed and ready to use by June.

Also announced was a meet-and-greet with Hellertown elected officials, which was held May 16 at the Tavern Room at the Hellertown Historical Society at 150 West Walnut St.

In attendance were members of Hellertown Council and Mayor David Heintzelman. Council members attending will be Thomas Rieger, Philip Weber, Mike McKenna, James Hill, Earl Hill, Andrew Hughes and Gil Stauffer. According to Heitzelman, borough issues were to be discussed in a casual setting with light moderation and a question and answer time. Heitzelman encouraged citizens to come out, “especially if you don’t know what we do, and a lot of people don’t. There is a lot of decisions that have to be made and why do we make the decisions we make; there is usually a reason, and why do we have a budget the way we have a budget.”

The event is a continuation of the borough’s outreach to the community. In the recent past, the borough has held successful community relation events, such as coffee with the cops.