Residents, city employees and officials dedicated much needed renovations to the Saucon Park playground and pavilion area April 10.

Mayor J. William Reynolds thanked State Rep. Steve Samuelson for securing $200,000 in state funding for the project, noting the importance of partnering with both the state and federal government.

Samuelson said the money came from the 2023 round of funding in the ‘save a park rehabilitation and improvement fund.’ He added that Saucon Park was built in the 1930s under the WPA (Works Progress Administration) program and it needed these improvements.

“We’re incredibly grateful for our city workers,” said Reynolds, who explained how the grant funding secured by Samuelson was stretched further by using the city workforce to get much of the work done. Work items such as repairing a creekside stone wall, painting picnic pavilion seating and repairing a pedestrian bridge were done in-house.

Recreation supervisor Jodi Evans said the old swings were replaced and new ADA swings were added, trees were replaced with saplings, monkey bars were repainted and a ‘quiet grove’ was installed so visitors have a separate place to use when activities require a need to “regroup.” An outdoor ping-pong table and revolution spinner were also added.

The park was badly damaged from flooding in the fall of 2021, which made the picnic pavilions unusable. Evans said pavilions will be available for rent this summer for the first time since 2021.