The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) celebrated the opening of the newest city park on Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the recently-completed West Splash Park, located adjacent to West Elementary School.
The West Splash Park is located on the southern side of West Elementary, near the intersection of East Carter Street and North Hill Street.
The West Splash Park is an interactive splash pad with unique water features that offer fun for all users.
“We are proud to open Batesville’s first stand-alone splash pad,” said Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh (pictured below) at the ceremony. “We have been looking to open one for about ten years.”
The splash pad is built on land donated by the Batesville School District.
“The Batesville School Board and Superintendent Dr. Michael Hester were very supportive in this endeavor,” said Elumbaugh. “We could not ask for a better partner than the Batesville School District.”
Elumbaugh described the neighborhood saying, “several students live within walking distance of the school, but there are very few parks nearby.”
West Splash Park was partially funded through a matching grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
“We are so thankful for our partners at White River Planning and Development for their assistance in applying for that grant,” said Elumbaugh.
“The park will be fully open in a few weeks,” said Batesville Parks Director Jeff Owens. “But, out of respect for the school district and the safety of students and park-goers, the park will not be open during school hours.”
The splash pad is open daily from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Once school dismisses for the summer, the splash pad will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
West Splash Park is free. Visitors will use the activator switch located within the splash pad boundary to activate the water features.
The West Splash Park meets the IMPACT Independence County Placemaking goal to improve outdoor leisure space, resulting in improved quality of life for residents.
“This a great addition for families in our community, especially those residing in Westside,” said Elumbaugh.
Ambassadors in attendance included: Kyle Christopher (Kenny Allen State Farm), Brook Cossey (RAWK Imprinting), Ashley Engles (Citizens Bank), Amy Finster (White River Health System), Tammy Foster (First Community Bank), Genafer Foree (Goodwill), Brittney Harris (Independence Off-Road), Lindy Hopper (First Community Bank), Dana Millikin (White River Now), Aaron Moody (Independence County Sheriff’s Department), Megan Renihan (Batesville School District), Ashley Rogers (Goosehead Insurance), Justin Russell (Bank of Cave City), Carmen Waugh (Centennial Bank).
Images provided by the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
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