T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Bill Brooks speaks to St. Clairsville City Council last week, inviting the public to an Oct. 1 dedication of new benches at South Park.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — South Park Community Project Group is making some new additions to the park at noon Oct. 1.

Bill Brooks, an adviser for the group, said the park located south of Clark Avenue has much to offer the area and that the group is devoted to bringing out the potential.

“Our group is a group formed to renovate and have events at South Park … and have events for children. … We also want to honor the people in our community,” he said.

Last October, the group dedicated tables to Sherman and Irene Lyons, who were committed to serving the less fortunate, and to Frank Sabatino for his years of representing the 2nd Ward as a city councilman.

“We’re going to be honoring Kevin Barr, who was the first recreation director for St. Clairsville. We’re going to honor John A. Bukmir for his years on city council, and we’re going to honor his son, John Mark Bukmir, because he took over for his dad and he was just as professional and caring as his dad was,” Brooks said. “The Bukmirs are being recognized as city leaders.

“(Barr) was the one who built the playground and he was 33 years as the city recreation director, he’s responsible for the amphitheater, for the rec center. When I first met Kevin, Mayor (Rick) White gave him a basketball, two softballs, a baseball bat and a baseball,” Brooks said. “He did a hell of a job over here.

“We’re also going to honor Ann Williams and the late Bill Williams as community icons because of their involvement with the community,” Brooks said, adding Ann Williams is expected to attend.

“Bill was also the first black deputy sheriff in Belmont County,” Brooks said, adding the Williamses impacted many lives. “Bill would always walk around the community. When he saw somebody needed a hand … he was right there with them. He taught kids how to golf. Ann was like a mother to a lot of the young ladies around here because she had three daughters of her own.

“We’re going to have some refreshments, and we’re inviting the public or people that know them to attend,” Brooks said.

Brooks commended the group’s chairwoman, Annie Upperman-Freese, trustees Greg and Rebecca Clark, and secretary/treasurer Linda Bragg.

Thanks also went to Martins Ferry Mayor John Davies for providing help.

“He had his crew build the benches and the chair. It shows the communities working together,” Brooks said. “We paid for the lumber and he had them built.”

The group also thanks Marian Martin, a retired Union Local music teacher and longtime city resident who donated a picnic table and two benches.

Brooks said group members are all invested in the area.

“We’ve done all this without using any tax dollars, because we want to show St. Clairsville pride,” he said, adding the park is situated as a part of community life and many members have fond memories of the park.

“We want to continuously have programs for the children,” he said. “They say ‘if you build it, they will come,’ but our motto is they will stay if you give them something to do once they get there.”

Brooks added they hope ongoing activities and a sense of ownership will encourage young people to utilize the park and to take care of it.

“We want to start having basketball games for the little kids in the summer, and churches have agreed to send people there to teach arts and crafts and different things,” he said.

Brooks said anyone wishing to join or help the South Park group can call 740-312-9363.