Clymer playground success leads to another potential grant
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CLYMER -- The recent success of the town of Clymer's KABOOM! Playground build has led to the possibility of the town being able to get another community-based grant.
During the town board's July meeting, the build days for the playground that occurred at the end of June were discussed and said to have gone very well. Town Supervisor Brian Willink said he has seen some people down at the town park using the playground already, and that he has received multiple positive comments. The board acknowledged the local businesses that helped with the build days, including Neckers Company General Store, the Dutch Village Restaurant and Clymer Central School. Todd Kolstee, deputy town supervisor who has been the head of the playground project, said there is one more meeting scheduled with KABOOM! to fully wrap everything up. One of the last items for the project includes getting a print for the other side of the new sign at the town park.
"What happened was, the nice new vinyl sign is one sided, because they thought the actual sign would be parallel to the road, and it's perpendicular," Willink said. "So, when you're coming in from the south, the Corry way, it looks like a blank sign. When you're coming from the Clymer way you can see it's got a beautiful picture. So, we're going to replicate both sides to make them look the same."
A quote to do the other side of the sign was approved by the board. A required maintenance plan for the playground and having a contact person for if there are any issues was also discussed, along with inspections.
With the success of the new playground, and the previous playground that was placed in the town park, Willink said the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation reached back out to Kolstee, saying the town would now be a great fit for what is called a Community Heart and Soul grant. Kolstee has done some research into the grant, which is a nationally recognized program, but said he was still unsure on what it all entails. Kolstee read the description of the grant to the board.
The foundation announced a partnership with Community Heart & Soul earlier this year. Designed for small cities and towns with populations up to 30,000, the process helps communities translate residents’ stories into shared priorities that help guide decisions over time.
"Your town is not just a place, it's a home," Kolstee read. "Every town deserves a future shaped by the people who live there. Watch how Community Heart and Soul helps towns take charge, unite their voices, and create lasting impact. Every community has a unique heart and soul, the pride residents feel, the places they love to show visitors, the gathering places where people connect and the ways neighbors come together to work across differences."
Additionally, the description Kolstee read identified Community Heart and Soul as a discovery process that helps communities and towns identify priorities, places and traditions that matter most to the people who live, work and play in those towns to help build a bright future. It is meant to be a plan for future generations for years to come.
Kolstee said the Community Foundation wants to come and talk with the town in August about the grant, adding that there are more steps involved for the town to be an actual recipient of the grant. Kolstee said they told the foundation the town would be willing to sit and listen and see if this is something Clymer might be a good fit for. The plan is to have them come and talk at the August board meeting to find out more.