Newton County and the Rotary Club of Covington came together to provide a new area for residents to rest and relax in downtown Covington and those efforts came to fruition Tuesday afternoon.
Rotary Park at Middle Ground was dedicated by Newton County Board of Commissioners Chair Keith Ellis at the county’s newest park during the rotary club’s weekly meeting. The park is located behind the Newton County Administrative Building, in front of the Public Defender’s Office and next to the Newton County Judicial Center, between Pace and Elm streets.
The park has four granite benches, which were provided by the Rotary club, and are engraved with Rotary’s Four-way test motto.
The benches read:
“Is it the truth?”
“Is it fair to all concerned?”
“Will it build goodwill and better friendship?”
“Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
At the center of the circle of benches it the Rotospoke logo surrounded by brick pavers.
The pavers were left over from the Miracle Field project, just one way the park utilized several assets in a private-public partnership. The oak trees surrounding the park were left over from a Department of Transportation project, Newton County Public Works employees did the work on the park, and the county’s landscape architect came up with the concept.
“The taxpayers of Newton County hadn’t done anything, they provided the land,” Ellis said. “It’s a good project. It promotes the civic club and it promotes what we think civic clubs should do.”
The Rotary club got involved with the project about a year ago after hearing the county planned to do an employee appreciation park at the entrance of the Newton County Administrative Building.
“It has long been the desire of our Rotary Club to have a place in the community that all people can enjoy and that leaves a lasting impression of who we are as Rotarians for years to come,” said Tommy Davis, the Rotary Club of Covington Past-President. “We are here to dedicate this peaceful place, to the community we serve in hopes that those who use this park will find it a comfortable place to take a break, enjoy lunch or simply sit and reflect on life.”
