New Fitness Equipment and More at Ferndale’s Geary Park
(Crystal Proxmire, Sept. 21, 2021)
Ferndale, MI – Ferndale celebrated another round of park improvements with a recent ribbon cutting at Geary Park to showcase a new fitness area with equipment guests can use to work out on. The equipment includes several workout stations, each with a sign that has instructions and a QR code that takes users to an online video demonstrating the proper use.
City staff and electeds twisted, turned, pulled, and squatted as they tested out the new pieces. The fitness area was funded by an $81,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant. There was also a $41,000 DNR grant for improvements at Wanda Park, plus an $8,000 gift from the American Academy of Dermatology for a new pavilion which is in the works for Wanda Park, and a $25,000 grant from America in Bloom for landscaping, trees, and bioswales at Geary Park. Voters also approved a bond in 2015 which has been used for improvements across the parks system. Geary Park has been flourishing since the 2019 opening of the Ferndale Skate Park, and recent additions include a paved pathway to improve accessibility and walking opportunities.
Ferndale Parks and Recreation Director LeReina Wheeler thanked many who worked together to make the park improvements happen, including the Department of Public Works. “We were able to save money and time by using their skills to perform a lot of the construction work in house,” she said.
Ferndale Councilperson Laura Mikulski, who has served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for just over a year was among the speakers at the event. “We had a pandemic and everybody rose to the challenge,” she said. “There were so many challenges in financing, in scope. And LeReina and her team sort of pushed everything through and took the voices of our residents, responded to the challenge, and got the project done under budget and in what I think is an incredible amount of time.”
Mayor Pro Tem Raylon Leaks-May shared her sentiments about the importance of parks to the community. “Parks are a gathering place for families. For friends new and old. For residents to come and visit. Just a place to feel free and at one with nature,” she said. “I think that it keeps our children occupied, busy, out of trouble.”
Residents who want to learn more about the parks and future plans can visit the City of Ferndale website.