CHERRY VALLEY - The Cherry Valley Park Advisory Committee presented a model of the proposed new park to the public last weekend, as part of an effort to raise awareness, and funds, for the project.

The park, to be located behind the old Cherry Valley school, will include a children's playground, a walking track, a combination basketball court and skating rink, a building for equipment storage, concession stand and restrooms, a gazebo, three soccer fields and one baseball field for Little League play. The park is intended for use by all age groups as a multi-season place of recreation for the residents of Cherry Valley and the surrounding communities.

The advisory committee began meeting in January of this year to develop preliminary data and findings on the development and construction of a village park. Mayor Don Brigham and the village trustees have been trying to get this going for a couple of years, according to Paul Jameson, committee chair.

"They have money in the budget put aside for this each year," Jameson said. "Last year there was a total of $20,000 and this year they've added another $10,000. The total cost is estimated at $125,000 to complete everything."

The park will be constructed in three phases, as the funds come in, Jameson explained. Phase one, to be completed by this fall, will include the children's playground and the temporary application of "crusher run" stone for surfacing the walking track. Phase two is planned for the following year when the basketball court/skating rink and refurbishing of the baseball field will begin. The final phase will involve constructing the utility/concession building, gazebo and applying the permanent surface to the walking track.

Some of the donations received so far include Mirabito's "Shop for Charity" program, whereby tickets can be left with a Quikway store receipt for a five percent benefit to the park fund. Wal-Mart has donated raffle items, the New York Yankees donated a baseball and The National Hall of Fame and Museum donated some lithographs. The Clark Foundation is also considering a proposal for aid. In addition, The New York State Bureau of Parks and Recreation has suggested various grants that are available, and according to Jameson, any grants received could be used as next year's seed money for Phase Two.

Another fund-raiser that has begun is the sale of personalized paver bricks, a service that has been donated by Joanne and Lou Guido, engravers and committee members, of Cherry Valley. The bricks would line the path between the gazebo and the utility building, and are offered for $25 each.

"I'd like to see about 250 to 300 bricks. We've done 15 so far and it seems that orders are coming in today," Guido said last Monday.

"A lot of individuals have expressed a lot interest in this," Jameson said. "They all know that this will be a beneficial project, it's something I think that the village has needed for some time. If you look at some of the surrounding communities like Springfield and Cooperstown, they seem to have a center where people gather for recreation either during the winter months or during the summer...we're hoping at some point to be able to establish that in Cherry Valley as well. And I think that given the right momentum behind this project that this will ultimately lead to that. And we're hoping as well that this kind of reinvigorates the village center, provides a place for people to come together, meet each other."

Part of the recent activities of the committee included running a "Name the Park" contest. Suggestion forms were placed in several area businesses and a survey was sent to grades 1-5 at the CV-S school. The committee decided on "Alden Field," submitted by Jackie Hull of Cherry Valley.

"I thought it should be something that was fairly simple, short, sweet, easy to remember," Hull said. "We have an Alden Street - I like the name Alden, the park is kind of adjacent to Alden Street and I just thought 'Alden Field.'"

The committee also decided to choose a name from the school surveys, specifically for the children's playground portion of the park. Five elementary students suggested "The Coolest Kids Park." Each student will receive a T-shirt and ice cream, and one student name will be drawn for a grand prize of a radio controlled car.

"We really believe that Alden Field is going to be of long-term benefit to the children of the community, not just the children that live in Cherry Valley," Jameson said. "We do have families that come to the school from Springfield, Roseboom, and other areas. -This park is going to be open to them all. It's going to be the village park of Cherry Valley, but we have a community here that encompasses multiple towns and villages...this could become a center for the entire area."

The advisory committee will also be setting up in Springfield during the Fourth of July Parade, where they hope to continue their mission of gathering support for this project.