ATHOL — As part of an initiative to revitalize Silver Lake Park the Athol Public Works Department installed two new dog waste stations around the park this week.
“The installation was done relatively quickly and the guys (from the department) did an excellent job,” said Assistant Superintendent Dick Kilhart.
The park is a space for residents to enjoy various activities, including shore fishing, swimming, and taking dogs for a walk around the lake. The waste stations were donated by the Athol Lions Club.
The stations serve as places for people to dispose of their dogs’ waste.
David Gaspar, a former Lions Club president and current member who is leading the revitalization initiative, said though the stations will not solve all the problems the park has, including individuals who do not pick up after their pets, they are a step in the right direction to transform the park.
“I am hoping when the community comes down here and sees the park improvements, they will see that there is something being done by the town and they’ll maybe use the park more often,” he said.
Looking ahead, Gaspar called Silver Lake Park one of the town’s biggest assets. He said the revitalization project hopes to expand to creating better parking lots, installing a new road system, cleaning up the beach and possibly adding exercise stations around the park.
“The purpose of this (project) is to bring the park to the standards we’d like to see for the community — not only our community, but surrounding communities,” he said.
But, he said, these projects will take time and most importantly money.
“These are the things we want to have done, but we understand the budget restrictions,” he said.
The public works department will take on the role of maintaining the waste within the stations, along with their current upkeep of the park, said Kilhart.