On Friday, April 22nd (Earth Day 2016) Barclay Park was officially opened. Formerly known as the Barclay Grounds, Barclay Park is the Borough of West Chester’s first new park in over ten years. The park looked lovely, with daffodils and several blossom trees in bloom. Children from neighboring West Chester Friends School filed across High Street to the new park to perform their song “Branching Out” (fondly known by many as “the tree song” - a perennial favorite at the Borough’s Arbor Day celebrations). Mayor Carolyn Comitta welcomed the children, the many members of the public and the dignatories who attended the opening - and was the Master of Ceremonies throughout the Dedication Ceremony and ribbon-cutting. At the invitation of the Borough I represented the BGPA and spoke about the history of the property – and the many citizen-led efforts to save it over the years. Other speakers included Borough Council President Ellen Koopman, State Senator Andy Dinniman, State Representative Dan Truitt, County Commissioners Kathi Cossone, Michelle Kichline and Terence Farrell, and US Congressman Ryan Costello. Probably the most poignant moment of the ceremony was when Commissioner Kichline asked the children what the purpose of parks is and they replied “for children to play in”. The historical uses and 150 year-old trees of Barclay Park certainly provide us with a link to our past – but the children and the preservation of the park as open space “in perpetuity” provide us with a priceless, durable link to our future. The phrase “in perpetuity” was mentioned by several speakers as being so relevant for a property that has been preserved by citizen action on several occasions. One of the conditions of some of the public grant money accepted to help pay for the acquisition cost of the park is that this space will now be forever preserved as open space in the community. To ensure this was accomplished the Barclay Grounds Preservation Alliance (BGPA) - a group of citizens from West Chester and the surrounding area - guaranteed we would provide $200,000 towards the purchase price for the property. In order for the Borough to have the money in-hand by the deadline at the end of 2015 the BGPA took out a sizeable loan – for the repayment of which we still need to raise $135,000. Please help contribute to the purchase of the Barclay Grounds and their preservation as Barclay Park by following this link to the BGPA’s website, where you can make a donation, adopt a tree, or purchase a “virtual lot” of the park. www.SaveTheBarclayGrounds.org While there you will also be able to see photographs from the Barclay Park Dedication Ceremony. Thank you to all of you who have helped to establish Barclay Park – by raising public awareness of the need to save the Barclay Grounds; contacting your Council Representative or County Commissioners to ask them to help save the property; volunteering to help with and/or participating in BGPA fundraising activities. In addition to the speakers mentioned above I would also like to thank the following public officials and land trust organizations who were instrumental in saving the Barclay Grounds – with sincere apologies to anyone I inadvertently omit… Past and current members of West Chester Borough Council (including Bill Scott, Jordan Norley and Steve Shinn – who attended the Dedication Ceremony - and Holly Brown, past Council President who negotiated the purchase of the property); current and past Borough Managers Michael Cotter, Ernie McNeely and Daniel Olpere; Tom Comitta, Town Planner; Bill Gladden, Director of the Chester County Department of Open Space and Preservation; John Theilacker and John Snook of the Brandywine Conservancy; and Molly Morrison and Peter Williamson of the Natural Lands Trust. Enjoy your new Park! John Cottage President, Barclay Grounds Preservation Alliance