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Plan in works to have new park in Drexel

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Helping Hands Community Outreach held a ceremonial ground-breaking for the new Clyde Waites Playground across from the Church of the Nazarene in Drexel on Wednesday, December 21, 2011.

Staff photo by Ty Greenlees Helping Hands Community Outreach held a ceremonial ground-breaking for the new Clyde Waites Playground across from the Church of the Nazarene in Drexel on Wednesday, December 21, 2011.

The facility would be the first in Drexel since 1999 when Milhaven closed.

By Kelli Wynn, Staff Writer Updated 6:46 AM Thursday, December 22, 2011

TROTWOOD — A capital campaign is in effect to raise funds for the building of Drexel’s first community park since 1999.

The members of Helping Hands Community Outreach, a nonprofit organization based in Drexel at 6499 W. Third St., are working with the City of Trotwood to place a park at 143 Miller Avenue. The Miller address is also the location of the Church of the Nazarene.

The first phase of the park project is to put in the new Clyde Waites Playground at the park site. Waites, who died earlier this year, was a long time pastor of the church. He and his members helped the nonprofit secure the land for the park, according to Neldra Glasper, executive director for Helping Hands.

The park project is going to cost the organization approximately $100,000, Glasper said. So far the organization has raised approximately $50,000.

The City of Trotwood received a $27,000 Montgomery County Solid Waste District grant a few years ago to help fund the park project, but some of the money had to be returned to the county because it was not used within the deadline the city was given, according to Terry Lodge, Trotwood’s Recreation Program specialist. The city used the grant money to purchase picnic tables, park benches and a recycle bin. These items will remain in city storage until they are ready to be placed at the park site.

Drexel, a small community located off of West Third Street right near the U.S. 35 interchange, had Milhaven Park on Miller Avenue, but it was closed to the public in 1999 due to crime issues, Lodge said.

“It’s going to give the children an opportunity to enjoy play in their own neighborhood without crossing a dangerous highway,” Glasper said, referring to the fact that Madison Lakes Park is on Olive Road, a busy road that runs off West Third Street. “It’s going to bring a ray of sunshine and hope back to this community.”

Anyone interested in donating toward the park project can contact Helping Hands Community Outreach at (937) 938-9231 or via e-mail at helpinghands5565 @yahoo.com.

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