Parks Services Director Mark Thompson says, “I would like to thank the Kentucky Recreation and Park Society for this recognition as the Outstanding Class 1 Department in Kentucky for the third year in a row. Each member of the Parks Services Department is dedicated to providing the best parks and programs for the citizen of Paducah and the region. We are always looking to challenge ourselves to improve the City’s parks system and enhance the recreation experience for everyone.”
Paducah Parks Services is a department of 24 full-time staff with one director, two superintendents, one special events coordinator, one maintenance supervisor, two recreation specialists, 14 maintenance workers, and a busy clerical staff of three. In addition to maintaining more than two dozen parks and facilities in Paducah and organizing the downtown Farmers’ Market, the Parks Department hosts a variety of events including parades, Bikes on Broadway, LIVE on the RIVER, the Riverfront Concert Series, Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Park, and the Independence Day Celebration.
This year the department expanded the Greenway Trail to include the stretch between U.S. 45 and Noble Park. The City now offers more than 4.5 miles of trail for walkers, joggers, and cyclists. Also just completed is the first phase of the Noble Park Lake Bank Stabilization Project which involves the placement of metal sheets along the bank to stabilize the erosion. New sidewalks and a new foundation for the renovated Duck House were also included in this project.
For more information about the award-winning Parks Services Department, visit www.paducahky.gov. For more information about the Kentucky Recreation & Park Society, visit www.kyrps.org.
Information provided by Pam Spencer, Paducah Public Information Officer.
