East Texas parks awarded $700k in grants

JACKSONVILLE – According to our news partner KETK, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWC) awarded $20.6 million to local parks and $735,590 of that has gone to three East Texas communities. In a release, TPWC said the grants are awarded to “to help create and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities.”

The Lincoln Park in Jacksonville was awarded a $150,000 grant. The Cherokee County park will undergo renovations, “project elements include a seven-foot-wide concrete trail, a playground, site amenities and exercise equipment with shade,” a TPWC press release said. The 10 acre park currently has a covered pavilion, basketball and tennis courts, restrooms and a playground, according to the City of Jacksonville. According to TPWC, local park grants are funded by sales tax on sporting goods.

In the city of Sulphur Springs, Buford Park received a $535,500 grant. This Hopkins County park will now include an inclusive sports field, multi-purpose trails, restrooms and native landscaping, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. The Buford Park’s current main feature is a one-acre castle playground built in 1997, the city of Sulphur Springs said. Also in Hopkins County, the city of Cumby’s Blackjack Grove park received a grant of $50,090, for “sidewalks, a concrete trail, playground surfacing, a playground and restroom renovations,” TPWC said.