Bettile tackles the township park

By SHAIYLA HAKEEM

shakeem@vindy.com

Winter is no match for the construction underway at the Canfield Township Park. The park is a new addition to the township and is currently being developed.

Canfield trustee Tony Bettile says that he wants nothing more than to improve the Canfield community and way of life.

“I enjoy doing a lot of volunteer work and I thought that by being a trustee I could make a difference in the community,” Bettile said.

Taking his oath of office before the new year, he is focused on improving the new town park located on Herbert Road. According to Bettile, this piece of land stretches to 57.41 acres came with a price tag of $855,000.

He says that since he was elected, he has been meeting with the architect and contractors reviewing the construction plans.

Bettile would like to lay the soccer fields with turf and have them in playable condition by the summer. He also wants to add new resources to the park.

“I think we need things such as basketball courts, playground areas, possibly bocce courts, more pavilions,” Bettile said, “I think that the money that is supposed to be spent on the windmills would be of better use on those items.”

Bettile thinks that there needs to be guidelines directing the future of the park. Success for the park will not only take the help of town organizations, it will take a group effort.

“I think it needs to involve more of the community, not just any particular organization,” Bettile said.

This task shouldn’t be an issue for Canfield residents. According to Bettile, Canfield is a township defined by its community involvement and how the township will come out to help each other.

The park currently has a multi-purpose building featuring a concession stand, rest rooms and a storage area. The soccer fields in the park were laid over the fall, but according to Bettile, the grass has not germinated yet.

In addition to the development of the new park, Bettile says he’d like to see better communication through Web sites and newsletters. The Canfield Township Road Department, he adds, has been doing an excellent job with the recent snowstorms and snow events.

The Canfield Board of Trustees’ first board meeting was Jan.12. With three new trustees in office, Bettile thinks that they can all work together to help the township with its growth.