DOWNS PARK just seems to be getting better with age.
When the gates were first opened on July 1, 1982, the park was a welcomed addition to an ever-expanding suburbanized area. Featuring 231 acres of woodlands with trails, areas for picnicking or play, and a spectacular view of the Chesapeake Bay with a 2,000-foot shoreline, the park offered the surrounding community a place for fun and recreation while preserving the native habitat of a rapidly vanishing rural waterfront area.
"When we opened our gates in 1982, we weren't exactly sure what the community expected from us," said Rick Holt, park superintendent. "But we quickly learned."
Twenty years later, the park serves as a magnet for visitors and volunteers from all over the county. To celebrate the anniversary, staff and park volunteers have put together a day-long party filled with fun, food, music and programs that will appeal to every age. The activities starts at 10 a.m. Sunday and continues through 8 p.m.
"We will have activities on the beach, at the playground and the amphitheater," Holt said. "Plus we have waived the entry fee for visitors this Sunday."
The park's menu of offerings has expanded over the years. Programs now include bird watching, ecology and nature walks. A youth group camping area was created that offered a secure outdoor experience to hundreds of organized youth groups.
The Downs Park Historical Society and Garden Club researched the history of the site and restored the Victorian-style garden that originally graced the property in the early 1900s.
The Mother's Garden area has been the site of hundreds of wedding ceremonies since it was first opened almost 20 years ago. Free outdoor concerts were staged at the amphitheater during the summer months, bringing in hundreds of music lovers. Exercise walkers, joggers and cyclists discovered the park's paved trails. Families with young children made good use of the huge playground area.
More public spaces have been added. The old wooden playground equipment was torn down and replaced with new, safer equipment, thanks to the Friends of Downs Park volunteer group.
"We have made improvements in response to the needs of visitors," Holt said.
The park also has become a site for cultural offerings, including the Bayside Concert Series, which features a variety of performers thanks to support from local businesses and grants from the state Arts Council and the Anne Arundel Cultural Arts Foundation.
At this weekend's anniversary celebration, musical entertainment will feature Them Eastport Oyster Boys in concert from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the amphitheater, as well as a concert from 6 to 8 p.m. featuring Good Deale Bluegrass from south Anne Arundel County.
"It should be a good time, and we invited everyone to come and enjoy our celebration," Holt added.
Information: 410-222-6230.
Alumni softball game
Former Northeast High School softball players are invited to be a part of the second alumni game that will take place at 3 p.m. June 30 at the school field.
Lynn Pitonzo, former Northeast softball coach, is encouraging all former players to turn out for the event. "Our first alumni game was almost 10 years ago," Pitonzo said. "Who knows if we will ever get to a third game," she joked.
Interested players should contact Pitonzo at 410-437-3811 or send e-mail to her at lpitonzo@aol.com or Marianne Shultz at marianneshultz@aol.com.
New officers announced
The Mountain Road Kiwanis Club recently elected new officers for the club. The new slate includes: Don Allen, president; Peter Wong, vice president; John Forsythe, secretary; William Pratesi, treasurer.
The new board of directors includes: David Blanch, Michael Rind, Tom Keane, Howard Lohorn, Monroe Chairs, Walter Scott and Robert Baxter.
The club meets the first three Tuesdays of each month, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pampered Palate Restaurant, 8971 Fort Smallwood Road.
New members are welcome to attend.
Information: 410-437-2213