Delmont-Salem Rotary to install fountain at borough’s Newhouse Park
Share this post:
When Delmont-Salem Rotary officials have held events at Newhouse Park in Delmont, one question has popped up frequently, according to incoming president Christian Tomley.
“When we have our steak fry every year, we’ve gotten questions about why there’s no fountain,” Tomley told Delmont council at its Aug. 9 meeting. “It’s been the same when we have FR kids up there for an event.”
With that in mind, Tomley and Delmont-Salem Rotary officials sought permission from council to install a fountain and water-bottle filling station as a service project in the park.
“The cost is between $3,500 and $5,500, and it will be a stainless steel fountain,” Tomley said. “We’ll take care of the installation and purchasing everything. The only thing we’d ask is that once it’s installed, the maintenance costs would be covered by the borough.”
Council President Andy Shissler said the maintenance costs were likely minimal.
“Looks like all we have to do is winterize and drain it,” Shissler said.
Councilman Dave Weber asked what could be done to protect the future fountain from some of the vandalism incidents that have occurred recently at Newhouse Park.
“Maybe down at the (Wigfield) Parklet might be a better location, simply because we have cameras we’re going to install there,” Weber said.
Tomley said that he felt the fountain would get much more use at Newhouse Park, and borough public works chief Bill Heaps said there haven’t been as many instances of vandalism this summer.
“It’s been pretty good up there lately,” Heaps said. “Maybe some of them kids have grown up and aren’t going around breaking things anymore.”
Both Heaps and Delmont Police Chief T.J. Klobucar advocated installing cameras at the park.
“Having more cameras around always helps us,” Klobucar said. “When we’re investigating an incident, we’re always looking for people who have cameras installed. And if we have our own, when we have a problem, we’ll have our own footage to rely on.”
Council granted approval for Rotary officials to install the fountain at a location to be determined. Heaps suggested locating it near the existing garage building or pavilion.
“You could put it on a cement slab with the water supply line coming out of the building instead of going underground,” Heaps said. “And it would be easy to do a camera system out there.”
Tomley said the Rotary plans to install the fountain and bottle filling station in the spring of 2023.