Scouts install locator signs at Concord Park

This week, local Boy Scout Harrison Masters began work on his Eagle Scout Service Project – installing a series of emergency response locator signs along the Concord Park trails.

The signs will be the first of their kind in Knox County.

Masters and five scouts from the Great Smoky Mountain Council Toqua District Troop 630 (based out of the All Saints Catholic Church) used hand tools and a two-man auger to dig and prepare eight of the 18 holes. They carried in five 6×6 posts and placed them in five of the eight holes. Four holes are completed on Lake Shore Drive – one on Mainline, one on Middle East, and two on Inner. Additional work is planned for Friday and Saturday.

Masters is working with the Knox County Parks and Recreation Department and Rural Metro to place the markers on the east side of Concord Park. The signs are designed to help emergency responders more quickly identify those who might need medical assistance on the trail.

Masters hopes his project inspires others to adopt similar emergency plans across the county. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs commended the proposal and said the county would be happy to participate.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Mr. Masters on this project,” Jacobs said. “All of us should be proud that young people like Harrison call Knox County home. This project – which is Harrison’s idea – along with Harrison’s willingness to take the initiative and his determination to see it through, will help make Knox County an even better place to live, work and raise a family.”

Masters has been a Boy Scout since first grade. He attends Bearden High School where he plays trumpet in the marching band and is a member of HOSA.

Also this week, we filed the preliminary paperwork with the state to seek a grant up to $500,000 to help develop the proposed Veterans Memorial Park.

You might recall that in late September, Mayor Jacobs announced that the county would provide the Legacy Parks Foundation with $250,000 toward its $1.5 million fundraising goal for the new park.

The park will be visible from the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery across the river at 2200 East Gov. John Sevier Highway.

If we can secure these funds for Legacy Parks that will be a major move toward helping the non-profit reach its goal and speed up development.

The property for the park is seven acres along the French Broad River and was donated by Blue Water Industries. The park will feature memorials and benches along an accessible walkway, a memorial plaza with monuments and flags, a covered pavilion for commemorative events and services with accessible restrooms, and parking for 44 vehicles in addition the overlook of the cemetery. The accessible trail will also connect to a 1/8-mile natural surface path that winds along the edge of the river bluff.

In addition, the crews at the department did the following:

Using a bucket truck, they replaced the light bulbs at Powell Levi Park
Repaired the breaker box at the Halls Park football field
Replaced some poles – which required removing and replacing parking lot pavers – at Harrell Road Stormwater Park
Performed repair work at the Ball Camp Park facility, including the replacement of the concrete steps.
Worked on Powell Station Park splash pad pump and started winterizing the county splash pads now that the summer season has concluded.

Crews with the Knox County Engineering and Public Works Department also were busy this past week. Here’s a snapshot of some of the work those folks did: