Three major efforts are underway
There are three major efforts in which the Friends of Ely Park is focused:
Snack shack façade
We have arranged for renowned area designer and muralist Illia Barger to design a sports themed facade to be added to the street side of the snack shack to help finish off the area. Illia has collaborated with Jim Hamilton on many projects (including the beautiful murals inside Hamilton’s Grill Room). No doubt he would be very pleased as her design ideas become a reality in the early summer of 2019.
Completion of the North Main Street fence
The City of Lambertville has provided funding for the completion of Jim Hamilton’s design of a new fence that consists of classic, elegant powder coated black steel fencing with traditional brick columns and improved sidewalk lighting for pedestrian safety. The first sections were installed by the FEP a few years ago and now the new fencing will run the length of Ely Park making it not only safer, but a beautiful welcoming point for the City. It is set to be completed in the middle of the summer of 2019.
Jim Hamilton Arts Scholarship
The third and final major effort by the FEP is the creation of the Jim Hamilton Arts Scholarship. It will be endowed by the FEP and administered by The Delaware River Towns Chamber of Commerce but unlike their traditional scholarship this scholarship will be offered to area high school juniors to help them get started early in their pursuit of the arts from culinary to fine to the performing arts. The endowment will allow for annual scholarships of totaling $2000.00 beginning in 2020. This fund will be further secured through the generosity of Niece Lumber providing the milling and curing of Ely Park’s London plantree and offering it to area furniture and cabinet makers to create beautiful pieces that will be offered for sale or auction.
Read the press coverage:
Girls Softball Dugouts
The Friends of Ely Park responded to a long overdue need for the girls softball teams. The boys have had structural dugouts for years. Now the girls have the snazziest.
The community’s support of Friends of Ely Park enabled us to make it happen.
The dugouts are used by the youngest softballers all the way up to middle school and girls from the South Hunterdon Regional High School varsity softball team.
