Bailey Park: The reality and the dream
It was a cloudy, rainy day.
Under the sheltering roof of the city pavilion that sits not far from Pennsylvania Avenue, Mayor Bill Gerke gestured in appreciation toward Mark John – otherwise known as Mookie – who has been placed in charge of engineering what would be a remarkable turn around: the revival of Bailey Park, the once and hopefully future recreation hub of Uniontown.
Gerke explained that he has only known John a few years. Yet, he has complete faith in the talents of John, a former educator and basketball coach in his early 40s. He described John as a member of his “team” – a team that is expected to work a small miracle: both the mayor and John hope the revival of Bailey Park will spur a city-wide revitalization.
John, who has been on the job for the city since April, working hard, for one thing, on putting the Sheepskin Walking Trail in place, is all in. In fact, the mayor said, John inspires him. They inspire one another.
The city, which has shrunk dramatically over the years (from a population of 40,000 plus in the 1940s to around 10,000), has already placed a down payment on the dream of a bustling Bailey Park.
Last year, Gerke noted, the city purchased, at a cost of $100,000, land that would extend the park’s footprint to Pennsylvania Avenue. Until recently, that property was owned by O.C. Class Lumber.
John said plans for the newly-acquired property include a splash pad and a building housing baseball batting cages and other training facilities. He described the splash pad as a central feature of the Bailey Park of the future.
The idea came from a city resident, he said, who noted the popularity of splash pads in other towns and localities where she has lived or worked.
John sketched a future for the park that includes resurfaced basketball courts, a tennis court, and several pickleball courts. John pointed out an existing building that contains restrooms will be coming down to make way for two small soccer fields.
He wants to replace the aging swings and slides and climbing equipment at the park with modern, updated ones.
As for the big Bailey Park ballfield, the long-time centerpiece of the park and home to the Uniontown High School baseball team, both John and Gerke said they are anxious to re-erect three large light standards that were taken down earlier for safety purposes.
Indeed, John said the installation of the light standards is currently his top priority for the park. He hopes by next spring Uniontown will be able to play a night game against rival Laurel Highlands.
He said a junior American Legion tournament may very well be staged this fall at Bailey Park, thanks to Brad Yohman, the skipper of the Uniontown American Legion team.
Yohman, John said, takes a backseat no one in wanting to return Bailey Park to its former glory.
John estimated the cost of all these improvements at $500,000. For his part, the columnist said it seems on the low side.
“Dreams are dreams and facts are fact,” both Gerke and John said in response, as rain splashed the pavilion roof. The city, at the start of this process, has zero dollars in the revitalize- Bailey Park savings account and with the mayor and John talking excitedly of selling bricks for a memorial wall to raise at least some cash.
Despite might what seem to be long odds, the pair expressed confidence they could pull it off. One success will help build momentum for another, and another, they said, until the park is back, bigger and better than ever.
Mayor Gerke said everywhere he goes he hears from residents about Bailey Park. So many people want to volunteer.
Around this time, Joe Walkos pulled up in a pickup truck. Walkos works for the Uniontown School District, but does volunteer work for the city. One recent Sunday Walkos and about a dozen other volunteers spent the entire day cutting tree limbs and otherwise sprucing up Bailey Park.
Asked about his commitment to Bailey Park, Walkos said, “It’s deep. I was a kid who needed a park at one time.” He played ball there shortly before it went almost completely dark in the early 2000s.
The rain stopped. Walking back to our vehicles, Gerke, John and the columnist paused on the embankment a little above the big ballfield, with it expanse of grass and the city and the faraway mountain ridge forming a backdrop. The duality is remarkable, just like Bailey Park’s rich history, which stretches back to the 1920s, at least.
John commented on the unique setting. He lives with his wife and kids on Charles Street, which affords a panoramic view of the field. He has watched games from this vantage point. John said he gets goose bumps seeing Bailey Park in action.
Richard Robbins lives in Uniontown. He can be reached at dick.l.robbins@gmail.com.