University Park Displays It’s Community Pride

Two Boy Scout Troops were in University Park helping to clean up the community cemetery this Saturday.

University Park, Iowa – The sounds of shovels, rakes, laughter and conversation could be heard around the community of University Park on Saturday morning. Friends and neighbors gathered with volunteers from the Boy Scouts, Open Bible Church, and the William Penn Mens Golf Team to help make the workload a little less.

“This is what makes small towns special,” University Park Mayor George Toubekis said of the community day.

The volunteers applied 50 yards of new mulch to the city park playground areas, rebuilt the ball diamond, and cleaned up the city cemetery.

The last community day was nearly 5 years ago.

Toubekis and the University Park City Council have been active in revitalizing the community, which is nestled on the east side of Oskaloosa.

The city plans to have Burlington Road repaved to the city limits, while developing a new park for the community that will be located at the old sewer lagoon, which will connect the community to the Lacey Recreation Trail.

The most obvious question about the new park is if the location at the old lagoon is a safe place for a city park.

“The lagoon was closed nearly 30 years ago,” says Toubekis. “It was vacated and filled in.”

The property was unable to be sold because of its history, “It’s just an expense the city has with mowing it every year.”

The DNR, Mahaska Rural Water, and the Mahaska County Sanitarian all checked out the location, and all agreed it was safe to have a park in the location.

The new park will feature fitness for adults, some playground equipment, and a place to park and access the trail.

Toubekis has been Mayor of University Park for several years now, and he says that the council is “vibrant and ready to go” when it comes to making University Park grow.