I am tendering my resignation as an advisory board committee member for the Penn Forest Recreational Park on Route 903 in Jim Thorpe.

Sometimes resignations are the result of personal frustrations or disappointments, but not mine. I leave with wonderful memories of what we have accomplished ever since our committee was first formed in 2014. I have a need to put my intentions and efforts into other directions now, but my decision to resign is bittersweet.

I remember the first time I looked across the empty baseball fields and acres of barren land at the park and I said to myself, “What are we supposed to do with all this?”

Through the dedicated efforts of one other founding father and two founding mothers, our advisory board took our ideas and ran them into action. We began by requesting the purchase of three scoreboards for the ball fields. We approved youth soccer practices and games on the areas adjacent to the Major League sized baseball field.

A walking track was added around the perimeter of the park and then we brainstormed an idea to complement the walkway and saw it through to its completion. On a rainy spring day, a bus carrying a dozen high school students from the Carbon Career & Technical Institute followed by a pickup truck loaded with lumber arrived at the park to construct a large pergola where we had cleared a space in the back woods near the trail.

We watched as these high school boys and girls under the direction of their teacher, Jeff Hazelton, worked in collaboration to put all the pieces together. There was one student, a tall, athletic-looking boy who stood on the side and watched his classmates do all the drilling and hammering, and I thought, “Why is he here if he’s not helping?” Once they were done with the construction of the pergola, the boy returned to the truck and came back with a shovel and proceeded to dig the holes where the supporting posts were placed. What a great accomplishment for all these kids and for our park.

Despite all the cars jamming our parking lot with kids and parents hustling to sports activities, you can walk the trail to a wooded area in the back of the park and sit inside the pergola for a moment of quiet reflection.

Our advisory board continued to add more sports activities. We brought in Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, and American Legion baseball and we hosted an 11-year-old travel tournament with one team coming all the way from Philadelphia to participate.

I requested that the Penn Forest Board of Supervisors remove the sod from our Little League baseball field so that Jim Thorpe girls could play their softball games there, which they’ve been doing now for the past three summers.

We provided a home field for the Penn Forest Pilots of the Lehigh Valley Baseball League and an opportunity for young adult athletes of the Carbon County Savages semi-pro football team to build their fan base on Sunday afternoons during their very entertaining games.

We hung banners from local business sponsors on the park fences and set forth the installation of a professional grade batting cage. Our concession building was opened to sell hot dogs and snacks during athletic and social events.

Kids who live nearby come to play pickup basketball and volleyball games on our courts. Our park has become a venue for cross country races, Halloween festivals, Christmas tree lightings with visits from Santa Claus, tennis court matches, Boy Scout and Girl Scout projects, food trucks, and summertime Friday night outdoor movies.

Other great ideas will soon come into fruition. A pump track will be built for mountain bike enthusiasts and a fall craft festival that’s scheduled for Sept. 24 will also feature live music.

I believe that Penn Forest Recreational is the best public park in the entire state of Pennsylvania largely because of the efforts of a few people who deserve to be recognized. Robin McGeehan and Jennifer Bevilacqua were at the very first committee meeting and continue to work tirelessly to bring a multitude of activities for children of all ages at all times of the year. Todd Fox came into our group, and since his arrival, he’s tackled the difficult task of coordinating the many scheduled activities. His behind-the-scenes diligence has been nothing short of extraordinary. A special word of gratitude also goes to past committee member Rick Tweed for helping the park to become what it is today.

The Penn Forest Board of Supervisors should be acknowledged for their support of our committee’s proposals, especially two members, Roger Meckes and Christian Bartulovich, who attend our meetings and add their voices to our suggestions to improve our facility. It’s amazing what a few volunteers who have stepped out of their busy lives can do to make this all happen. It has been a privilege for me to be a part of this incredible group and see our dream of creating a wonderful public park come true.

To set forth a vision for what was once nothing more than vacant land and to do all the legwork that has provided the people of Penn Forest Township a gathering place for such a variety of outstanding activities is a personal reward that I will always hold dear to my heart.

I am reminded of the classic line from the movie, “Field of Dreams.”

“If you build it, they will come.”

Thank you to my committee members, to the Penn Forest Board of Supervisors and to everyone who comes to enjoy all the activities Recreational Park has to offer.

Rich Strack can be reached at richiesadie11@gmail.com.