NEWPORT — The City of Newport hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating the new parklet by the Municipal Building on Saturday.
The new space, which consists of the main pavilion and several benches, was designed to be seen as a gateway to Lake Memphremagog, as the city continues to draw from the motto “look to the lake,” moving forward.
The park benches were dedicated on Saturday to Richard Baraw, Micheline Auger, and Captain Robbie Cannon.
The project cost a little more than $71,000, of which $50,000 came from a donation from John Casella.
City manager Laura Dolgin said the donation came just before the pandemic hit.
“Since 2016, through a strong city council, we have made decisions that have brought the city forward,” Dolgin said. “We are now focused on ‘look to the lake,’ our outdoor recreational economy, the Waterfront and Downtown Master Plan, redoing our zoning bylaws, updating our Municipal Plan, and being focused on our waterfront and development plan.”
Dolgin noted that these are indicators of a healthy community.
May Paul Monette said that the park was actually born in 2009, when a group suggested turning most of the municipal parking lot into a park.
The ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting and some music from the Community Band.
Below is a video from Saturday’s event.
