NEWS
Montgomery County Office of Communications
Court House, Norristown, PA, Box 311, 19404-0311
Phone : 610-278-3061 Fax : 278-5959
Commissioners : James R. Matthews Chairman, Thomas Jay Ellis, Esq., Ruth S. Damsker
RELEASE: 04/05/05 PR#05-12
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PARK SUPERINTENDENT WINS STATE HONORS
GREEN LANE — Frank Ball Jr., superintendent of Montgomery County’s Green Lane Park, has received the Outstanding New Professional Award for 2005 from the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society.
The award was presented at an awards ceremony at the 58th Annual PRPS Conference at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center in Hershey, PA.
Ball, has been superintendent at Green Lane for the past five years and was assistant superintendent there for three years prior to that.
As superintendent, Ball is credited with transforming a rule-ridden park into a user-friendly site, bustling with activity. His accomplishments include:
Dogs are now welcome on the vast trail system
Picnicking on the grass is encouraged
Two playgrounds have been constructed
An equestrian camping facility was developed
The Northern section of the County’s Perkiomen Trail was completed
Winter ice skating is available at a new skating rink
Lakeshore and stream banks have been stabilized
Using volunteer and staff labor, on-site buildings have been remodeled and saved from demolition
In spite of a tight budget, Ball was also successful in developing facilities to accommodate the park staff as well as park visitors. He acquired funding to construct a new park office/visitor facility with all modern conveniences.
On the programming side, Ball initiatied the Scottish Irish Festival and Highland Games at Green Lane Park. First held in 2000, the event features bagpipe bands, Irish Dancers, Scottish Highland Dancers, Scottish Highland Cattle, sheepdog herding trials, falconry, medieval encampments, Scottish and Irish sword fighting, children’s activities and much more. In just four years, attendance at this two-day event has grown ten-fold from 10,000 to more than 100,000; attracting visitors from up and down the East Coast, Canada, and the U.K.
"Frank Ball’s vision, passion and eagerness to please have made Green Lane Park a shining jewel of Southeastern Pennsylvania. His love of his job and of Green Lane Park is evident," his nominating petition reads.
For more information, please contact Patricia Butkowski, Assistant Superintendent, Green Lane Park, 215-234-4528.
