Remember BETHEL BETTER BLOCK?
Now it’s time for BETTER PARKS!
Now we’re creating Better Parks & Greenways. Join us for a free pizza and planning night. Help bring back this inspiring event and create a network of vibrant, accessible parks and public spaces! The fun, interactive workshop will kick off our planning process for a fall “Better Parks” demonstration event. Join us to help prioritize which parks and spaces to improve and dream up what we want to see there.
Event Details
When: Thurs. May 12, 2022, 6-8 PM. (Pizza starts at 5:30 PM, workshop at 6:00 PM)
Where: Bethel Town Hall (318 Main St)
What: Free pizza dinner and kickoff planning night for Bethel Better Parks. Learn about the Better Block model from Andrew Howard of Team Better Block. Hear about priority sites and needs identified in Bethel’s recent walk surveys and planning process. Help design parks and public spaces for all.
Who: YOU! Everyone welcome from Bethel and neighboring communities.
About Bethel Better Parks and the Better Block Project
WHAT IS A BETTER PARK?
Better Block is a weekend-long collaborative event where the community installs temporary projects to activate spaces, demonstrate longer-term solutions and inspire more action. In 2016, Bethel hosted Vermont’s first Better Block project on Main Street. Now we’re hosting Vermont’s first Better Parks event to test and experiment with ways to create a vibrant, connected set of village parks and greenways -- our own small version of Boston’s “emerald necklace.”
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
First, it’s fun! Bethel loved the Better Block project and people have been asking to bring it back. Second, it’s smart. A demonstration project allows us to test ideas before making permanent investments. Third, we’re ready. Bethel has funding in hand to start making improvements to our parks and public spaces as soon as we have good designs and plans. This event will allow us to test out ideas and gather community input on what should become permanent.
Accommodations and Volunteer Credits
Accommodations
We welcome people of all ages and abilities and particularly encourage people with disabilities to join us. The Bethel Town Hall has accessible parking and an accessible entrance just above the main parking lot, toward the rear of the Town Hall.
We will do our best to provide other accommodations and flexible options as needed. If you need additional assistance or accommodations, please call the Town Office (234-9340) or email bethelvtstrong [@] gmail.com to request.
Bonus! Earn Volunteer Time Credits in the White River Time Exchange
We appreciate you volunteering your time to help make Bethel safer and more vibrant! As a thank you, we’re glad to offer time credits through the White River Time Exchange. You can use the credits to get free services or assistance from other neighbors with things like house or yard work, writing or website building, childcare or errands.
To get your credits:
Visit https://whiteriver.timebanks.org/ and create a free account. Once your account is approved, you can set up your profile.
Email bethelvtstrong@gmail.com to request credit or request when you sign in.
Thanks to our partners and sponsors!
Bethel Better Parks is happening thanks to the AARP Technical Assistance Program and AARP Vermont, Team Better Block, a Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economy Collaborative grant, and Bethel for All -- a Vermont Better Connections grant project. Thanks to our partners: Town of Bethel, White River Valley School and Community + School program, and many Bethel committees and organization partners.