Idle Hour Park Enhancements Unveiled at Ceremony in Lexington

Mayor Jim Gray and Monica Conrad, Lexington Parks & Recreation Director, joined with local residents and AARP Kentucky to unveil the completed project in Idle Hour Park. Lexington was one of two recipients of an AARP Community Challenge Grant in Kentucky.

Lexington Parks & Recreation was awarded the Community Challenge Grant in September, with the requirement that the project be completed by November 1st.  Quick work by the Parks & Recreation Department ensured that the Idle Hour Park project was completed on time and on budget, in late October.

Local Lexington partners identified a need for ADA accessible along the walking trail of Idle Hour Park. The benches were positioned in a U-shape to encourage conversation.  The addition of raised bed gardens was intended to provide an intergenerational gardening opportunity for local residents.

“Lexington can be proud of the work by their local government to make Idle Park accessible and enjoyable for residents of all ages,” said AARP Kentucky State President Charlotte Whittaker. “The enhancements to Idle Hour Park are a model for other communities to meet the needs of all generations.”

Western Kentucky University's Center for Gerontology also received a Community Challenge Grant to develop a mural conceptualized by alumni of the Over Fifty Academy (a leadership group within the Age-Friendly Bowling Green effort) and members of Companions of Respected Elders (CORE), a student group at Western Kentucky University.

For a complete list of the winners and projects, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge.