The Benson Park Advisory Committee met on Aug. 20 to discuss ways to improve public outreach about the historic buildings throughout Benson Park. Committee Chair Sue Clement said the recent centennial marker unveiling and walking tour offered a strong model for future events hosted by the Committee and the Friends of Benson Park.
“That was a great day, quite a few people came out,” Clement said. She noted that while the unveiling and the tour of the Haselton Barn were well received, the event revealed areas for improvement. “It ended up being very hot, even though we didn’t think it would be. This was our first time doing this, and I think we can tweak a few things next time.”
One issue was the lack of water and seating for attendees, including many older residents and town officials.
She also suggested clearer parking instructions after some confusion at the start of the event.
Committee member Jake Beauchemin agreed the turnout was strong. “There were at least 60 people, and it was a good event,” he said. “It was fairly well organized, all things considered, we were just kind of throwing it together.”
The Committee plans to hold similar, more structured walking tours once or twice per year.
Although not part of the unveiling ceremony, park volunteer Paul Tracy attended to show progress on restoring the two Lions Pride statues.
“Paul Tracy is in the process of cleaning the stones,” Clement said. “I haven’t seen what he’s done in the last week or so, but I sent an email asking him to keep me updated as the project moves forward.”
Protecting the statues while keeping them accessible to the public remains a priority. Years of weathering have taken a toll, and vandalism has also been a concern.
Committee member Jan Horvath revisited an earlier idea to place the statues inside the park’s former lion cage.
“Last time it was mentioned that putting the Lions in the cage wasn’t feasible because there was no way to get them in,” Horvath said. “I checked it out, and the cage is open at the top. With a big crane, we could put the statues in. It would make a good statement, showing the Lions Pride in a lion’s cage.”
Clement was open to exploring the idea but noted the cage would need a roof to protect the statues from rain and snow. Costs and equipment availability, including whether the Department of Public Works has access to a crane large enough, remain unknown. Horvath agreed to gather more information.
