LETTER TO FAIRMONT PARK BOARD:
Avery Weigh-Tronix would like to formally request the creation of a new park located at the corners of Shoreacres Drive, Woodland Avenue, and Summit Drive. Our secondary request is to commemorate the park in honor of the accomplishments and contributions of Richard S. Bradley to our community. We are not asking for any previously donated benches to be removed.
Mr. Bradley’s vast career led him to this town and in 1971, ‘officially’ incorporated the business, creating what is now the Avery Weigh-Tronix factory, a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works, a fortune 200 company. The products and services created by the company support many of the day to day items that keep the world working. Measuring grain and feed for agriculture customers, packaging and processing all forms of food, weighing goods that are hauled by freight carriers, and performing precision measurements for military and aviation applications, Dick’s small idea expanded well past anything he could dream. When Dick passed away, many employees reflected on their interactions with him. As you can respect, jokes, sayings, and the infamous Christmas parties he used to sponsor were the easy winners of those conversations. What is truly remarkable are the 1000’s of people that have been effected by what he started. The families that were created, the formation of a scholarship that remains in place today for children of employees, to the volunteer network that matches employee labor and donations at a 3:1 level, and finally the contribution to the communities tax base as many employees shop, support, and live in the community. Unfortunately, Dick did not live to see the 50th anniversary of the company’s official start. We approached the Bradley family with the request listed above. They were visibly appreciative of the thought and stated how honored Dick and the whole family would be to have something adjacent to where Dick lived commemorating his accomplishments and the contributions to the community.
In discussions with Deb Foster, Troy Nemmers, and Cathy Reynolds over the past few months, we have offered to assist in funding the costs of the signage and as part of our Green Team, will continually support cleaning efforts that have been discussed for other parts of the city as well. Thank you for your consideration of our request to honor Dick and to officially create an area that we believe will be enjoyed for many years to come.
THE PARK BOARD IS EXPECTED TO ACT ON THIS REQUEST AT TUESDAY’S PARK BOARD MEETING AT FAIRMONT CITY HALL. THE BOARD IS ALSO EXPECTED TO HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM “KIDS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN” COMMITTEE ON A NINE HOLE ADDITION TO THE MINI GOLF COURSE AT ADJACENT TO THE FAIRMONT AQUATIC PARK .
PARK BOARD MEMBERS WILL ALSO DISCUSS REQUESTS TO INCLUDE IN THE 2021 BUDGET DISCUSSIONS OF THE FAIRMONT CITY COUNCIL AT TUESDAY’S MEETING.