Lady in the Park set to receive a facelift
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on September 21, 2010 1:46 PM
As of this weekend, a mainstay at Herman Park will be missing.
Members of the Goldsboro City Council were informed Monday that the "Lady in the Park" statue would be removed from its location Friday -- that it would stay gone for several weeks as a company in St. Louis works to restore it.
And City Manager Joe Huffman called it a much-needed event -- the statue, he said, has "deteriorated."
Parks and Recreation director Ruben Wall agreed.
"The 'Lady in the Park' is going to be taking a little trip," he said. "And hopefully, she'll return soon -- better than ever."
The restoration is expected to cost roughly $6,600, but will not be covered by the city's General Fund.
In fact, a trust fund was established years ago to cover such projects, Huffman said.
The Herman Park statue is not the first in the city to get a "face-lift."
In January 2007, the "Liberty and Justice" statues that keep watch, from atop historic City Hall, over Center Street, were taken down and sent to Virginia for a $200,000 makeover.
The following also occurred at the council's final meeting of the month:
* Local resident Jim Twiggs urged the board during its public comment period to install speed humps along Spence Avenue after the thoroughfare is reopened to thru traffic. He said residents of the area have always had a problem with people speeding through the neighborhood and said the construction of the speed humps would be "for the good of greater Goldsboro."
* It was reported that two new climbing boulders have been installed at Stoney Creek Park.