Del Arrendale received a plaque commemorating his service to the town. From left: Karen Tovar, Troy Fitzsimmons, Chuck Travis, Del Arrendale, Judith Arrendale, and Jim Duke (Jonathan Cox/CorneliusNews.net)
Del Arrendale has served on the Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture (PARC) Commission since October 2010, and has been its chair since February 2013. Now, after four years of service, Arrendale is stepping down.
“I don’t know if words can express what Del has meant for us,” said Troy Fitzsimmons, director of Parks and Recreation. “I hate that he’s going. But he’s left the park commission and the park department in a better place.”
In the four and half years Arrendale has served on the commission, the town’s park system has changed dramatically. The Westmoreland Athletic Complex has been constructed, Robbins Park has undergone major expansions, and artificial turf has replaced the grass at Bailey Road Park. Arrendale helped oversee these projects, as well as running for town commissioner in 2013 and staunchly opposing negative campaign advertisements by the Widen I-77 advocacy group.
Current PARC chairwoman, Karen Tovar, said Arrendale has left big shoes to fill: “He was very insightful, very enthusiastic, and had great focus, especially when it came to getting our grants together,” she said. The citizens at town hall Monday night agreed with Tovar – they and the town commissioners gave Arrendale a standing ovation as he returned to his seat after receiving the plaque.
