The City of Paola has hired Superior Masonry & Restoration of Ottawa to repair a crumbling portion of the rock wall in Wallace Park that serves as a border between the park and homes west of the park’s entrance. City manager Randi Shannon says the project is expected to cost $3,750, but a project timeline has not yet been determined, as it will depend on the availability of the contractor.
The council members also talked about the importance of preserving the history of the crumbling rock wall because it originally was built as a Works Progress Administration, or WPA project. The WPA was set up in 1935 by Presidential Order as an American New Deal Agency that employed millions of jobseekers to carry out public works projects, such as the construction of public buildings and roads.
Paola’s Wallace Park began in 1910 with 12 acres, and an additional 30 acres were added in 1912.
