Marion’s largest open air public venue owes its start to COVID, Harry Norweb, chairperson of the Marion COA Board of Directors, said. 

The 26’ x 36’ pavilion for the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Park outside the Community Center broke ground on Monday, May 23, as members of the Select Board, the Marion Council on Aging, and Town Administrator Jay McGrail showed up to celebrate the milestone.

“We had a tent out in front of the community center that became very popular during COVID because people could meet outside,” explained Norweb. “And then even when people could meet other places, they still wanted to be outside.” 

Norweb said that in 2019, an Upper Cape Regional Technical School junior took some of the Cushing Community Center Park working group’s ideas and created the first renderings of the plan for the overall park. 

However, the pandemic really got the ball rolling, he added, as a group at Council on Aging thought it was an idea worth investigating. By the end of 2021, they had raised the funds necessary.

The funding is thanks to the Friends of Marion Council on Aging. They made a gift of $50,000 and raised the remainder through fundraisers and one-on-one solicitations. An anonymous donor matched contributions up to $25,000 which helped take the fundraising campaign “over the top.”  

Norweb says the pavilion should be complete by the end of June, or “maybe a bit earlier if we catch some lucky breaks.”

Next steps for the park include placing a fence along the north side and eastern property line, adding three park benches, trash and recycling bins, and planting five Kousa Dogwood trees along the walking path.

Norweb says he’s looking forward to seeing the use of the park, which he describes as a “community effort.” He anticipates it can be used for exercise classes, concerts, lectures, picnics and other activities.

“We could even have a Select Board meeting out here,” Norweb joked.

“Just don’t pick a rainy day,” said Select Board member Norman Hills.