The city of Branson is once again putting a call out for volunteers to help repair Stockstill Park that was damaged by high winds and flash flooding from hurricane Ike earlier this month. Branson Parks and Recreation Director Cindy Shook said the cleanup will be Tuesday, October 7, starting at 9 a.m. at the park. Employees from the parks and recreation department as well as public works will be on hand to start removing the tree limbs, rocks and other debris left after winds and high water from Roark Creek rushed through Stockstill early September 14.
“Because of the volume of debris, we really need all the help we can get.” said Cindy Shook, director of parks and recreation. “The city will provide rakes, shovels and other tools for volunteers to use in cleaning up the park, and even if people can’t spend the whole day, we can still use them.”
According Shook, the cleanup is for the purpose of preparing the park for the major repairs on the ball fields, fencing, playground and asphalt walking trail. Private contractors will eventually be restoring the fences and ball fields, which have never been totally replaced since an earlier flashflood in June. “We are going to delay the major improvements in the park until after hurricane season in November,” Shook said. “But we still need to get the park in good condition for these improvements. That’s where we seek the help of volunteers.”
Stockstill Park will remain closed until all of the repairs are complete, and in the meantime, the city will be exploring options to minimize future flooding in the park.