Thanks to the power of the penny, children in east Liberty County have new playground equipment to enjoy.
County officials cut the ribbon on two new playgrounds, one at Briar Bay Park just outside of Riceboro and another at Jesse Stevens Park adjacent to the Dorchester Academy in Midway last week, wrapping up improvements at three east end parks.
Liberty County Recreation Department Director Raymond Gross, who grew up in the shadow of the former Jesse Stevens Park, went so far as to point out who lived in each of the nearby houses.
“This has a really, really personal meaning to me,” he said. “The playground sets that were here, my son played on, and he’s now 16 years old. And it was here before then. This is a significant improvement.”
Along with the new playground at Susie King Taylor Freedom Park on the Isle of Wight, the new playgrounds were a total of $314,000 and were provided and installed by Safe Play Solutions out of Canton.
Proceeds from the American Rescue Plan Act and especially from the special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST, funded the new playgrounds.
“The brown penny has struck again,” said District 1 Commissioner Marion Stevens Sr., as both Jesse Stevens and Briar Bay parks are in District 1. “I pray and hope that in years to come the brown penny keeps on striking because progress comes from that brown penny.
“I can’t say enough about the brown penny,” Stevens added. “So today, I say for our future and for our kids growing up, this is just the beginning.”
County commission Chairman Donald Lovette also thanked the public for their continued support of SPLOST, which leads to newer — and safer, Stevens pointed out — playground equipment.
“Thank you so much for helping to make this happen,” Lovette said. “Oftentimes, we say we want the community to be a place where people can live, work and play. The community has to make an investment to make that happen and that has happened in Liberty County.”
Stevens said there is room to grow at Briar Bay Park, which sits on more than 20 acres, and said that park is used heavily.
“If you don’t think you can pack people in here, come down here after the Ricefest,” he said. “There is room for expansion. Remember that in years to come. Make Riceboro feel proud. Make Riceboro and Briar Bay a place where those who live in Hinesville would love to come down here and play sports.”
Gross called the new playground at Briar Bay “a blessing” to the Riceboro community. The LCRD is trying to update and modernize all its parks, he said, and all the facilities that provide recreational activities for all ages. He also made a push to continue SPLOST, which could be on the ballot in March 2027 for renewal.
“We want to make sure the kids have a good time,” he said. “This is just the beginning. There are many more to come, as long as we continue to get the SPLOST dollars to make it happen.”
