Officials celebrate renaming of park, improvements to facility

Macon-Bibb County dedicated a park Friday after a former city councilman while officials also celebrated improvements to the facility.

The former North Macon Park was dedicated as Theron Ussery Park on Friday morning. The ceremony also marked the completion of $425,000 in improvements to the 815 N. Macon Park Drive park, according to a news release.

Ussery, who served on Macon City Council from 1976 to 1995, is credited with helping establish the park now named in his honor. Ussery’s service to the community continues as member of the SPLOST Advisory Committee.

“It’s overwhelming to have a park named after you,” Ussery said in the release. “I went into politics to make a difference in our community, and for that to be recognized in such a way is a great honor. It makes me feel like I did the job people asked me to do.”

The latest upgrades to to the park were paid for with special purpose local option sales tax revenue. Those improvements include new dugouts, bleachers and fencing as well as erosion measures, the release said.

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Officials celebrate renaming of park, improvements to facility."