SALEM — The parks department secured over $200,000 in external funding in 2025.

During her annual state of the city address, Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey said the parks department secured $214,600 in external funding in 2025 for renovations and improvements around the parks at no cost to taxpayers. 

That total includes both grant funding and donations made to the department including: a $3,500 stiped from the Ohio Goes to the Movies program; a $49,500 Ohio Department of Natural Resources Naturworks Grant; a $50,000 Baseball Field Grant; a $21,000 AED grant; a $5,000 Keep Ohio Beautiful grant; a $1,000 Martin Luther King Day of Service Grant; a $7,500 grant from Rawling Sports; a $12,500 grant from Rip It Sports; donations totaling $800 to repaint the Waterworth Memorial Park bandshell; a $600 donation from the Sunscreen for All program; the donation of a 0.35 acre property at 364 Sharp Avenue by the Columbiana County Parks District to be renovated into a small playground valued at $25,200; and the purchase of two new Ferris mowers by the city for $38,000.

With that funding the department completed multiple major renovations including complete rehabilitations for all five baseball and softball fields at Waterworth Memorial Park, and the installation of new roofs and siding for the pavilions at Centennial Park.

Last year also saw the parks commission appoint Kelli Pastore as the department’s new parks commissioner in a Feb. 2, 2025, special meeting. Prior to being named to the permanent position, Pastore had been serving as interim parks commissioner since September of 2024. The department also welcomed a new recreation supervisor last year as the commissioners voted unanimously to hire Rocco Crawford in a Sept. 24 meeting of the parks commission, filling the vacancy left by Pastore’s promotion.

The department saw its largest turnout to date for several of its most well-loved annual events last year including the Trail of Treats and costume contest, and the storybook trail and Art in the Park Festival with the Salem Public Library. The department also introduced several new events to its schedule including a new Winter Olympics in the parks, and the inaugural Ice Cream Run which had more than 200 participants. 

Last year also saw the Centennial Park Pool have its most profitable season in its history, with the amount of revenue it generated more than doubling in the last two years.