City’s Parks Department Recognized for Asset Management, Partnership with KWMFO
October 28, 2024 — At the Oregon Recreation & Park Association’s (ORPA) annual conference in Sunriver, Ore., Oct. 23-25, the City of Wilsonville’s Parks and Recreation team was recognized with awards for its management of the Stein-Boozier Barn and its long-standing partnership with the Korean War Memorial Foundation of Oregon (KWMFO).
“We’re grateful recipients of this recognition from our peers,” said Kris Ammerman, the City’s Parks and Recreation Director. “The best reward is in knowing that the work we’re doing is providing high-quality amenities that are providing value to the community and contributing to peoples’ lasting memories.”
2024 Outstanding Maintenance and Asset Management Award
The City received the 2024 Outstanding Maintenance and Asset Management Award for its ongoing work to revitalize the 124-year-old Stein-Boozier Barn at Murase Plaza in Memorial Park.
Parks crews have worked diligently for nearly a decade to ensure the barn is not only safe, clean and historically-preserved, but also serves the community as a high-quality facility for weddings and other events.
“Investing in this space has preserved its historic identity and improved the experience for visitors,” said Dustin Schull, Parks Supervisor. “We’ve completed several structural improvements to maintain the barn’s integrity and revitalized the surrounding area to increase the property’s viability as a wedding venue and a site for private events and community celebrations.”
A renovation of the front lawn, completed by Parks staff, has doubled the available outdoor area commonly used for wedding receptions. The team sourced and installed plants to beautify the rental space and provide an intimate setting distinctly separate from the nearby playground. Additionally, a retaining wall was built to ensure that flooding doesn’t limit accessibility for people with mobility issues.
Featured prominently in local wedding venue guides, the Stein-Boozier Barn hosts 30-40 private events annually, as well as the City’s Fall Harvest Festival, Emergency Preparedness Fair, and other community events. The revenue generated from private rentals supports continued maintenance to ensure that the iconic structure remains a park centerpiece.
The 2024 Private Sector Partner Award
The 2024 Private Sector Partner Award recognizes partnerships that significantly contribute to Parks and Recreation in Oregon. This year’s recipient is the Korean War Memorial Foundation of Oregon (KWMFO), in recognition of its close partnership with the City of Wilsonville since 2012 to support programming that honors Korean war veterans and educates young people about the Korean conflict.
Wilsonville’s Town Center Park is the site of the majestic Oregon Korean War Memorial, a 109-foot granite wall – completed in 2000 – that honors Oregonians who died or were listed as missing from the war. The Memorial pays tribute also to nearly one million Korean lives lost in the war.
The KWMFO gifted a bronze statue of General Douglas MacArthur, constructed at the Memorial in 2017. This summer, the City and the Foundation celebrated the grand opening of the Korean War Memorial Interpretive Center at the Parks and Recreation Administration Building. This permanent exhibit, financed and donated by the KWMFO, features video interviews, maps of famous battles, artifacts, photos and more to keep the memory of Korean War service members alive.
Working in partnership with the City and the Oregon Trail chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association, the KWMFO annually produces Memorial Day and Veterans Day events each year. Additionally, the City hosts a Korean War Remembrance Ceremony that acknowledges the sacrifices of War veterans and their families. The event includes remarks from local and Korean dignitaries, drawing hundreds of guests to the Memorial each year.
“We’re fortunate to have worked with the KWMFO to strengthen a community that includes veterans, Korean Americans and the many people remembering the sacrifice of loved ones,” said Brian Stevenson, Recreation Program Manager. “It’s been a long, incredible partnership.”
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