State environmental chief delivers $425,600 for Keaney Park upgrade

LYNN-State Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles visited Lynn Friday to deliver a check for $425,600 that will be used to revitalize Keaney Park.The funds will pay for the restoration of park lighting, the development of five tennis courts, and replacement of two baseball backstops.Bowles presented the check during a ceremony at Lynn English High School, attended by Mayor Edward Clancy Jr., state Sen. Thomas McGee, and state Reps. Steve Walsh and Robert Fennell.The same $7.4 million state grants program will also benefit Peabody by helping that city acquire land to complete its Riverwalk along the North River, and Salem, where the money will be used to improve Furlong Park, including construction of a kayak and canoe launch site with public parking.The Massachusetts Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grants were announced earlier this fall by Bowles’ office. The PARC grants, formerly known as Urban Self-Help grants, assist communities as they strive to acquire land and to construct and renovate facilities for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes such as athletic fields, playgrounds and game courts.The grant program looks favorably on projects in urban neighborhoods that lack adequate access to parks, and the development of parks near public transit.