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Park Graced By New Arch
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There's no doubting where you are once you hit Escalon's Main Street Park - a new decorative arch now graces the entrance to the park, courtesy of the Escalon Lions Club.

It's an idea that has been kicking around for a while, said club member and project coordinator John Salvin, and finally came to fruition with installation of the arch this past week.

"Hogan Manufacturing supplied the steel, cut the pieces out, one of the Lions Club members fabricated it, one did all the welding," Salvin said.

The club purchased the materials for the arch, some of it at reduced prices, and worked with the city engineer regarding the form and all specifics for anchoring the arch in place.

Two solid concrete columns were poured more than a month ago to cure, so they could securely support the fabricated steel archway. Grossi Construction of Escalon also assisted with the project from start to finish, coming in to lift the arch into place Wednesday morning as a small group of Lions Club members were on hand for the event. Traffic on Main Street also slowed, as motorists glanced toward the park to see what was happening.

Salvin said future plans are to add brick to the concrete columns, utilizing brick that came out of the former train depot at the park.

"Grossi Construction poured the concrete, these beams went in three days before the Christmas parade," Salvin said of laying the groundwork for the project.

Much of the labor was donated and some of the materials, with the Lions Club footing the bill for the rest.

"Hogan treated us good on materials," Salvin noted.

The letters for the Main Street Park sign are all stainless steel and they have been powder coated to protect them and keep the sign virtually maintenance free. The sign was pieced together in three sections, each 10 feet long.

"It looks good," Salvin said once it was in place. "I like it."

City Manager Greg Greeson said the new arch is a great symbol for the park, and the main street corridor as a whole.

"I think it looks great," he said. "They (Lions Club) did a lot of work on it and it's a nice addition to the park ... I think the community is going to like it."