The “Tale Trail” at Collins P. Lee Community Center was officially opened to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that also revealed the new memorial bench of beloved community member Deacon Joseph Ward Sr. 

On April 2, the event lasted for roughly an hour, with many people in attendance, ranging from families living in the area, people and organizations who helped create the Tale Trail as well as Ward Sr.’s family and the author of the book used in the Tale Trail. 

This whole event was a massive community project that accumulated in a fun, interactive way for the kids in the area to both get exercise and increase literacy. Many people were excited about the change and looking forward to the future changes that are to come, especially due to the many struggles the children of the community had faced. 

“We have always tried to provide reasonable educational bridges out here,” said Tommy French, who is in charge of facilitating and managing the meetings for the Harrisburg neigborhood community. “That’s why we’re getting a new library system. Years ago, our education rate was really low in this area — which it has improved a lot but went down somewhat during COVID, so that’s been a big issue for us, but we plan to improve literacy here today.” 

When looking for a children’s book to display for the Tale Trail, they wanted a local author who grew up in the area and knew what it was like being a kid in this kind of area. They managed to find Steve Zachary Jr., who wrote several books starring his young son Grayson. Seeing someone from their community allows for the kids to better connect with the story and be more willing to learn. 

“I am amazed at the amount of attention “Grayson’s Playdate” has accumulated here in Georgia and Milledgeville,” Zachary Jr. said. “I really feel as if this book is not just going to impact the kids here in Harrisburg but the kids that visit, the ones that the parents actually come out here with the kids and give them the energy and love and support to not just read but understand what they read.”  

And while the Tale Trail has already drawn in a large crowd to explore the park and community center, it is not the only plan in place to better help the kids of Harrisburg and any who happen to come through the area. 

“This is a center where folks from all over this neighborhood come to gather, so I see it as an opportunity for lots of parents and their children to talk, to look through the book, and we’re going to change it quarterly so it’ll continue to grow and evolve over time,” said Lindee Morgan, the executive director of the Deal Center. 

With the story changing quarterly, it ensures that the Tale Trail will always bring forth excitement for the kids to further their literacy and get out to walk along the trail with their families, but even then, there are more plans in place to not only keep the Tale Trail relevant but the whole park as well. 

“The Tale Trail can’t be fully completed because this whole area is going to be relandscaped,” French said. “The trail is going to be much longer. There’s going to be a regional library here; all the parking lots and playground are going to be changed. So, it’s going to be a totally different area.” 

One more surprise added to the area alongside the Tale Trail was a memorial bench dedicated to Deacon Joseph Ward Sr. He was a beloved member of the community, with many people praising him as the kind of man you could always talk to, and he would always have something funny to say.

“He was a wonderful person,” said Evelyn Wright, a close family friend. “He always had a joke to tell that made everybody laugh. He did try to help all he could.” 

He also helped the park, where he set up a wonderful community garden where anyone could go grow crops or flowers of their choosing. In fact, the words engraved on his bench just above his name read “We’re not just building a garden; we’re building a community.” 

Overall, the park at Collins P. Lee Community Center is continuing its reputation of developing new and innovative ways to encourage the children of Harrisburg to learn and interact with the world around them in meaningful ways.