Easton Could Upgrade Hugh Moore Park

This weekend, the National Canal Museum will hold Canal Days, in order to mark the museum's recent move from .

It's the first time the event has been held in 15 years, Mayor Sal Panto told city council Tuesday night.

"They're re-energized. They really are," he said.

But if the museum is undergoing a renaissance in its new locatation, the surrounding park is stuck in the dark ages, so to speak.

"The park was not being maintained to the standard that our other parks were being maintained," said city administrator Glenn Steckman.

That's why city Public Works Director Dave Hopkins wants to work with the museum to upgrade Hugh Moore Park.

"We want to not only maintain the park but to improve the standard of maintaience," Hopkins told council, adding that he wanted to see it become a "museum type park."

To get to that point, Hopkins recommended hiring a staff who would maintain the property. This move, he said, would be "cost neutral" for the city, with the Hugh Moore Park trust handling the finances.

Ideally, Hopkins said, the park would have a staff of three people working there, although he said that may not be feasible until early 2014. He also hopes to get a grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources -- the museum would provide a $300,000 match -- which he said would be a "game changer" for .

Panto stressed that the park's condition was not the fault of the museum's staff.

"I don’t mean to say they neglected the park. But it wasn’t their mission," he said.