During the evening of Thursday, Nov. 16, one or two people operating vehicles vandalized several areas in Joyner Park, leaving deep tire tracks and damage to turf, particularly in the field next to the small pond.
- Carroll Joyner, who gave his name to the park, is offering a $1,000 award for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the vandalism. Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Director Ruben Wall said Monday he received a phone call from Joyner earlier that day expressing his disappointment that someone would cause so much damage and offering the reward in hopes the person responsible is held accountable.
Anyone with information concerning the vandalism of Joyner Park should call the Wake Forest Police Department at 919-554-6150.
The Joyner Park property was a working farm as recently as the 1940s. Owned by the Walker family, the land produced assorted vegetables that were sold to local merchants. The property was eventually purchased by Joyner who raised cattle on the site until the early 1990s.
The Town of Wake Forest purchased the 117-acre site from Joyner in 2003 and hired Mark Robinson and Associates to develop a park Master Plan.
n 2005, Wake Forest voters passed a $7-million parks and recreation bond that included $3.5 million for the phase one construction of Joyner Park. Specifications and bid documents were developed over the next year. During that time, the town also acquired two recreation grants totaling $750,000 for that phase of construction. The project was put out to bid in early 2008 and construction began in May 2008. After just over a year, the work was completed in July 2009.
Two additional phases are being planned for the park. The next phase will include a community center, playground and amphitheater cover, while the final phase will add baseball, softball and soccer fields, plus additional parking.
For more information about Joyner Park, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/joyner-park.aspx.
