Philomath will formally rename Dale Collins Park to Dale Collins Memorial Park during a brief ceremony set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the park.
The Philomath City Council voted to rename the park this summer following the death of Collins, a former mayor and longtime civic volunteer who died June 14 at age 81.
Collins moved to Philomath with his wife, Mary Jo, and their daughters in 1972. He spent 40 years as an insurance agent and became a fixture of local government and community life, serving on the Philomath City Council and later as mayor. He also sat on the city’s Park Advisory Board and was a longtime member of the Philomath Lions Club, the service organization that has contributed funding to the park.
Dale Collins Memorial Park features a community electronic readerboard, which was recently upgraded with a new version, the “Traveling the Applegate Trail” mosaic art structure, a park bench and a picnic table.
In announcing the ceremony, the city said the renaming recognizes “Dale and his love for Philomath’s parks and community.”
The park is located on the east end of the couplet at 1501 Applegate St. Tuesday’s event is open to the public though the city cautions that space and parking near the park may be limited.