Picture credit: Mark and Sharon Piper

For those of us who enjoy our magnificent Town Beach, there’s one man who deserves much of the credit for making it the beautiful draw it is for the thousands of folks who enjoy it each summer.

His name is Joe Mantha, a former Superintendent of Highways, who with a little elbow grease and a lot of imagination, transformed the park into the jewel it is today.

Town Supervisor Mike Marnell says Joe built the beach in the 1950s, taking it upon himself to the rent a steam shovel to level out the area and landscape the surrounding park. Mike says Joe retired in 1976 and passed away a year later.

A small plaque recognizing Joe’s tremendous contribution to our town is at the base of a flagpole -- at the north end of the Town Park -- above the wooden steps down to the beach.

And that pole -- a new fibreglass version -- was re-dedicated on Memorial Day by Mike Marnell.

“I don’t want folks to forget the significant contribution Joe made to this town. I am proud to rededicate this flag pole,” Mike told us last week.