On Friday morning, Rhea's resume will begin its fifth page when the central tower at Cherry Park is named in her honor.

"There has been so much success from sports tourism in Rock Hill, our commission wanted to recognize Betty Jo's long-term commitment, not just to Cherry Park, but all parks, recreation and tourism development in Rock Hill," said Ed Thompson, director of the city Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

The tower, which has never been officially named, will be dubbed the Elizabeth Dunlap "Betty Jo" Rhea Tower at Cherry Park, said Thompson. She was recommended for the honor by the city Parks Commission.

"Betty Jo took Cherry Park from infancy and brought it along to what it is today -- a premier facility in Rock Hill and the country," said Rock Hill City Manager Carey Smith.

Today Cherry Park and the other park complexes in Rock Hill average $5 million a year in tourism revenue, said Thompson.

But in the beginning, when the local textile industry was failing and the city was scrambling for a way to bring revenue to Rock Hill, the concept of the park wasn't so popular.

In the early '80s, the idea of the sports recreation facility was surrounded by a hotbed of controversy, costing Cherry Park supporters Doug Echols and Melford Wilson their City Council seats at the time.

"A lot of people didn't see the vision of what we now see as sports tourism. People like Betty Jo did," said Smith.

Despite the controversy Rhea, now 77, took the heat and pressed on.

"I've got lots of whiplashes on my back from Cherry Park," said Rhea. "But it has brought a lot of money to Rock Hill."

Since Cherry Park was built in 1985, planners from larger cities such as Knoxville, Tenn., and Pittsburgh have come to Rock Hill to see how the park was designed and how it operates, Thompson said. The facility has seved as a model for sports complexes around the country.

The success of Cherry Park and its contribution to the business community helped initiate the idea behind Manchester Meadows and the tennis center, said Thompson.

Rhea was elected to the City Council in 1978 and again in 1982, and served as mayor from 1986 to 1998. Rhea said that what she did for Rock Hill, by committing herself to the building of Cherry Park, had nothing to do with advancing her career.

"I was doing things, not for political reasons, but because I loved Rock Hill. This is a special place," she said.

But Rhea doesn't take all the credit for the park. "A lot of people worked hard to make Cherry Park," she said. "You don't do things by yourself. Other people have to be a part of it."

Rhea credits former city manager Joe Lanford's philosophy for molding Cherry Park. "Joe Lanford had great visions to do things better than they had to be. To look at it as a sports garden."

Rhea remains active in the community, despite hip surgery in January. Just this past weekend, she performed in the play "Cartablanca" with the Merry Pranksters Theatrical Troupe at Winthrop University. And she hosts Cable News 2's show "City Minute."

Rhea still visits Cherry Park about once a month. She has memories of trips to Cherry Park with her husband Jimmy, who died last year, before it was a park.

"It was just a flat field with blue bonnets growing on it," she said.