New Clover park opens with a ‘splash’ for York County residents

Jolie Grace Hair, 3, ran through a tunnel of water and bent over to get her curly blond locks sopping wet.

Her mother, Summer Hair, on Friday brought Jolie and brother, Jaxon Hair, 4, to the new splash pad at Clover’s New Centre Park.

The cool water was a welcome relief to the dozen or more children playing in the hot July sun.

“We went to another park and were going to play, and it was just too hot,” Summer Hair said, watching her lying in the center of the splashing water. “We love it, it’s so fun.”

The Town of Clover marked the grand opening of the splash pad and an amphitheater that can accommodate 750 people — phase II of the park — with a community event Friday evening. There was live music, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, children’s activities, food and a movie.

Phase II cost the town $2.6 million, not including the purchase of the land, which cost almost half a million dollars, said Town Administrator Allison Harvey. The town acquired the property near Memorial Stadium in 2005 and has added soccer fields, walking trails, a covered shelter with picnic tables and restrooms.

The first phase of the project, which included the soccer fields and lighting, cost the town almost $2 million, Harvey said.

New Centre Park is located at 499 Memorial Drive.

The splash pad is open 10 am-noon, 1-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Sundays. There is no cost to play on the splash pad.