Since Paul Grist State Park closed last fall, many people have been involved in getting the park reopened.

The Friends of Paul Grist State Park and the Dallas County Commission were instrumental in getting the park reopened and operating under a lease between the state and the county.

Since then, the Friends group has sponsored many work days to make various improvements at the outdoor haven.

Last month, the Blackbelt Benefit Group put on a campout, 5K race and mountain bike race to raise money for the park.

In the same thread, the Selma Rotary Club has been busy this week repairing park benches. The total project will cost about $1,000 to replace the lumber in 19 benches, but Rotary members have also donated their time to make the repairs themselves.

We appreciate the work Rotary and all of these other groups have done to get Paul Grist in good shape.

If you have never been up to the park, consider going and enjoying the lake one of these summer days. If you have been before, plan a trip back.