Westside Community Guide

Westside Eagle Observer/RANDY MOLL Samuel Grimes, of American Legion Post 29, assisted by Denver Whitehead, raises the flag at the beginning of Gentry's Freedom Festival. 14 – 2022 Westside Community Guide ■ GENTRy: what to see and do ■ New Gentry Sports Complex (north of downtown on Browning Road) e new baseball, soball and soccer facility includes four multipurpose ball fields (including t-ball, soball and baseball), up to 10 soccer fields (little kickers through 14-U), a 224 space parking lot and a walking trail along the perimeter of the property. e facility is lighted for night games and has a concession area. ■ Gentry City Park Gentry City Park is a highlight of the city and provides an impressive outdoor area for the whole community. e park has basketball courts, soball field, playground, pavilions, skate park, volleyball court, and soccer fields. Gentry City Park also hosts a variety of city events throughout the year including the Gentry Chamber of Commerce Easter Egg Hunt and Gentry Freedom Fest. ■ New Gentry Splash Park e new Gentry Splash Park was opened in the fall of 2021. It is one of the largest splash parks in the area. Admission is free of charge and open 9 am - 8 pm 7 days a week. It is located on the north side of Gentry City Park. ere are picnic facilities near the Splash Park making it convenient for family gatherings. is Splash Park was made possible by a generous contribution by the people of Simmons Foods. ■ W.D. and Kate McGaugh House e McGaugh House was built in the early 1900s and has been a significant property in Gentry since its original purchase by W.D. McGaugh. e house has had several owners over the years and was home to some of the town's most prominent families, mayors, fire chiefs, aldermen, schoolteachers, marshals, and more. e property, which is one of the oldest houses in the city, was donated to the city of Gentry in 2014 and is listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places. e vision for the house has been to restore the McGaugh House as a community space that is both historic and accessible to the public. e house will also serve as the future home of the Gentry City Archives. ■ Flint Creek Nature Park, Fishing Pond and Trail e Flint Creek Nature Park includes more than 100 native species of trees, plants, mammals, fish, birds, and more. e Nature Park aims to educate the community and offer recreational activities free of charge. e Nature Area is also a great place to take the family to enjoy the creek and walking trails. ■ SWEPCO Lake SWEPCO Lake is a 500-acre man- made lake that has a very unique feature: it is warm all year-round. e lake also serves as a cooling agent to the nearby Flint Creek Power Plant, which is the reason behind the lake's warm temperature. e warm water also provides an ideal fishing environment that is frequented by many locals throughout the year. ■ Eagle Watch Nature Trail ose who aren't interested in fishing at SWEPCO Lake can enjoy the half-mile trail that is known as the Eagle Watch Nature Trail. e lake's warmth and ample fish attracts American Bald Eagles in the winter and visitors can oen see the eagles while walking the trail.

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