The following articles appeared in the October 2023 print edition of Open Line.

Leaving a legacy: Richardson retires after 47 years

After nearly 47 years, Parks and Recreation Director Becky Richardson will retire on Sept. 1, leaving a legacy of true public service.

Becky began her career with the City of Auburn as a playground assistant, volleyball official and tennis instructor while she was earning a master’s in education from Auburn University. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be a teacher, but she knew she was “looking for a career that you could reach people with.” After graduation, she joined the City full-time as the assistant women’s director. She was promoted to Parks and Recreation director in 1993 and has led one of the City’s largest departments for 30 years.

During Becky’s tenure, the City’s parks and recreation offerings have grown exponentially. She was instrumental in the City’s partnership with Auburn University to bring an exceptional tennis facility — the Yarbrough Tennis Center — to the Auburn community in 2007. Numerous other parks and recreation facilities opened and expanded under her leadership, including Town Creek Park, Sam Harris Park, Duck Samford Park, Hickory Dickory Park, the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center and the Auburn/Opelika Skatepark. The City’s cemeteries have also been significantly upgraded, including the addition of columbariums and improved entrances and landscaping, and Town Creek Cemetery was built, the first City cemetery constructed since the late 1940s.

Community events like CityFest and the SummerNight Downtown Art Walk have only gotten “bigger and better” over the years, Becky said, and more events have been added like the beloved City Market to give people of all ages and backgrounds opportunities to connect.

Athletics has kept up with changes in interest over the years, adding new leagues in response to community members’ requests. One of Becky’s proudest accomplishments in her career was the formation of the soccer program. When the league first started, children would play on “every little scrap of field they could find.” So, they constructed the Auburn Soccer Complex on Wire Road with six fields, eventually adding a seventh. The program exploded, and work is wrapping up on the newest additions to the complex, including three turf fields and an indoor multipurpose facility that will bring yet another new league to Auburn: futsal.

Becky spearheaded efforts to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the City’s future recreation needs, resulting in the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Master Plan that was adopted by the Auburn City Council in 2018. Several projects that came out of the plan are currently underway, including the Soccer Complex additions, the expansion of the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center and the new Lake Wilmore Community Center.

Another product of the plan was Dinius Park, a 13-acre passive park on East Glenn Avenue that opened in 2021. Years before the park was built, the Dinius family established a life estate with the City, and Becky had the opportunity to get to know the family and their wishes for the property. Now, when she visits the park, she often thinks about how the park honors their memory and reflects what they would have wanted.

Becky’s memories over her decades-long career include more than just projects — the people stand out, too. She remembered a young girl who played softball when Becky was new to the job and was just a couple years older than the girl herself. Now, that woman is a regular attendee of the City’s senior programs and still affectionately calls Becky “coach.” She remembered traveling with Allijean Northcutt to watch teams compete in state tournaments, watching one play in Hartsell and driving overnight to watch another compete the next day in Robertsdale. She remembered all the people that pitched in to build Hickory Dickory Park, with Susie Thomas of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board leading the charge. And she remembered the many young people that came through the department under her leadership as interns or part-time workers.

“That is something that I consider a legacy, that those young people are now out there representing the City,” Becky said.

Becky is a past director of the Achievement Center and Dixie Softball Incorporated. She served as president of the Alabama Tennis Association and the Auburn Beautification Council and has served on numerous committees for the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association as well as chairman of the Community Development Committee for Southern Tennis Association. She has also served on the board of the Kreher Preserve including as chair. In 2014, Richardson was inducted into the Alabama Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame.

“Through our parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, programs and special events, Becky has impacted the lives of practically everyone who has called Auburn home over the last four decades,” Auburn City Manager Megan McGowen Crouch said. “She has always gone above and beyond the call of duty, and I will truly miss her counsel.”

While she may be retiring, Becky plans to stay busy by continuing to serve the community through civic organizations, serving on committees with the Alabama Tennis Association and using some of the facilities she’s had a hand in building.

“I’ll be around,” she said.

Haunted Happenings at the Library

Spooky season is almost here, and the Auburn Public Library has lots of tricks (and some treats) up their sleeves! Check out the calendar on the back of this month’s Open Line or visit auburnalabama.org/library for details about all their Halloween-related events, including:

Haunted Library: Take a stroll through the spine-tingling, shriek-inducing, haunted wing of the library on Thursday, Oct. 19, from 5:30-7 p.m. The wing will be open to willing adventurers of all ages. Enter if you dare!

Paranormal Library Lockdown: On Thursday, Oct. 19, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., the Southern Ghost Girls Paranormal Research Group will lead brave participants on an investigation of the library to uncover its ghostly inhabitants! Experiment with ghost hunting equipment with the lights out in this after-hours Paranormal Library Lockdown. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. No entry will be permitted after 8 p.m.

Downtown Trick or Treat

Get ready for a spook-tacular night! Join Auburn Parks and Recreation for the best Halloween party in town on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 6 - 8 p.m. in downtown Auburn. Trick-or-treat with downtown merchants who will be handing out candy and plenty of treats for everyone!

There will be music provided by our special spooky entertainment for the evening as well as the annual costume contest. If you want to participate in the contest, make sure to be at the event from 6:15-7:15 p.m. when our judges will be searching for their picks! Winners will be announced at 7:30 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you downtown for this free community event!

Harvest Market

City Market will return this fall for a one-day Harvest Market on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Town Creek Park from 8 a.m. to noon! Our annual fall farmers market will have a large selection of growers, makers and bakers. Stop by for fall produce, flowers, baked goods, meats and more. Parking will be available for all attendees in the gravel parking lot across from Town Creek Park.

Fall Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day

Our Environmental Services Department will host the biannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, Oct. 7. Auburn residents are invited to drop off materials from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Environmental Services Complex at 365-A N. Donahue Drive.

During the event, the department will accept hazardous waste not collected in regular garbage and trash pickup. Computers and electronics will be accepted as well as paper documents for secure, on-site shredding. Residents may bring up to 20 pounds of material per household for disposal at no charge.

Those participating in the event are asked to register ahead of time by filling out the form at auburnalabama.org/HHW. On the day of the event, participants should load the materials they wish to drop off in the trunk or rear of their vehicle and enter the Environmental Services Complex via North Donahue Drive. Once participants have arrived, workers will remove the materials from vehicles.

Participation is limited to Auburn residents, and proof of residency can be shown by bringing a recent water bill. A list of acceptable materials can be found at auburnalabama.org/environmental-services/household-hazardous-waste-collection-day.

Coffee with a Cop

Nothing beats good conversation over a cup of joe — join us for Coffee with a Cop on Oct. 5! The event will be held at Ross House Coffee on Magnolia Avenue from 8-10 a.m. Swing by to chat with one of our Auburn Police officers and snag a complimentary cup of coffee and pastries, while supplies last.

Board & commission vacancies

Ready to serve? Applications for the Building Board of Adjustments, Educational Building Authority and the Auburn Tree Commission will open on Sept. 20 and close Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. Visit auburnalabama.org/boards to learn about these boards and see if one of them would be a good fit for you.