ALACHUA – A return visit to Alachua brought former longtime Recreation and Parks Director Hal Brady back to familiar places and faces — and offered him a look at how the city’s recreation programs and facilities have continued to evolve since his departure.
Brady and his wife, Cindy, recently visited Alachua while helping their son, Jack, who had been hospitalized. During the trip, the couple attended community events, visited recreation facilities, reconnected with longtime friends and received an update on plans for the new Cleather H. Hathcock Sr. Community Center.
In a letter to the city following the visit, Brady thanked the Alachua Chamber of Commerce, residents, businesses, churches and city officials for welcoming the couple back.
“I want to thank the Alachua Chamber of Commerce, the people and individual corporations and churches for being so nice to Cindy and me on our last visit to the City of Alachua,” Brady wrote.
Brady, who served more than 30 years as the city’s recreation and parks director, reflected on the programs, facilities and community partnerships developed during his tenure. He recalled the Chamber of Commerce working with the city on events including trick-or-treating on Main Street, Christmas celebrations, parades and other community activities.
He also pointed to the development and expansion of recreation facilities over the years, including ballfields, playgrounds, picnic shelters, accessible walkways, restrooms, a skateboard park and splash park, along with improvements at community parks throughout the city.
Brady’s recollections included Maude Lewis Park, Criswell Park, Welch Park, Skinner Park, Theater Park and the Hathcock Community Center, as well as the Swick House.
The city’s recreation programs also drew visitors from well beyond Alachua, he said, recalling youth baseball and softball World Series events, national championships, tournaments, wrestling and concerts. Among the performers he remembered was rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Bo Diddley.
“What we pray for is the fields and buildings remain maintained and renovated,” Brady wrote. “We were happy to see the improvements and enhancements in progress everywhere.”
Among the current improvements that caught his attention were work at the recreation complex, Legacy Park, Criswell Park, Welch Park and Hitchcock and Theater parks, as well as enhanced ballfield lighting and plans for the replacement Hathcock Community Center.
Brady also noted programs that have been added or expanded, including pickleball, robotics, cross-country and disc golf, along with cooperation between the city and local high school in sharing facilities.
City Manager Rodolfo Valladares joined Brady during a senior bingo gathering and presented architectural renderings of the planned Hathcock Community Center.
“It is an absolute beauty, and I’m looking forward to seeing the grand opening!” Brady wrote. “I’m incredibly proud of the effort, thought, and attention to detail that have gone into this project.”
The visit also demonstrated the community connections Brady said have long been part of Alachua. While the Bradys were helping their son, men from Alachua Methodist Church built an accessible ramp for him, while Al Mincey of Mincey Site Prep constructed a driveway to improve access to the property. Brady also thanked Damon Messina and the city’s Recreation and Culture staff for assisting the family.
“We could not have done all this from North Dakota,” Brady wrote.
After two years in North Dakota, Brady said he and Cindy have moved to the mountains of Georgia, putting them considerably closer to Alachua.
The visit provided several unexpected reunions. At a Chamber of Commerce meeting, Brady encountered an attorney who had attended professional umpire school with him in St. Petersburg. He also reconnected with Kayla Cain, whom he remembered as an outstanding Alachua softball player, and longtime friends Horace Jenkins, John and Shirley Brown and Mayor Walter Welch.
Brady also joined local seniors for bingo, describing the gathering as an opportunity to reconnect with community members.
His letter ended by recognizing the people he credited with helping establish many of Alachua’s traditions and programs.
“To the thousands of volunteers who started everything in Alachua. Thank You and God Bless you all,” Brady wrote.
Welch reunion celebrates community history
The Bradys’ return came during a period of other community gatherings in Alachua, including the Welch Family Reunion, where family members celebrated connections spanning generations.
Among those recognized at the reunion were Rose Brown, 87, and Willie D. Bright, 92, whose combined 179 years represent ties to the educational and community histories of Alachua and High Springs.
Brown was among the early graduates of A.L. Mebane High School in Alachua, graduating with the Class of 1957. Bright graduated from Douglass High School in High Springs with the Class of 1952.
The gathering celebrated the pair and their connections to two communities whose histories have been shaped by generations of families, schools, churches, civic organizations and volunteers.
For Brady, those same community ties were a recurring theme throughout his return to Alachua — from old friends and recreation programs to volunteers stepping forward when his family needed help.
More than three decades spent overseeing recreation and parks left Brady with a long list of memories. His recent visit gave him an opportunity to see what has changed while reconnecting with the people and places he remembers.
And, in his letter, his hope for the future remained much the same as his philosophy during his years with the city: that Alachua continue providing opportunities for residents of all ages and circumstances to participate in what the community calls the “Good Life.”
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