Politics & Government
Bolen Park Opens with Games and Entertainment
Hundreds turn out to celebrate the opening of Loudoun County's newest park.
Saturday morning means youth sports for thousands of families in Loudoun County. With the grand opening of Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park near Leesburg on Saturday, June 4, many of those families will now enjoy a much shorter drive to practices and games.
The grand opening celebration featured a mix of local officials past and present, young athletes and performers, and friends and family of longtime Loudoun County Administrator Philip A. Bolen, for whom the park was named.
Highlighting the grand opening were “pitches and throws” by members of the and Sen. Mark Herring, performances by the marching band and the Creative Dance Center Dancers, a cheerleading demonstration by the Central Loudoun Youth Football League Cheer Squad, giant moon bounces and lots of games. There were also celebrity appearances by former Washington Wizard Gheorghe Muresan and Fetch, the mascot of the Loudoun Hounds.
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Scott K. York, Chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, thanked the officials and staff who worked hard to make the park a reality. “I also want to thank the voters of Loudoun County, who provided the funds to build the park,” he said.
Located southeast of Leesburg at 42405 Claudia Drive, Bolen Park includes more than a dozen lighted athletic fields: four 300-foot softball fields, two 90-foot baseball diamonds with 300-foot fences, two skinned baseball diamonds with 200-foot fences, one grass infield diamond with 200-foot fence, six large soccer fields, and two fields for football and lacrosse. The facility also has a visitors’ center and maintenance facilities. Plans for future development call for picnic areas, trails, and approximately 200 acres of natural woodlands.
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Philip A. Bolen was known by many as “Mr. Loudoun County.” He began his 30-year career with the county government as a teacher and coach at Loudoun Valley High School from 1961 to 1967. He transferred to the Department of Parks and Recreation in 1967, and served as its director until 1971.
During his tenure, the department organized summer recreation programs, developed the first parks and recreation plan, and began converting old schools into community centers. He was named County Administrator in 1971 and served in that position for 20 years before retiring in 1991.
“I’m confident that Phil is looking down, smiling widely, and saying, “All right, let’s play ball,” said Diane Ryburn, the county’s Director of Parks and Recreation.
“This is what he was all about,” said Claudia Bolen-Sullivan, Bolen’s widow who remarried several years after his death. “He grew up playing baseball. And he would have loved to see his grandchildren playing here.”
“He would have been here just about every day,” added Bolen’s son Matt, who is now Assistant Principal at Blue Ridge Middle School in Purcellville.
“Phil was all about sports and all about youth,” said Leesburg Town Manager John Wells, who served as the county’s budget director under Bolen. ”This really takes his dream and makes it a reality.”
By noon, several games were already in full swing, including a Loudoun Girls Little League softball game featuring young first baseman Samantha Bolen, granddaughter of the park’s namesake.
