The Town of Greece will rename Braddock Bay Park for Supervisor Donald J. Riley, who led the town from 1973 to 1989.
He oversaw the town’s acquisition of Braddock Bay Park and Marina.
Riley's administration led and completed a list of projects such as Route 390 to the Lake Ontario State Parkway, purchasing the land that is now the town administrative campus, growing the Greece Police Department from 22 to 89 officers and installing a multi-million-dollar flood control system to protect the Lake Ontario waterfront.
He is also known for preserving local history as his administration negotiated the Wegmans Food Markets’ sale of the Gordon A. Howe house to the Greece Historical Society for $1, funding its relocation and arranging a 40-year lease of town
land that gave the Greece Historical Society its first home.
Before serving as town supervisor, Riley graduated from St. John Fisher College with a degree in history and began his career teaching fifth grade at St. Margaret Mary’s in Irondequoit. After his time as supervisor, Riley served in leadership positions for the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority and Mark IV Enterprises.
Supervisor Jeff McCann said he couldn't be happier to see Riley's name permanently tied to a place he made possible for the community to enjoy.
“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Don personally for years, and what strikes me most isn’t the list of accomplishments, though remarkable, it’s how much he genuinely cares about Greece," McCann said in a statement. "Naming this park after him is a small way of saying thank you for a lifetime of service to Greece."
A dedication ceremony will be 11:30 a.m. Sept. 17 at Lodge 1, Braddock Bay Park, for the community to attend.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Braddock Bay Park renamed for longtime Greece leader
