By Danelle Cutting
For the Salisbury Post

Have you stopped by Hurley Park lately? It has definitely been a hot spot for exercise and just getting out to soak up some sun. Because of the increase of visits, we have had a few more questions that we thought could benefit everyone. Check out below to see if some of your questions have been answered.

Question: Is it OK to feed the turtles old bread?

Answer: Just like with the ducks, bread is not beneficial to turtles and can cause them problems in the long run. We have received a larger amount of turtles in the pond due to the construction going on at City Park Lake. Guests have started to feed the turtles from our deck making the turtles less afraid of human interaction and increasing the likelihood of potential injury. The injury could result from trying to pet the turtles, salmonella, and feeding injuries because the bread is not part of a balanced diet. Turtles are omnivores and they are wild. We should not feed the turtles or they will become reliant on us as a food source. Bread does not have the nutrition or vitamins that the turtles need to live, and increasing this type of food reduces their life expectancy.

Question: I love the bed at the corner of Lake Drive. What are all of the flowers?

Answer: We are so glad that you love our themed bed. The theme for this is year is “Fiery Sunset” and the name fits it well. We have a fiery array of colors such as the burning red and orange strawflowers, gold calendulas, and cool yellow gomphrena (Globe Amaranth). We also have a mix of beautiful tall and short marigolds, an assortment of celosia, nasturtiums and dusty miller. The garden has been a hit and the pollinators like it as well. Since starting the themes for the entrance bed we had had a lot of requests to identify the plants. If anyone wants a full list, please contact us. But make sure you take a look at the garden before it is extinguished and planted with something else.

Question: Why is the fountain off and why is there limbs and trash in the pond?

Answer: We had to have the fountain turned off because after each storm it is not able to function and we do not want to burn up the motor. It is expensive to replace the motor and we have already had to replace it once last year due to a trash bag getting wrapped around it. We have been very cautious with the new fountain. As for the limbs and trash in the pond, the water comes off of the roads and from people’s driveways. If there is any trash, debris or limbs, it gets washed into the storm drains which makes its way to Hurley Park. We have two main areas we receive water — one of the drains is from West Henderson Street and the other is from the Novant Health side of the park — so we get quite a bit of debris from both areas. We have purchased a pool skimmer to try and reach some of the trash but we are not able to get it all. As staff members work to keep the park free and clear, we also rely on assistance from our visitors to help reduce litter in the park and pond area.

Thanks for the questions this week for Hurley Park. If you have any additional questions about the park or what is in bloom, please give us a call at 704-638-4459 or contact us on Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC. If you would like to donate to Hurley Park, go to https://salisburync.gov/Government/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks/Hurley-Park.

Danelle Cutting is manager of Hurley Park.