City leaders in Sedalia joined community members at Hubbard Park on Saturday, June 14 to ceremonially break ground on a project to build sidewalks in the city’s North Central neighborhood.

The $1.53 million project has been long sought by residents, and second ward councilwoman Tina Boggess was ecstatic to see the project begin.

Boggess says the city was able to claim the maximum grant amount of $768,000 thanks to the efforts of grant writers who met a tight deadline to apply for the funds.

Boggess was among five city council members and mayor Andrew Dawson that took part in the groundbreaking. Also on hand was interim city administrator Matthew Wirt and Pettis County Eastern District Commissioner Israel Baeza.

The groundbreaking coincided with the Sedalia NAACP’s annual Juneteenth celebration.  The federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States is Thursday, June 19.