A perfect summer day, full of color added to enthusiasm at the community celebration for the completion of Phase Two of the Master Plan on Saturday, September 8, 2007. A key component of the plan was the removal of Pope Park Drive and the bringing together of the park for the first time in over 90 years. The road removal, a new courtyard to the park’s recreation center, and major pedestrian and parking improvements were funded by the city of Hartford and by a $270,000 capital grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The Pope Hartford Designated Fund is the nonprofit entity responsible for the overall campaign to restore the Park. The event was sponsored by the Friends of Pope Park, the Pope Hartford Designated Fund, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the City of Hartford. Photos by Phil Fortune, Fortune Works.