DAPHNE, Ala. — A new boat ramp to be constructed in May Day Par this summer will be named for the city’s longest serving mayor, Victor Guarisco.

The namesake

Guarisco, who died in 2009, was mayor of Daphne from 1976 until 1992. He joined the city council in 1952 and after stepping down as mayor served as chairman of the Daphne Utilities Board.

During his time on the council, Guarisco saw Daphne grow from a population of just over a thousand to nearly 19,000. In 1952, the town had only two paved roads and no city water service. A first-generation American, descended from one of the Italian families that first settled Daphne, Guarisco was credited with a major role in the city’s development.

One of nine children, Guarisco died at the age of 87, after a battle with emphysema and related lung disease.

Ongoing work

Construction of the 140-foot boat ramp comes following the completion of resurfacing work on an adjacent parking lot. That work was delayed when it was determined corrugated metal drainage pipes running below the site needed to be replaced before the new surface was laid. The metal pipes were described as “notorious for rusting” in city documents. The park was closed to visitors from February until last weekend as that work took place.

The new boat ramp was required after Hurricane Katrina deposited a great deal of sand into the area around the existing ramp and pier.

Since Katrina, the sand had to be removed daily to allow launching of even the shallowest drawing craft.

The new pier will stretch far enough into Mobile Bay that there will be two or three feet of water to launch into at low tide, according to city officials.

This will allow much larger boats to use the ramp.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provided funds to cover 75 percent of the cost of the $700,000 project, with Daphne City Council paying the balance with a lodging tax appropriation.