Winamac park officials are calling for better communication from the Town Park’s major users. The issue was raised during last week’s park board meeting, after Park Manager Aaron Spanley said the school hosted a cross country invitational but didn’t tell him ahead of time. “There is a lack of communication with the school and either with me or [Town Manager] Brad [Zellers] or the town, how they’re using our park,” Spanley said.
Board members said cross country events typically require the main entrance to be closed for a period of time, making it harder for other users to get in. Board Member Steve Miller also worried that those who’ve paid to rent shelters may find that they’ve been taken over for the event. “I would think that they could give a schedule to him whenever they’re going to have an event, the high school or the middle school is going to have an event at the park,” Miller added.
Board President Chris Schramm offered to discuss the issue with the high school athletic director.
Meanwhile, the maintenance of the concession stand was another area of concern. It isn’t supposed to be under the town’s control, but Spanley said he fixed a water leak there after no one else did. Board Secretary Kim Burke explained that the Little League program operates the concession stand, but it’s also used by the softball league and the school.
“The Little League runs and operates that,” Burke said. “They have asked for help from both the school and the softball recreational leagues and have been flat out told, ‘no.’ They asked this summer while everybody was down there playing if they’d at least clean it like two days a week or something and they were told, ‘no.’”
Board members once again called for a gathering of all of the stakeholders to try to reach a resolution. The Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation has also been exploring the idea of moving softball to the schools’ campus.
