Starke County Park Board Works to Reassure Bass Lake Campers but Won’t Rule Out Future Rent Increase

The Starke County Park Board continued to reassure Bass Lake Beach and Campground users Tuesday that operations will stay the same for this year. But members won’t rule out a campsite rent increase in the future. The board approved a contract with Larry Clarich, allowing him to continue to manage the county-owned park facility as an independent contractor.

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Starke County Park Board Suggests Having Engineer Analyze Bass Lake Beach House Patio

After a six month break between meetings, the Starke County Park Board has picked up its discussion on the Bass Lake Beach House patio. On Tuesday, board members directed the facility’s manager, Larry Clarich, to get quotes for what it would cost to have an engineer visit the site, while making short-term repairs in the meantime.

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UPDATED: Starke County Park Board Meeting Canceled

Update: Tonight’s Starke County Park Board meeting has been canceled due to weather. The next regularly-scheduled meeting is Tuesday, March 12.

The Starke County Park Board will meet tonight for the first time in more than five months. It will be the first meeting for new member Rik Ritzler, who was appointed by the county council last month. Ritzler previously worked with the park board on various projects, in his capacity as county highway superintendent.

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Starke County Park Board Orders Bass Lake Beach Operator to Repair Patio

The deterioration of the Bass Lake Beach House patio may be worse than originally thought. Now, the Starke County Park Board is demanding action from the facility’s operator, Callahan Development, LLC. Officials with the Starke County Highway Department recently took a look at the site to see what may need to be done, but they’ve determined that the project is too large for them to do themselves.

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Starke County Highway Department May Repair Bass Lake Patio, Amid Ongoing Safety Concerns

Concerns about the safety of the Bass Lake Beach House patio have led Starke County officials to look into repairing it themselves. The patio was the topic of a heated discussion during Tuesday’s County Park Board meeting. Board member Debbie Mix said the facility’s operator, Callahan Development, LLC, still hasn’t made repairs that have been discussed for several months or longer.

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Starke County Park Board to Get Updates on Grant Applications

The Starke County Park Board will get updates on some grant applications tonight. The park board has already been awarded $5,000 from the Starke County Community Foundation to help prevent and repair erosion at the Bass Lake Beach. Starke County is also seeking funding from Arrowhead Country Resource Conservation and Development and Kankakee Valley REMC’s Operation Round Up program.

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