The Winamac Park Board will get an update tonight on its application for funding for various upgrades to the Town Park. It initially involved replacing the park’s main restrooms and getting new equipment for the toddler playground.
The Winamac Park Board has once again added some more items into its application for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. The park board is applying for a matching grant for various Town Park improvements, including replacing the main restrooms, getting new equipment for the toddler playground, adding a permanent cornhole court, and a new bench.
It may be a while before the Winamac Town Park gets its new restrooms and playground equipment. The park board’s application for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant has been turned in to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. But Park Board President Courtney Poor said Thursday that state approval is only half of the process. Continue reading
The Starke County Forest appears to have been absolved from blame for flooding concerns in the local area. A letter from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources was presented to the Starke County Park Board last week. In it, an engineer in the department’s compliance and enforcement section addressed concerns apparently raised by a neighboring property owner.
Police say a LaPorte County man drowned Saturday afternoon, in a pond in the 7100 block of West Joliet Road. The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office says Glenn F. Zeman, 61, had been out on the pond in a watercraft. But then family members who’d been there with him said they couldn’t find him. Police say the watercraft Zeman had been riding was then found capsized, and his body was pulled from the water a short time later.
The Winamac Park Board reiterated Thursday that it will not apply for a grant for the town’s swimming pool project this year. The town has put the project on hold, due to concerns that money wouldn’t be available to run the pool if it’s built. The Winamac Pool Committee has proposed a cheaper option, but so far, it hasn’t gotten the official support of the town council.
The Winamac Park Board discussed some of its plans for the Town Park with a small group of local residents during a public hearing Monday. Park Board President Courtney Poor explained that the board plans to apply for a federally-funded Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. “What this is for is two things,” he said. “We want to build a new restroom and we’re looking for some help for that over at the park, and we also want to completely revamp, if possible, the small children’s playground and to make it ADA-compliant, as best we can.”
Winamac residents will have a chance to weigh in on the town’s application for grant funds for park upgrades. The town’s park board plans to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to help pay for new restrooms and new equipment for the toddler playground in the Town Park. The park board has money available for both projects from donations, but the grant would allow the town to buy even more playground equipment, while saving some of the Park Gift Fund for future projects.
Upgrades to the Winamac Town Park’s restrooms and toddler playground may get some financial support from this year’s round of Land and Water Conservation Fund grants. Last year, the town’s park board applied for $200,000 for its swimming pool rebuilding project. It wasn’t selected, but officials with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources say it would have a good chance this year, according to park board member Pat Bawcum. The problem is that the town has decided not to pursue the project for the time-being, due to concerns that money wouldn’t be available to operate the pool if it’s built.
Ideas for improving the Winamac Town Park will continue to be discussed during tonight’s park board meeting. Last month, board members said they would like to see the equipment in the toddler playground replaced. The Winamac Kiwanis Club has offered to pay for the new equipment, if it’s awarded a matching grant from the Indiana District of Kiwanis.
Who’s allowed to hunt in the Starke County Forest and who gets to make that decision were topics of discussion during last week’s County Park Board meeting. Forester Bruce Wakeland previously told board members that he typically rents the forest to a group of hunters each year over the Thanksgiving weekend. It’s to help control the deer population, but also to raise a few hundred dollars for the forest.
The Winamac Park Board continues to research the possibility of adding a splash pad at the Town Park.
The Winamac Park Board is working on a list of potential park improvements they’d like to see in the coming years. During Thursday’s meeting, board members began the process of ranking the projects by importance, at the recommendation of board president Courtney Poor. Continue reading
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources just a press release today, seeking public assistance in finding two stolen Law Enforcement Snowmobiles that were taken from Potato Creek State Park near the town of North Liberty.
The snowmobiles were stolen on or around December 15, 2017. Indiana Conservation Officers are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and/or the recovery of the snowmobiles. Continue reading
The Starke County Park Board is expected to continue discussing several ongoing issues when it meets tonight. One of those is the proposed county ownership of Koontz Lake Lions Club Memorial Park. Lions Club members say they plan to continue maintaining the park as long as they can, but transferring ownership to Starke County would save them the cost of insurance.
The Winamac Park Board continues to try to nail down a design for new town park restrooms. The board has hired architect Mark Maddox to draw up the plans, but he needs to know what exactly the park board wants before he can proceed.
Winamac’s pool rebuilding effort is not over yet. That’s what Judy Heater and members of the Winamac Pool Committee told local residents during an informational meeting Thursday. Continue reading
Plans for the Winamac Town Park’s new restrooms will be discussed during a special park board meeting Thursday. Board members plan to detail some of the design elements with architect Mark Maddox, according to Board President Courtney Poor. Continue reading
