A committee to oversee the upkeep of the Starke County Veterans Memorial is starting to take shape. A permanently endowed fund was recently established at the Starke County Community Foundation to help fund the ongoing maintenance of the memorial monuments on the courthouse square.
Continue readingStarke County’s Court Appointed Special Advocates program added two more volunteers Thursday. Rosemary Rose and Shannon Ryan were sworn in after their final training class Thursday, according to Starke County CASA Program Director Connie Deal. She says the ceremony was held virtually for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue reading
Starke County officials hope to make a visible impact on the county’s park facilities as a result of last year’s Stellar efforts. Constellation of Starke will get about $333,000 for being a finalist region in last year’s Stellar Communities Designation Program.
Continue reading
An ongoing saga at the Starke County Forest was recently brought to the attention of Park Board President Richard Ballard. “The beavers are back,” Ballard told the rest of the Starke County Park Board Tuesday. “I don’t know exactly what that means for us, but he said the beavers are back.”
Continue reading
While a Stellar Community designation could bring upgrades to the Bass Lake Beach area, there might also be major improvements to recreational facilities throughout Starke County.
Continue reading
The Starke County Park Board welcomed two new members Tuesday. Attorney Richard Ballard was appointed to the board by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall, following the resignation of Roger Chaffins. Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler had been appointed by the county council back in January, replacing Debbie Mix. Ballard and Ritzler both took their seats on the park board for the first time Tuesday, during the board’s first official meeting since last September.
Continue reading
A Stellar Community designation could be a way to bring improvements to the Bass Lake Beach. That was the suggestion given to the Starke County Park Board last week.
A stretch of public land along the Koontz Lake shoreline may get some maintenance help from the Starke County Park Board.
Members of the Starke County Park Board continue to call for clarifications to the Bass Lake Beach and Campground lease, and that could mean a rent increase for Callahan Development, LLC.
The Starke County Park Board has switched presidents. Roger Chaffins was elected board president for 2018, during last week’s meeting. He was nominated by board member Rosemary Rose. She said she thought he did a great job when he served as president in 2016.
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.
Upgrades to the Bass Lake Beach seawall will continue to be discussed during tonight’s Starke County Park Board meeting. Board members are calling on facility operator Callahan Development, LLC to stabilize the seawall surrounding the beach house patio. Representatives from the county discussed the issue with Callahan’s attorney last month, and the entire board is expected to get an update tonight.
The Starke County Park Board is thinking about putting together a work group to help set goals for the future of the Bass Lake Beach and Campground. But how much good that would do was a topic of debate during Tuesday’s park board meeting.
Discussions on proposed upgrades to the Bass Lake Beach are expected to continue later this month. The Starke County Park Board is calling on the operator of the facility, Callahan Development, LLC, to stabilize the seawall surrounding the beach house patio.
Bass Lake Beach and Campground improvements continue to be monitored by the Starke County Park Board. Continue reading
Upgrades are continuing at the Bass Lake Beach and Campground. Assistant Manager Larry Clarich told the Starke County Park Board Tuesday that repairs to the gazebo are basically complete. Continue reading
The five members of the Starke County Park Board will have plenty of reading material prior to their first meeting. The Starke County Commissioners are sending them welcome packets, which will include copies of the state statute under which the board was formed and the state law pertaining to camping on public properties. One of their first challenges will be to decide whether to allow year-round camping at Bass Lake Beach and Campground. The park board members will also get a copy of the management lease between the county and Richard Callahan. The board is charged with oversight and management of the Starke County Forest and other county-owned public lands.
Starke County’s Park Board is now fully populated. Judge Kim Hall named Mike Meadows and Skyler Ellinger to the five-member panel. They join Starke County Council appointees Debbie Mix and Rosemary Rose and Starke County Commissioners appointee Marsha Bedrock. Continue reading
The Starke County Park Board is two members away from being populated. Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall is responsible for appointing a Democrat and a Republican to the five-member board. He advised WKVI News he is still reviewing the qualifications of potential members and expects to make a decision soon. Continue reading
