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Next big thing for park? May have found it with free show
Everybody everywhere is always looking for the next big thing.
The next big music act. The next big food fad. The next big toy for Christmas.
And parks departments are no different, Greencastle Park Director Rod Weinschenk assured the Park Board at its October meeting.
He and Park Assistant Director Troy Scott are fresh from attending the recent Indiana Parks and Recreation Association (IPRA) district meeting in Bluffton where a big topic of interest became park programs, he said.
After all, departments from South Bend in the north to North Vernon in the south are looking for the same thing: The next big park program.
Scott concurred, telling the Park Board, "We learned what is and is not working at several agencies, shared ideas and brought several back with us to try and implement."
Recently the Greencastle Park Department learned that a chili cook-off may not be ideal when the temperature is in the 80s, and that while "Talk Like a Pirate Day" sounds like a fun thing to do, it doesn't motivate kids today to dress up as a buccaneer and shiver their timbers.
Only three contestants pre-registered for the chili cook-off, while not a soul signed up in advance to roll their "R's" like a pirate.
While those two ideas have flopped recently (although the chili contest may get a reprieve when it's "chili weather," Scott said), one event that certainly didn't disappoint was the Sept. 28 free Redzilla rock concert and Sammy Terry stage show in the Robe-Ann Park bandshell.
Band member and event organizer Henry Stitzle Jr. estimated a crowd at approximately 800 from his spot on stage, Weinschenk reported.
From his vantagepoint in the crowd, the park director said he had the attendance pegged at 750.
Regardless, the band, park officials and even Sammy Terry "were very pleased with the turnout," Weinschenk told the board.
In fact, he said, Sammy Terry indicated he would like to haunt Robe-Ann Park again sometime.
The well-received free show was arranged by Stitzle and Mark Carter (Sammy Terry) with local sponsors like Mason Jewelers, Don's Garage and others helping pay for the gifted ghoul's appearance. The event cost the Park Department nothing but support, along with some time and effort.
In publicizing the show, Stitzle had said he hope to get some publicity for the band while providing something fun and exciting for local residents at the same time.
All indications are he and Redzilla delivered as promised.
Meanwhile, the park director's thoughts have now turned to inside activities as the Greencastle Parks and Recreation Department Youth Basketball League is preparing to return after a one-year absence.
Practice will begin at the end of November with the schedule ending in February. The season is expected to be six-games long.
Greencastle school children will be bringing home a flyer with sign-up information about the basketball program. The program has the full support of the Greencastle Community School Corporation, Weinschenk said.
In other business, the Park Board:
-- Learned that Maribel Diaz, a Bonner Scholar at DePauw University, will be assisting the Park Department this year. The first thing the Chicago volunteer is arranging is a "Day of the Dead" Latin Halloween program set for Oct. 29. Location will be announced later.
-- Unanimously approved a $2,000 expenditure to repaint the floors in the men's and women's bathrooms and showers at the aquatic center. Also getting redone will be the entryway and the center section of the poolhouse used by the lifeguards.
-- Heard that the picnic tables are being removed from Mapleberry Park for repairs and repainting after someone vandalized them with graffiti and inappropriate messages.
-- Learned that the Ridpath PTO will move its Family Fun Run at Big Walnut Sports Park from its scheduled Oct. 12 date to April 12.
Present for the October Park Board session at City Hall were President John Hennette, Tim Trigg, Cathy Merrell and Beva Miller, along with ex-officio member Wayne Lewis, Weinschenk and Scott.
The next regularly scheduled Park Board meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 at City Hall.