Park Board reviews 2010, looks to '11

Thursday, January 6, 2011

GREENCASTLE -- At its first meeting of 2011, the Greencastle Park Board looked back on a year of accomplishments and looked toward plans for 2011.

At Wednesday night's meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Rod Weinschenk presented the board with a list of the biggest accomplishments he saw for the department in 2010. Chief among these were the completion of the Albin Pond and Safe Routes to School trail projects and the completion of a yearly brochure.

After 11 years in the works, 2010 saw the bidding, construction and completion of the trail projects. While final close-out of paperwork and a few planting and seeding projects remain, the work is essentially complete.

Weinschenk said he is especially happy with the completion of the brochure. Having wanted to do such a brochure for three years, Weinschenk said Assistant Director Troy Scott was key in the project. He hopes to have the 2011 book done by the end of January.

"We're going to drop some programs, we're going to add some, we're going to modify some," Weinschenk said.

Among other 2010 projects completed were a Big Walnut Sports Park sign, soccer parking lots at Big Walnut, tree plantings a Big Walnut, Robe-Ann drainage and road repair, the DNR/ALCOA Tree Partnership Grant Project, two new scoreboards for softball fields, repair of the Jaycee Park dam, informational signs at Big Walnut and repairs to the Park House furnace.

"We were able to do a lot and still maintain our budget," Weinschenk said.

The board plans further discussions of its 2011 goals, but some of the main discussions at Wednesday's meeting centered on summer softball leagues. The board is examining ways of attracting more umpires for the leagues as well as keeping local players in town.

Also discussed were pursuing another grant for Big Walnut, modifying the disc golf course, possibly adding more neighborhood parks and repairing or replacing the building at Jaycee Park.

The board plans to have a complete set of 2011 goals in time for the Greencastle City Council retreat the week of Jan. 24.

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