Park Board agrees to overdose kit in Robe-Ann

Hoping to saves lives, a 24/7-access “NaloxBox” unit will be placed in Robe-Ann Park, the Greencastle Park Board agreed Wednesday night.

Sheila Holloway of the Putnam County Recovery Coalition explained use of the NaloxBox units, requesting that one be put in the park.

Where to put it was the question. The baseball diamond was one option. By the pool another.

Putting the hard acrylic box, which is mounted to an exterior wall, seems better suited for the park office, Assistant Park Director Chrysta Snellenberger suggested. That way, she added, “it’s not over by the playground.”

“As much as we don’t want to acknowledge it (drug use), it’s here,” Park Board President Cathy Merrell said. “Thank you for bringing this to us ... so we can be there for loved ones we care about.”

Naloxone, or Narcan, is a medication approved to reverse overdose by opioids. It is considered an effective measure of addressing the increase of opioid overdoses.

Naloxone is given when a person is showing signs of opioid overdose. It blocks the toxic effects of the overdose and is often the difference between a patient living and dying. Greencastle Police have reported several instances where Narcan basically brought a person back to life after an overdose.

The boxes are provided at no cost to the host, Holloway explained, adding that another box will be placed at the Putnam County Public Library and a third at Cloverdale, she added.

Holloway said she would be responsible for refilling the box at the park. Each unit contains six to eight doses of naloxone, instructions for use and treatment referral cards.

“The next big step is to get folks trained,” suggested Scott Monnett of Family Support Services of West Central Indiana, under which the Putnam County Recovery Coalition group falls. He suggested there should be training for all city and county employees on how to administer Narcan.

The board agreed to Holloway’s request on a motion from Pete Meyer and yes votes also from Joanna Muncie and Merrell. Board member Tim Trigg was absent.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bill Dory briefed the board on the search for a new park director.

Dory and committee members Merrell and Adam Cohen recently conducted Zoom meetings with about a dozen candidates for the position that opened up when longtime director Rod Weinschenk resigned at the end of November.

“We have a number of good candidates. We’re in the process of checking references and work histories of the candidates,” Dory said.

He was asked what the timeline is for hiring a new director.

“As quick as possible,” the mayor said.

While they didn’t hire a new director, Park Board members did approve the hiring of an assistant aquatic director, Matthew Williams.

“I’m beyond pleased,” offered Snellenberger, who also serves as aquatics director along with her assistant park director role.

Merrell called it “a good move for our pool” as the motion by Muncie to hire Williams was made unanimous.

In other business, the Park Board:

-- Saw a revised drawing for some of the planned Robe-Ann Park improvements as presented by local engineer Jessica Hartman of Civil Engineering Consultants. Among the changes the board saw were all-angle parking in the area between the skatepark and the baseball diamond. Additional parking around the tennis and pickleball courts will help provide a 35-spot increase in available parking. Construction will not begin until the pool closes this summer.

-- Heard Snellenberger update the K-6 youth basketball program, noting that 182 youngsters are participating this year, an increase over the 168 who played last year.

-- Tabled action on a pool rental request for the June 9 Putnam County Hospital Children’s Health Fair. Suggested hours would be 4-7 p.m. but board members leaned toward 5-7 to allow regular pool-goers their regular open free swim time.

-- Heard Mayor Dory update the group on the pending U.S. 231 project that likely will inconvenience park accessibility at times and will need some temporary right-of-way, in a five-foot section as sidewalk, curb and gutter along the Bloomington Street side of Robe-Ann Park will be replaced. One or two trees might possibly need to be removed or trimmed back. Also, the curb cuts from the old Clearwaters’ Nursery site at the southwest corner of the park will vanish with the INDOT work, Dory advised.

-- Approved use of shelterhouse No. 2 for the return of Music Mondays during June. Hannah Newlin, children’s minister of Greencastle Christian Church, said the program will run from noon to 1 p.m. with popsicles and ice cream for participants. When last held pre-Covid, the project coincided with the free summer lunch program conducted at the park and attempts will be made to work that out this year.

-- Gave permission for the July 23 Dust Bowl bicycle ride, represented by Marc O’Leary, to use a portion of the Vandalia Trail from County Road 300 East to County Road 50 South near Dixie Chopper. The ride is already sold out with 600 riders expected. Although the ride starts and ends at Eminence School, 90 percent of the route is in Putnam County, O’Leary said.

-- Approved a customer appreciation pool party rental on Friday, July 15 from 6-8 p.m. for Dr. John Hennette and his Greencastle Pediatric Dentistry patients. The party is annually the largest-attended pool event of the summer.

The Park Board will next meet in regular session at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 at City Hall.