By GARY HENRY ghenry@prairiepress.net
More flower beds to beautify Paris city parks was one of several items discussed during the Tuesday, Aug. 26, park board meeting.
Linda Lane, of the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce, said a group of volunteers has been actively cleaning up the city square and those involved want to expand that effort by planting flowering bulbs in the parks.
“We have a person lined up who can do the watering,” said Lane. “What I want to find out from the park board is if there is interest, if there are preferred places to plant or if there are places we shouldn’t plant.”
There was indeed interest to have more people involved and creating more flower beds, but there was also caution in the response.
“Experience has shown when people were interested in the past and then saw the size of the project, they backed out,” said Chris Redman, the city’s superintendent of streets, alleys and parks.
Park board member Melinda Young suggested Lane’s volunteers might tackle improving the entrance to Twin Lakes Park as one option.
“I hear a lot of comments about Kiwanis Park,” said Young. “That could be a top area for planting.”
Other park board members voiced support for getting more flowers in the parks while also acknowledging a concern if the volunteers putting in such beds will also follow up with weeding and other maintenance since city workers are stretched thin.
Redman will confer with Lane and others to develop the idea.
Bee Well Coalition member Mary Liz Wright discussed a plan to install an adult exercise area in the vicinity of the Splash Park and the All-Abilities Playground.
“We have noticed people spending time on their phones while their children are playing in the Splash Park or All-Abilities playground,” said Wright. “This would given them an opportunity to get in some exercise and still watch their kids.”
Wright explained 100 Women Who Care Edgar County gave Bee Well a donation to make the exercise space a reality. The Bee Well coalition was working on plans to do the project earlier in the year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It will likely be next spring before anything can happen now.
“Bee Well has the money to buy a couple of pieces of equipment but not for the installation,” said Wright.
The two pieces selected from an outdoor exercise equipment manufacturer are an air-walker, which offers an elliptical machine type of exercise. The other item is stationary without any moving parts for body-weight resistance exercises.
Wright said a long-range plan is to see if the high school shop or welding students can fabricate more stationary exercise devices designed by Horizon Health physical therapists. She estimated a concrete pad approximately six feet by almost 18 feet is needed to accommodate the new equipment.
Park board members had no objections but noted actual approval to go ahead must come from the city council.
While some community members want to see park improvements, there are some who take a different attitude.
Redman told park board members Twin Lakes Park has experienced several incidents of vandalism in recent weeks with multiple break-ins of buildings. One of the more serious events was a burglary at the concession stand operated by Becky Rich’s We Li Kit Farmstand. That crime resulted in the theft of a cash register and whoever broke into the building also left freezer doors open so ice cream melted onto the floor of the building.
Another concern for Redman is discovering evidence of people illegally spending the nights and sleeping in the parks.
“I found a credit card and what looked like dope smoking material by a tree,” said Redman.
There was some discussion about Holiday in the Park. Redman said efforts to increase the power supply on the far side of the West Lake Drive continues in hopes of expanding lighted displays in that area. The hurdle at the moment is Ameren does not want to install power drop downs from the poles.
“We are looking at other options, but it will be $17,000 to bore a line from a stand pedestal,” said Redman.
“If we can’t get more power back there, can we expand the tunnel?” asked park board member Jodi Theirl.
The tunnel is a series of lighted arches lining part of the exit road from the Holiday in the Park display. That feature was added in 2018 and was so popular, it was enlarged in 2019.
Redman said a decision to expand the tunnel cannot be delayed.
“I need to know sooner than later,” said Redman. “It takes a while to get the material and do the fabrication.”
As part of the maintenance report, Redman noted the boat launches for both the east and west lakes need redone and the city administration is looking into grants that might provide the needed funding.
“It’s beyond repair for us with the equipment we have,” said Redman.
The only action item was approving a proposal from Midwest Restoration to redo the sculpture and sign at Schwartz Park for $660. The price includes waterproofing the stone. The park board’s approval moves the plan on to the city council, with a recommendation to do the work, for final authorization.
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August 31, 2020 at 08:38PM
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Parks beautification discussed at board session - prairiepress.net
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