Girl Scout Leader Barb Grumme, Troop No. 00148, presented Chad Jonsson, Syracuse park superintendent, with a community recognition award during the park board’s regular monthly meeting Monday night.

Girl Scout Leader Barb Grumme, left Girl Scout Sophia Grumme and Girl Scout Aly Kirkpatrick, all of Troop No. 00148 presented the Syracuse Park Board with a check for $1,500 to purchase a swing for handicapped individuals to use. The girls requested approval from the park board to proceed with fundraising for the project, which the park board gave. Not pictured are Tina Walton, assistant leader, and Andrea Chaney, community liaison for the troop.

Members of Girl Scout Troop No. 00148 presented a check for $1,500 to the Syracuse Park Board at the start of its regular monthly meeting Monday night. Last year members of the troop made a presentation to the park board asking for approval to raise funds to purchase a handicap swing to be installed in one of the parks.

The girls raised the necessary $1,500 by partnering with the Syracuse Lions Club in running a hot dog stand during the community wide garage sale, participating in the community wide garage sale and through  cookie sales.

The board accepted the check and thanked the girls for their hard work.

In reviewing the financials, board member Barb Connolly asked about removal of a pier and Quonset hut. Chad Jonsson, park superintendent, reported since the park department is responsible for the pier ordinance, it was made aware of a pier no one was taking responsibility for. After the police cited it twice, it was removed and the cost will be passed onto the pier’s owner. Jonsson said the matter is being pursued.

Work has started on Eastshore Drive to finish the trail around Syracuse Lake. When the work is done, the trail loop will be about 4.5 miles long. The trail committee has received funds to do a study for a trail section down by the fish hatchery, and the grant to the Indiana Department of Transportation for the SR 13 section has been submitted.

Middlebury Electric has all but five of the light poles installed at the Harold Schrock Youth Athletic Complex. Work on a trail around the ball fields will begin at the end of the month. Work on the parking lot will also be done yet this week and the first ball games of the season will be played Saturday.

Jonsson told the board he hopes for work on the gazebo to begin in June.

Final details on an adult softball league are also being worked out.

The board also approved creating a non-reverting concession account for $5,000. Money from the concession stand at the ball park will be put into this account and used to pay for utility bills at the park.

(For a more in-depth account of the meeting, see today’s issue of The Mail-Journal.)