Administrative Assistant Suzanne Stokes, right, is the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department’s Team Member of the Month for May 2023. Stokes is shown with Larry Plummer, parks superintendent, on the left. Photo provided by Warsaw Parks Department.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — Dates and times for a number of upcoming activities and events were mentioned during the 15-minute meeting of the Warsaw Parks Board Tuesday, May 16.

Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer said the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new maintenance facility and parks office will be 10 a.m. today, Wednesday, May 17. Then from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, he and Maintenance Director Shaun Gardner will host an open house to give the public an opportunity to tour through the facility.

“It’s a beautiful building and we’re excited to be in it and we look forward to getting our maintenance staff in there after the ribbon-cutting and all that. That will be a process that will take probably a couple months to get everything moved and right, but we want to do it right,” Plummer said.

He also provided the board with an update on the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion renovation project, including that the roofing and signage will start in the next few weeks. The signage will go up in about six weeks. The Zimmer Biomet Foundation provided a grant of $2.5 million toward the pavilion’s renovation costs, and with that grant came naming rights.

There were some delays in getting the Indiana American Water hooked up at the pavilion due to the design of the water meter, Plummer said, and there’s been a delay with NIPSCO because of the moving of the meter base for them.

Plummer said it’s still anticipated that the last working day for the contractors will be Aug. 17, with cleaning and training to follow.

“You can see it’s moving right along,” he said. “It’s looking impressive.”

In his maintenance report, Gardner reported Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy cadet Elizabeth Heckaman and her KYLA Project Proud team reached out to him a while back about their tree-planting project. They were able to get 40 tree saplings and wanted to be able to plant them somewhere.

Gardner met with them a couple weekends ago and the saplings were planted in the Parks Department’s back 40 storage area near Pike Lake and the trail. Most of the saplings are about a foot tall, he said, and he hopes they can grow them to a little more mature trees so they can be relocated in the parks. They’re a variety of native trees.

Councilwoman Diane Quance asked if they had any deer protection. Gardner said a little, but as small as they are, he would be happy if half of them survived.

On Rarick Park, Gardner said they are down to their very last play structure to install as everything else is installed. Engineered wood fiber is scheduled to be delivered June 6-8. A small section of sidewalk will be finished up after that.

On Tuesday, he said about 40 volunteers from Zimmer Biomet wanted to donate four trees at Rarick Park. They provided some red sunset maples and planted them along the roadway of Washington Street.

“It turned out really nice,” Gardner stated. Eventually, he said they hope to have a sidewalk along the roadway there as well. “It should turn into a nice little park over there.”

Plummer reported AkzoNobel planted a tree for Arbor Day again this year out at Pike Lake, and Juergen Voss also donated one so now there’s three trees planted out at Pike Lake.

Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer reported the Mommy & Son Dance was Friday night and there were 100 participants. It turned out really well, she said, and they plan to have another one in 2024.

Mantis Skate Park opens Saturday at 10 a.m. New rails were installed at the park by the maintenance team and she was really happy with it.

“Everyone’s really excited for opening day,” she said, after noting longtime skaters at the park were taking pictures of the new rails.

There will be some volunteers out at Mantis Skate Park Saturday for opening day. Andrea Miller, a Warsaw Area Career Center teacher, and her class called “Gone Boardin’,” made 50 small decks that the kids will be able to come out and decorate.  They will be able to keep and take home the decks.

“We will have food and prizes, so a lot of fun things going on from noon to 4 p.m.,” Schaefer said.

Monday, the BMX bike hours will begin at Mantis. They are 4 to 6 p.m. Monday and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

“When we get to the summer skate park hours, they will also be allowed out there from noon to 2 on Fridays,” she said.

On May 26 at 7 p.m., the first concert will be held at Central Park.

The last thing on the agenda was Plummer recognizing Administrative Assistant Suzanne Stokes as the Team Member of the Month.

“Suzanne has been an invaluable asset to our team. Always going above and beyond in her work” and helps make sure that everything runs smoothly, he said.

Her organizational skills, attention to detail and positive attitude “have been instrumental in our team’s success,” he said.