By Patrick Webb
InkFreeNews

SILVER LAKE — Silver Lake has a new park, along with new additions to Rambler Park and Memory Park.

According to Silver Lake Clerk-Treasurer Tonya Conley, funding for the new park came from the K21 Health Foundation.

“K21 had set aside $200,000 for small towns, to do something for the community that we didn’t have the money to do,” said Conley.

The new park was built on a property that Silver Lake acquired following the demolition of two buildings, using grants from Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Conley said. She said the idea for a park came because children in the lake area have to cross SR 14 and SR 15 to access Rambler Park on High Street.

“For their safety we thought we could do a park on one of those properties,” said Conley.

According to a K21 press release, the new park’s sidewalks are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. The park includes a custom boat structure.

Another activity at the new park is a gaga ball pit. According to the Gaga Center in New York City, gaga ball is a variant of dodgeball. Players attempt to strike each other with the ball below the knee.

Conley said the city added the gaga ball pit due to the game’s popularity and to give kids something to do, such as how Rambler Park has a basketball court and baseball field. Community members will need to bring their own ball to play gaga ball at the new park.

Rambler Park Additions

In addition to a new park, new amenities were added to Rambler Park, with funds from the K21 Health Foundation and funds the town provided. A fenced-in toddler area was added, which Conley will make it easier for parents to observe their children. 

A new pavilion and cornhole area for older kids and adults were also added, Conley said.

Rambler Legacy In Park Names

Community members were asked to vote on the name for the new park. Conley said she announced on Silver Lake’s Facebook page that the council was open to suggestions for names.

“We had tons of people give their ideas for names,” said Conley. “I took all of those names, made it into a spreadsheet for the council and asked them to choose.” 

Rambler Island, Rambler Cove and Nemo’s Shipwreck were chosen for a public vote. Two of the names, Rambler Island and Rambler Cove, share a connection to Silver Lake’s history. 

According to Conley, the Silver Lake High School had the nickname of the Ramblers.

The Silver Lake High School’s last graduating class was in 1966 and was last used as an elementary school in 2005. It was torn down in 2022, due to a lack of accessibility. Items from the school in a 1930 memory box will be put on display in a community center being planned.

Conley said the community center’s location has not been determined, but may be built on part of the original high school’s parcel.

Rambler Park, which sits next to where the school stood, was named by former council member Gail Owens.

“That name (Rambler) has stuck there. So to continue the name, the two council members that chose the (names with Rambler), wanted it to be cohesive through the town,” said Conley.

At present, Conley said Rambler Island has received the most votes on Facebook. She will collect a final tally Friday, March 29, to order signs for the park.

Conley said the park is currently open to the public. She hopes to have an open house in April or May to celebrate the opening. The park will be refreshed for the open house, Conley added, and refreshments will be served while children will have time to play.

“We want to thank K21 because without them (the new park and Rambler Park additions) would not have happened,” Conley said. “If we didn’t have the community foundation that we were able to go to, a lot of the smaller communities wouldn’t have what we have. We’re very grateful to them and appreciate them.”

Conley said she will make an announcement closer to the day of the open house.

Skip Mumford Memorial Plaque

An additional change is coming to Memory Park. Conley said that a plaque will be added to honor Skip Mumford, a longtime Silver Lake resident who died Jan. 20.

Mumford attended the last graduating class from the Silver Lake High School in 1966. He served in the US Marines during the Vietnam War.

“Skip worked with me, it was actually his idea, and he went with me to every appointment we had, to build a veteran’s memorial stone in Memory Park,” said Conley. “To honor Skip, for his dedication to that project, we decided that it would be the greatest way to honor him for what he did for our veterans.”

Conley said the plaque has been ordered using city funds and is waiting on consistent warm weather before it will be added.