Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
In their first meeting of 1999, the Warsaw Park Board welcomed a new member and approved the continuation of two summer programs for the up-coming year.
Cathy Folk was introduced as the new Warsaw school board representative. Folk replaces Tammy Dalton.
The board approved a request by the Warsaw T-Ball Baseball program for funding and the provision of some bleachers being used from the department's Marsh fields.
League president Scott Long said the funds would be used for uniforms and equipment.
"We'd use the $2,500 for shirts, hats and equipment," Long said. "We'd also request that if the bleachers aren't being used at the Marsh fields, where the girls softball league used to play, that we can have those."
The requests were unanimously approved by the board. Board member Paul Siebenmorgen also praised Long for his 16 years of handling the youth league. The T-Ball league serves 5- and 6-year-olds and a "coaches' pitch" league for 7- and 8-year-olds.
"We should all just thank Scott for running such a quality program for so many years," he said.
The board also approved an agreement with the Kosciusko Community YMCA to provide summer programs between June 16 and August 4.
The YMCA will operate the summer day camp/child care program at Lucerne Park. It will also assist with the Kidfest program at Center Lake Park on Wednesdays.
In return for the assistance, the YMCA will receive $5,000 and free use of the parks.
In other business, the board approved a request by Warsaw Biblical Gardens to install a water line across park property from the gardens to Center Lake, and the construction of a small pump enclosure in the lake. The purpose of the request is to provide irrigation for the gardens plants.
"We hope to save both money and plant stress by drawing water from the lake, rather than drawing our irrigation water from the city water mains," said Paul Heimbach, curator for the gardens. "We also hope that the lowered chemical content of the water will create a 'kinder' climate for our plant species, in which heavy stress from the chemical constituents of the current water system worsens each year."
He added that Biblical Gardens personnel will be responsible for all clean-up and maintenance of the water line, and will ensure the trench dug for the water line will be reseeded.
Finally, the board elected its 1999 officers. Don Clemens will again serve as board president, and John Sadler will serves as vice president. Other board members include Bob Richmond, Toby Sumpter, Paul Siebenmorgen and Cathy Folk.
