Warsaw Park Board Tuesday approved renaming Funk Park.
The park is at the intersection of North Lake and Perry streets.
Ken Locke, community ministries director for the Salvation Army, suggested the park be renamed Funk Lincoln Highway Park. Locke serves as president of the local chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association.
"I think renaming the park that is located along the Lincoln Highway will highlight the park's unique landmark," Locke said.
In 1928, local Boy Scouts set a Lincoln Highway marker in Funk Park in recognition of Warsaw being located along the 3,300 miles of America's first coast-to-coast roadway in the United States, reaching from New York to San Francisco.
A proposal was made to the Warsaw City Council in 1928 that the city purchase the remainder of a triangle of property on Lake Street where Union Street meets Lake Street for a park, according to a book highlighting Warsaw titled "A History of the City of Warsaw, Indiana, Preserving the Past for the Future."
Locke said the highway will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2009 when a conference is scheduled and members of the association will visit Warsaw.
The route stretched through Kosciusko County in the mid-1920s when it was changed to the national highway system. The highway stretches through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
The park board also continued discussion on renaming three buildings the Warsaw Park Department owns.
The board previously discussed at its Sept. 18 meeting considering renaming the Micker Building, 420 Little League Drive; the Firemen's Building at Pike Lake behind the campgrounds; and Central Park Plaza.
The board has been seeking public input from the community on suggested names for renaming the buildings. The department received 11 suggestions from seven Warsaw residents and suggestions from Locke since the Sept. 18 meeting.
Park Board member Steve Haines suggested the park board rename the Micker Building that was purchased by the city and parks department in July, but said he wasn't sure if it was necessary to rename the other two buildings.
"I think we are getting carried away by renaming the Firemen's Building and Central Park Plaza," Haines said.
Park Board President Bill Baldwin suggested the board review the suggestions that have been submitted and discuss names at its next meeting.
The board also reviewed a letter submitted to Park Superintendent Jon Garber from unidentified seasonal residents of Pike Lake Campground.
The letter was regarding the residents request for the camping season at the campground be changed to April 1 through Oct. 31. Garber said the campground currently opens April 15 and closes Oct. 1.
The letter states many campgrounds are open through October, and the residents wish to have the camping season at the campground extended next year.
Garber said he will discuss with the seasonal residents extending the camping season at the campground until Oct. 15.
Garber also informed park board members that candidates running for the November election are not allowed to post signs on park board property.
Parks Department activities director Janelle Wilson gave a report of the park department's summer activities.
Survey evaluations for the summer concerts in the park were completed by 791 people.
From the 791 responses, 447 of the responses reported the concerts were excellent.
People who took the survey were from Michigan, Florida, Ohio and Kosciusko County.
The park department's children's program report for the summer also was reviewed.
