Mantis Skate Park opened for the season Tuesday night with nine new ramps, according to Warsaw Park Department Activities Director Janelle Wilson Tuesday at the park board meeting.
A Community Build Day was held Saturday to install the ramps. The park was scheduled to open Sunday, but work was cut short due to winter weather. The park is at 400 Little League Drive in Boggs Industrial Park.The department added nine new ramps to the skate park through a $50,000 grant from the Kosciusko County 21st Century Foundation and through the support from Warsaw, Wilson said.
The board approved a modification to the Mantis Skate Park calendar to meet state standards. The park will be open from April 17 through Sept. 30.
School hours are Tuesdays and Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
Summer hours will begin June 8 with hours Monday through Friday from 3 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
Park Superintendent Jon Garber presented a park board ordinance that prohibits people from erecting, painting or distributing any sign, advertisement or circulars on park property without receiving prior written permission from the park and recreation board.
Garber said this ordinance applies to candidates running in the May 8 primary. All polling sites for city offices for the primary will be at Center Lake Pavilion.
The Warsaw Park Board approved submitting a $90,000 contract to Micker Enterprises LLC to purchase property at 420 Little League Drive to hold its activities.
The board approved at its Jan. 16 meeting to purchase the property with the help of city funds.
The building is the former Fraternal Order of Police building in Boggs Industrial Park. The 2,400-square-foot facility is adjacent to Mantis Skate Park.
The facility will compliment the Baker Youth Club, and also serve special activities held at Mantis Skate Park, such as birthday parties, small group skate park rentals and meeting spaces for cake-decorating and flower-arranging classes, according to Wilson.
The facility also could house toddler programs and fine arts programs offered in the summer.
An agreement to allow the Warsaw Community Arts Center to use Central Park's circle walk, Kelly Park and Beyer Park for three of its activities was approved.
Derrick Haniford, executive director of Warsaw Community Arts Center, said activities will include a Family Sidewalk Chalk Art June 23, Build a Family Kite and Fly it at Kelly Park July 21, and Create a Natural Family Name Plate at Beyer Park July 28.
The board also approved a summer cooperative programming agreement between the Kosciusko Community YMCA and the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department.
The agreement includes the YMCA providing a summer day camp/child care program at Lucerne Park, promotion of Warsaw Parks and Recreation department on all Camp Little Eagle and YMCA Park Program materials, and providing staffing for the annual family carnival organized by the parks department.
The city will pay the YMCA $5,000 in two installments with the first payment by June 6 and the second payment by July 5. The YMCA will have use of Lucerne Park from May 25 to Aug. 19 at no charge.
The board also approved moving the park department's tennis lessons that are held at Warsaw Community High School tennis courts to the Racquet Club tennis courts. The high school's tennis courts are scheduled to be renovated this summer, Garber said.
Park Board members are Bill Baldwin, Tammy Dalton, Steve Haines, John Sadler and Toby Sumpter.
