Pickleball, healthier park ponds, new hires at the Centralia Recreation Center and the Centralia Community Golf Course were among items discussed during the August 20 meeting of the Centralia Park Board.
During the meeting board members unanimously voted to participate in the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Community Assistance Program to help maintain the Park Department’s North Pond at the City Recreation Park and the Centralia Community Golf Course irrigation lake.
According to a MDC news release: “MDC’s CAP program provides close-to-home fishing opportunities in communities throughout the state of Missouri. Through this program, MDC enters into typically 25-year agreements with cities, counties, state and federal agencies, businesses, foundations, schools, and colleges to provide fisheries management at existing lakes and ponds. It also serves to cooperatively develop facilities for anglers and boaters at lake and stream areas.”
In another move to enhance the city’s parks, board members learned from Erle Bennett, director of the city park department the city will receive 65 free trees from the Forrest Re-Leaf program this October.
Bennett also announced he had applied for an MDOC grant to building a walking and biking trail at the City Recreation Park.
Per the minutes, he said the trail’s estimated cost is $44,963. The grant will cover 50 percent.
The department is also applying for a grant to remove and replace trees damaged by Emerald Ash Borers. Additionally, Bennett said, 43 trees were planted on the course during August.
In another park-related move, they voted start the building of a city pickleball court by removing the carpet from the City Recreation Park’s tennis courts and replace it with pavement, at a cost of approximately $25,000
Pictured here are 30 of the tournament’s 40 players with Tammy Chitwood, Rhonda Hatton, Tori Holt and Karen Timpe are all kneeling in the front of the group.
In a related discussion, they discussed the Aug 25 pickleball tournament held to be held at the Recreation Center and Centralia Intermediate School. One of the organizers, Rhonda Hatton, said 20 teams, 40 participants, competed in the tournament. The event raised $640 for the pickleball court project, after expenses.
Board members approved several new hires for the department.
For the complete article, see this week’s edition of the Centralia Fireside Guard.
COMPETITIVE LEAGUE WINNERS
From the left: Karen Lineman & Sharon Ginsberg (2nd), John James & Tori Holt (1st), Ben Holt & Jerry Kelley (3rd)
