Syracuse Park Board signed limited use agreements with the Wawasee Youth League and Wawasee Pee Wee Football during its regular monthly meeting Monday night. The agreement gives the youth league and peewee football exclusive rights to use the Harold Schrock Youth Athletic Complex.

Dave VanLue, park board president, explained one reason for the agreements is a competing entity has expressed interest in using the ball diamonds.

As part of the agreement, Wawasee Kiwanis will staff the concession stands and prices will remain the same throughout youth league and peewee football seasons. Funds raised from concessions will be used to help pay utilities at the complex.

The complex is scheduled to be reseeded early this spring and is still on Middlebury Electric’s schedule for installing the light poles. Repairs to the parking lot are also scheduled.

The park department received a check from the insurance company for the damage caused by a storm Nov. 17. All contractors have the community center on their schedule with work to be done soon.

Sites are being selected for spring tree planting. Approximately 10 trees will be planted. There are quite a few tree removals yet to be done.

Arbor Day will be celebrated Friday, April 25. The site still has to be determined. The celebration will consist of two or three stations for local third-graders to attend such as planting a tree and worm composting. Jerry Riffle, tree board representative, said new material is being reviewed on tree identification and the value of a tree.

Jonsson reported work is scheduled to begin soon on completing the trail around Syracuse Lake. The trail committee will also be going before the county commissioners asking for assistance in a grant proposal to the Indiana Department of Transportation of the SR 13 segment.

The board approved a bid by BuyRite for $687.50 to fertilize the parks.

In the program report, Tyler McLead, program coordinator, told the board there are three weeks left in the adult basketball league. Approximately six women participated in the self-defense class and another one will be held soon.

The night Easter egg hunt for middle school students will be held after the middle school dance April 11. The town Easter egg hunt for children 10 and under will be held at 10:30 a.m. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1342 will host. Lunch will be served after the hunt.

Safety Day is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3. McLead said the set up will be similar to last year with several different agencies participating.

The Artisans and Farmers Market will open for the season from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10. A vendor meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 16.

McLead is also working on a canoeing program for this summer. Canoeing will be offered on select dates. Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation has agreed to loan its canoes and equipment to the park department. There is potential for a grant for this program in the future, but McLead told the board he wanted to see what the interest was first.

Kip Schumm, vice president, asked about the status of purchasing Rotary Park. Jonsson said the park foundation is working on it. He has spoken to Bob Smith, president of the Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Charitable Foundation, about the sale. They have time to come up with the funds for the purchase.