Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation Builds Up Projects
SYRACUSE — The Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation meeting was held Tuesday evening, March 28, in the Syracuse Community Center. The foundation reviewed updates of ongoing projects and looked forward to future projects for the parks department.
The foundation reviewed the finances, looking at the budget accounts and donations. Tax information has been turned in, even though nonprofit taxes don’t have to be turned in until May 15.
Trails updates covered the crossing at the Pickwick Drive and SR 13 have been approved by the state, which will begin within a month or so. The project has been funded fully by the K21 Health Foundation. This will create safer and easier crossing for pedestrians who have little visibility in traffic.
The community center gym has been having light issues with a few bulbs needing to be replaced. After speaking to a few different electricians, Park Superintendent Chad Jonsson thought it would be a good idea to put in LED lights, which will not require a changing of fixtures or rewiring. The LED light bulbs would be expensive along with the labor to put them in from a local electrician, but using the bulbs would be a cost savings move since the life expectancy of a bulb will be at least 20 years if not more.
Dr. Tom Edington recalled the Wawasee High School auxiliary gym had replaced some fixtures resulting in receiving a rebate from the electric company, which would be another benefit to changing the bulbs. The plan is to see how well the LED lights work in the gym before the possibility of replacing the rest of the lights within the community center. The foundation approved of Jonsson’s idea to provide up to $5,000 toward new bulbs in the gym.
One of the things the parks department has been trying to do in house or through donation is the fertilization for the Harold Schrock Athletic Complex. Jonsson’s goal is to get the fertilization and weed control on a schedule for three times a year. One property company quoted $1,250 per application, which can be taken from some money that has been set aside for the maintenance upkeep of the athletic complex. By putting the fertilization and weed control on a steady schedule, the improvement will be noticeable. The three applications would take place once in the summer, one early fall and one late fall. The foundation approved of the three fertilizations with the property company.
The next park foundation meeting will take place at the community center at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 25.