WL Council Approves Accessible Dock Purchase
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
WINONA LAKE — Winona Lake has approved purchasing a dock to help those with mobility issues enjoy the lake.
At its meeting on Tuesday, April 19, the Winona Lake Town Council approved purchasing the dock for $46,851.12 from EZ Dock of Mid-America at the request of the Winona Lake Parks Department.
No town money will be expended for the dock though, as it will be paid with grant money and donations. Winona Lake Limitless Park and the Kiwanis Club of Warsaw partnered to get the project completed at WLLP.
Winona Lake Park Board President Kristie Maiers explained more about the dock.
“(It) will come off the pier. Anybody with any type of disability will be able to be motored down into the canoe or kayak and they will be able to be launched out into the lake,” she said. “You will be able to enter and exit out of kayaks or canoes very easily.”
Maiers said a ribbon-cutting for the dock will be on Thursday, June 30.
WL activities
The council also heard an update on upcoming town events.
A Dine 2 Donate event benefitting WLLP is set for Thursday, April 21, at Mad Anthony’s in Warsaw. People should present a form which may be found on the Town of Winona Lake’s Facebook page to their server to have 15% of the proceeds from their bills donated to WLLP. It’s for dine-in only all-day Thursday.
The Winona Lake Fire Department is having bingo at the Syracuse Knights of Columbus at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23. Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach said doors should open at 5 p.m.
Allebach also noted the Fat & Skinny Tire Fest is set for Friday, May 20, to Sunday, May 22.
The Village at Winona Managing Director Nick Hauck talked more about the event. He noted the full schedule for it may be found at fatandskinnytirefest.com.
“We are in need of volunteers still, so there is a volunteer tab on the website that you can go and sign up on,” he said. “It has all the hours and all the time slots available for volunteering for the entire weekend.”
“I think we’re about 40% filled of our 270 or 280 positions needed,” he added.
He also said Bike to Work Day is on that Friday, May 20.
“We actually start the festival at 7 o’clock at Light Rail (Cafe and Roaster) that morning for Bike to Work Day,” said Hauck. “So anybody who is riding their bike to work that day, can swing by Light Rail, get some free coffee, get a free — I think they do oatmeal bars or something.”
He also said a trail workday is planned for Saturday, April 23.
“So if anybody ever uses the trails, we would love to have you come out and help us maintain those trails,” he said. “We’re going to meet at 8:30 a.m. at the KCV barn, which is just on the curve inside the greenway towards the Boys City side parking lot.”
In other business, the council:
- Heard from Allebach that the town will be switching its online payment system from PayGov to Invoice Cloud. He noted PayGov is “a fairly antiquated system” and the new system “will allow more flexibility in payments” and “better accountability.” The town is to provide more information on it to residents before the actual switch is made.
- Heard Winona Lake Town Council President Rick Swaim read a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month in town. Representatives from Kosciusko County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) were present for it. To learn more about CASA, people may visit casachildren.com.
The council’s next meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at Winona Lake Town Hall.