Cassopolis Village Council voted 6-0 at a special noon meeting Friday to name the park at 118 W. State St. “Ronald Bass Memorial Park.”
Bass, 50, died suddenly of natural causes after the April 9 council meeting.
Bass provided 21 years of service to Cassopolis, most recently as department of public works superintendent.
According to the dedication resolution council adopted, “on behalf of the Village of Cassopolis, (we) recognize the dedication, devotion and fortitude Ron showed in providing service to the village, community and school system … we embrace Ronald’s family to show our support and love. In the loss of our beloved DPW superintendent, we will forever have a memory that will be with us for the rest of our lives. Though we cannot replace Ron, we will continue to show our love and respect for him” by naming the park at the northeast corner of Disbrow and State streets a block west of the 1899 courthouse where Virginia Hardy’s Oven bakery had been.
“Ronald Bass Memorial Park will be a place of peace and serenity and a place of solace for healing of our community due to our great loss of such a wonderful human being,” according to the resolution.
A bench and memorial marker will be placed in the park.
Village Manager Meg Cluckey said Cassopolis Code Sec. 2-83, subsection three, gives her authority to oversee daily operations, supervision and direction of staff in all departments, including the police department, DPW and fire department.
The police chief, street commissioner and fire chief “shall be subject to the direction of the village manager,” it states.
Cluckey also said the state Department of Environmental Quality allowed a few weeks “grace” to obtain quotes from Dowagiac, Edwardsburg and Bass’s predecessor, Dan Bates, for licensed testing and to find an OIC (officer in charge) to check wells.