By By NORMA LERNER / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – "It's a great park. We couldn't believe the color. We saw swans on the lake."
These are remarks from visitors at the Dr. T. K. Lawless Park that buzzed around the meeting Thursday night of the newly organized Cass County Parks and Recreation Board.
It was only the second meeting of the new board that met in the Charles Collins Conference Room at the Cass County Road Commission.
Board members were sworn into office by Cass County Clerk/Register Barbara Wilson.
First on the agenda was an announcement by Parks Director Scott Wyman, who is conducting an open house visioning session on the Lawless Park master plan.
The plan is being developed by architects, O'Boyle, Cowell, Blalock and Associates, who are looking to shape the future of the park with new ideas.
The public is urged to attend to look at the master plan at their leisure and to give their input. (see related story below)
Historical heritage, wildlife, natural resource preservation, programming, inter-generational activities, a nature center, a dog park, camping, hiking and biking trails are ideas that are being tossed out for discussion.
The day-long session will be held at the road commission office at 340 N. O'Keefe St. beginning at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m.
Lawless Park is located east and south of Vandalia on Monkey Run Street in Newberg Township.
Another popular park is slated for winter closing Nov. 1, Arthur Dodd Memorial Park in Pokagon Township, just south of Sumnerville.
Wyman suggested leaving it open all year because it is so pretty with the meandering Dowagiac Creek that goes through the park now that the meandering project is completed.
He said fishermen use the park anyway during the winter by going over the fence.
It would cost less than $2,000 to keep it open with plowing and other maintenance.
He said cross-country skiers use the park, too.
Wyman said he is working on doing resigning of the parks since they are all county parks now instead of county and/or road commission parks. He is also working on the preparation of the tubing hill for January and getting wood for the fireplace at the shelter at Lawless Park.
The board discussed a preliminary budget showing the county appropriation of $175,000 to the parks and recreation commission. County Administrator Terry Proctor explained the three main segments, the cost of a parks director at $89,100, office rental at $9,000 and equip mental rental at $5,000. He said the director's salary includes his wage, benefits, FICA, hospitalization, life insurance, retirement, worker's comp insurance, disability and dental insurance. Other services are truck rental, travel, training, printing, utilities and supplies. This allowance will be billed by the road commission every month, he said.
Proctor said the budget does not include park revenue from rental of shelters, revenue from dwellings at Lawless Park and Dodd Park, crop leases, sale of timber or escrows.
The budget will be reviewed as well as a set of bylaws presented by Wendy Walker-Dyes.
The commission meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at the road commission headquarters. The public is urged to attend. Next meeting is Dec. 11.[ok]