By HOLLY GASKILL
The Bluffton Parks Department recently received a $100,000 grant to help preserve the banks of the Rivergreenway.
On Thursday, Parks Superintendent Brandy Fiechter announced the department had received a Lake and River Enhancement grant from the Department of Natural Resources. She had applied for the grant following a study, also funded through a LARE grant, that found several areas of the Rivergreenway in severe need of bank stabilization.
Representatives from Stantec, the engineering firm for the study, reported the Wabash River could erode the bank and collapse the sidewalk in these areas within several years, especially if there was flooding.
During a park board meeting Thursday, Fiechter said she would begin exploring the bidding process for the project after she returned from vacation in two weeks. The study estimated targeting the three areas of high need would cost around $140,000 for stabilization.
The board members were thrilled by the announcement and progress in preserving riverbanks.
“We don’t want Rick (McEvoy) and his dog to fall in,” joked fellow board member John Gerber.
The department also received a $4,374 grant from the Wells County Foundation to buy two new “funbrellas,” the oversized outdoor umbrellas at the parks. Fiechter said the department had 16 years of use out of some of their “funbrellas” with their faithful repairs. “They were expected to last maybe five years,” she said.
Fiechter also told the board that the parking lot at Lancaster Park has been completed. There are several final items needed for the pickleball court, but Fiechter cheered, “We’re in the home stretch, people!”
Meanwhile, there continues to be progress on the Interurban Trail — Fiechter stated that fine grading will be done soon, and paving will follow. The board also approved a change order for a spot of the trail by ITOWN Church, where the path was raised and a culvert added. A new shed at the pool, built by a local Scout, has also been finished.
Also during the meeting, the board approved the purchase of a newly fitted lawn mower for $19,781.91. The department will trade in a current mower for about $11,000. A transfer of $8,675 from the concessions budget toward an additional paving cost at Lancaster Park was also approved. The 2025 budget proposal was approved for review by the Bluffton Common Council.
As summer ends, Fiechter reported on attendance at various events and the Wells Community Pool. Notably, the department had its highest-ever attendance at a Kehoe Concert, with at least 1,350 at the Hotel California concert. Over 1,600 summer lunches were also served at Roush Park.
The total season attendance for the pool was 10,318, just shy of their total last year. However, Fiechter noted that several big-ticket days — like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day weekend — were rained out. “Had we had our holidays back, we would have had a really strong finish for the season,” she said.
holly@news-banner.com
