By HOLLY GASKILL
It’s been another great summer for the Bluffton Parks Department — and as a capstone, the Department of Natural Resources has recently awarded them a $33,600 Lake and River Enhancement grant.
The grant will fund a study on how to prevent erosion and protect the natural assets of the River Greenway. In the coming weeks, Parks Department Superintendent Brandy Fiechter will begin getting the project ready for bids.
Fiechter also informed the board that the National Guard had expressed interest in adopting the River Greenway for ongoing clean-up efforts. They planned to arrive for their first clean-up Friday, Aug. 5 at 7 a.m. and planned to work through the morning.
With the summer’s events wrapping up, the board viewed attendance totals, with many events growing in participation from previous years. Notably, their concert series has drawn several hundred community members, even during inclement weather.
While pleased by the turnout, the board also discussed the recent rise in juvenile problems in the parks. The standard protocol has been to bring juveniles into public meetings to speak with the board and discuss the repercussions.
Board member Susan Campbell said she wanted the board to begin thinking about other possible protocols given occasions with more than one juvenile and their families at meetings. She said she didn’t want any contention or gossip between families or members of the public. Campbell also said she wished there were clearer prescriptions for issuing park bans or community service.
The board agreed to discuss these items in the future. All board members were present for the meeting.
Other updates were:
The Roush Park playground received new mulch put in by 18 volunteers. The park also received two new benches.
The bear carving on Greenway recently split in half. Fiechter sent the sculpture to the artist, who agreed to make a new one given the previous’ recent construction.
holly@news-banner.com
