A few Duneland residents cited a need to take care of a few muddy spots along the county’s nine-mile Calumet Trail during Tuesday’s Porter County Parks and Recreation board meeting.

Beverly Shores resident board member Jon Voelz, who is also a board member for the Beverly Shores Parks and Recreation, said the trail has been underwater for quite some time and would like the parks department to do something about it. He also said weeds have grown wildly along the path on both sides.

“There is a need for maintenance,” said Voelz.

Voelz said he would like to see the Calumet trail connect with the proposed Dunes-Kankakee Trail and possibly some of the trails and sites of the Beverly Shores Parks Department.

Longtime parks supporter Charlotte Read said she would like to see more bicyclists and hikers utilize the trail, believing it would be a safer alternative than to use the nearby U.S. 12 highway. However, she alerted the board that the since the area rests near wetlands, plenty of “wet spots” have sprung up with the recent rainy weather.

Read said a solution would be to pave the trail, but having that done would cost the county additional expense and said it would be better to “just live with” the trail as it is.

She also asked the board to consider putting up more signage along U.S. 12 to encourage bicyclists to use the trail.

A kickoff celebration for the Dunes-Kankakee trail is planned for Thursday.

Also on Tuesday, Parks Superintendent Walter Lenckos told the board he hopes to create two new positions on the park staff to fill the “gaps in the organization.”

Lenckos plans to do away with two open positions, a secretary and a horticulturist/park maintenance worker, and replace them with a director of communications and a full-time programmer.

Lenckos explained the positions will fill the department’s current needs of creating a “consistent image” and providing information to county residents. The programmer would be able design and implement technologies on the park department’s future webpage.

Both board members David Canright and Rebecca Tomerlin said they see the need for the new positions. Canright made the motion to accept Lencko’s proposal, believing the use of technology would attract more people to the parks and said these new positions would probably create more “bang for the buck.”

The board voted 5-0 on the motion. Lenckos said he plans to have the job descriptions posted sometime in the fall after the county council approves the changes.

Lenckos said the parks department has been able to match the number of summer camp attendees with that of last year. He credited Recreation Director Gayle O’Connor for making the extra push in raising attendance which has seen stronger numbers over the past two years.

County residents still have the opportunity to sign their children up for the July round of programs which all take place at Sunset Hill Farm.

Children ages 6-12 can be register for the Sunset Nature Rangers Camp (July 12-15), the Outdoor Adventure Living Camp (July 19-22), Adventure Campout for children ages 9-12 (July 23-24), and the Multi-Sport and Activities Camp (July 26-29).

Those interested in registering may contact the parks department office at 465-3586. The cost for each camp series is $55, except the Adventure Campout overnight which is $20.

In other business:

• Request for Proposal will be advertised for the master planning of Brookdale Park. The ad shall appear later this week and will be available in the county auditor’s office. Lenckos said he plans to accept proposals through Friday, July 23. Read’s husband, Herb Read, said he wishes to meet with Lenckos to give suggestions on what he would like to see in the RFP, putting more emphasis on the natural features of the park.

• Board attorney David Hollenbeck said he has contacted Bernie Michaels on the final contract of purchase to acquire his land in Liberty Township. The money to purchase the land will come through a County Economic Development Income Tax fund. The proposed Brookdale park will be built on the property. The county has acquired the land in segments since the purchase in 2007. Hollenbeck will ask the board to approve the contract at the next board meeting.

•The Porter County Parks Foundation announced it will need to have plans ready for the “Raise the Barn” project at Sunset Hill Farm by Oct. 1 or else money that has been donated would need to be given back. Board member Ruth Jarnecke said money for the project has been donated over a period of nine years.

Jarnecke mentioned they are changing the original plans from a two-story barn to single-story which would better suit conditions of the ground.

Posted 6/30/2010