Kosciusko County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission approved a $30,000 grant Wednesday for an ADA kayak/canoe launch at Winona Lake Limitless Park.
Holly Hummitch, director of the Winona Lake Parks and Recreation Department and Senior Center, said the mission of Limitless Park is to implement and provide structures that go beyond ADA guidelines. She said the park has already gotten a start on that mission with the playground.
“However, we have in our master plan, there’s no barrier-free water access,” she said. “So that is what we have given in our proposal to you. It’s barrier-free water access that would include wheelchair access to the lake, with an addition to a wheelchair, waterwheels waterchair. The biggest part of that is the ADA kayak/canoe launch.”
Hummitch said they have partnered with the Kiwanis Club for the project.
Kiwanis President Jim Molebash said he saw a kayak launch in Michigan. He said it’s unique because it is something that even those who have fewer skills or are disabled in some way can use to launch their kayak or canoe with them in it.
When the Kiwanis Club was talking about what they wanted to do in regards to a project, Molebash mentioned the kayak launch and some of the members thought it was a good idea and suggested talking to the Parks Department. Molebash said not only did the Park Department want it, they had it in their master plan.
Kiwanis past president and Kosciusko County Councilwoman Joni Truex said the hope and dream of the club and Limitless Park is to bring people to the community, people who want to experience life on the lake but have no way of accessing it. The kayak/canoe launch will add to people’s ability to do that.
It will also bring people to the area and eat in area restaurants and stay in area hotels, she said.
Truex said she’s hoping to partner with KCCRVC to get the ball rolling. The club is hoping to hold additional fundraisers to raise additional money for the project. The club has already approved putting $10,000 toward the kayak/canoe launch.
Hummitch said the Park Department is looking at starting the construction project May 1 with a ribbon-cutting July 2.
Commission member Mark Skibowski said it looks like the project’s total cost is $63,000 and the Commission is being asked to contribute half. He said he walks the trails in the area and knows how much use they get. He didn’t want to be penny pinching, but he would like to see other contributions.
Truex said when the proposal was originally submitted, that was true. However, since the proposal was submitted, some additional grants are being looked into to provide funds to purchase kayaks, canoes and maintenance.
“We are going to apply for additional grants,” Truex said. She said they’re not asking for half of the cost, more like 30%.
Suzie Light said the Commission was probably looking at funding half the construction cost, but the project is expanding beyond that, thanks to the Kiwanis Club and Winona Lake Park Department.
Also, the Commission did approve $2,292.96 for the Syracuse-Wawasee Trails’ Tour des Lakes.
Ernlene Yentes, of Syracuse-Wawasee Trails, said the Tour des Lakes is a bicycle ride that goes through the hills and scenery around eight lakes in Kosciusko County. Between the lakes, participants can visit different downs. The bicycle rides have been in existence for about 12 years. It is a fundraiser for the Syracuse-Wawasee Trails.
She said riders can choose the distance they want to ride. She said 2021 was a record year with 454 registrations and 398 attendees. Ages ranged from 6 to 88.
The ride is set for July 16.
Yentes said a survey is done and one of the questions that was added this year was how far people traveled to the event. She said 7.2% traveled more than four hours, 30.1% traveled more than two hours, 24.1% was more than an hour, 13.3% was more than 30 minutes and 25.3% was less than 30 minutes. With people traveling, they’re also looking at accommodations.
For advertising for the event, Yentes said Syracuse-Wawasee Trails is targeting all the bicycle calendars. Last year, they did a post card, which they are continuing this year. Syracuse-Wawasee Trails had asked bike shops to put the post cards in their stores. The cards explains the event.
In other business, the Commission:
• Approved $2,000 for the Pierceton Chamber of Commerce to go across several grants they were requesting, which were: general advertising and advertising for its Vintage Motorcycle Show, Heirloom Tomato Festival, Heirloom Tomato Festival Art Show & 5K Walk/Run, Spring Event & Silent Auction, Heritage Gatherings Primitive Show, Pierceton Days Festival and Car & Truck Show. The Chamber had requested $4,000.
• Approved a $500 grant for Chautauqua Wawasee’s Patriot’s Day, An Encounter with Thomas Jefferson. It will be Jun 26 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Wawasee High School Auditorium, 1 Warrior Path, Syracuse.
• Approved a $500 grant for the Wawasee Oakwood Fine Arts Festival. It will be May 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oakwood Resort Park.
• Tabled a decision for two grants for Lake City Skiers: $7,703.2 for a motor purchase and $6,500 for a scorers building until Chuck McLaughlin can bring more information in regards to the grant.
• Approved the 2022 interlocal agreement amendment with the county. The KCCRVC will pay $500 annually for services by the county auditor.
