You has big plans for county park and lake
Staff reporter
Marion County Commission will consider providing funds for improvements at Marion County Park and Lake.
Thirteen-year-old Landon Leiker, a Marion Middle School eighth grader, presented a Powerpoint presentation to the commission Monday about plans to restore and preserve historical markers and buildings at the lake.
The total cost was estimated at $44,600.
The improvements would include concrete table tops, wooden benches, tuck pointing of dam, repair and rebuild existing stone structures and retaining walls, and re-roof buildings using wood shingles.
Leiker also said he would like to include appropriations for a baseball field. His ultimate dream would be to have a nine-hole golf course.
Leiker based these improvements on research he had conducted regarding the original layout and design of the lake.
Croquet, horseshoes, a baseball field, tennis court, and a nine-hole golf course once were available at the lake.
Leiker and a group of volunteers have developed checkerboard and shuffleboard areas, and purchased a net for a tennis court. Leiker has found a company that provides equipment for a game called roque which is similar to croquet.
He pointed out that one-third of the historical monuments have been destroyed or removed and he didn't want to see any more disappear.
A Heritage Trust Fund Grant could be a possibility for the project but the county already has an application pending for improvements at the courthouse. County clerk Carol Maggard will check with grant personnel regarding the effect a second application will have.
Landon said he attended a grant workshop and was told a lake grant would have a good chance of being funded because it was different from other Heritage Trust Fund grants.
Commission chairman Dan Holub said the county would assist with the project even if a grant was not feasible.
A tour of the historical sites at the lake will be provided at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
