July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

DNR OK's park bridge (3/9/05)

Foot bridge will cross over Salamonie east of Wayne Street

By By Rachelle Haughn-

The Portland Park Board got some good news Tuesday evening regarding plans for the Hudson Family Park.

Portland Street and Park Department superintendent Jeff Harker reported that the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has issued a permit for a walking bridge to be installed across the Salamonie River. The bridge will connect Weiler-Wilson and Hudson Family parks.

Plans call for an iron bridge currently located in Knox Township to be disassembled, repaired, then put back together. Board members learned in December 2003 that a $339,200 Indiana Department of Transportation enhancement grant had been awarded for the bridge repairs and relocation. Work on the bridge is expected to begin in about a year.

The more than 34-acre park will be located southeast of Weiler-Wilson Park. The cost to develop the park has been estimated at $3.4 million.

The park board also accepted a donation of a sign for the park. Portland resident Ron Cole recently offered to donate a six-foot by five-and-a-half-foot sign.

Board president Neil Medler said it would be used somewhere in the park and could be converted to a two-sided sign. Such a sign could have cost more than $700, he said.

In other business, Harker updated the board on the status of damage to city parks caused by the Jan. 5 ice storm.

Harker said the roof of the Weiler-Wilson Park concession stand was damaged when a tree limb fell on it. Portland resident and contractor Gary Bone repaired the two holes in the roof for free, he said.

The fence surrounding the kiddie play area at Haynes Park also sustained damage when a tree limb fell on it. Gabbard Fencing of Ridgeville repaired the chain link fence this week at a cost of about $535, Harker said.

Street and park department assistant superintendent Randy Mann said this morning this project was a budgeted expense. He didn’t know if Harker had applied for reimbursement for the repairs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Also Tuesday, the board:

•Heard Mann report that work on the restrooms at Haynes Park would be completed in about a week and a half, weather permitting.

Aker-Taylor Plumbing and Heating of Portland is remodeling the restroom facilities to make them handicapped accessible. The project involves replacing the plumbing, building new walls and installing new stalls.

Mann said the remodeling began in early January. The project, which also was a budgeted expense, is estimated to cost about $5,500. He won’t know the final price until the work is completed, he said.

•Voted to rehire Jennifer Rathbun as the Portland Pool manager.

Before the board made its decision, Medler said Rathbun did an outstanding job as manager last year. She works well with the public, and she re-opened a concession stand at the pool last year, which turned a $1,000 profit, Medler said.[[In-content Ad]]
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