Much progress seen on park work

Work on Hudson Family Park is progressing.
Members of the Portland Park Board were updated Tuesday on the progress of the park.
Street and park department superintendent Jeff Harker said a roof has been added to the amphitheater and towers for lighting and sound equipment have been erected.
Playground equipment is being installed, and a handicap-accessible ramp has been connected to the playground area.
Paved trails have been added around the pond and in other areas of the park, along with a new restroom/concession stand/ticket booth.
“I think they’re pretty much on track,” Harker said of the construction crews. Work should be completed by late this month or early November, he said.
A grand opening ceremony will be held in the spring.
Park board member Sharon Bubp said she recently walked through the park and checked out the progress of the project. “I just have to say, wow. It’s more spectacular than I could have imagined.”
Muhlenkamp Building Corp., Celina, Ohio, is doing the construction at a cost of $1,345,800.In a related matter, board members were updated on plans for a local organization to build a gazebo at the park.
Lori DeRome of Tri Kappa Sorority said her organization hopes to build a 24-foot by 24-foot gazebo in an area located north of the roundabout at the park’s entrance off Wayne Street.
She said the group hasn’t decided the color of the gazebo, but would like to have a glass mosaic design in the center of the floor. The gazebo would be handicap-accessible, she said, and would be available for weddings and other events.
After reviewing drawings of how the gazebo might look, park board president Neil Medler said, “That’s beautiful. That would kind of put the icing on the cake.”
DeRome said the group hopes to begin construction in the spring and asked if the groundwork could be done ahead of time.
Harker said it would be best for the groundwork for the gazebo to be done in the spring.
In other business Tuesday, board members learned that attendance, money collected, concession sales, pool rentals and general admission money collected all were higher this summer than in 2009.
Harker said most of the increases were likely due to the higher temperatures this year, compared to the summer of 2009.
Total attendance this year was 8,238, compared to 7,046 in 2009. Also, total revenue collected was $26,636.97, compared to $23,525.34 in 2009.[[In-content Ad]]