Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
BLUFF VALLEY Park, seen here on Friday morning, might soon receive a facelift. The city has applied for grant funding to replace and or refurbish several areas of the park and put in new landscaping.
By CHARITY SMITH
Bessemer - Bessemer's Bluff Valley Park may soon have a facelift. City Manager Charly Loper announced during the monthly Recreation Committee meeting that she applied for a $100,000 grant from Kubota Tractor Corporation, of Grapevine, Texas, to update the park.
According to Loper the company is offering five $100,000 grants and one of the recipients will be given an additional $100,000. She said the company is also offering some "smaller" things as well such as loaning out equipment.
If the city is awarded the grant, Loper said they will be replacing the bridge at the park, repainting the sign, and doing a lot of landscaping. "Just making the park look more inviting and welcoming," she said.
"I don't know what our chances of getting it are ... but it's worth it to put our hat in the race and see how it goes," said Loper. "It's just a crapshoot. I don't know what they're looking for really, but fingers crossed."
The application had to be submitted by April 15 and she said it looks like the company plans to turn it around within a month or so.
"We could use it," said committee chair Cheryl Olsen.
Loper announced that North Country Welding is donating the materials along with their time to build and assemble the bases for the little libraries the city plans to place around town. Committee member Trevor Jackovich said that company plans to have the bases ready when the weather improves. City officials hope to have the four little libraries in place this summer, including at Bluff Valley Park and in Yale Location.
The committee tabled purchasing lumber for a gaga ball pit to be built in the park. The dodgeball-type game is played inside an area defined by a low octagon-shaped wall. Original plans to build the wall were sidelined by COVID and postponed again in 2021 because of the high cost of lumber.
"I check every day. Lumber has been going down," said Jackovich. "The prices last year as it went further into summer, the prices continued to drop. I'm hopeful that that trend continues."
Member Rob Coleman said they would be better off to hold off purchasing the lumber until they are ready to build the pit. The committee decided to table the purchase until the next meeting at 5:30 p.m. on May 5 at Bluff Valley Park.
The recreation committee also:
-Heard that they will receive a larger than usual budget this year of $12,000 and if that amount of money is not used the differential will be added to their budget for the following year.
-Signed the volunteer policies and procedures agreement.
-Assisted with compiling a list of organizations and individuals who helped to contribute to the Iron Belle trailhead project, planned for south of City Hall.
