by Rebecca Tescher Robison
HUNTLEY — Barkemeyer Park cleanup is this Saturday, April 28 and will be
held in conjunction with the I-94 highway cleanup organized by Ryan Roen.
The “Roen Group” will gather in the Huntley park on Saturday morning but Park Administrator Steve Erb said cleanup work at the park also needs to be done.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Huntley Community Club on Monday,
April 23, 2018, Erb reviewed several projects to do this Saturday. He said Lonnie Larsen will bring a box scraper to pull dirt off the grass left by plowed snow. He also said the old bathroom on the west side of the park needs to be torn down and removed.
Pete Robison said he would bring his backhoe and fill the hole. Erb said they’d also like to paint the park sign pole.
Erb asked the 11 people in attendance to consider and discuss a fundraiser other than an annual park auction, held each summer the third week in June. Erb said for several years he has taken a week’s vacation to gather donations and organize the fundraising auction.
A suggestion was made to draft a letter asking local and regional companies,
corporations and foundations for grants and donations for the park upkeep.
Erb said he hopes that could replace the park auction, which brings in about $10,000 a year. These funds are used to buy and maintain two mowers, water pumps, and an irrigation system and for fuel, wages, taxes and insurance.
The group agreed the auction must continue this year and donations would
be sought by several people.
Vice president Eric Jore said this is the year to coordinate a plan to get
more volunteers to gather donations. The group will use Google Drive to keep track of donations received.
The group also discussed getting donations early so they could be posted to an online auction ahead of this year’s sale. Park auctioneer Reno Babcock, who suggested the idea to a board member Shantel Oblander, will be contacted to iron out details.
Barkemeyer Park is very busy in the summer months with several sports
teams practicing, weddings, church and other events and family gatherings.
Erb said one day last summer, five sports teams were practicing at one time.
A second bathroom is likely to be built this spring, this one on the west side of the park. The stools, pipe and other items have been purchased, but flatwork and cement walls need to be done. The building will have two restrooms and a storage area in between.
Josh Ketterling said he’s working with local contractors to get it finished soon. Total cost of the bathroom is expected to be about $16,000, Erb said.
Additionally, he said the park receives money from several sources, including sign rental, donations, and memorial money. Last year’s memorials were received in memory of Jim Pope, Greg Trautman, Renae Stene, Ron Stene and Jeanne Cleveland.
The park also sells posts with memorial plaques on them.
At the meeting, a donation box installed in the park was discussed.
Dave Anderson, a Huntley fireworks stand owner, said he would put on a fireworks show in the park on July 5, at no cost, if the committee would agree and pay the rider policy on his insurance. Discussion included the unknown liability to the park should someone other than Anderson bring fireworks. The idea was tabled until Erb could talk with the park’s insurance provider.
In other business, the board agreed to allow the Shepherd Community Club to install a book exchange box. The Erbs will give the club an exact location to avoid cutting underground lines.
A tetherball and a seasaw/teeter-totter are still in the plans for installation. Erb said, an individual has expressed interest in investing in a memorial and will probably buy the tetherball.
The board offered to a raise the salary for Stacy and Steve Erb for mowing, watering, general overseeing of the park. Steve said they appreciated the “raise” and for the most part enjoyed the job, except when indescribable messes are made in the restrooms.
The board discussed spraying thistle in the grass, noting Westchem has agreed to provide the herbicide to kill the weed.
All current officers were elected to the board, retaining Steve Erb as
President, Eric Jore as vice president, and Shantel Oblander and Andrea
Drinkwalter re-elected as board members. Brad Ketterling, Rodney Erb and Susan Johnson are also board members. Delmer Burchett is secretary-treasurer.
