Posted on March 14, 2019
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Starke County Park Board has gotten $5,000 toward a planned Yellow River access point, but where exactly it will be built remains to be determined. Starke County Community Foundation Director of Development Jessica Martinovic presented the park board with a check during Tuesday’s meeting.
“One of our funds, the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund, the adviser of that fund, Chuck Hardesty, chose to give $5,000 to the Starke County Park Board for the canoe launch on the Yellow River, for that project,” Martinovic explained. “So he was really interested in that and wanted to support it.”
The project has been discussed for the past couple of years, but so far, hasn’t been able to move forward. The county has some land available at Range Road, but board member Rik Ritzler said it isn’t quite large enough for the proposed access point. “The area that’s the county property is too close to the bridge,” he explained. “You’d have to dig into the walls, the support of the bridge, and you don’t want to do that, obviously. So you’d have to get a little land.”
But County Attorney Marty Lucas said that so far, the neighboring landowner hasn’t been comfortable with the idea. “It’s a beautiful location,” Lucas said. “It’s really, basically, halfway between Wythogan Park and the point at the Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area, so it’s very logistically well-suited. Unfortunately, it’s a little small.”
A landowner in the Ober area had previously expressed interest in letting the county use a piece of land at State Road 23, as an alternative.
Showing posts with label Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. Show all posts
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Starke County EMS Department Obtains Grant Funds
Posted on February 12, 2019
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
The Starke County EMS Department has secured some additional grant funds. Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary updated the Starke County Commissioners about the funds received last week.
“The Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund gave us $8,200 and that’s going to go toward the purchase of 800 MHz radios,” explained Clary. “We’re hoping to get five. They’re about $1,700 apiece. We’re very thankful for that. We couldn’t have done that without the Community Foundation here in Starke County. They helped us quite a bit with that.”
This grant announcement comes on the heels of the Knox VFW Post #748 donation of $15,000 that will help the EMS Department acquire a second Lucas Device. The life-saving equipment delivers automated chest compressions at the recommended depth and rate with no pauses.
Clary said that he’s continuing to look locally for grant funding including a Firehouse Subs grant for an ambulance cot and a First Source Bank grant.
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
The Starke County EMS Department has secured some additional grant funds. Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary updated the Starke County Commissioners about the funds received last week.
“The Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund gave us $8,200 and that’s going to go toward the purchase of 800 MHz radios,” explained Clary. “We’re hoping to get five. They’re about $1,700 apiece. We’re very thankful for that. We couldn’t have done that without the Community Foundation here in Starke County. They helped us quite a bit with that.”
This grant announcement comes on the heels of the Knox VFW Post #748 donation of $15,000 that will help the EMS Department acquire a second Lucas Device. The life-saving equipment delivers automated chest compressions at the recommended depth and rate with no pauses.
Clary said that he’s continuing to look locally for grant funding including a Firehouse Subs grant for an ambulance cot and a First Source Bank grant.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Officials Cut Ribbon on Starke County Forest Upgrades
Posted on October 4, 2018
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
Starke County officials hope that recent upgrades to the County Forest will help attract new visitors. County Park Board members and Community Foundation representatives joined Forester Bruce Wakeland, Commissioner Kathy Norem, and several others Wednesday afternoon, to cut the ribbon on the forest’s upgraded access road.
This summer, the Starke County Highway Department upgraded the old access trail into a gravel road. It features a cul-de-sac for parking, with a native plant garden being developed in the middle.
County Attorney Marty Lucas explained that the bulk of the cost was covered by a grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. “The grant was $15,200, and the funds were also supplemented with additional money from the trust fund for the forest here that Bruce maintains by timber sale, so the property also supported some of it,” Lucas said. “And then I think the commissioners also provided some additional funds for the road installation.”
Starke County Park Board President Roger Chaffins credited Lucas for helping the park board get the grant. “Marty did 90 percent of the work on this on his own, and I’m proud of what he did and proud of what we’ve got here,” Chaffins said. “And it’s going to improve the park use, I hope, for everybody, so everybody knows where it’s at now.”
The forest entrance is located in the area of 10655 East Division Road, although the property extends a mile south to State Road 8. Forester Bruce Wakeland said that having the entrance on the smaller county road has a couple of advantages: the safety when it comes to getting in and out of the property and the proximity of the entrance to the forest’s major features, like the marsh and observation tower. He said the upgrade was a great feature that was really needed, noting that he was surprised at how quickly the original parking lot became overwhelmed.
Northern Indiana Community Foundation Executive Director Jay Albright echoed that sentiment. “This is so welcoming, compared to the way the drive and stuff went through before,” he said. Albright also encouraged anyone who hasn’t hiked through the County Forest to put that on their to-do list.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
Starke County officials hope that recent upgrades to the County Forest will help attract new visitors. County Park Board members and Community Foundation representatives joined Forester Bruce Wakeland, Commissioner Kathy Norem, and several others Wednesday afternoon, to cut the ribbon on the forest’s upgraded access road.
This summer, the Starke County Highway Department upgraded the old access trail into a gravel road. It features a cul-de-sac for parking, with a native plant garden being developed in the middle.
County Attorney Marty Lucas explained that the bulk of the cost was covered by a grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. “The grant was $15,200, and the funds were also supplemented with additional money from the trust fund for the forest here that Bruce maintains by timber sale, so the property also supported some of it,” Lucas said. “And then I think the commissioners also provided some additional funds for the road installation.”
Starke County Park Board President Roger Chaffins credited Lucas for helping the park board get the grant. “Marty did 90 percent of the work on this on his own, and I’m proud of what he did and proud of what we’ve got here,” Chaffins said. “And it’s going to improve the park use, I hope, for everybody, so everybody knows where it’s at now.”
The forest entrance is located in the area of 10655 East Division Road, although the property extends a mile south to State Road 8. Forester Bruce Wakeland said that having the entrance on the smaller county road has a couple of advantages: the safety when it comes to getting in and out of the property and the proximity of the entrance to the forest’s major features, like the marsh and observation tower. He said the upgrade was a great feature that was really needed, noting that he was surprised at how quickly the original parking lot became overwhelmed.
Northern Indiana Community Foundation Executive Director Jay Albright echoed that sentiment. “This is so welcoming, compared to the way the drive and stuff went through before,” he said. Albright also encouraged anyone who hasn’t hiked through the County Forest to put that on their to-do list.
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Starke County Commissioners Confirm Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Starke County Forest
Posted on September 22, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners this week confirmed the date and time for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Starke County Forest.
County officials and residents will be celebrating the recent upgrades at the Starke County Forest. The highway department recently upgraded the old access trail into a gravel road with a 10-to-12-car parking lot with funding from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. A native plant garden was also planted in the middle of the lot with money from the Forest Fund.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will be Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. at the Starke County Forest at 10655 East Division Road. All are invited to attend.
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners this week confirmed the date and time for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Starke County Forest.
County officials and residents will be celebrating the recent upgrades at the Starke County Forest. The highway department recently upgraded the old access trail into a gravel road with a 10-to-12-car parking lot with funding from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. A native plant garden was also planted in the middle of the lot with money from the Forest Fund.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will be Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. at the Starke County Forest at 10655 East Division Road. All are invited to attend.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Project Recognition Event to be Scheduled at Starke County Forest
Posted on August 28, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners passed along their support of having a celebration event for the newly finished upgrades at the Starke County Forest.
The Starke County Highway Department recently completed work to upgrade the old access trail into a gravel road with a parking lot at the site at 10655 E. Division Road in Knox.
Commissioner Kathy Norem said it would be nice to recognize the Starke County Park Board’s effort in making improvements at the Starke County Forest.
“We’ve got a major project that was finished by the park board with a nice grant from the Starke County Community Foundation,” commented Norem. “It’s one of their first big successes so I feel like we should have some kind of public welcoming ceremony, whether that be a ribbon cutting or a day where they come and tour the place. They could take some pictures and see the improvements that have been made. I’m thinking that if it was sometime around when the leaves change the weather would still be nice and they would have time to plan their festivities.”
The work was funded by a $15,000 grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund.
The commissioners approved a motion to make the offer to the park board to host the event. The commissioners will provide funding for refreshments.
The park board may discuss details during their next meeting in September.
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
The Starke County Commissioners passed along their support of having a celebration event for the newly finished upgrades at the Starke County Forest.
The Starke County Highway Department recently completed work to upgrade the old access trail into a gravel road with a parking lot at the site at 10655 E. Division Road in Knox.
Commissioner Kathy Norem said it would be nice to recognize the Starke County Park Board’s effort in making improvements at the Starke County Forest.
“We’ve got a major project that was finished by the park board with a nice grant from the Starke County Community Foundation,” commented Norem. “It’s one of their first big successes so I feel like we should have some kind of public welcoming ceremony, whether that be a ribbon cutting or a day where they come and tour the place. They could take some pictures and see the improvements that have been made. I’m thinking that if it was sometime around when the leaves change the weather would still be nice and they would have time to plan their festivities.”
The work was funded by a $15,000 grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund.
The commissioners approved a motion to make the offer to the park board to host the event. The commissioners will provide funding for refreshments.
The park board may discuss details during their next meeting in September.
Friday, August 17, 2018
Starke County Forest Access Road Upgrades Complete
Posted on August 16, 2018
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Starke County Forest’s new access road is now complete. The County Highway Department recently upgraded the old access trail into a gravel road with a 10-to-12-car parking lot. The work was funded by a $15,000 grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund.
Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the Starke County Park Board Tuesday that the cost of materials only ended up being a little over $7,000. He asked board members which of the project’s optional items they’d like to complete with the leftover money.
However, Board President Roger Chaffins said $7,000 will go to Bob Aloi with Territorial Engineering. Ritzler took issue with that amount. “He didn’t do the plans,” Ritzler said. “We told him. We outlined where it was supposed to be. We don’t him the depth of the thing. The only thing he was was the draftsman. If he charged $7,000 for that, that was a little too much.”
But Ritzler admitted that Aloi did handle the survey marks, and County Attorney Marty Lucas pointed out that the project had to go through the county’s zoning board. “That ended up being kind of time-consuming, I have to say. It took more of my time than I thought it was going to take, too,” Lucas said.
In spite of the engineering fee, the park board was able to include a few of the optional items. Board members agreed to add a $531 bike rack, as recommended by member Debbie Mix. “Because someone who’s going to walk the forest certainly would also be the same type of person that would be riding a bicycle there,” Mix said.
Other additional work will include more than $700 worth of signage in and around the forest, and a new gate to block access to the back of the forest, for just under $600. Since not all of that can be covered by the grant, the park board authorized up to $1,500 to be spent out of the dedicated forest fund. That money comes from the forest’s timber sales.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Starke County Forest’s new access road is now complete. The County Highway Department recently upgraded the old access trail into a gravel road with a 10-to-12-car parking lot. The work was funded by a $15,000 grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund.
Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the Starke County Park Board Tuesday that the cost of materials only ended up being a little over $7,000. He asked board members which of the project’s optional items they’d like to complete with the leftover money.
However, Board President Roger Chaffins said $7,000 will go to Bob Aloi with Territorial Engineering. Ritzler took issue with that amount. “He didn’t do the plans,” Ritzler said. “We told him. We outlined where it was supposed to be. We don’t him the depth of the thing. The only thing he was was the draftsman. If he charged $7,000 for that, that was a little too much.”
But Ritzler admitted that Aloi did handle the survey marks, and County Attorney Marty Lucas pointed out that the project had to go through the county’s zoning board. “That ended up being kind of time-consuming, I have to say. It took more of my time than I thought it was going to take, too,” Lucas said.
In spite of the engineering fee, the park board was able to include a few of the optional items. Board members agreed to add a $531 bike rack, as recommended by member Debbie Mix. “Because someone who’s going to walk the forest certainly would also be the same type of person that would be riding a bicycle there,” Mix said.
Other additional work will include more than $700 worth of signage in and around the forest, and a new gate to block access to the back of the forest, for just under $600. Since not all of that can be covered by the grant, the park board authorized up to $1,500 to be spent out of the dedicated forest fund. That money comes from the forest’s timber sales.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Funds Created for Starke County Park Board Grant Funds
Posted on March 22, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
With the acquisition of thousands of dollars worth of grants for projects at the Starke County Forest and the Bass Lake Beach, Starke County Auditor Kay Chaffins suggested the creation of two line items within the budget for those funds.
The park board was recently awarded $15,000 from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund and $5,000 in a Community Support Grant.
For transparency and tracking, two separate accounts will be set up to collect those funds.
Another fund, the Starke County Park and Recreation Fund, will be established to accept tax-deductible donations from the public. Commissioner Kathy Norem noted that any donation received will go toward projects specifically within the Starke County Park Board’s plans. That money will not be used for municipal park projects.
For more information, contact the Starke County Auditor’s Office at 574-772-9101.
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
With the acquisition of thousands of dollars worth of grants for projects at the Starke County Forest and the Bass Lake Beach, Starke County Auditor Kay Chaffins suggested the creation of two line items within the budget for those funds.
The park board was recently awarded $15,000 from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund and $5,000 in a Community Support Grant.
For transparency and tracking, two separate accounts will be set up to collect those funds.
Another fund, the Starke County Park and Recreation Fund, will be established to accept tax-deductible donations from the public. Commissioner Kathy Norem noted that any donation received will go toward projects specifically within the Starke County Park Board’s plans. That money will not be used for municipal park projects.
For more information, contact the Starke County Auditor’s Office at 574-772-9101.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Starke County Community Foundation Presents $20,000 in Grants to Starke County Park Board
Posted on March 14, 2018
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Starke County Forest will get $15,000 worth of improvements this spring, thanks to a grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. The funding was formally presented to the Starke County Park Board Tuesday by Starke County Community Foundation Director of Development Sarah Origer and Northern Indiana Community Foundation Executive Director Jay Albright.
The goal of the project is to improve access and signage at the forest. That will include upgrading the existing access trail into a gravel road, ending at a 10-to-12-car parking lot.
County Attorney Marty Lucas said the Starke County Highway Department is still working on the specific plans. “Actually, I was kind of hoping we’d be a little further along, but I think they’ve been pretty busy with all the flooding,” he said. “The time-frame that was being discussed was kind of dependent on weather, which has not been good so far, but assuming that we don’t have any more giant floods, the time-frame was to have it done by June at the latest but hopefully earlier than that.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, the community foundation representatives also presented the park board with a $5,000 grant for improvements to the Bass Lake Beach. The Community Support Grant will help with efforts to prevent and repair sand erosion.
Origer told board members that grants like these are a result of years of donations at the Starke County Community Foundation. “The community foundation is a true endowment,” she said. “The dollars that are donated are invested, and it’s a portion of the earnings that have come back year after year after year, that are making these two grants possible.”
Since $5,000 won’t cover the whole cost of the Bass Lake Beach project, the Starke County Park Board is also exploring other grant opportunities. Board President Roger Chaffins said the county is still waiting for the results of its application for $2,500 from Kankakee Valley REMC’s Operation Round Up program. But the park board’s request for $5,000 from Arrowhead Country Resource Conservation and Development has been denied.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
The Starke County Forest will get $15,000 worth of improvements this spring, thanks to a grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. The funding was formally presented to the Starke County Park Board Tuesday by Starke County Community Foundation Director of Development Sarah Origer and Northern Indiana Community Foundation Executive Director Jay Albright.
The goal of the project is to improve access and signage at the forest. That will include upgrading the existing access trail into a gravel road, ending at a 10-to-12-car parking lot.
County Attorney Marty Lucas said the Starke County Highway Department is still working on the specific plans. “Actually, I was kind of hoping we’d be a little further along, but I think they’ve been pretty busy with all the flooding,” he said. “The time-frame that was being discussed was kind of dependent on weather, which has not been good so far, but assuming that we don’t have any more giant floods, the time-frame was to have it done by June at the latest but hopefully earlier than that.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, the community foundation representatives also presented the park board with a $5,000 grant for improvements to the Bass Lake Beach. The Community Support Grant will help with efforts to prevent and repair sand erosion.
Origer told board members that grants like these are a result of years of donations at the Starke County Community Foundation. “The community foundation is a true endowment,” she said. “The dollars that are donated are invested, and it’s a portion of the earnings that have come back year after year after year, that are making these two grants possible.”
Since $5,000 won’t cover the whole cost of the Bass Lake Beach project, the Starke County Park Board is also exploring other grant opportunities. Board President Roger Chaffins said the county is still waiting for the results of its application for $2,500 from Kankakee Valley REMC’s Operation Round Up program. But the park board’s request for $5,000 from Arrowhead Country Resource Conservation and Development has been denied.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Starke County Community Foundation Plans Over $100,000 in Grant Funding for Ancilla College
Posted on July 20, 2016
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
Ancilla College is getting a boost with its efforts to provide on-campus student housing. The Starke County Community Foundation has announced plans to provide a total of $105,000 in grant funding from its Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund over the next five years. That includes an initial grant of $25,000 for the college’s new dorm building.
The Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund was begun by James Hardesty in 2005. He was an Ancilla College trustee, as well as a founder of the Starke County Community Foundation.
The grant announcement comes just after the college officially named its first residence hall after Hardesty. His family members joined college officials for the unveiling of the new name Monday, during a blessing event for the college’s new dining hall and second dorm. In a statement, family members and Community Foundation officials say they feel Hardesty would have been pleased with the college’s efforts to provide student housing on campus.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
Ancilla College is getting a boost with its efforts to provide on-campus student housing. The Starke County Community Foundation has announced plans to provide a total of $105,000 in grant funding from its Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund over the next five years. That includes an initial grant of $25,000 for the college’s new dorm building.
The Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund was begun by James Hardesty in 2005. He was an Ancilla College trustee, as well as a founder of the Starke County Community Foundation.
The grant announcement comes just after the college officially named its first residence hall after Hardesty. His family members joined college officials for the unveiling of the new name Monday, during a blessing event for the college’s new dining hall and second dorm. In a statement, family members and Community Foundation officials say they feel Hardesty would have been pleased with the college’s efforts to provide student housing on campus.
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