Streator park's updates waiting on more equipment

The pace of work at Streator's Central Park has been sluggish, a resident told the Parks and Open Spaces Board during its meeting Wednesday.

Brian Cox said he and his 3-year-old daughter, Kendall, go to all of the parks in Streator, but the park closest to their home — Central Park, adjacent to the former Sherman School on the city's east side — has been slated for a renovation for months, yet no work has started.

"A year ago, you guys approved the plan, and we were really excited," Cox said. "I called and asked (City Engineer Jeremy) Palm and he thought the delay was in getting the equipment. It seems like it's been a long time since anything has been done."

Public Works Director Larry Hake said the initial plan was to reuse the equipment taken out of Sherman Park, but it was in such rough shape that it couldn't be used and there wasn't a way to get repair parts.

Hake said an order will have to be put in and once they have the parts, it should go fairly quickly because the ground is already prepped. The only bump in the road he sees is if the ground freezes before they can get to work.

"We have a small workforce and that's not our only park," Hake said. "We don't have the manpower to just be like, 'Here it is.' "

In anticipation of work on the park bleeding over into 2020, the Park Board issued a recommendation to the City Council to earmark $40,000 for work on the park in the next fiscal year, the same number that was initially earmarked for this year.

Sculpture park

Bob Dieken approached the Park Board as well, asking for its help in finding a location for Streator High School seniors to install their yearly sculpture, a tradition that traces back two years.

Dieken said the sculptures are done by the senior class where they're designed and sent in to be drawn on a CAD system before the students in welding classes create the sculpture. The senior class members' names are then laser cut into the base of the sculpture.

"What I'm looking at is some cooperation with the city and the high school to come up with a place for a sculpture park," Dieken said. "The sculptures will show a sign of the times. It's something people will be able to show their grandchildren. 'There's my name!' "

Splash pad

The board also discussed plans for additions to Paul's Pad, the splash pad at City Park, toward which SOCU donated money to have completed.

The credit union's plan is to create a sidewalk that reaches the swings from the splash pad as well as create a space for more picnic tables.

Dieken, the initial donor who made the splash pad possible, said he'd like the concrete to have letters or numbers stamped into it to make the location a little more educational.

The Parks and Open Spaces Board will meet again at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13. The board will not meet in December.