Jasper Makes Big Plans for Recreational Spaces

The Jasper Park and Recreation board met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the many city projects that are underway, as well as others that are in the planning stages. 

The Jasper Park and Recreation board has some ambitious plans for Jasper’s future, including a proposed archery range. A single response was received in response to a request for quotes for an archery range platform. The base price for a 10-by-52 level archery deck was quoted at just under $50,000 with additional pricing provided for alternate options. The location for the archery range would be in the Ruxer driving range area. Some safety concerns were raised by board president Roger Seger, who had questions regarding insurance coverage and monitoring the safe usage of the range. Community Engagement Coordinator Dana Reckelhoff said that there would be no cross-lane shooting, and standard archery range safety precautions would be in place. Reckelhoff also said that while archery lessons for children are more common, it is often difficult to find lessons for adults. She said that one goal for the range is that it could be modified and set up for adult archery lessons. The board opted to take the quote under advisement for now and make a recommendation at the next meeting.  

Older Americans Director Carie Dick presented the Habig Center Report, saying that activities through the Center continue to be very popular and well-attended. Exercise classes have been full, and there is a full bus scheduled for the upcoming trip to the Terre Haute Casino. Halloween Bingo will be held at the end of the month on October 29, and next Derby Days signup will open at the beginning of December. Approval was also given to accept the $12,000 bid for a Habig Center Patio Door replacement with an installation time frame of November or December, depending on delivery times. 

Dana Reckelhoff presented the tourism report, showing strong numbers for the Spirit of Jasper. Recent sold-out trips include the Chocolate Wine and Dine trip, the Ride and Dine, and the popular Pizza and Beer ride. For the new Spirit of Autumn ride, only 4 tickets remain for the final ride of the season. 

In the golf report, Pro Shop Manager Kurt Uebelhor said that numbers are down a little for the month. He said that this is largely due to weather-related closures stemming from the hurricane. Uebelhor gave an update on a significant improvement project on the back nine. He said that people were having trouble putting smoothly, so it was necessary to remove some turf to make some adjustments that should yield substantial results. The driving range is closed this week for reseeding and aerating and will reopen on October 12. 

Parks Director Tom Moorman said that the department has been refreshing public spaces around Jasper. The department has been consulting with a biologist to determine possible dates for the controlled burn at the Parklands, and it has tentatively been scheduled for this Friday. This is subject to weather conditions that include wind and humidity conditions.
Moorman said that the Parklands is having its final inspection of the Wetlands, and that reports so far have been encouraging regarding the diversity of the native vegetation. A pool update showed that the structure is beginning to take shape, and construction remains on schedule, even with the hurricane-related storms. 

Recreation Director Janessa Wagner presented the board with several options for the proposed Ruxer playground. These were provided based on budget, age range, and property size. Wagner said that, in her opinion, it is very important to have a shaded area as the structure will be used for the kids’ camp in the heat of the summer. The board approved one of the recommended play structures, contingent on legal review. 

City attorney Renee Kabrick appraised the board of an ongoing situation regarding the tree line between St. Thomas Medical Center and the Jasper Municipal Pool property. The trees shed heavily, sending debris into the pool, and an effort has been made to make adjustments to rectify the problem. Kabrick said that the City has removed all of the trees on city property and has been working to come to an agreement with the medical center regarding the trees that are on their property. The board granted their approval of the property improvement agreement presented by Kabrick. The agreement will allow the City to go onto the St. Thomas property and remove the trees and adjust the grading of the slope. The City will then put in new trees and landscaping, and will maintain the trees for the next 5 years.


For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.


- Drew Hasselbring