Jasper Park Board: December 12th, 2023

 The Japer Park and Recreation Board met late Tuesday afternoon to discuss the status of its many projects, both those completed in 2023 and those in progress for 2024. In what has been a record year for the department in terms of people served, 2023 saw event rentals up across the city. The Parklands Pavilion is already booking out with reservations for the next year, with some months already having no remaining availability. The department is already beginning to receive inquiries about booking out the Ruxer space for events, which is similar to the depot space.

 Holiday events are in full swing for the department. This past Saturday, the Jasper Park and Recreation department and Mrs. Claus herself hosted an afternoon of cookie decorating and story time at the depot. The event was a success, with well over 100 people in attendance. The board looks forward to continuing the event in future years. Programs like this, including the popular Letters for Santa and tours of the Jasper Mill, continue to delight residents, school children, and out of town visitors alike. Community Engagement Coordinator Dana Reckelhoff says, “As far as people that have come to all of our facilities – and that includes Parklands, the Mill, the Train Depot, the Schoolhouse, and the Barn – we’ve exceeded 12,800 people.” 

 With that many people visiting the city’s parks, it’s important for Jasper to have plenty of diverse opportunities and places for them to visit. Pooch’s Playground continues to add members, even for some visitors who are only in town seasonally. Visitors and current members continue to ask about renewing memberships for the next year, and the department continues to be encouraged by its success. 

 New brochures are being finalized for The Parklands and are now available at City Hall. An updated map of walking trails and other important information has been created to help guide guests through the expansive property. Reckelhoff is hopeful that there will soon be a QR code in a metal sign at the Parklands that will allow people who would rather not have a paper copy to still have a map of the area on their phone along with all the other useful information they might need. 

 Also discussed was the Habig Community Center, which Tom Moorman calls the “greatest secret in Dubois County” for those 55 and older. This year, they have served already 480 people this year. The center offers a wide array of exercise classes, indoor and outdoor walking spaces, games and prizes, services, catered meals, and even larger events. Moorman eloquently summed up how he gauges a successful year for the Park and Rec Department: “Idealistically in the park world you’d break even on every event. You don’t. You lose money on things, but it’s a service. And…it’s quality of life, and that’s what it’s about for everybody in Jasper.” 

 Just before the board adjourning their final meeting of the year, they took a moment to refresh the timeline on the long-awaited Jasper pool project. In January, the board will open project bids, and hopefully by February make a selection. When questioned, the board did confirm that the location for the outdoor pool is locked, and they further confirmed that the project is moving ahead as planned. 

 For more information on these projects and many, many others, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.