The Town of Shelburn's Park Board was awarded a $12,000 grant for upgrades and repairs to the Shelburn Ball Diamond. The updates and repairs will consist of making the entire park ADA compliant as well as installing a safety net to protect spectators and children on the playground from foul balls, a new shelter house with picnic tables, a new swing set, and more! The previous swing set was destroyed in a storm during the Spring of 2021 and while there is still a playground there, the area at the ball diamond is the only safe and usable park area in the Town of Shelburn.
Clerk-Treasurer Melissa Copeland stated that she's focused on bringing the quality of life back to Shelburn and the Park Board is really spearheading the efforts on giving the people of Shelburn somewhere safe for kids and families to spend their time. "We have a lot of families here in our little town and new families who are moving in. We want to give everyone, of all ages, somewhere to gather together as a community. We hope that the updates to the Ball Diamond will give the town more sense of pride and will inspire the younger generation to get out and play some ball!
The Shelburn Park Board hopes to have this project completed by the end of March, in time for a "Grand Opening Celebration" at the beginning of the 2024 Spring Baseball and Softball Season. They are already working on their next grant opportunity to make much needed upgrades to the Town Park on East Mill St as well as restoring Dawson Pond. The Shelburn Park Board consists of Danielle Schalburg, Jenny Ransford, Heather Lewis, and Melissa Copeland. The Park Board President Kenny Miller passed away earlier this year and Copeland says they plan to plant a tree at the newly updated park in his memory when the project is finished.
Presenting the check and pictured with Copeland is Wabash Valley Community Foundation Board Chair, Ally Orwing.
0 Comments
Shelburn Redevelopment Commission and Shelburn Community Club Work Together to Save the Towns Past11/1/2023 The Shelburn Community Club (formerly known as the Shelburn Ruritan Club) has been an important part of the Town of Shelburn for as long as most of the residents can remember. They were instrumental in bringing the community together for festivals, events, fundraisers, and even provided scholarships for kids who lived in Shelburn for many years. In 1976 they created the Shelburn Old Fashioned Days Festival and with its success came the creation of two buildings which still stand in Downtown Shelburn today. The General Store and The Red Garter Saloon were built to provide a place to celebrate the "Old Fashioned Days" of Shelburn. During the festival you could walk into the Red Garter Saloon and have yourself a frosty mug of Root Beer while watching the Can-can girls dance on the stage. Over the years as the Festival has come and gone and the buildings have set vacant, the Community Club still had hopes that one day these buildings would be open and full of people gathering again. The Shelburn Community Club relied heavily on fundraisers to be able to keep these buildings insured, but when Coronavirus shut those down, they were put into some tough financial situations. They unfortunately had to sell some of their downtown properties they owned to be able to keep their club running and keep these buildings insured. Now, with their members aging and not being able to fundraise like they once could, they decided it was time to pass on these buildings to the next generation of do-gooders. Clerk-Treasurer Melissa Copeland had heard these buildings may be sold in the future and she did not want the Town to miss out on this opportunity. She immediately reached out to Redevelopment Commission President Cole King, who is very passionate about history and trying to restore things from the past, and let him know about the possible sale. They brought the idea to the Redevelopment Commission and they were all on board to attempt to save these properties and make sure they were owned by the Town of Shelburn. The Shelburn Redevelopment Commission is excited to restore these properties and once again create a place for the community to gather. THANK YOU to the Shelburn Community Club for their many years of service to our town. The Shelburn Redevelopment Commission members are Cole King, Jesse Kasinger, Debby Stuck, and Heather Lewis. Pictured above Left to Right is Shelburn Community Club Member, Aaron Lewis, Shelburn Community Club Vice President Susie Johnston, and Shelburn Redevelopment Commission President Cole King. General Store & Trading Post and The Red Garter Saloon in the early 2000's.
|