Melvern
to officially open riverfront park
The Melvern community will officially celebrate the opening
of the new Melvern Riverfront Park and Trails recreational system
Saturday.
The dedication celebration begins with a free pancake breakfast,
8:30-10 a.m., for the first 200 people present. The dedication
ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m.
Activities continue throughout the day with lunch, guest speakers,
a fishing contest, demonstration events, informational booths,
and a bike ride in the new park to wrap up the day.
The new riverfront park, located at 710 N.E. Pine Street in Melvern,
features seven miles of trails and represents a new recreational
resource for citizens and youth of Osage and surrounding counties.
Most of the trails are considered “single-track” and
are open to walking, hiking, and mountain biking enthusiasts.
However, the River Trail loop is six feet wide, improved and surfaced
(with a grant from the Kansas Sunflower Foundation), so visitors
can walk side-by-side past the old quarry wetlands and along the
Marais des Cygnes River to the park’s fishing areas.
The park and trails were initiated as a result of Melvern’s
participation in the statewide Healthy Ecosystems-Healthy Communities
Program to help communities plan and manage their local natural
resources and water quality.
The park represents a combination of ecosystems and natural resources
for education activities—a goal identified by Melvern’s
Friends of the Trail group to enhance appreciation of water resources
as a community asset. Local educators have developed lesson plans
for use on the trail for K-12 students. Melvern welcomes educators
and students to the natural area for field trips and outdoor classrooms.
Robert Harmon, a local fishing expert, will start the day with
a talk about fish habits at 9 a.m. before the fishing derby for
kids, which starts at 10 a.m. Informational booths on water quality
and other subjects will be open throughout the day during the
event.
Scott Rice, of the Corps of Engineers at Melvern Lake, will present
“What’s in the Water” at 11 a.m. At 1 p.m. after
lunch, Jim Hoy, Kansas Humanities Council, will offer a presentation
of “Home on the Range,” local history of the Melvern
area.
Rides to the river will be available in multi-person golf carts
for those in need of assistance—just notify the greeting
person at the main gate into the park. Transportation will be
provided on a first-come first serve basis from a sign-up list.
Food concessions will be on site for lunch and refreshments.
All visitors are encouraged to bring walking shoes, lawn chairs,
or a mountain bike for the event. |
