County declares June 13 ‘Get Outdoors Day’

Wayne White | Managing Editor

There will be a few more people in Osage County during the weekend of June 13, and most of them will be outdoors. Area lakes will be their destination, but two communities are teaming with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make the entire county a playground for the day.

Ken Wilk, Melvern Lake Park Ranger, and David Green, operations project manager at Melvern and Pomona lakes, met with Osage County commissioners Monday to obtain signatures on a resolution declaring June 13 as “Get Outdoors Day in Osage County.” The day coincides with National Get Outdoors Day, and will feature numerous outdoor activities hosted at or near both lakes. Planned events include sporting clays, disc golf, water safety information, children’s fishing derby, water skiing and wind surfing demonstrations, all terrain vehicle demonstration, and a horse back trail ride.

During Monday’s meeting, commissioners also heard from Lyndon City Councilman Bill Patterson, who told of Lyndon’s plans to partner in the day’s events by hosting an all-day geocaching gathering.

The city of Melvern will also host events, highlighting the community’s recently constructed riverfront park and trails, where several walks and runs will happen. Planned are five-kilometer and one-mile runs, with several age divisions including one for children.

Wilk said last year’s event, one of 71 held at federal parks across the nation on National Get Outdoors Day, drew several thousand people to Pomona and Melvern lakes. He expects this year’s event to attract more people.

“I think we’re seeing some fallout from the economy,” Wilk told the commissioners. “People are staying closer to home.

“We’re looking at numbers to go up for people who come out for this event. There are a lot of different things for people, not just camping and fishing.”

Prime goals of the day are reaching visitors to public lands and reconnecting youth to the great outdoors, Wilk said. National Get Outdoors Day encourages Americans, especially youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace the nation’s parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters.

Patterson told the commissioners he had been working with Osage County Economic Development Director Stephanie Watson on organizing Lyndon’s geocaching event. He said he recently became interested in the treasure-hunting-type game, which has since taken him to some parts of the county he had not previously visited.

“There’s some really, really neat spots in our county,” Patterson said.

He noted the geocaches that have been placed for the event will remain, and hopefully keep attracting people interested in the activity to Osage County for some time.

“This event is year-long,” Patterson said. “This will keep people coming back.”

National Get Outdoors Day events at the area lakes will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 13. Wilk said all day use fees at Corps parks would be waived for the day. Dale Schwieger, manager of Eisenhower State Park at Melvern Lake, said the state park would be offering free entry June 13 and 14. The state park is also hosting a trail ride as part of National Get Outdoors Day.

This year’s event will also feature three celebrity fishermen who will offer demonstrations throughout the day. Attending this year are J.R. Oldham, of Angler’s Midwest, John Trager, “Captain Catfish,” and Osage County’s own Dr. Bob Harmon.

The day’s activities will culminate at Eisenhower State Park with a cowboy dinner and live entertainment.

“We will have people spending all day in the county and then spilling over into that night’s entertainment,” Watson said.

For more information about National Get Outdoors Day events, contact Wilk at (785) 549-3318.

Melvern’s events begin at 9 a.m. with registration from 8-8:45 a.m. and will be held at Melvern Riverfront Park and Trails, 710 N.E. Pine St., Melvern. For more information, call Joyce Lacey at (785) 418-6719 or Dee Robinson at (785) 549-3376.

For more information about Lyndon’s geocaching event, contact Watson at Osage County Economic Development, 131 W. 14th St., Lyndon, or call (785) 828-3242.

In other discussion during Monday’s meeting, county commissioners approved a request from Watson to waive the special event permit fee for an upcoming Fourth of July celebration at Eisenhower State Park. The commissioners determined that the county was sponsoring the event, although it was organized by the economic development organization.

Osage County Commissioner Ken Kuykendall said that if Osage County Economic Development paid the fee, “It would be like the county paying the county.” His motion to waive the fee and approve the permit was unanimously approved. Osage County’s Fourth of July celebration will be held 4-11 p.m. July 4. State park entry fees will be in effect for the celebration.