MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis is encouraging local residents to bring their children to Foundation Park and fish for the freshly stocked fish next weekend.
The mayor said the middle lake at Foundation Park will be stocked with largemouth bass and crappie next Saturday, as part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s Division of Wildlife free fishing weekend. The eastern part of the middle lake will be fenced off from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to give youngsters a better chance of catching fish, and they will have access to free rods, reels and bait. He said the Knox County Fish and Game Association is providing the funds for the stocking this time around but the division of wildlife will stock the lake with rainbow trout later in the spring.
No fishing licenses are required during Ohio’s Free Fishing weekend, May 3 and 4. Mavis said adults can fish other areas while the youth fishing event is going on and added that this event should not be confused with the annual Rotary/Kiwanis Father’s Day Family Regatta scheduled for June. He said he thinks there are still many local residents who hear about events like the free fishing event or the regatta but don’t know where Foundation Park is.
“I think people need to know there is a wonderful park with over 100 acres and three lakes that is open to the public,” he said.
Mavis said, given rising gas prices, the park provides a pleasant and convenient place for people to enjoy.
“More and more people are saying they can no longer afford to go 50 or 100 miles or even to take a vacation,” he said. “You begin to look at places closer to home. We would expect more use of Foundation Park, as well as the water park.”
The mayor said city officials are very supportive of events at Foundation Park and growing interest in events there encourage them to make further improvements, such as the development of the trail system and the construction of a new rest room. New picnic pavilions and a new water fountain were recently installed at Foundation Park. The division of wildlife will be conduct a fish assessment at the three lakes, and this information may be used by to form a stocking plan, which could be partially funded by the city.
Mavis said city park officials are forming design plans for a new rest room similar to the one built about three years ago at Memorial Park, adding that Mount Vernon City Council set aside about $75,000 in this year’s budget for the Foundation Park rest room. He said the administration is also applying for a $1.6 million Ohio Department of Transportation grant for trail development at Foundation Park, which includes construction of a walking bridge that would span the Kokosing River and connect Foundation Park with the dike on the north side of the river, near Norton Street.
In other city news:
•Administration officials are discussing the construction timeline for a major infrastructure project on South Gay Street. The estimated $1.3 million project includes converting the street from brick to asphalt and curb work, as well as the replacement of a water line along the stretch. Mavis said the original plan was to begin construction in late August or early September, after the Dan Emmett Music & Arts festival, but now there are concerns about the availability of asphalt late in the year. He said they may decide to begin construction early in the construction season in 2009. Richland Engineering of Mansfield is doing the design work for the project.
•The mayor said he is encouraging residents to help keep the city beautiful by taking advantage of Spring Cleanup, an annual program sponsored by the city. He added that the city’s code enforcement officer, who works with property owners to remedy nuisance-related code violations, is leaving information about Spring Cleanup for residents whose properties have unsecured trash. This year, the cleanup has been extended to include additional Saturdays. Items may be taken to BFI Waste Systems at 107 Tilden Ave. from Saturday, May 3 through Friday, May 9, as well the Saturday, June 7, Saturday, July 5, Saturday, Aug. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 6. This is for residents of the city only: The city pays 50 percent; the resident pays 50 percent. Hazardous waste will not be accepted.
•According to Mavis, the replacement of a deteriorating section of fence that fronts the street at the old National Guard motor pool building on Greenwood Avenue is moving along nicely and should be completed soon. The administration is planning to use the property as an impound lot for junk and unlicensed vehicles, as well as vehicles confiscated by the Mount Vernon Police Department in drug busts. The property and the building will fall under the jurisdiction of the police department. He added that the city auction will be held at the property on Saturday, May 3, where items such as bicycles and office equipment will be sold.
