Toledo Park Board meeting

Toledo's Park Board met Aug. 14 at City Hall, with Ron Layton acting as Chair pro tem, Ester Borte as second and City Clerk Jill Davis providing the agenda, taking minutes and reporting ongoing 6-year Park Plan progress.

Davis reported cameras approved for purchase and installation at the boat launch have been mounted to discourage vandalism, and gazebo plans are now under review at Lewis County. The Cheese Days Bazaar staged at the park this year included $160.00 profit despite scant attendance, and a suggestion to locate next years' Bazaar nearer the Skate Board Park sign instead of across the drive from the Veteran's Wall of Honor.

This last mention brought reports from both Layton and Kindle of children climbing and playing on the memorial, their nearby parents unaware or unconcerned.

Layton admonished the adults, saying "It's highly disrespectful to our Veterans."

Kindle reported clearing rampant blackberry vines, trimming trees of storm-damaged dangling limbs, while wasps and ground-dwelling bees continue to plague the park. Smaller replacement waste receptacles are proving unequal to busier July and August months. The kitchen is booked well into October, and picnic table-and-bench units number fewer than one per campsite. Davis reported she checks weekly for grants and opportunities to acquire more of these items.

As an overnighter at "Toledo's Best Kept Secret" Aug. 9-10, this reporter appreciated an automatic coffee maker in the kitchen, and compared the park favorably with other campgrounds in the area. RV's and camp trailers shared the sanctuary with my tiny tent, electrical hookups were convenient, dog-friendly camping and clean, well-lit bathrooms facilities were a plus. Only one amenity was missing - WiFi.

Davis cited cost as the limiting factor. I referred to the newly-placed cameras at the boat launch, providing a cost-efficient security measure.

Kindle agreed security would be improved, reporting 2 vagrants in the park to the authorities last week. The description of the woman matched a stranger loitering around the Senior Center all day following the monthly Second Saturday Breakfast, and Borte added "she was asking for leftovers when we closed up."

The Board meets the second Wednesday monthly at 3 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend. For more information visit www.toledowa.us or call (360) 864-4564.