The Dorr Township Parks and Recreation Commission has been very busy of late, and apparently the Township Board is impressed.
The board handled a couple of requests affirmatively and received further news about a special veterans’ section in the park under renovations.
Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Chris Gesink Tuesday evening outlined plans for a Veterans’ Memorial, which will get under way next month with flag placements. The commission plans to buy a black granite monument and surround it with representations from each branch of military service. Citizens will be invited to place markers on behalf of friends of family member from the local community who served.
Gesink also announced that the commission recently received a $4,000 reimbursement grant from DTE Energy for planting trees in the park. The commission will not be reimbursed until the work is completed, however.
The Township Board approved the commission’s application for a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Passport grant, in which Dorr puts up $15,000 and the DNR adds $45,000 for a total of $60,000 to be used for the continuing work on the new and expanded North Park along 142nd Avenue west of the downtown.
Gesink noted, however, that Dorr is not considered close enough to a poor urban area, losing some points in chances to win the award.
The Dorr Recreation Commission already has submitted and application for DNR Trust Fund grant.
The commission has been busy with the new skate park, which will be unveiled to public Saturday, Oct. 10.
Finally, the Township Board voted to restore the $50 per meeting stipends for each of the commission members. That figure was reduced more than year ago to $35 per meeting because of dissatisfaction with progress on developing the expanding park.
Trustee Dan Weber explained, “I feel a lot better about this request than I did a year ago when nothing was happening. We’re seeing progress now.”
The expense to the township will be increased from $4,200 to $6,000 per year.
However, there is a sunset provision that will end the added pay after Sept. 1, 2016.
PHOTO: This is a sketch of what the Veterans’ Memorial might look like inside the North Park west of Dorr.