A local citizens group is working to seek improvements to the Schroeder Town Park which abuts the Father Baragas Cross property. The committee is looking at long range planning (25-50 years) for the park and will be assisted by the University of Minnesota. Some priorities include improving the boat ramp, erosion control and general upgrades to the park.
Jim Norvell came before the Schroeder Township board on Tuesday, December 11 informing them that the township had received a $5,000 Coastal Program Waterways grant, which will be used to help develop a long-range plan for the town’s park.
The park is located on Lake Superior at the end of the Baraga Cross Road and is in need of some additional work.
Norvell is part of a long-range committee that includes Greg Miron, Schroeder Supervisor Tina McKeever, Diane Booth, Greg Gastecki, Skip Lamb, County Commissioner Bruce Martinson, and the Catholic Diocese of Duluth. McKeever represents the township board and Martinson is the county commissioner representing the West End.
“Some of the areas of emphasis [that will be looked at] will include a very strong focus on erosion control, boat ramp issues and improvements to the township park,” Norvell said.
Because none of the committee members is an expert park planner, Norvell said, “We are now in the process of seeking help from a professional planning agency and two different departments at the University of Minnesota who also deal in planning such as this. We are currently in the process of talking with them about our project and how they might help.”
As the process moves along Norvell said he would keep the Schroeder town board informed.
“It’s been a mundane process so far. But now there is some excitement. Hopefully we will have something to show to you for our $5,000 other than postage,” Norvell said.
As part of the informationgathering process, Norvell’s group will host public meetings to help gather input and ideas. “Our goal is to have a plan developed and distributed to the town board by May 31, 2013.” Norvell said.
The coastal waterways grant money comes from, in part, the Coastal Zone Management Act, through NOAA’s office of Ocean and Coastal Zone Management, and in conjunction with Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal program.
In other Schroeder news, Fire Chief Phil Bonin said his department was quiet, but he had ordered five new pagers to replace old, outdated pagers that couldn’t be updated.
“They cost a lot, $467 per pager. I don’t know why they cost so much when they have such a simple function. I guess someone is making a lot of money on them,” Bonin said. He also said his department could always use new members and encouraged anyone in the Schroeder area to volunteer.
County Commissioner Bruce Martinson told Schroeder citizens that he was the only commissioner to vote no on the proposed county levy increase and that he voted no on the proposal for the county to pay half of the subsidy for the Cedar Grove Business Park. He said he was also the only commissioner to vote no on a resolution calling to hire a full time employee to act as security to screen people for weapons at the courthouse.
Martinson also said he had received quite a few calls from people asking the county board to fire embattled county attorney Tim Scannell or ask him to resign, “But I have had to tell them that Tim is an elected official and we can’t fire him,” Martinson said.
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