Park board thanks Gomke, discusses activities

The Hill County Park Board discussed a variety of issues Monday in Havre during its monthly meeting, including accepting the letter of resignation of board member Mel Gomke.

Gomke, who was appointed to the board in 2001, resigned this month. The Hill County Commission is accepting nominations through June 24 for someone to finish his term through May 2014.

“I just wanted to say thanks, from this board, for all of his years of service,” Board Chair Steve Mariani said at the beginning of the meeting.

Also during the meeting Ursula Brese of Friends of Beaver Creek Park said the organization, formed to help raise funds to maintain and improve the park and offer volunteer service, is in the process of providing money to buy a new chainsaw for the park, and planning its main fundraising event in September.

She said the group also is discussing creating some kind of memorial program at the campsite at Rotary Pond, possibly offering the purchase of memorial plaques to plant trees or some kind of wall listing memorial designations.

Mariani said more memorial contributions have been coming into the park, and the suggestion of the Friends could tie in with donations already coming in. Along with numerous other memorial donations coming in, he said the park has recently received $660 in donations in memory of park user and former park board member John Goebbel.

Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said other recent donations include Betty Clark donating several clocks for use in the Beaver Lodge at Camp Kiwanis, and that work at Marden’s Campground in building a new pavilion is nearly completed.

Edgar thanked the owners of Mardens Trailer Sales for their donations there, and also of the Kiwanis Club for their help in pouring a new sidewalk to provide handicap access to the newly renovated chapel at Camp Kiwanis.

The group also thanked the Lions for that club’s work at Lions Campground, and, after a discussion, again offered the reservation for the full site around Lions Campground for the club’s use.

Mariani said that parts of the site offered for the reservation of the club are generally first-come, first-serve, but that due to the extensive work done by the club in improving and maintaining the grounds, the service group could reserve the entire area as needed.