OSLAD grant awarded to Clark Island project

Clark Island will soon get a facelift thanks to an Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant from the State of Illinois. Batavia Park District’s Clark Island redevelopment plan was one of 118 Illinois park projects awarded an Open Space Land Acquisition grant.

A total of $60 million in OSLAD grants were awarded in March, and Batavia Park District received $600,000 to fund plans for the Clark Island Recreation Area.

Proposed concepts include replacing the skate park and bike park, adding an outdoor fitness court and a monarch waystation and creating new fishing stations. nature, theater, athletic, STEM and STEAM, art, foreign language or preschool-aged summer camps. There’s something for every age group and every interest. Sign up online at bataviaparks.org through the digital Summer Fun Guide or in person at the Civic Center, 327 Wilson St. or Eastside Community Center, 14 N. Van Buren St.

The OSLAD grant program was established in 1986 to help communities acquire land and develop recreation opportunities.

“Thanks to the grant award, we are one step closer to providing entertaining and engaging new amenities for the community,” said Batavia Park District Director Allison Niemela.

KIM'S TIPS & TRICKS

It is the perfect time to prune, but keep your pruners away from spring blooming plants. Remove any dead or dying branches on your trees and shrubs. Prune your late bloomers and those that don’t bloom for shape or size.

Resist the temptation to apply mulch now. When applied too early, the mulch will slow down your garden by acting as a blanket and prevent warming, keeping the soil colder than the air.

— Kim Hansen, Director of Parks