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Park projects underway

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Wisconsin Conservation Corps crew members (from left) Tyler Droeger, Wade Cook, Zachary Paulk and Steven Nevers stand on the deck they built in Waupaca's Serenity Park. Angie Landsverk Photo

Work at Riverside, Serenity

By Angie Landsverk


One project began in Riverside Park earlier this spring, and another one is scheduled to wrap up in Serenity Park this week.

“The big thing was to fix the cut through and make sure we keep recreational opportunities in the park and keep the river healthy so community members can enjoy it,” Andrew Whitman, Waupaca’s parks and recreation director, said of the Riverside Park project.

How the Waupaca River cut through the park was the main concern there, he said.

Whitman worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on a plan to fix issues in the park.

He said the DNR cleared trees out of the river, as well as two points of invasive species.

They used different sized stones to fix the river’s cut through the park.

Whitman said the DNR plans to observe how the river reacts and make changes if necessary.

“We will see them down there again in the fall and spring to see how it works,” he said.

Serenity Park is also located along the shore of the Waupaca River.

It is behind the recreation center.

A Wisconsin Conservation Corps (WisCorps) crew arrived two weeks ago to work on a project there.

The nonprofit conservation corps is headquartered in La Crosse.

It engages young adults, ages 18 to 25, in conservation projects on public lands across the state and upper Midwest.

The Serenity Park project includes the addition of a 20-by-20-foot deck, boardwalk and fishing area.

The project’s cost is not to exceed $23,150.

The Parks and Recreation Department capital budget included $15,000 for it.

The remaining $8,150 of the cost is coming out of the Senior Center Donation Fund.

The center’s yoga and tai chi classes may be taught on the deck once it is complete.

The deck is at grade with the park’s limestone trail.

“The whole overall concept of the plan is to give seniors a place to call their own, to go to,” Whitman said.

The park is for people of all ages.

Planning for it began several years.

The senior center raised $14,000 for the initial project in the park, which included a 15-step staircase and ADA accessible trail.

A WisCorps crew also completed that project.

Last summer, a mural was painted on the bridge.

“They’ve really done a lot to create that space for themselves,” Whitman said.

He expects to see the area used by many.

Tyler Droeger is the WisCorps crew leader on the current project.

He grew up in Manawa and is a Little Wolf High School graduate.

Droeger has family in Waupaca, including a grandfather.

He said it was “really cool to be presented with a project” his family gets to see.

“It seems like we’ve had a pretty good relationship with the city of Waupaca – doing these projects, making these areas more personable, making little corners visited more often,” Droeger said.

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