Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune

It’s the beginning of the summer season and there’s a lot going on in Pope County right now.

In Glenwood, the city, the Glenwood Lakes Area Chamber and Welcome Center and the pickleball groups got together last week to commemorate the opening of the new pickleball courts at City Park.  There are now four pickleball courts where the two tennis courts used to be and the courts were all resurfaced and relined and include poles, nets and fencing.

About 35 members of the local pickleball group were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday afternoon, which also included Glenwood City Commissioner Todd Gylsen and Kay Blauert, the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce/Welcome Center, who both spoke at the event.  Also saying a few words at the ceremony was the local pickleball association president, Jean Noland.   The basketball court was also resurfaced and repainted.  The local courts are a popular place for youth and elderly alike and are already being used subtantially after only being open a few days.  The weather probably has something to do with that as well.

A local tennis group is currently working adding a tennis court back to the offerings at the park and we’ll update the community on that as it progresses.  It is currently in the fundraising mode thanks to efforts by local tennis enthusiasts.

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The Barsness Park Splash Pad is nearly completed and a grand opening of the splash pad is planned for Tuesday, June 20.  There will be short program at the grand opening, which is at 1 p.m. at the splash pad located just west of the Chalet in Barnsess Park.  The city and contractors were busy installing fencing last week and preparing the area for sodding.  The decision to go with sod was so that the spash pad area would have full grass by the time it opened.  If it was seeded, it would probably be a muddy mess for most of the summer.  Watch next week’s Tribune for a story about the grand opening, the splash pad features and how a local committee and local fundraising made the splash pad possible.

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Night on the Town has started in Starbuck.  The annual Thursday Night on the Town was started as part of the Starbuck Horizon group to give everyone an opportunity to get an affordable weekly meal for all families in the community and at the same time give the groups who serve the meal to have a fundraiser for their group.  Each week, a different community organization hosts a free will donation meal.

The community has a chance to gather at the Depot, enjoy some summer food and support their town. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbors and relax on Thursday evenings. It also features Farmers Market vendors every week!

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Oh, and the goats are back in Barsness Park.  The goats have become an important way to help in the effort to control buckthorn, an invasive plant that was taking over the park foilage. Although the goats are moved from time to time and are fenced in, the public can view them in the park eating buckthorn.