New Park Name Honors Heritage of 'The Snows'
By Amy Polk

From now on, Clark Township's recreation park will be known as The Snows Heritage Park. The township board adopted the new name for the emerging recreation area on Blind Line Road in Cedarville at the Thursday, February 21, meeting, and the action drew compliments from the audience when asked if they agreed with the choice.

Eager to give the park a name as the township continues fundraising for the site, the Clark Township Recreation Committee recommended the name, which identified the Les Cheneaux Islands area during its resort heyday. Snows is thought to be a contraction of Cheneaux, and The Snows was used heavily in advertising for excursions from Mackinac Island in the early to mid- 1900s. Snows Channel, Snows Docks, Snows Resort, Snows Bar, Snows Hotel, and Snows Cafe have carried the name.

"We tossed around a lot of ideas for naming the area, and we feel it's essential to come up with a name so we can put together a package for fundraising," said Recreation Committee Chair Darrell Hill.

Other names that have been considered are Clark Township Recreation Area, Community Park, Heritage Park, and Clark Township Recreation Park, Mr. Hill said. Clark Township Memorial Park has also been mentioned in the past.

During its fundraising, the committee will host varied future events at the park "to let people know it's not just a park with two ball fields," he said.

Charlie McConkey, a member of Les Cheneaux Boy Scout Troop 140, will build six new picnic tables for the park as an Eagle Scout project. He received board permission and a $900 pledge from the recreation fund at the February 21 meeting. Mr. McConkey, a Cedarville High School student, estimates the materials will cost $1,100, and he assured the board he can raise enough money to cover the balance.

Three of the tables will accommodate wheelchairs.

The committee's new calendar project is underway with a contest for photographs. Calendar sales are expected to raise about $18,000 a year for recreation park facilities and maintenance.