Dog Park, Recreation, Museum All Eye Land Near Arena

The 22-acre parcel of city property under consideration for a proposed dog park stretches from the north side of Little Bear East Arena (seen at left) along the east side of I-75 (at right) to Cheeseman Road. Dog Park planners have requested three acres of this property, but the city recreation department and others with a interest in the future of the property have yet to decide where the park could fit on the property without limiting future expansion for the city's recreation program. Representatives from the St. Ignace dog park project will soon meet with a subcommittee from the city's recreation department and other groups who have an interest in the city-owned property behind Little Bear East Arena.

The Recreation Advisory Committee voted to form this subcommittee at its Wednesday, September 16, meeting, hoping the group can decide if there is enough room to build a dog park and still leave space for future development and, if so, where it should be developed.

The dog park project group, formed under the Mackinac Animal Aid Association, has suggested a three-acre fenced, off-leash dog park on the property to be funded through grants, most of which require an organization to already be in possession of the property on which the park will be built.

In conjunction with this plan, the Museum of Ojibwe Culture has proposed adding a Native American interpretive park on three acres adjoining the proposed dog park, which would also be funded through potential grants.

"I think both these projects are good," said Fred Paquin, recreation committee member. "I have some concerns, though, looking at the map. I don't want to put a park in and have to move it."

Recreation Director Scott Marshall voiced concerns about leaving room for recreation department future expansion on the 22-acre parcel behind Little Bear East.

"This area should be saved for future expansion, and not handcuff us," Mr. Marshall said. "Having the park down here in a close vicinity to Little Bear will stop us from expansion. For what I'm going to do, I'll need a considerable amount of property back there."

The potential is there to add soccer and baseball fields, a new pool, and tennis courts on that slice of land, Mr. Marhsall said, which would be a huge benefit since they would be so close to the recreation department headquarters at Little Bear East.

"It's a beautiful area down here and you can do so much with it," he said.

Mr. Paquin said he was mainly concerned since the map the dog park group drew up showed the proposed park at the side of the property closest to the arena, but he thinks some plan can be worked out to make room for both parties.

"I think there is enough property there," he said. "I think it can be worked out."

City Manager Eric Dodson suggested getting a group of people together representing all of the interests in the property and brainstorm about how to fit everyone into the piece of property.

St. Ignace Mayor Paul Grondin, who is the recreation committee secretary, said he is fully in support of the proposed park, but logistics need to be ironed out.

"There is plenty of room out there for everyone to co-exist," Mr. Grondin said. "I would recommend we form a subcommittee; get all the players in a room together and get our crayons out."

The only thing stopping the dog park group from applying for grants necessary to start the project is a resolution from the city allowing the group to develop the property, said George Ford of the Mackinac Animal Aid Association.

"Without that, we can't write grants," he said. "We want to be very aggressive about our part of it. We're looking to get started next spring."

The subcommittee formed at Wednesday's meeting includes Mr. Grondin, Mr. Dodson, Mr. Paquin, and Mr. Marshall. Other property stakeholders, including representatives from Mackinac Animal Aid, the Ojibwe Museum, and possibly the snowmobile association, will meet with this subcommittee and city engineers, attempt to come up with a physical property plan that will allow enough room for everyone involved, and report back to the recreation committee at its next meeting Wednesday, October 14.

Representatives from the dog park group asked the recreation committee for any ideas about an alternative site for the proposed park.

Committee Chair Don Gustafson said one possibility would be the former outdoor ice rink property along Lemotte Street, which is near the northeast end of the city property. Mr. Marshall agreed that this area might be a better fit than the proposed section closer to Little Bear East.

Summer Programs Reviewed

Mr. Marshall said this summer was a busy one for the recreation department. Some of the changes this year were the addition of children's games to the Fish Feast and the new Bayside Music Festival, the Border Wars wrestling tournament, the addition of a travel flag football league, and getting the Mackinac Bridge run dinner on Labor Day weekend to take place at Little Bear East.

The carnival games at the two downtown festivals brought in $3,007 in revenue, Mr. Marshall said. Flag football has expanded by 30 players over last year, which was the program's first year.

Six hundred guests visited the arena for the first time this year for the Labor Day Bridge Run dinner Sunday, September 6. Mr. Marshall said organizers complimented Little Bear staff on a good job and said they enjoyed the facility. The bridge run is sponsored by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health, and Sports.

Emily Fullerton, committee member and a physical education teacher at St. Ignace elementary and middle schools, said the swimming pool at LaSalle High School is now being used by students at the schools and looks much better than it has in years past.

"It's clean, it's bright," Mrs. Fullerton said. "It is much better than it was."

Mr. Marshall said improvements to the pool area and locker rooms are part of a gradual process of fixing up the community pool.

"Instead of going backwards every year," he said, "we're going to take a step forward every year."

Hockey Program

Laces Up Its Skates

Mr. Marshall said the hockey program is looking good for the upcoming season, with 61 players already signed up, plus the 20 players signed up for the Firehawks team, which is not a part of the St. Ignace Hockey Association.

A practice schedule is already in place during the week starting at 6:30 p.m., and the first practice will be Monday, October 5. Chillers will be turned on Monday, September 28, and the arena will once again be on ice after the last non-ice event of the year, a dodgeball tournament Sunday, September 27.

Last year at this time, Mr. Marshall said, there were not any participants signed up for the mite league, ages 7 and 8, and there weren't enough signed up for the squirt league, ages 9 and 10. This year, the hockey association already has enough players signed up to form all four association leagues in ages 7 to 14.

" We are in a lot better shape than we were in last year," he said. "We are looking very positive."

Games will be scheduled October 10.