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Parks supervisor says mowing caught up, reports possible mammoth fossils and grant opportunities
Summary
Ken, the county parks lead, told the LaSalle County Property Committee the parks crew is caught up on mowing after heavy rains, detailed site repairs and equipment needs, flagged a stewardship grant with a late-June deadline and reported what he believes may be mammoth fossils that he will have experts verify.
Ken, the county parks supervisor, told the Property Committee on May 22 that crews have largely caught up on mowing after heavy spring rains and a recent storm that brought down a large hickory tree requiring full removal and cleanup.
The update outlined several maintenance and stewardship items that could require funding. Ken said the Shavona park well relies on an aging iron service line about 16 inches underground that has experienced multiple leaks; he plans to get estimates to replace it with plastic pipe. He also warned electricity bills for a modular building rose after winter heating problems, and that rising energy costs may require scaling back some planned concrete work for ADA access.
Ken described progress in prairie restorations at Catlin and Shavona, reporting good germination and early blooms of Ohio spiderwort and penstemon and noting that perennials typically take about three years to establish. He said volunteers planted 26 trees at Shabnam this year and helped remove invasives, and he is exploring partnerships with Illinois Valley-area colleges and extension services to expand stewardship and volunteer programs.
On grants, Ken said several stewardship-oriented opportunities were forwarded to him by a board member and the auditor's office; one stewardship grant appears to have a late-June deadline and could fund invasive-species control, prescribed burning or staffing for stewardship efforts.
Ken also raised equipment concerns: several mowers and a county pickup have intermittent starter problems that will require shop time and possible parts replacement. He said the department's Grasshopper commercial mower likely needs a starter and that the county-supplied 2019 Chevy has shown a sporadic starting issue.
A surprise discovery drew particular interest: Ken said he has taken photographs of what he believes may be mammoth fossils and a fossilized tree root exposed by bluff erosion and recent washes. "We found we believe we found mammoth fossils," Ken said, and he reported contacting paleontology experts and college partners to confirm the finds and advise on how to proceed with interpretation or outreach.
Committee members encouraged publicity and promotion, including an open house for the new shelter once concrete accessibility work is complete. Ken said the shelter already has reservations for June and July and that he'd like to host an event to bring people to the park. On the question of inviting food trucks, a committee member cautioned that commercial sales in parks may be restricted by existing rules.
Next steps: Ken will get cost estimates for the Shavona well line replacement, follow up on the stewardship grant deadlines, and return with budget figures and procurement quotes at a future meeting.
