By Jim Bloch
Klecha Park, the only recreational park south of the Pine River in the city of St. Clair, is looking lean and fit following several renovations that took place over the summer – and more are in store.
Trice Hawkins, recreation director, presented an update of the Recreate Klecha Park project to the city council at its regular meeting Sept. 15.
“Our splash pad opened in July and hopefully you had a chance to go down and enjoy it,” said Hawkins, as heard on the recording of the meeting posted on Facebook. “We had a great few months of operation. It was nice to see people using Klecha Park a little more, discovering it and using it for the first time… The system is pretty easy to operate – it’s kind of a glorified irrigation system.”
The splash pad closed for the year Sept. 14.
Hawkins said new sidewalks, pathways and parking along Palmer and Goff streets enhanced the accessibility of spray pad. There are some remaining tasks, such as installing a permanent safety sign featuring all the rules and regulations, erecting a shade and seating area, winterizing the spray features with shrink wrap, adding landscaping, and installing parking bumpers and restroom signage.
“We want to recognize Cargill for sponsoring the splash pad,” said Hawkins. Cargill is in the final year of a three-year $100,000 commitment to the park.
Contributions from the Community Foundation in the form of a $140,000 accessibility grant and the city’s share of the county parks and rec millage, about $20,000, paid for the walkways.
“American Legion Post 382 donated a flagpole and the installation, and we had the first flag raising on the flagpole on Monday, Aug. 25 and we had some of the American Legion members out there,” said Hawkins.
The flagpole sits just beyond the diamond’s centerfield.
“We’ve been working on the major league ball field improvements,” said Hawkins. “We received a donation from the Moore Family Foundation to do the work. We replaced the fencing, the concession stands, the dugouts and the broken concrete behind the backstop. Then we replaced that concrete. We’re working on some electrical improvements. We want to put a block wall behind the backstop and some seating and dugouts.”
Park plans include a 30-foot by 40-foot picnic pavilion and picnic tables.
“We do have a potential sponsor for the picnic pavilion, and we’ll hopefully be announcing that in the near future,” said Hawkins. The contribution will be $35,000-$45,000. “We hope to continue the donor bench program like we have down at Palmer Park and some of our other parks.”
When the new playground is installed, the Community Foundation has pledged about $65,000 for the surfacing, which will meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In 2026, the city’s share of the county rec millage is expected to be around $33,000.
Remaining projects in the park, which still need funding, include the playground, new pickleball courts and the paving of interior drives and parking areas at the north end of the park.
The St. Clair Garden, which manages flower beds in Palmer Park, has proposed a flower bed around the Klecha Park sign at the corner of Goff and Palmer streets.
Storywalk
The St. Clair County Library System supports a program known as Storywalk at Marysville Park, Fort Gratiot County Park, Pine River Nature Center and in Algonac. Pages from various children’s books are displayed on powder-coated aluminum, which may be moved from park to park, to be displayed permanent frames.
St. Clair Rotary Club has sponsored the effort in Klecha Park, which is now installed.
The goal of the effort is promoting literacy, movement and family recreation.
Security
“We are working on park security,” said Hawkins. “We are establishing internet at the park so we can have a bathroom door access locking system. It’s pending, but there is a Homeland Security grant we are planning to receive, so that we can have security cameras in the park.”
Dyck Security and DTE are working with recreation commission on that.
Contributions
Several other businesses have contributed labor and services to the park rehabilitation: St. Clair Irrigation and Landscaping, Brenner Electric, Karas Plumbing, InFuz Design, Riverbend Marina and Discount Fence. Hawkins said that Mike Barnum, Karen Foley and Dale Kaufman have donated hours of their time to the park.
“We still have a few things to do, but I think we’ve accomplished quite a lot,” Hawkins said.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
