Friday, July 4, 2008
Styrofoam, steel mesh and synthetic mud are being transformed into cave walls by St. Joseph Parks Department employee Steve Hecker for an interactive exhibit at the St. Joseph Nature Center.
Piles of dirt and mud, pools of leftover floodwater and a steady stream of workers and volunteers surround the St. Joseph Nature Center as it nears completion.
Unfortunately, it could not open in time for today's Fourth of July celebrations.
Bill McKinney, city parks and recreation director, said the recent flooding at the riverfront location pushed back many of the outdoor projects, causing the nature center to remain closed to the public for an additional month. Even without the rain, the nature center would not have been open for the holiday weekend.
"We're looking for right now somewhere near the second week of August," he said of the tentative opening date.
Despite an incomplete nature center, the city will continue with its normal Fourth of July celebrations.
"We've had that celebration for years and years and years when (the nature center) was still a forest," Mr. McKinney said, adding that one won't affect the other.
Scott Koch, horticulturist for the St. Joseph Parks Department, said high water washed away three flower beds and 150 plants and might have indirectly affected other projects by shutting down other city facilities.
"The flood itself might not have slowed us down, but it's going to pull people and equipment away from this project to get the hike-and-bike trail back up," Mr. Koch said.
Despite the setbacks, Chuck Kempf, project manager for the city manager's office, continues to help push the nature center toward completion. Mr. Kempf is working on several outdoor projects with teams of student volunteers from Bishop LeBlond High School. He can point out the areas where floodwater took a toll.
"It's kind of sad, really," he said.
Mr. Kempf said he is disappointed the nature center won't be open today, but, he said, all projects need to be fully completed before the grand opening.
"We just hope that it's ready to go fairly soon and that all the exhibits are there," he said.
St. Joseph resident Fred Sawin said he doesn't think the center's unfinished status will affect too many families in the area, including his. Mr. Sawin said he would be leery of taking his family to the nature center this weekend even if it were open because of all the mud from the flooding and because of the crowd the new project would probably draw.
"I've got my own crowd," he said.
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