Park District: Keep off the grass
Susan DeVilder For the Star Courier
The Kewanee parks and recreation director was out of town when he received phone calls from residents about a woman driving over cones in Northeast Park in order to gain access to the playground area.
Brian Johnson said that according to several eyewitnesses, a woman driving a car ran over the cones in order to get into the park, then drove her vehicle in the wrong direction down the road to the playground. There, she let her children out to play in the park. To add insult to injury, Johnson said, the car exited onto Elm Street, running over more cones and dragging one of them for several blocks.
For several weeks, the fear of spreading COVID-19 has kept the Kewanee parks closed to all activities except walking. But the director said he has received numerous complaints about groups of up to 10 to 12 kids at the skateboard park and basketball courts.
"You can't get together in groups right now," Johnson said. "All playgrounds are off limits."
Johnson said the park district has put up numerous signs and will continue to do so, reminding people that many areas are completely off-limits.
In addition, Johnson said the Henry/Stark County Health Department is now asking the park district to place yellow caution tape around the playground areas.
Johnson said he will continue to access the situation on a daily basis. The next step, he said, could be to contact authorities and pursue trespassing charges.
"I don't want to do that," Johnson said. "It's getting to the point right now where it's life and death and people need to pay attention."
Walking is permitted on the paths that run through the park, but Johnson is urging people to keep a safe distance between other walkers.
Johnson called a special meeting of the park board Thursday to discuss ways to better wall off the parks and seek guidance for what to do with employees during the slow business pace created by the stay-in-place period