Veterans Memorial Park {Part 6 - Playgrounds, the Memorial, and Cost}

There is nothing like the feeling of flying through the air. No matter your age, flying down a slide or swinging through the air is a thrill and a rush.

Union has 4 playgrounds for families to enjoy:

1. City Park on Park Street
2. Clark Vitt Memorial Park on Clark Vitt Drive
3. Hoffert Park on Hoffert Street, behind Shop-n-Save Pharmacy
4. the little park on College Meadows Drive

There are pavilions, restrooms, and family picnic shelters are the first 2 parks, the larger ones. The second 2 parks only have a family shelter besides the playground equipment.

If you look at the map, you will notice that if a family who lives in St. Andrews (the largest subdivision in not only Franklin County, but the surrounding counties), wants to go to the playground, the nearest park would be College Meadows Drive. The other 3 parks are completely across town.

The growth of Union on the east side has exploded in the past decade, and the new Veterans Memorial Park would fill the need for additional playgrounds for the 3,000 new residents (numbers based on the 2000 and 2010 censuses).

The new east park is tentatively planned to have 3 playgrounds, 3 swing sets, and a splash pad, in addition to sports fields, walking trails, conservation areas, and a fishing lake.

And...the park will contain a Disabled Veterans Memorial. A memorial that will honor the men and women who have served our country so that we have the freedoms we love.


Some major numbers have been estimated for building this amazing park, and those numbers are staggering...millions and millions of dollars. However, the park will not cost near what the estimation is, according to the Parks Department and the Missourian.


Why? Because the numbers are based on St. Louis costs, not based on using local contractors. The number also doesn't figure in the federal grants that are available to help us build the new Veterans Memorial Park.


But why not go for the grants first? Good question!


The Parks Department cannot apply for grants until there is a financial plan to build the park. The grant money will not be given unless the community is committed to building the park. And passing a tiny sales tax says that we are committed to continuing the growth of our community with the Veterans Memorial Park is exactly what the grant granters are looking for.


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On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union, from 6am to 7pm. The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Missed the previous posts? Here they are:
{Part 5 - Football}
{Part 4 - Trails and Lakes}
{Part 3 - Soccer}
{Part 2 - Pavilions}
{Part 1 - Baseball}

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

Author: Tyann Marcink
Photo: Marcink Designs

Veterans Memorial Park {Part 5 - Football}

The Union High School football team has been trampling area teams the past couple years, and part of that may be due to the strong junior league in town.

"Our youth sports programs feed into the high school programs. Union High School has had a good run of successful sports teams which I believe is due in part to the hard work and dedication of those involved in youth sports," stated Jeff Watson, President of the Union Wildcats Junior Football League. "It’s a source of pride in our community."

Team sports teach important life skills to children, and the junior football league is all about teaching the young men skills.

According to Watson, Union Wildcats Junior Football League will have approximately 200 participants in the 2012 football season on 8 teams for kids in grades 3rd through 8th.

Last year, there were 7 teams...with 5 teams practicing on one field at the middle school and 2 other teams practicing on baseball fields. Just a little crowded...

The high school allows the use of their field for games, but in the event of heavy rain, the high school field cannot be used...and that can be detrimental to the Union program. Last year, when the Union team had earned a home playoff game, the game was moved to Washington because of heavy rain. Union still had to pay the referees, but Washington collected the gate receipts and concessions.

Photo used with permission

Watson added that an additional venue for games and practices for the football league would be very beneficial to the football program as well as the baseball program. The Union fall baseball league is growing, but the field space is limited with fall baseball and football running at the same time. By having enough football practice facilities, more fields are freed up for fall baseball to be able to expand.

***


On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

What does that amount translate to?

• on a $12 hanging basket from Platt's Nursery - 6 cents extra
• on a $27 knife from a Pampered Chef consultant - 14 cents extra
• on a $95 stack of college class supplies at the ECC Bookstore - 48 cents extra

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union. However, voters may also cast an absentee ballot beforehand if they will not be able to vote on June 5th. The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Missed the previous posts? Here they are:
{Part 4 - Trails and Lakes}
{Part 3 - Soccer}
{Part 2 - Pavilions}
{Part 1 - Baseball}

Just one more post to go on the 43.8 acre proposed Veterans Memorial Park...playgrounds.

Author: Tyann Marcink

Veterans Memorial Park {Part 4 - Trails and Lakes}

It's a proven fact that exercise is good for you. We all know that, right? And our town of Union has made great efforts to help us to get off our laurels and get moving.

Beginning at the Union City Park, the city has established 3 routes for walking, running, and biking. Each route is color coded and clearly marked for ease of use. And on top of that, there are even exercise stations along the routes.

The marked trails begin at the Union City Park.

Color coded signs mark the different trail routes.

The walking trails wind through town, over steep hills, through the park system, and around the city lake. What would the new Veterans Memorial Park add to this excellent system? Well, how about trails for the east side of town. Currently, the trail system is only on the west side of Union and towards the downtown area.

The new trails would also be much more forgiving in elevation. The field-like area doesn't have the steep hills like the west end of town.

The trail around the lake is great exercise for those with 2 or 4 feet.

The Veterans Memorial Park would include natural wetlands, or a lake, as well. There are many fishermen in the area, and the city lake can be crowded on a balmy weekend. The parks department also hosts a fishing derby each year that is a big hit with families.

Family fishing time

Fishing is relaxing

On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

What does that amount translate to?

• on a $10 prescription from Walgreens - 0 cents extra
• on a $30 pedi/mani at L'Nails - 0 cents extra
• on a  $75 tank fill up at Mobil - 0 cents extra

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union. However, voters may also cast an absentee ballot beforehand if they will not be able to vote on June 5th. The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Missed the previous posts? Here they are:

{Part 3 - Soccer}

{Part 2 - Pavilions}

{Part 1 - Baseball}

Up next: more on the other areas of the 43.8 acre Veterans Memorial Park...playgrounds and football fields.


Author: Tyann Marcink
Photos: Marcink Designs

Veterans Memorial Park {Part 3 - Soccer}

The Bourbeuse River flood plain is flooded every weekend in September and October. If not with water, with soccer games and hundreds of boys and girls, as well as their families with their camping chairs.

Parents line the fields in camping chairs to watch the kids play soccer.

There are 36 soccer teams that play in the Union Soccer Association, utilizing 72 coaches and 6 fields. The players range from ages 4 years to 18 years old. The games are refereed by older boys and girls, the porta-potties are bright blue, and the concession stand is on wheels.

Why would the concessions be on wheels? So it can be moved when the river floods. The question during soccer season is not "Will the river flood?" but "When will the river flood?"

From early on, the players learn life skills from team sports.

And when the river floods, the fields are out of commission for several days after the water recedes. The association board carefully watches the river levels so they can quickly move the goals, benches, trash cans, concessions, and porta-potties out of the way of the water.

Practices are held during the week beginning July 20th, and games are held on the weekends, through October 31st. There are no lights, so fields are only playable during daylight.

Fun while learning!

According to Dawn Thompson, Union Soccer Association, the majority of players are from Union, with some from Beaufort and the surrounding area. The older teams travel to other towns to play, including Washington, St. Clair, Pacific, and Gerald.

With the new Veterans Memorial Park, the soccer players would have two additional fields to play on (ones that don't flood), actual restrooms (yeah!), a permanent concession stand (no more mud to cover with planks), and my hope, bleachers.

Tournaments could then be held in Union, Thompson added, bringing people in from the surrounding areas, and thus money being spent in our local restaurants and stores. These people would then be helping to pay for our new park when they go out for celebratory pizza and ice cream after the games.

On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

What does that amount translate to?

• on a $12 pizza from Benito's - 6 cents extra
• on a $40 oil change at Advanced Automotive - 20 cents extra
• on a $489 washer from Appliance Connection - $2.45 extra

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union. However, voters may also cast an absentee ballot beforehand if they will not be able to vote on June 5th. The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Missed the previous posts? Here they are:
{Part 2 - Pavilions}
{Part 1 - Baseball}

Up next: more on the other areas of the 43.8 acre Veterans Memorial Park...walking trails, splash pad, playground, and football fields.

Author: Tyann Marcink
Photos: Marcink Designs

Veterans Memorial Park {Part 2 - Pavilions}

If these pavilions could talk...

A place for everyone to gather, the pavilions in the Union parks system enjoy more birthday parties, family reunions, wedding receptions, banquets, concerts, picnics, and political rallies than we will ever know.

Events as large as the Regional FFA Foundation Banquet sponsored by the Union Rotary Club to the city's Long Haul BBQ to even a political rally for a Presidential race have used the Union Parks pavilions.
These highly used gathering spots are a hot commodity on Saturdays from April through October, with many reservations being made well over a year in advance.

One of many family gatherings one will see at the park pavilions.

During the pavilion season, if you want to use one on a Saturday, you have two choices:

1. call the Parks Department and rent one, or
2. arrive at dawn to stake claim to the use of the pavilion for the day.

There are only 3 pavilions in the Union parks that are on a first-come, first-picnic basis, and the other 7 are available to be rented. Of course, if a pavilion is not rented, then it is a first-come, first-picnic basis as well.

A birthday girl at the Garden Pavilion near Clark-Vitt Elementary.

Now, there are also smaller family shelters, a covered picnic table or two. These are always first-come, first-picnic.

According to Angie Breeden in the Parks Department, the new park would most likely have several family shelters, giving Union residents additional spots to enjoy their picnics in the park or just to escape the sun during their visit.

During his campaign in 2008, President Obama held a grass roots rally at the large pavilion.

On Tuesday, June 5th, Proposition Parks will be the only item on a special ballot. A "yes" vote will be for a .5% additional sales tax, making the tax rate 8.975%. The revenue from this tax is solely for the parks department, and cannot be used for anything else, according to the city website.

What does that amount translate to?

• on a $2.75 ice cream cone from Scoops N' More - 1.3 cents extra
• on a $60 dog crate at Dickey Bub's - 30 cents extra
• on a $300 pair of eye glasses from Union Eye Associates - $1.50 extra

Voting will only be held at the Union City Hall Auditorium, 500 East Locust, Union. However, voters may also cast an absentee ballot beforehand if they will not be able to vote on June 5th.

The Union Parks Department may be reached at 636-583-8471.

Up next: more on the other areas of the 43.8 acre Veterans Memorial Park...walking trails, splash pad, playground, soccer and football fields, and more.

Author: Tyann Marcink

Photos: Marcink Designs