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

Where in Union? {May 26}

Do you know where in Union one can find these? If so, you could win a prize from Hair Envy!

Please comment with the exact location, including street/streets, buildings, any identifying landmarks, and even GPS coordinates. The first correct comment wins a prize from Hair Envy. You may comment on this blog post or on the Facebook picture.

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