By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
Portions of the Wabash Street bridge along the River Walk will receive a new look, thanks in part to a project from Wabash Marketplace Inc.
The Wabash Park Board on Wednesday, June 12, granted WMI permission to paint a mural on portions of the underpass that is owned by the City of Wabash. It was unclear if that included the portion immediately beneath the bridge, or if that was owned by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
If owned by INDOT, board members weren’t sure if they could give permission to WMI to paint that section. Rather, they granted permission solely for the sections leading to underneath the bridge, and instructed WMI officials to check with INDOT if they wished to paint the portion in question.
The board also said it would like to approve the mural and the color of paint that will be used for the work.
In another matter, the Oak Hill Swim Club received permission to temporarily use the Honeywell Pool for practice two mornings per week.
Club representative Crystal Maynard told the board that the Oak Hill pool is being renovated and the swim club needs to find places to practice for about five weeks.
The club practices Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Indiana Wesleyan University, but that pool is unavailable on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
After much debate, the board unanimously approved letting the club use the pool, most likely from 7-9 a.m. those two days.
The club will reimburse the city for the cost of having a lifeguard on hand during the practices. While the club’s coach is a certified life guard, board members believed a local guard also should be present.
In a final matter, the board heard a request from Wabash High School cross country officials to display a banner with the cross country teams’ records in Wabash City Park.
The board was receptive to the idea, but took no action until a site for the display could be pinpointed.