Kiwanis Island Park gets an upgrade - Florida Today
MERRITT ISLAND — Kevin Stewart uses the facilities at Kiwanis Island Park because it is so close to where he likes to fish.But he admits it has not been the best facility.“A lot of times I fish by myself and there’s no place to tie up to,” he said. “Sometimes, if I want to tie up, I have to throw a rope around a board.”That will change today, thanks to West Marine on Merritt Island, whose staff will install cleats along the park’s docks this morning.“The materials and time of the employees are being donated by West Marine to Brevard County Parks and Recreation to help out the local boating community,” said Orson Tarver of West Marine, who is helping to coordinate the effort. “It’s a volunteer project. It will make it so much easier to get in and out of boats at the park.”West Marine undertakes one such community service project every year, according to Tarver.Jack Masson, director of Brevard County Parks and Recreation, said the county is grateful for the assistance, especially with budget tightening and fewer resources.“We appreciate it whenever the business community, in this case West Marine, steps in to assist the parks system,” he said. “It shows a sense of pride in the community and involvement in the community, and we do welcome the participation of businesses in our parks system.”West Marine managers have heard about and experienced the problems at the 18.38-acre park, which has a ramp and natural launch area that is popular with both pleasure boaters and anglers. There, it is sometimes difficult to determine where boats should be tied because of lack of hardware, Tarver said.It is not the first time cleats have been installed at the park.“After a while, cleats either break or are stolen,” Masson said. “It’s unfortunate, but it happens.”Stewart agreed.“The park did have cleats, but they just kept disappearing,” he said. “I guess some people steal them for the metal.”The situation was similar at Lee Wenner Park in Cocoa, where in 2010, West Marine undertook a similar project in honor of World Oceans Day, described by Masson as “a tremendous job.”Said Stewart, “Lee Wenner Park is great now.”Masson hopes West Marine’s efforts will encourage other businesses to assist where needed in the parks system.“We encourage any community group or business to partner with us, whether it is for a cleanup or one of our construction projects. It is so important today,” he said.To get involved in Brevard County Parks and Recreation projects, call 321-633-2046.
