Photos by Patrick Ray
Story by Catherine Stachowiak
On Friday April 26, The Kern Valley Sun attained an update from Kern County regarding repairs expected for parks in the valley after last year’s storm damages.
“I’m over the construction projects,” said Michelle Burns-Lusich, senior CAO manager over construction services, at the General Services Department of Kern County.
“I’m doing a project funded by FEMA to reconstruct the features at Riverside Park back to pre existing conditions. And so part of that project is the repair of the basketball court that is in that park, that was damaged during the flood. And in re-paving that basketball court, we are going to be adding striping for two pickle ball courts, as well, on the basketball court,” said Burns-Lusich.
“Again that’s part of my construction project that is funded by FEMA. The flood allowed them to afford that project at the basketball and, in turn, the pickle ball courts. We have a little bit longer.”
Uffert Park, also known as Tank Park, went to the board April 9, and the board approved the plans and the specifications and notice to contractors for bids, that the county would be publishing out to contractors to provide bids and bid on the project so the county can award the contract and construct the project.
Burns-Lusich said the team would analyze the bids and go to the Board of Supervisors for approval of contracts, which would probably be received late July, early August, and then construction would begin shortly thereafter.
The new Skateboard Park project is under construction. The county is anticipating completion of the project in mid-July.
Regarding Kernville Happy Tails Dog Park, former Whiskey Flat Days mayor Gary Ananian gave an update to the Kernville Chamber of Commerce, Monday April 22. He said, “We have our hearing with the planning commission in two weeks. So We’re in our final stages of getting permitted. That’s what we’re waiting for now.”
The Kernville Chamber of Commerce is putting together a Bike Park workday. Chamber president Orion Sanders is looking into the condition of the park, so the chamber knows what equipment the would be needed for the proposed workday. At press time there was not a set date.
