The Clinton County Rec/Park Board, in the absence of Board Chairman Vince Ostertag who was unable to attend, held its regular meeting last Thursday evening, June 27 at the park.

Included in the membership were three newly appointed members, Margaret Brown, Gary Guffey, and Luke Moons. Eight board members were on hand for the hour-long session.

Much of the discussions during the meeting revolved around making plans for the upcoming 127 Yard Sale that will be held the first four weekend days in August. There will be several changes this year insofar as food sales.

This year, instead of the park board doing the cooking as in years past, food booths will be rented out on a first-come first-served basis and set up at the basketball courts.

The Farmer’s Market building, which had previously been the site of the concession sales, will be used for yard sale vendors instead.

The board voted to rent up to six food booths to concession vendors at a cost of $200 per space, with the fee to be paid up front. The food booth areas will be rented on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone interesting in selling food during the 127 sale at the park may also contact the park director prior to July 12.

Also, the first six vendors who are approved will be the only food vendors allowed to sell food at the park during the sale. Further, anyone who submits proposals to sell food during that week should be able to meet all health department criteria and regulations for handling and selling food outdoors.

The “food court” will consist of three spaces on each end of the basketball court area with the middle area set up with picnic tables for sale shoppers.

The Farmer’s Market will contain nine closed-in and locked up spaces. The 9×9 foot areas will rent to vendors who wish to set up there at $100 each and vendors interested in renting a space inside the market facility should contact Reneau to secure one of those spaces.

Reneau said that last year, over 60 vendors set up to sell their wares and the average is around 60 to 70 plus vendors per year.

In other park board business taken up at last week’s meeting:

The board approved the monthly treasurer’s report, which showed a fund balance of $10,855.95 plus $425 in total pending deposits and $1,426.46 in pending expenditures. A total of $719.59 was listed as a pending deposit. However, that amount will be in a separate fund for playground equipment only.

Park Director Bobby Reneau explained to new members on hand about the board’s current drive to raise funds for new playground equipment and are currently in the process of holding fundraisers on their own and looking into grants, including types of possible matching funds, to help pay for it.

The aforementioned $719.59 was raised in one day when park board members set up at the front gate on a ball game night and took voluntary donations from people who visited the park that evening.

Reneau is also working on two other fundraisers, including a mixed league softball tournament that will be held on Saturday, July 13 at Mountain View Park.

There is no limit to teams and entry fee is $125 per team. To enter a team into the tournament, you may contact Reneau at 606-688-4337. Concessions will be available during the tournament and all proceeds will be used toward much needed new playground equipment for the park.

A second fundraiser being planned is a car show that will take place at the park on September 14 and is open to just about any type of vehicles anyone would like to show. Concessions will also be sold during that fundraiser, with all money raised set aside for the playground.

Anyone interested in that event may also contact the park director and more details will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Although the park board itself is doing fundraisers for the project, donations from businesses and individuals interested in helping out can made donations at any time by making monetary donations. When writing a check, they should list the purpose for “playground equipment.” For more information on donating toward the playground upgrade, contact the park director or any park board member.

The next regular meeting of the Clinton County Rec/Park Board is scheduled for Thursday, July 25 at 6 p.m. at Mountain View Park and is open to the general public.