AMASA– After years of planning, grant applications and efforts from the community, the Joe Mechon Memorial Park in Amasa has been restored into a park that’s for everyone.
“It’s accessible to everyone,” said Joe Hoenig, Township Supervisor, Hematite Township. “Even someone on a wheelchair can now go down and hopefully catch a brook trout in a blue ribbon trout stream that runs through our town. Not only that, but they’d be able to enjoy the picnic areas.”
The easy accessibility, new equipment and other amenities were made possible through a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund.
“We had a park committee that formed and then they did the research for the grant and made it possible,” said Hoenig.
The park started in the 50s when Joe Mechon, a former trustee and supervisor of Hematite Township decided that the area should be a park for the community.
“This was a very low area, low land and Joe Mechon I guess had the forward thinking to fill this in when it was possible to do that with the funds that they had,” said Hoenig.
Mechon’s family was at the park for today’s dedication.
“In Amasa, there’s really no other place,” said Kathleen Mechon-Parsons, Joe Mechon’s daughter. “This is like centrally located. You come into Amasa, you see the sign, welcome and of course, kids see all of this equipment and they want and they want to get on it.”
Local 3’s Rebecca Bartelme asked Kathleen, “If your dad was here today, what do you think he’d say about this?”
Kathleen replied, “Thank God and thank everybody that helped.”
