Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Rhonda Strebel, Rotary president and city alderwoman, cuts the ribbon officially opening the Sturgeon Park gazebo to the public.
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Shawano Rotary members and local residents gather on Monday for a dedication ceremony for the new gazebo in Sturgeon Park. The structure cost $20,000 to build and will be available for community activities.
Shawano residents and visitors have another reason to visit Sturgeon Park.
The Shawano Rotary cut the ribbon Monday on a new gazebo that will be available for a variety of activities. There is electricity available for evening activities and anything involving a sound system.
“This gazebo project was chosen by the Shawano Rotary to showcase the beautiful Wolf River,” said Rhonda Strebel, club president and city alderwoman. “It’s a place where the sturgeon spawn in the springtime, where many visitors come to the site annually. We wanted to provide a shelter for those living in the community and for those who come to visit.”
Alderman Woody Davis, speaking on the city’s behalf, noted that Sturgeon Park is one of the most visited parks in the city. The park was built in 2002 with the aid of a $150,000 grant from the Urban Rivers Fund from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and is the midway point on the 76-mile Mountain Bay Trail.
“This beautiful gazebo will be enjoyed by many,” Davis said. “It is a wonderful and much appreciated asset for the park. It is another example of a successful partnership project in our community.”
The gazebo is still a work in progress. Strebel said a monument noting all the donors and volunteers will be posted, similar to the one that stands in Kuckuk Park. Also, a blue steel roof will be added to the existing wooden frame.
“If you look up at the sky right now and see the color blue that it is, that’s the color that the roof will be,” Strebel said.
The gazebo project cost $20,000, with the city fronting the money. Strebel said the $5,000 balance on the loan will be paid off this year.
The Rotary got half of the money to pay back the city via a grant from the Sikora Family Fund, facilitated through the Shawano Area Community Foundation, which paid for the supplies.
Rotarian and consultant Scott Nordin was the manager for the project. Cerveny Construction also helped to build the gazebo. Work progressed despite a wet and cold spring.
“This was a rough spring, so we didn’t know when this was going to be built exactly,” Strebel said.