New Picnic Tables for Rotary Park
Courtesy of the Bonners Ferry Rotary Club
BONNERS FERRY — When the Bonners Ferry Rotary Club took over Lions Den Park in 2019, they knew there was work to be done before to bring it back to the “glory days.”
As of Saturday, they are one step closer to their goal. A small group of Rotary members braved the cold and built new picnic tables for the park.
The park has been an area fixture for decades but has been closed to the public for some time. As the membership of the Lions Club local chapter grew older, their numbers decreased, and vandalism became an increasing problem, they found they were unable to maintain the park before ultimately shuttering the local chapter completely.
That’s when the Bonners Ferry Rotary Club took over.
The new picnic tables were funded by a Rotary District 5080 Express Grant. It’s a program to help with modest, hands-on projects. The grant also helped pay for two new fire rings, which will be installed in the spring.
For now, Rotary Park and lodge is available for event rentals. They also host community activities like the annual Easter Egg Hunt or Community Breakfast, as well as donating the space to groups like The Boys Scouts and 4-H Club for various activities.
However, they have bigger plans for the park. According to club president, Ron Campbell, they hope to eventually open the park back up to the public and build individual campgrounds for personal use. They’d also like to see Snow Creek Pond used as a swimming hole again.
Unfortunately, they don’t have a timeline for when that will be. Community efforts will play a big part in when that will happen. The pond needs to be dredged due to pollution, but there guidelines that have to be followed. Paths need to be created and volunteers are needed to do the work and run the equipment.
It’s a work in progress, but it’s also a labor of love. One that the Rotary Club will continue to plug away at, one project at a time.
If you would like more information about the Rotary Club, you can visit their website at: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/1799/.