Park News 2024
Friends’ events: The year started with the Friends welcoming visitors with hot chocolate and s’mores at the fire ring behind the AWC. We did not have a Work Play Earth Day in April due to a lack of staff, and we hope to resume that in 2025. At our annual meeting in May, board members Cathy and John Emerson were recognized as being chosen as Wisconsin State Park Volunteers of the Year. Our usual Free Breakfast was held on Free Fun Weekend in June. We substituted our annual Fall Hike with the Smokey Bear 80th Birthday Celebration in August as the campground was to be closed after Labor Day due to the road reconstruction project. We provided breakfast in September to the Belgium Chamber of Commerce members.
Park Projects: Park manager Ed Muzik and park ranger Katelyn Grissom from KASP helped with HBSP needs over the summer, including scheduling for the naturalist programs. The project of repairing the eroded section of the Stonehaven Road south of the Point was completed. The AWC septic system required some repairs. Replacing the access ramp to the North Beach was delayed until the new budget year and is now completed. The large grill donated by the Friends is waiting installation. A new superintendent of KASP and HBSP, Molly McKay and a new Park Ranger Jarrett Mapes were introduced to the Board in June. Summer staff, Ryan, Hannah, Will, Emily, and Theresa were in the park, busy with keeping up the campground, the beach areas, the Ansay Welcome Center, and the trails until the end of September. An Eagle Scout, Andy Strong, rebuilt a boardwalk on the South Lake trail.
Friends of the Park helped staff with clearing downed trees, moving wood chunks to the shop area, and splitting it into firewood sold to park visitors. Selling firewood is our biggest source of income. We used that in the past to fund various projects such as the accessible cabin, the AWC, the Observatory, and the playground, and contributing equipment such as the tractor/dozer and the beach ramp. Our other source of income, the sales of clothing and other merchandise, has been reduced due to the office being staffed less often. Friends’ member Bonnie Lunde cleaned out all the bluebird houses in the park and replaced damaged ones; she then led multiple bird watching hikes. Friends’ member Amanda Mueller led 5-mile-long hikes organized on the meetup.com website.
The Friends also provided funds for the naturalist and musician programs, new signage, and the rental of a bus to transport visitors from the upper to lower lot for several special events.
