LIA says Festival was huge success

CELINA - Lake Improvement Association (LIA) members on Saturday heard updates on Celina Lake Festival, H2Ohio funded projects, and the Grand Lake St. Marys State Park.

Celina Lake Festival Committee member Dylan Correll updated members on the 60th annual Celina Lake Festival, which was held last week along Grand Lake.

Correll said this year's theme of "Christmas in July" went very well.

"The citizens of Celina and the community around seemed to really like the theme," he said. "We had a lot of participation as far as decorating houses along the parade route, a lot of people dressed up."  One of the biggest events at the festival is the amphicar swim-in, in which cars from all over the country attend for a chance to splash in Grand Lake.

"This year we had about 51 amphicars from all over the country," he said. "I think the farthest one was from Houston this year, so they carted that thing all the way from Houston."

President Keith Westrick said LIA has been trying to work closer with its community partners and organizations.

"We are trying to work more closely with a lot of the other festivals and things going on with the lake," he said. "We're all related, we all do similar things."

Other events and activities featured last weekend at the festival included the downtown sidewalk sales, a 5K, craft show, car show/cruise-in, music acts in the entertainment tent, fireworks, parade, and kids' activities.

In other business, LIA members heard from Mercer County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Engineer Theresa Dirksen.

Dirksen said SWCD recently completed phase 2 of its H2Ohio Wetland Restoration projects.

"We created about nine to 10 acres of new wetland," she said. "We are restoring and enhancing the existing 10-acre wooded wetland along the west end of that property."

The county was awarded a $1.7 million H2Ohio grant to complete the projects. Due to efficiency of the contractors, Dirksen said there's a lot of remaining money from the grant.

"We will be diverting those monies to other projects across the watershed," she said. "We are excited to be able to accomplish a lot more with the money that we've had."

Following Dirksen, assistant park manager at Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Dave Faler updated members on the park.

Faler reported that the lake level is currently -1 inch, and the gate is open 3 inches.

He added he opens the gate 3 inches when the lake gets roughly an inch or less of above normal to keep the fish down stream alive.

"Most important is that we preserve our natural resources for both the lake, and down stream from it," Faler said.

Rain fall for July was 2.76 inches, which makes a total of 22.74 inches this year he reported, which is slightly more rain than the lake saw at this point last year, he said.

For camp updates, Faler said for the past 13 weeks they've had a full campground.

"Looking forward on the reservation site, we've got at least five weeks where we're full or right at about 90% (full)," he said. "Typically that 90% fills up within the last week to two weeks."

On Friday, with help from LIA and Grand Lake Recreation Club, Faler spent fours hours installing a floating American Disability Act (ADA) fishing dock at the West Bank.

The floating dock features a 20-foot by 14-foot layout with 240 sq. ft. of surface space on composite decking with a 16-foot ADA bridge, according to the LIA website.

He added that with additional help from LIA and the recreation club, they're planning to add a picnic table to the dock, as well as some fishing structures.

"I think it's just a great addition here at Grand Lake," he said. "It gives ADA fishing capabilities over here."

The group previously installed an ADA-friendly dock at East Bank, but with a lake its size, Faler said he doesn't like the fact that if someone from the west side of the lake wants to fish, and they're in a wheelchair, the only way to do it is to drive to the St. Marys side.

"I don't like that," he said. "When the LIA and recreation club came to me with this, I was very excited."

Next weekend, LIA will hold its 22nd annual Bar Stool Open event along the lake.

The event features a four-person team mini golf tournament along Grand Lake. It starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Participating bars include Celina Moose, Shingle Shack, It's It, Buoy's Bar & Grill, Behm's, Celina Eagles, Bayview Pub, South Shore Sportsman's Club, Rustic Haven, Boardwalk Grill, Duckfoot's and Lakeside Hideout.

In addition to the mini golf tournament, the event will feature a pontoon/boat decorating contest and a photo contest.

LIA will meet next at 10 a.m. Sept. 2 at the Celina Moose.