Keeping away geese in Clintonville
By Bert Lehman
Predator decoys are being used at the newly constructed aqua park in an effort to keep geese out of the facility.
That was the message Justin Mc Auly, director of the Parks and Recreation, relayed to the Clintonville Common Council at its Sept. 12 meeting.
Mc Auly told the council that he has received a lot of phone calls from residents about predators in the aqua park. He assured the council there are not predator animals there. What appears to be coyotes are actually decoys.
There are two coyote decoys and a German Shepard decoy that are moved daily in an effort to keep geese out of the aqua park.
“It’s been working for two weeks, so we’re going to keep doing that,” Mc Auly said.
There were 20 geese in the aqua park for a week prior to that, Mc Auly said, adding that the swans in the water in the aqua park are also decoys.
Construction update
Mc Auly said there are a couple of items that need to be finished in the aqua park. The first is work on the gutters on the south side of the building. The other is the replacement or refinishing of a couple of roof panels.
Grass has also been planted in some areas of the aqua park, with the rest of the grass scheduled to be planted in the spring.
Mc Auly said the city is hoping for a “soft opening” of the aqua park this fall before it opens for ice skating in the winter. A grand opening would be scheduled for June 2024.
The city is also accepting donations for park amenities that were cut from the budget, Mc Auly said.
“If you know anybody out there that is willing to donate, just get a hold of the Parks and Rec office and we can let you know the long list of stuff we’re trying to fundraise for,” Mc Auly said.