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From noon to 2 p.m. that day, the township will host the dedication of its new park located at 682 N. Fairgrounds Road. The park is located on the same 13 acres the township hall is located on, which is one mile north of Imlay City.

At the dedication, there will be a 1 p.m. release of doves that will be followed by a program. Hot dogs will be served. Also, the Lapeer County EMS personnel will be on hand with an ambulance and demonstration of equipment.

Imlay Township Trustee John Mulder also heads the park committee and said roughly more than $35,000 was put into the recreation-designated area. Mulder said the park has been a community project.

History shows the township received a $36,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant in 1992. With the grant the township leased 20 acres from the Veterans of Foreign Wars on M-53 and built a park in 1994. Eventually, the VFW sold that property.

Mulder explained in order for the township to keep the grant funds it had to build a new park. Hence the 13 acres the township hall sits on.

The new park -- which Mulder said needs some signs and posts installed -- includes six pieces of playground equipment, a 24-foot-by-30-foot pavilion, and a walking trail that stretches about 1/3 miles in back of the township hall almost all the way to M-53.

The township's park committee includes Terry Gebhardt, Dick Wilson, Nancy Schiller, and Mulder. "Terry is very active in the Imlay City Lions' Club," Mulder said. "They took the park as a service project. I don't know how much money they saved us, but it's been really great. A lot of contractors have given us breaks. It's been a great community project."

Mulder added the nice part about the project is the fact the new park has already received heavy usage in comparison to the old one on M-53. He said more people are leading more active lifestyles today.

"We're already getting a lot of use in the park," he said. "It's small, but we hope to improve it."

While Mulder said the township has not yet established any rules for the new park or a rental fee for the pavilion -- if any -- he did say motorized vehicles will not be allowed on the walking trail.

Gebhardt also is secretary of the Imlay City Lions Club said his organization appropriated $500 for the park along with hours of labor in tear down and set up of equipment.

"Our goal is to help people," he said. "We started in the fall removing the old equipment and it took about two days. We had eight to 10 members (for installation). We're tickled pink. That's an improvement. The park is for the community."

Jennifer Decker can be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8125 or jennifer.decker@lapeergroup.com.