Shiner park improvements are in the works

Both Green Dickson Park and Welhausen Park are getting some major upgrades in the coming months. 
“Different organizations are working on various projects at these parks,” Shiner City Council member David Schroeder said. “For example, the Game and Fish League is building a new covered pavilion between the current bathrooms and the playground at Green Dickson Park. It will include a barbecue pit and offer more shaded space for visitors.”
The League is also enhancing the picnic area. “Right now, there are some scattered concrete tables with no cover,” Schroeder said. “They want to add shade structures to make it more comfortable for people sitting there. We’ve also discussed adding more picnic areas and barbecue pits. There will also be a new concrete barbecue pit.”
In addition, work is planned at the lower end of the park, between the dam and the road. “A sealant has been purchased that will be used to prevent water loss in the lower lake, by sealing the bottom and helping it retain water more effectively,” Schroeder said. 
“Work is being done to redirect runoff from the hill near the cemetery, so that the water flows between the two dams and feeds into the lower lake. We want to make sure we have the lower lake sealed before we divert that water.”
The Shiner City Council is currently working on obtaining a new Texas Parks and Wildlife Grant to assist with some much-needed improvements.  This is still in the very early stages. 
“They have certain criteria on what you can use the money on,” Schroeder said. “It’s a matching grant up to $150,000. It’ll be basically a $300,000 project. A couple of things we’re looking at is installing another set of restrooms where the Champion’s Pavilion and the RV area are. 
The Champion’s Pavilion is used a lot on Friday nights and if they need to go to the restroom, it’s a pretty good walk. It also gives people that are camping closer access. We are also talking about revamping the current restrooms by the playground as well as adding playground equipment.”
An additional new feature at Green Dickson Park is a pickleball court next to the basketball court. 
There are other projects that have been done recently. The Lions Club and the Pilot Club put a wheelchair accessible swing at the playground and added rubberized mulch by the playground equipment. “They put in a nice barbecue pit at the Champions Pavilion,” Schroeder said. “We’ve had organizations that put in some money out there to improve facilities.”
“There’s also a new practice field for the upcoming football league, located next to the soccer fields. Additionally, the soccer league has secured funding for new lights to be installed there. A lot of improvements are in progress right now,” said Schroeder.
“The Shiner Eagle Scouts are spearheading a new game at the volleyball court,” Schroeder stated.
The game is called ‘Gaga Ball’. “It’s a game where you can only use your hands to hit the ball, and if it touches below your knee, you’re out,” Eagle Scout member Canaan Bishop said at a recent council meeting. “It’s an elimination game and is very fun.”
The Little League also redid the whole concession stand at the Baseball Field. “They took out the back wall and now it’s a much bigger user friendly concession stand,” Schroeder said.
One big project that Schroeder also wants to see is additional lighting installed at both Green Dickson and Welhausen Park. “Even just putting lighting on a couple of poles would increase safety,” Schroeder said.
In reference to Welhausen Park, some people suggested putting Christmas lights there instead of Green-Dickson Park according to Schroeder. “It would be benefical because Christmas in the Park is a big event,” Schroeder said. “Those lights would be really nice in that area. We also talked about having more playground equipment at Welhausen.”
Schroeder is looking forward to these new changes and expects more to come in the following years.