Splash Bash planned for Jamestown this summer

Apr. 14—The Jamestown community will have an opportunity to have "Splash Bash" this summer, according to Amy Walters, facility manager of the Two Rivers Activity Center.

Walters told the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners Monday the event is scheduled for Saturday, June 5, to celebrate the opening of the Meidinger Splash Park at TRAC.

"Things have gone great," she said. "Construction is right on schedule. They plan to be finished by the end of May and we plan to have our event right away."

The Meidinger Splash Park, named in honor of lead donor Shirley Meidinger, is part of phase 2 of the TRAC facility and was built without tax money. Groundbreaking for the project was in July 2020 with construction continuing since.

The project cost an estimated $2.3 million and fundraising for additional projects at TRAC is continuing.

"We had a mild winter," said Doug Hogan, director of the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Department. "They were able to work most of the winter. We were pretty fortunate."

The planned Splash Bash will include more than water activities, Walters said.

A three-on-three basketball tournament is planned for the TRAC parking lot during the day along with food vendors, kids games and events and local musicians in the evening.

"We want to kick off summer and have a fun, free community event," Walters said.

TRAC is seeking sponsors for the Splash Bash to cover the estimated $10,000 cost for the event.

The event is the week before the Parks and Recreation Department's annual kite festival which could help with the promotion of both events, she said.

"We are looking forward to the events," Hogan said. "The community needs a good family event this summer."

In other business, the board agreed to no longer require that masks be worn at its facilities. Patrons at all of the Parks and Recreation Department facilities will still be encouraged to wear masks, employees will continue to be subject to temperature screenings when they come to work, and all disinfectant protocols established to deal with the coronavirus pandemic will remain in place.

The department also authorized the University of Jamestown to construct two additional locker rooms at Wilson Arena. The locker rooms will be utilized when the University of Jamestown adds women's hockey in the fall of 2022. Construction on the locker rooms is planned for that summer.