Parks ready for Labor Day weekend

The parks in Laketown Township are ready for the Labor Day holiday.

The beach will be popular and visitors to the township’s other parks will notice some recent improvements.

The beach

“We’re excited for everybody to get out to Laketown Township Beach this weekend,” said Brad Laninga, chairperson of the Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission, the group that oversees the parks. “There’s just a few things to keep in mind while having fun.”

Mainly, he said, visitors should be respectful of neighbors and be safe.

Parking at the beach, 6710 142^nd Ave., is limited. Park only in designated spots to make sure emergency vehicles can get through. Tickets are issued for illegal parking.

“Leave the space better than you found it,” Laninga said, asking visitors to bring all their trash back from the shoreline to the trash receptacles in the parking lot.

No fires anywhere in the park.

The beach does not have warning flags or lifeguards. Beachgoers are advised to check the National Weather Service website for lake conditions.

Laketown Beach does have a rescue ring along the shore as well as rip current warning signs.

Here are a few other things to remember when at the beach:

• The beach is open from dawn until dusk.
• No dogs allowed.
• It’s a long walk to and from the beach over a sand dune and more than 200 stairs. Be aware of what you’re carrying and that young children might need assistance.
• There is a portable restroom in the parking lot. There are no restrooms on the lakefront itself.
• Cell phone reception can be spotty.
• The parking lot is monitored by camera.

Park improvements

If you haven’t been to the parks recently, here are some of the improvements that have occurred:

Wolters Woods, 6281 147^th Ave.: Engineered wood fiber, a type of mulch, was spread around the playground and the trails have been improved. The parking lot has been resealed and restriped. Invasives have been cut down along the multi-use path.

Sanctuary Woods, 4750 66^th St.: The parking lot has been resealed and restriped. Look for the wooden statues that dot the lower level of the park.

Farview Nature Park, 6257 138^th Ave.: A portable restroom was added in the parking lot. The Interurban station now has a tarp on the roof pending repairs. Volunteers have cut down large swaths of invasives.

Huyser Farm Park, 4188 64^th St.: The house was removed in June and the area leveled and replanted. The trails have been trimmed.

Old Township Hall, 6280 142^nd Ave.: The historic structure has been repainted.

Township Hall, 4338 Beeline Road: Diamond dust has been added to the ball field.

Shore Acres Park, 6597 138^th Ave.: Washouts in the parking lot and along the main trail have been repaired. The Felt Mansion is open Monday, Sept. 2, from noon to 4 p.m. for self-guided tours. Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors 60 and over; $5 for children 8 and up; and free for children 7 and under.

Multi-use paths: The edges have been trimmed and buckled pavement repaired. The bridge along 62^nd Street between 144^th and 145^th avenues was repaired in the spring. Crews are working on the new path from the Shangrai-La Mobile Home Community, 6180 Blue Star Highway, to the Michigan Department of Transportation’s park-and-ride site at Exit 41 of I-196. The stretch should be open in September.