After 15 years of service on the Addison Township Parks Committee, Joe Schnur handed his letter of resignation to Superivsor Bruce Pearson last week.
‘I’m 82 years old,? Schnur told this reporter. ‘Look at the obituaries sometime. There aren’t people in their 80s around for very long.?
Schnur said he and his wife, Pat, moved to Addison Township around 1999 and he got his start on the parks committee shortly thereafter. He said he was a longtime friend of former township Trustee John Sutphin and used to play bagpipes with him.
‘When he heard I was in town, he went over to the supervisor, who was Bob Koski at that time, and he said, ‘This guy is smart. You (have) got to get him on something,? Schnur said. ‘So, they put me on the parks committee.?
Schnur described the committee as ‘hidebound? when he first got there.
‘They didn’t understand that a park has to be used,? he said.
‘When we first got there, there were ‘no trespassing? (signs) and things like that,? Schnur continued. ‘It really didn’t seem very friendly, so when Bruce came into (office) we got rid of the ‘no trespassing? signs and really started to open up (the parks more).?
Schur spent the last 12 years as chairman of the parks committee.
He said they did a lot of things early on when it was just himself, his wife and Charlie Peringian on the committee.
This included building picnic tables and creating a baseball field behind township hall along with a three-on-three basketball court and a swing set.
Schnur said his son and his grandson also helped him put a new roof on one of the cabins located at Watershed Preserve Park.
‘The cabin roof was really going to the dickens, so we tore off the roof and a local roofer came out of nowhere and said ‘I will put the roof on if you just get the material,? so that was nice,? he said. ‘In the process of taking the roof off, we were opening the roof up on top and out come three raccoons at me. I ducked, but they didn’t bite me, so that was kind of a comical thing.?
Schnur said many of the things that have been accomplished in the parks were due to the work of volunteers outside of the parks? committee. Schnur praised Addison Township resident and local excavator Eric Eisenhardt for putting in the parking lot at the Watershed Preserve Park.
‘He did a super job,? Schnur added. ‘When they installed the two vault restrooms, Eric was there with his equipment to help. He really has made a big contribution.?
He also said they probably would not have had the two restrooms at the park had it not been for the help of Clerk Pauline Bennett.
‘I’m really proud of Pauline Bennett. She single-handedly talked Enbridge into giving us a ($25,000) grant for those vault restrooms. They said, ‘We don’t do grants for restrooms.? She said, ‘What kind of deal can we make?? They said,’If you make some trails, we give money for trails.? She said, ‘We’ll make trails,?? he said. ‘So, we made a compromise, we cut two trails and she got the restrooms in.?
Schnur also described Pearson as a ‘real gem for the parks committee.?
He likes our parks and does everything he can to keep us going,? he noted. ‘I felt bad about bailing out on him.?
Pearson said Schnur had been talking about resigning from the parks committee for a long time, but he kept asking him to stay on and Schnur willingly did so.
‘This time he finally said it’s time. That I understand,? Pearson added. ‘He’s been fantastic as chairman of the parks committee. He and his wife have put so much effort into everything and I’m sad to see him go, but I do understand there comes a time in life where you have to take care of yourself and you can’t give as much. He’s still giving and still on my planning commission, and I’m thankful for that.?
As for the future of the parks committee, Schnur believes it’s in good hands. He’s not worried about a ‘vacuum of leadership.?
‘I feel the people that we have on the committee and park rangers have been easy to work with and they really care about the place,? he said. ‘They were really upset I was leaving, but it’s just like when you put your finger in a glass of water and take it out. What’s different? The water looks the same. Always, someone will come up and do the job.?