The Stoughton Area Resource Team, Inc.
(START) provides a safety net for those in crisis. Recently, a 30-year old single father of two struggled to find work, to pay for daycare for his children and to secure a home; so much time was spent homeless and hopeless.
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Town of Dunkirk
654 County Hwy N
Stoughton, WI 53589
Phone: 608-873-9177
Contact Name: Kathy Olson
Clerk
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Organization Profile
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| Ash Lane Park - 2024 |
Amount Funded: $3,500.00 |
| Ash Lane Park equipment will be installed in September of 2024. The Parks Committee remains in the planning phases for both Rolling Acres and Riverwood Estates parks with plans to implement changes in 2025.
Positive impacts for upgrading parks are endless. First and foremost, updating the equipment allows for increased safety. Updating Park play equipment allows for both physical and social activities for kids and families. The quiet nature of the rural community in Dunkirk allows for families to enjoy time that is quiet, roads are quiet in the neighborhoods where Dunkirk parks are located. Riverwood Estates further allows for more time in nature, the park is heavily wooded and, on the river, a great opportunity for a scenic walk or reading a book. Someone living in Stoughton in multi-family housing without a large yard, or new housing without mature trees would enjoy spending time in Riverwood Estates with the large, mature shaded trees. Pickleballs popularity continues to skyrocket and the availability of courts in Stoughton is seemingly limited. Adding another court to our community allows for increased opportunities for Pickleball play. We are confident that adding to and updating Dunkirk parks has a positive impact within the Stoughton community and adds to the wonderful options for recreating. We also recognize the unique opportunities that Dunkirk offers to our community, with its rural, quiet feel.
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| In March of 2023, The Township was challenged with updating its Parks Committee. The group came together with a public hearing discussing, inviting neighbors and residents, discussing the use of the parks. The overall recommendation at the public hearing was to upgrade the parks and for youth to continue to utilize the parks in Dunkirk, especially through the soccer association.
Through this public hearing, Township officials called on community members to apply to be a part of the committee and the committee was formed and began meeting in the early fall of 2023. The Parks Committee reviewed play structure options and advocated for play equipment to be replaced at Ash Lane Park. This park is utilized by the Stoughton area community the most as it hosts soccer practice four days per week and typically eight to twelve weekend games in both spring and fall seasons. The township was able to prioritize $18,000, with $4,000 to be covered by grants and fundraising.
Township, neighborhood and Stoughton area community residents are excited about the improvements to the park. The next step in this project is to work to create sitting areas in the Riverwood Estates and Rolling Acres Park. The goals for Riverwood Estates, along with updating playground equipment, are to create opportunities for utilization of the river by both sitting areas, benches and kayak access. Rolling Acres Park has an existing tennis court. Given the popularity of pickleball, especially in Stoughton, the goal is to resurface and repair the court for pickleball, along with purchasing equipment and storage for the equipment.
The overarching goal is to update parks in Dunkirk so they are safe, family friendly, and attract all community members throughout the Stoughton area. The committee is especially excited to provide opportunities to access the river on both sides of Dunkirk, especially with the ever-increasing popularity of paddling and the health benefits that paddling provides.
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