Califon Island Park – Update

By Councilman Mike Medea

As I write this article I am encouraged by the fact that Spring is a mere 32 days away. When warmer temperatures prevail, Califon will once again experience increased activity throughout town, on the Columbia Trail and of course in our beloved Island Park. I am currently the council liaison for the Parks Committee but before I was a councilman I was a member of the committee for numerous years.

Over the past several years the parks committee has worked to not only maintain the park but to offer enhancements as well. Some necessary major improvements on the punch list are installation of a new parking lot guardrail as well as the main entrance bridge. The guardrail has reached its lifespan and is slated to be replaced in March or April. The original entrance bridge has been effective but eventual replacement is unavoidable. Our borough engineer is working closely with borough officials and the county to design and coordinate construction of a new bridge. Stay tuned for updates.

With Spring comes baseball and softball. Our shared service agreement with Washington Township DPW for ballfield maintenance has proven to be one of the best decisions the parks committee has made. We constantly receive compliments regarding the condition of the fields and are experiencing an uptick in area league requests to use the fields for practices and games.

A few other ideas the committee is mulling over are resurfacing of the basketball court, improved lighting, tree maintenance and potential additions to the playground. The parks committee is a small but dedicated group of residents. We could always use help and new members. Our meetings take place on the second Thursday of each month at 8:00 in the municipal building. If you would like to get involved feel free to attend a meeting or to reach out to me.

Last modified: April 3, 2022