William H. Haithco Recreation Area

Last updated
William H. Haithco Recreation Area
Location 2121 Schust Road, Saginaw Charter Township, Michigan
Coordinates 43°28′15″N83°57′33″W / 43.47071°N 83.95905°W / 43.47071; -83.95905
Area 76-acre (31 ha)
Operated by Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
Open Friday before Memorial Day until Labor Day
Status Open

William H. Haithco Recreation Area (also referred to as Haithco Park) is a 76-acre (31 ha) public park in Saginaw Charter Township, Michigan maintained by the Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. [1] [2]

Saginaw Charter Township, Michigan Charter township in Michigan, United States

Saginaw Charter Township is a charter township of Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 40,840 at the 2010 census. The city of Saginaw is adjacent to the township to the southeast, but is administratively autonomous.

Contents

History

It was a "borrow pit" for fill dirt for the I-675 construction and "dumping ground for trash" after the construction was completed. [3] While borrow pits are usually clay in nature, the site's man-made lake was actually spring fed. It became property of Saginaw Township after the I-675 construction was completed. Discussions on acquiring the land for the county began in the summer of 1986 and an arrangement was made in October 1986. Saginaw County Parks and Recreation acquired the 39-acre parcel north of the lake, which had been assessed at US$330,000(equivalent to $736,740 in 2017) by a group of South Haven, Michigan attorneys and businessmen. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources provided 75% of the purchase cost, and the Saginaw County Government, Wickets Foundation, and William H. Haithco Sr. provided the additional 25%. The property was acquired for development as a park in December 1986. [4]

Interstate 675 (I-675) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of Michigan. The freeway is a 7.7-mile-long (12.4 km) loop route through downtown Saginaw, as I-75 passes on the east side of the city. I-675 is also a state trunkline highway that provided a bypass of the former drawbridge carrying I-75 and US Highway 23 (US 23) across the Saginaw River. Construction of I-675 started in 1969 and the freeway opened in 1971. Since then, sections near downtown were reconstructed from 2009 through 2011 to update one of the freeway's interchanges and rebuild the bridge over the Saginaw River.

South Haven, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 4,403 at the 2010 census.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Currently the Director is Keith Creagh. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.

The Saginaw Valley Rotary Club donated US$8,500(equivalent to $15,922 in 2017) in June 1990 to pay for the construction of two pavilions. [4]

The park was named for founder of the Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, William H. Haithco Sr. in 1991. The lake was named for Haithco in May 1991. Haithco played an instrumental role in the development of the park. [3] [4] [5]

William "Bill" H. Haithco Sr. was an African American businessman and community leader from Saginaw County, Michigan.

The pump track opened in August 2011 near the entrance of the park off Schust Road. The track features small hills and cost $15,000 to design and install. [6]

Pump track

A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders "pumping" - meaning to create momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedaling or pushing. It was originally designed for the mountain bike and BMX scene, and now, due to concrete constructions, also used by skateboard and scooter riders, and accessible to wheelchairs. Pump tracks are relatively simple to use and cheap to construct, and cater to a wide variety of rider skill levels.

Features

The park includes a 40-acre (16 ha) man-made lake – known as Haithco Lake or Lake Haithco, a lifeguard supervised beach, sand volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, paddleboat rentals, rowboat rentals, canoe rentals, kayak rentals, playground, fishing access, barbecue grill, five pavilions available for rent, concession stand, a pump track, [6] and bathrooms. Dogs are not permitted at the park. [7]

Lifeguard profession

A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, spa, beach or river. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in CPR/AED first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on requirements of their particular venue. In some areas, lifeguards are part of the emergency services system to incidents and in some communities,lifeguards may function as the primary EMS provider.

Beach Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water

A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles. The particles can also be biological in origin, such as mollusc shells or coralline algae.

Volleyball ballgame and team sport in which two teams compete to ground the ball on their opponents side of the net

Volleyball is a popular team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964.

Events

The park hosts a number of events throughout the year, such as fishing competitions, community fundraisers, and Children's Fun Days. [8] [9]

Polar Plunge

Held annually since 2000, Polar Plunge is a fundraiser organized by the Law Enforcement Torch Run organization. During the event, people jump into Haithco Lake in the winter while the lake has ice, an activity known as polar bear diving. Money raised goes to support the Special Olympics Michigan. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

Jackson County, Michigan County in the United States

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 160,248 as of the 2010 Census. The county seat is Jackson. The county was set off in 1829 and organized in 1832. It is named for U.S. President Andrew Jackson and considered to be one of Michigan's "Cabinet counties", named for members of Jackson's Cabinet.

Saginaw County, Michigan County in the United States

Saginaw County, officially the County of Saginaw, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 200,169. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully organized on February 9, 1835. The etymology of the county's name is uncertain. It may be derived from Sace-nong or Sak-e-nong, as the Sauk tribe is believed by some to have once lived there. A more likely possibility is that it comes from Ojibwe words meaning "place of the outlet" –sag and ong. See List of Michigan county name etymologies.

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References

  1. ↑ "Haithco Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Haithco Recreation Area County Park". Outdoor Michigan. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Johnson, Bob (March 20, 2011). "A life remembered: William H. Haithco Sr., father of parks and recreation in Saginaw County". MLive. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Haithco, Bill (2007). From the Farm to the Pharmacist and Beyond. iUniverse.
  5. ↑ "Parks and Recreation Commission — About Us". County of Saginaw, Michigan. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Haithco Park to open new bike track". WNEM. August 31, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "William H. Haithco Recreation Area". County of Saginaw, Michigan. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Children's Fun Day at Haithco on June 24". Township View. June 19, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Children's Fun Day is Tuesday at Haithco Park in Saginaw Twp". WEYI. July 16, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  10. ↑ Kohut, Alex (February 27, 2010). "More than 80 people take 'Polar Plunge' at Saginaw Township's Haithco Park". Bay City Times. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Saginaw/Bay City Polar Plunge - 2013". FirstGiving. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
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