DesotoExplorer.com / Lawrence blues artist Kelley Hunt to open Riverfest Park

Archive for Friday, July 11, 2008

Recent activity has park looking ready for October opening

E's Trenching employees Gary Crawford (left) and Hunter Noe work on the rebar cages that are to be placed in forms for the concrete bases for light poles at De Soto Riverfest Park. To see what has been accomplished at the park after a flurry of activity in recent weeks, see the gallery at right. For more on the park, see the July 17 issue of The Explorer.

July 11, 2008

A flurry of activity in the last few weeks has the De Soto Riverfest Park looking much more park like.

De Soto city engineer Mike Brungardt said during that time crews have finished the stage floor and poured the double sidewalk that will be the park’s main thoroughfare at such events as future De Soto Days Festivals and poured the concrete bases for the lighting to be place along the walkways and elsewhere. The sidewalks, which form the outer rim of the natural amphitheater in front of the stage, will be equipped with electrical outlets to accommodate vendor stalls.

This week, contractors are to seed Bermuda grass, which should be well established for the official park opening Oct. 10 and 11, Brungardt said.

Brungardt said park planners were surprised by how much rainwater collected at the site from this year’s spring storms. When the acres were planted to row crops, rainwater would filter through the topsoil to the sandy soil below, Brungradt said. Construct and early grass seeding created much more runoff and large areas of standing water.

To arrest the problem, several holes were dug down to the sandy soil level and then covered over with limestone rocks at the cost of $300 of limestone. The so-called leach pits allow water to once again drain down the underlying sandy soil, Brungardt said. One more will be installed to the west of the park’s main entry where water now stands.

“They’ve done a real good job of getting rid of the water,” Brungradt said. “They were definitely the most cost effective way of dealing with it.”

Electrical work will continue for the next few months as a central electrical tower is installed that will control the outlets at individual vendor sites, Brungardt said.

The city engineer said he would ask the De Soto City Council to approve two change orders that will reduce the cost of the electrical work by $14,500. That includes changing the electrical system from three-phase to single-phase wiring at a savings of $7,000.

Meanwhile, organizers are meeting regularly to plan for the De Soto Chamber of Commerce’s Blues and Barbecue Festival that is to open the park, said De Soto Chamber of Commerce director Sara Ritter. Organizers are hopeful 5,000 to 8,000 blues and barbecue lovers will attend the two-day event, she said.

Providing the entertainment Saturday, Oct. 11, will be Lawrence blues recording artist Kelley Hunt, Ritter said. Also on the bill are two acts who performed at last year’s blues festival at Kill Creek Farm, the blues swing group Grand Marquis and John Paul Drum.

Ritter said the chamber was attempting to line up local acts to perform Oct. 10.

Organizers are also trying to raise money for a fireworks show at the end of the event to celebrate the park’s opening, Ritter said.

Mr. Goodcents has provided the services of its marketing department to help market the festival, Ritter said. In addition, the event coordinator, Trica Clement of Agenda Kansas City, hired in May after the De Soto City Council approval $5,000 for her services, attends the planning takes notes at the planning sessions and provides insightful comment on what is needed to successfully pull off a major event, Ritter said.

“One of the things she suggested was that we look for writers to help with the entertainment marketing,” she said.ers that will reduce the cost of the electrical work by $14,500. That includes changing the electrical system from three-phase to single-phase wiring at a savings of $7,000.