By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
After three decades of dodging raindrops, performers at Johnson Park will be able to stay dry next year. The village is now planning to erect a canopy over the amphitheater stage.
A $40,000 grant received from Onondaga County Department of Transportation will pay for the stage cover. In October 2015, Fourth District County Legislator Judy Tassone helped secure inter-municipal agreements with Onondaga County, which brought nearly $250,000 to the village for infrastructure improvements, including the park roof.
At its Oct. 17 meeting, the Liverpool Village Board heard from Trustee Christina Fadden Fitch who reported that county purchasing personnel have contacted WeatherPort Shelter Systems, a Colorado-based company specializing in composite-fabric structures including dome shelters, sunshades, greenhouses, campers and canopies.
Mayor Gary White applauded Fitch’s efforts and her collaboration with Onondaga County Purchasing Division Director Andrew Trombley.
“I’m kind of pleased with what you’ve found,” he told her. “It’s really nice.”
A WeatherPort product known as the EventPort Octapae could be just the thing the park needs. The company’s website described the Octapae as “attractive enough to stand on its own and versatile enough to act as the central hub of a larger fabric canopy structure. Sturdy and easy to move and install, Octapae are available in a variety of colors and are an ideal choice for sizeable gatherings.”
“I hope it’s within our budget,” Fitch said.
The Johnson Park stage is approximately 24 feet deep and 45 feet wide.
Colleen Gunnip, chairperson of the Liverpool is The Place Committee, which books 24 concerts every summer at the park, told the trustees that the canopy would allow musicians to set up, plug in and keep their equipment dry in the event of rain.
Only one concert was rained out last summer, but in 2015 four of the 24 shows had to be canceled due to wet weather. The year before, eight concerts were rained out.
Gunnip asked the trustees for assurance that the village Department of Public Works would annually erect and dismantle the canopy. White said he expected the DPW would handle those chores.
Liverpool Is The Place had originally recommended installation of a retractable roof or awning, but engineering costs proved prohibitive.
Trustee Matt Devendorf observed that both the lower cost and the functionality of a WeatherPort canopy “seems reasonable.”
September police stats
Reporting on behalf of Liverpool Police Chief Don Morris, Trustee Matt Devendorf informed the village board at its Oct. 17 meeting that officers issued 338 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws in September after making a total of 525 traffic stops. Three arrests were made for driving while intoxicated and six traffic accidents were investigated last month.
Officers conducted 154 residential checks and responded to a total of 728 complaints and calls for service in September.
The LPD arrested 34 individuals in August on a total of 47 criminal charges.
