Pictured left to right are West Salem Mayor Jeff Bradham, Martin Swartzbaugh, Tom Goodman, and Jerry Bradham. On behalf of the Village, the Mayor accepted a $500 check from the West Salem Masonic Lodge #866.
The West Salem Masonic Lodge #866 recently made a $500 donation to the Village of West Salem for the Mill Pond Park project. West Salem is investing over $90,000 for improvements in this park. The Village was awarded an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for $44,253.00. In addition to the donation from the Masonic Lodge, the Village has received donations from the Simms family, and the West Salem Development Association. The Village has also committed ARPA funds towards this project to help cover the match required by the OSLAD grant.
The West Salem Masonic Lodge hosts a fundraising breakfast on the fourth Saturday of the month at the Lumberyard Restaurant. Funds raised by the breakfast are used to support scholarships, and community projects in West Salem. The next breakfast is on Saturday, September 27th from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM.
The Mill Pond project involved converting the west tennis court at Mill Pond Park into two pickleball courts. The east tennis court has new post installed, allowing players to raise and lower a new net so that the court can be used to play tennis or volleyball. New fencing, lighting, as well as a new ADA parking area have been added to the park. Court painting and finishing touches will be completed in the next few weeks.
Mill Pond Park is located at 201 S. Charles Street in West Salem, Illinois. In addition to the new tennis/volleyball and pickleball courts, it offers a basketball court, and playground area.