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Al Hoch/Gazette StoiImprovements are planned for newly named Kiwanis Pond.‘Atlas Pit' is now Kiwanis PondBy Mike DuPre' Gazette StaffIn recognition of the club’s donation, the Janesville City Council changed the name of Blackhawk Pond—commonly known as Atlas Pit—to Kiwanis Pond on Monday night.The Kiwanis Club donated $16,012 so the city could match a state Department of Natural Resources grant. In a budget-cutting move last December, the council decided not to fund the matching grant from the city’s general fund, and the leisure services division sought private help to undertake the project.The combined $32,024 will be used for constructing a new access road, grading, seeding, security lighting, building a boat ramp and improving the site in other ways to make it easier to use for recreation and to patrol to reduce problems of illegal swimming and drinking, rowdyism and vandalism.The area now joins other city recreation spots that were improved with the help of local services clubs like Lions Beach, Zonta Park and Kiwanis Trail.The name change sparked some jesting among the council members and David Knoerr of the Kiwanis Club because the pond has suffered from a long-standing identity crisis.The pond neighbors Blackhawk Golf Course. Atlas Sand and Gravel Co. excavated from the pit, and after the quarry operation ended in 1956, it became a popular summer gathering and swimming spot for area teens.But after the city acquired the land in 1962, the entire recreation area was named Blackhawk Park, and the city tried to foster an image of a family picnic and fishing spot at Blackhawk Pond. Swimming was outlawed.But the name Atlas Pit—and illegal swimming— have stuck.Councilman Mike Miles wondered last night if another name that incorporated the word Kiwanis would be better than Kiwanis Pond. Knoerr replied that the club had given it some consideration and thought the new name was fine “as long as it’s not pit.” *Councilman Dan Collins, at 31 the youngest of the council members, said he’ll always think of the area as Atlas Pit, but Councilman Ed Pulliam joked that he was considering introducing an ordinance that would make it illegal to refer to Kiwanis Pond as Atlas Pit.
Newspaper Details
Janesville Gazette
Janesville, Wisconsin, US
Tue, Mar 17, 1987
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Hedberg P.
Wisconsin, USA 15 Jul 2023
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