Doris Farley launched a pair of important firsts when she cut the ceremonial ribbon on the new Arthur G. Farley fishing pier over the weekend.
Named in memory of her husband who died of cancer last year, the pier is the first public fishing pier to be built on Wauconda’s Bangs Lake. It’s also the first in McHenry County to be designed specifically to accommodate handicapped anglers, said Brian Shahinian, executive director of the Northern Illinois Special Recreational Association.
Although “this pier is not just for people in wheelchairs,” Shahinian said, it was designed with wheelchairs in mind. The 24- foot, square pier is accessible by an 8-foot walkway. Railings are at the ideal height for someone in a wheelchair and have special slots for “beaching” a fish on the pier.
The pier dedication was held in conjunction with the Special Recreation Association’s annual spring fishing classic, which drew 75 disabled anglers from Lake and McHenry Counties despite the gray skies and unseasonably cool weather. Last year’s event was held in May, but “we moved it back a month this year because we wanted nicer weather,” Dana Seehafer said.
Seehafer was helping pair fishermen with their volunteer skippers at the event. Shahinian said more than 25 boaters regularly volunteer their time to ferry their passengers to Bangs Lake’s choice fishing spots.
“A lot of these people come back each year and like to get matched up with the same captains,” Shahinian said. “And our volunteer captains enjoy helping out.”
But though the fishing was spotty, the 50 or so local officials, association board members and staffers and Wauconda Rotarians on hand agreed that the new pier was the catch of the year for the Wauconda Park District and the area’s disabled.
“Art Farley was the driving force behind this pier,” Shahinian said, referring to the Wauconda insurance agent who came up with the idea about 5 years ago.
The project got rolling with a grant from the Kellogg Foundation and a $24,400 Lake County Community Development grant, with more money coming from the Wauconda Rotary Club and from other private donations.
Built at a cost of $45,000 by Shoreline Marine of McHenry, the new pier is the first of two planned for the site behind the Park District’s community center at 600 N. Main St. A second 24-by-24-foot pier is planned when funds become available. Like the Farley Pier, it will be fully handicapped accessible and connected to the first pier by an 8-foot walkway.
In conjunction with Saturday’s dedication ceremony, the pier was officially turned over to the Park District, which will maintain it.
“It will not only be a benefit to the people of Wauconda, it will be an enormous benefit to the people we serve,” Shahinian said.
With a full-time staff of 10 and scores of volunteers, the Crystal Lake-based special recreation association serves about 2,000 disabled people each year with 450 recreational programs, including the fishing classic, field trips, day camps, vacation trips and other excursions.
