OTTAWA – The LaSalle County Board voted Thursday to continue funding Catlin and Shabbona Parks. The unanimous vote was met with applause from the dozen or so park supporters who attended the meeting. Last month it was asked of the board to reconsider keeping the parks open, and officials quoted that it cost around $120,000 a year to maintain the properties. Ed Bertrand of Ottawa spoke before the vote offering suggestions to help reduce the expense of the parks with volunteers, an idea echoed by a number of board members. Catlin Park is 333-acre park near Ottawa that features well-organized trail system hosts 14 distinct trails plus numerous connector trails. Shabbona County Park near Harding has picnic areas, open fields, several shelters and fishing ponds along the banks of Indian Creek. The property was the site of the infamous Indian Creek Massacre, where 16 people were killed in 1832 by Native Americans.
