Harbor Shores Development

 By RALPH HEIBUTZKI  H-P Correspondent 

BENTON HARBOR – No matter how fast-paced the ac¬tivity, there’s always time to stop and reflect – especially when the setting happens to be the new, improved Jean Klock Park.

Visitors such as Dave Horne of Grand Rapids like what they see, such as the cir¬cular drive that makes it pos¬sible to park near the beach.

“I was here last summer when they didn’t have all this,” said Horne, gesturing to the cement walkways and roofed-in pavilion. “It’s much improved, and much more inviting.”

Horne was competing in Saturday’s Whirlpool Iron¬man 70.3 Steelhead Triath¬lon, the latest event to put the park’s new face on display.

“The only thing I’d suggest is that you need more parking,” Horne said. “The only other beach (like this) that I’ve gone is to in Grand Haven. It’s pretty comparable, if I wanted to take my family down here.”

Benton Harbor officials held a community celebration in June to showcase the improvements. They include the newly configured drive, and large, roofed pavilion, which provided Samantha Long of Muskegon some needed shade.

Long was taking a break as her boyfriend, Jesse Scott, also of Muskegon, prepared for the next leg in the triathlon.

“I think it’s beautiful,” Long said. “Oh, it’d be nice to get married under this (the pavilion).”

“Is that a hint?” said Jesse’s father, Mike Scott of Muskegon. “It’s (Jean Klock) a little different than what we see back home, with all the amenities and the parking closer to the beach.”

Like any visitor, Mike Scott had a helpful hint. “You guys really need more signs up here,” he said, laughing.

Mike Scott’s wife, Nancy, smiled in agreement. “It was a little hard to get to,” she said.

Near the pavilion, Brooks Butler and his wife, Kendra, of Canton sat at a picnic ta¬ble with their 11-month-old daughter, Ella. “If we’d have known it was like this, we’d have brought more for her (Ella) to do,” Brooks Butler said.

“It’s a lot better than (the parks at) Lake Erie,” Kendra Butler said.

“It’s a lot better,” Brooks Butler said. “Certainly, we don’t have anything like this back at home. It’s very nice.”

Dave Wilson and his wife, Barb, of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, were also in town for the race along with their children, Erin, 11, Kate, 9, and Emma, 5.

Asked what they liked about the new park, the Wilsons cited its layout, such as the walkways that allow visi¬tors to stroll near the beach without walking on sand.

“Yeah, it’s great for families,” Dave Wilson said, while his wife nodded. “They (the children) can find a place to play on the beach and get something to eat.”

Kate said “It’s awesome!”

“I just love being on the sand,” Erin added.

The refurbished park’s charms also convinced Fifth Third Bank to hold a corporate training session from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the pavilion for employees from all 13 of its area branches, according to investment executive Mike Wyble.

 “I was just blown away by Jean Klock and how great it looked – the idea of using it for corporate stuff down there was really a great idea,” Wyble said. “I hadn’t seen it till just the other day, and I said, ‘Everybody needs to know about this.’”

Wyble then told Fifth Third’s regional representative, Randy Reimers, who approved the location. Wyble expects about 100 employees to be present, with hot dogs and ice cream to follow.

The bank last held a training session at Tosi’s Restaurant but had been looking to do something outside, for which Jean Klock should prove ideal, Wyble said.

“We looked at Tiscornia (Beach), and other places. I’d heard about Jean Klock, but had just never been,” Wyble said. “It is nice, with the big circle drive and everything.

I thought, “This is going to be awesome.”