By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bigfoot, bubble soccer and birthday party packages are part the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department’s plans for 2018.
Those, of course, are among the more click-worthy items planned. There are also the more humdrum items like policy reviews, paving, and painting at the pool.
On Tuesday evening, the parks and recreation board reviewed accomplishments from 2017 and goals for 2018.
The accomplishments included adding more youth and family fitness programs, making parks more accessible to people with disabilities, repairing the stone wall around City Park, paving more trails at Simpson Garden Park, beginning two-acre prairie expansion behind the Community Center, and adding to the splashpad at the pool.
“We got a lot done in 2017,” said Kristin Otley, director of the city parks and recreation department.
The goals for this year include:
- Demolish the Veterans Building, Scout Building and Depot in City Park and replace it with one new building.
- Expand youth and family fitness programs.
- Start bubble soccer league.
- Expand birthday party packages.
- Start programs for adult birding and adult nature study.
- Level and reseed turf in open area at Ridge Park.
- Continue paving trails at Simpson Garden Park.
- Continue to expand hosta garden to 1,000 different species.
- Continue to expand outdoor obstacle course behind community center.
- Offer aqua spinning class at the pool.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Otley presented numbers of people participating in various park programs. The total number of people attending park and recreation events last year was 18,591.
“It’s pretty neat to look at that. I feel great about that,” Otley said.
Jeff Crawford, president of the park and rec board, complimented Otley and her team for reaching that number.
“Congratulations. I’m actually staggered at these numbers,” Crawford said.
Following are some of the events and numbers presented:
- 3,906 attended community special events, like the Brown Bag Music Series, Frostbite Run, Art in the Park, pet show, concerts and lunches in the park.
- 7,519 attended adult and youth fitness programs.
- 389 attended adult sports programs, like volleyball and basketball leagues.
- 135 attended adult recreation events, like the Adult Egg Scramble.
- 468 attended youth and family events, like the Daddy-Daughter Dance, Pint Size Prom, BG Zombie Mud Run and Breakfast with Santa.
- 498 attended day camps and days off school programs.
- 1,662 attended youth sports programs, like dodgeball, soccer, basketball, softball, tennis and volleyball.
- 523 attended youth swimming lessons.
- 2,744 attended natural resources programming at Wintergarden Park.
- 612 attended programs at Simpson Garden Park.
- 135 attended archery programs.
Otley also reported on the number of people using the Community Center. Daily visits logged in last year totaled 97,262. The multipurpose room was used 820 times, and the cycle room was used 288 times. The total fitness program participants added up to 8,559.
The gyms were reserved and used 1,022 times for events such as pickle ball, youth camps, National Guard, and family events. Most of those numbers are not reflected in the daily swipes at the center, since people don’t need to enter their membership card to attend those programs.
The classroom space was used 112 times, and the Wood Lane Special Olympics gym was reserved 262 times.
The National Guard holds 11 drill weekends and one family readiness night a year at the center.
So, a low estimate for the number of visits to the center last year is 126,695, Otley said.
“This is a community center and is being used as a community center,” she said.
A task force has been formed to look at the use of the community center, with some concerns being expressed recently about the declining number of annual passes being purchased by those using the fitness gym.
The numbers presented by Otley helped explain the full use of the facility, Crawford said. And while the gym is being affected by the number of private fitness centers moving into Bowling Green, that is just a portion of the community center’s purpose, he said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting:
- Otley announced that Tim Stubbs, park facilities coordinator, would be retiring and taking “a lot of institutional knowledge” with him. Stubbs has been with the parks and recreation department since 1989. His position will not be replaced, but instead a marketing and event specialist will be added.
- Crawford reported that the park and recreation board’s meeting agendas and minutes are now being posted online.
- The board discussed offering short-term pass options at the community center.
- Otley reported the annual Wine and Cheese event for the parks will be held Sept. 28.
- The board learned the next meeting will be Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., in the Rotary Nature Center in Wintergarden Park.
- Ivan Kovacevic, recreation coordinator, reported on programming held for kids when they are off school.
- Chris Gajewicz, natural resources coordinator, talked about adult outdoor skills courses planned and the archery program at the city schools.
- Plants are being ordered for Simpson Garden, Gajewicz said, with the parks planning for a big year in response to the gardens being featured in Ohio Magazine.
- Public speakers are planned for this year on planting bulbs, Native American artifacts and Bigfoot, Gajewicz reported.
