By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Upgraded playground equipment, a new slide, added bike fix-it stations and park security cameras are among the improvements planned for park improvements in 2024.
The Wood County Park District Board of Commissioners on Tuesday awarded $100,000 in local park improvement grants to 21 community parks in Wood County. The grants allow cities, villages and townships to make improvements in their park and recreation areas.
For decades since the county park district passed its first levy, local communities have benefited from grants awarded to make improvements to parks and recreation areas. Now, through the 10-year, 1-mill park district operating levy, which commenced in 2019, the district awards $100,000 to reinvest in local parks.
Grants were awarded to:
- Bowling Green – $2,806 for park security cameras.
- Bradner – $2813 for trash receptacles.
- Custar – $6,000 for park gazebo.
- Cygnet – $5,000 for Field #2 ballfield fencing.
- Grand Rapids – $1,390 for bike racks.
- Haskins – $5,000 for upgrades to basketball hoops.
- Lake Township – $1,897 for pet waste eliminator stations.
- Luckey – $2,813 for trash receptacles.
- Millbury – $5,874 for AED units (2) for parks.
- North Baltimore – $$8,663 for Field #3 ballfield fencing.
- Pemberville – $3,229 for pool equipment replacement.
- Perrysburg – $4,770 for bike fix-it stations.
- Perrysburg Township – $2,735 for swing safety mats.
- Portage – $5,000 for ballfield improvements.
- Portage Township – $7,444 for ballfield fencing.
- Rossford – $1,840 for playground resurfacing.
- Tontogany – $9,340 for replacement slide.
- Troy Township – $2,617 for checkerboard tables and stools.
- Walbridge – $2,789 for playground equipment.
- Wayne – $4,615 for ballfield scoreboard.
- West Millgrove – $13,365 for playground equipment and surfacing.
According to Chris Smalley, park district director, a panel of three park and recreation professionals reviewed the 26 applications submitted for the 2024 grants. In the review process, the panel considered safety, need, orderly development of parks and recreation and the availability of other funding sources for the local entities.
“We appreciate the staff and professionals from outside the district for reviewing the array of projects that were submitted. They were as good and interesting (submissions) as we’ve had,” said Tom Myers, board chair, who completed a six-year term on the board at the December meeting. Commissioner Bill Cameron, who was absent from the meeting, also completed his service on the board.
Myers also thanked Probate Judge David Woessner for appointing him to the board and to the district leadership team of Smalley and Andrew Kalmar, the entire district staff and the board for the collective great work to keep the parks moving forward.
