By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The small community of Rudolph is about to lose its five rusted grain silos, and gain back its sign noting that Bob Evans once lived there.
The Wood County Park District board agreed Tuesday to have the unused silos removed along the Slippery Elm Trail, just south of Mermill Road. The park district had purchased the property years ago from Mid-Wood and for a while the silos were rented back to Mid-Wood for use.
However, the two large and three small silos have been empty for years. The concrete at the bases is deteriorating, and the steel is rusting, Wood County Park District Director Neil Munger told the board. A company called All Excavating & Demolition approached the district about taking down the silos for a cost of $1,500.
The concrete from the silos will be ground up and spread over the site. The steel will be salvaged by the company. The demolition should have no effect on those using the nearby Slippery Elm Trail, Munger said.
While discussing the silos removal, board member Bill Cameron asked about the possibility of replacing the sign on the site that noted Bob Evans once resided in Rudolph. Though born in Sugar Ridge, north of Bowling Green, Evans apparently later lived for a period in Rudolph, south of Bowling Green. He went on to create the Bob Evans restaurant chain.
“I miss the sign,” Cameron said.
Munger said the sign had been taken down years ago when the park district had new siding installed on the old Mid-Wood building. The park district uses the building for storage along the trail. Munger said the sign is still in the building, and will need to be repainted – but it will be restored on the side of the building at the corner of Rudolph and Mermill roads.
In other business, Park District Board President Denny Parish asked about the problem of people parking at Sawyer Quarry Nature Preserve and then walking to the neighboring stone quarry.
“This is an ongoing problem,” he said about people trespassing at the privately-owned quarry to go swimming.
Park police chief Todd Nofzinger said the park district has been considering the best way to stop people from wandering from its preserve to the stone quarry.
“We’ve been working with Stone Co. and Perrysburg Township Police Department to come up with a solution,” he said. A camera was set up to capture license plates and found that a lot of those people going to the quarry aren’t from Wood County.
Munger pointed out that the park district currently has no rule that would preclude people from leaving their cars at the parks during daytime hours.
“We don’t have anything that specifically states that people can’t park here and go elsewhere,” he said.
The park district has put up barriers to keep people from going from the park to the quarry. And park police have cited a few people for trespassing.
“We’re hoping the word gets around and curtails it,” Nofzinger said.
Also at the park district meeting, Steve True reported on the construction management at the district, and Rob Brian reported on the operations management.
The district’s construction team has completed many projects, including shelter houses, a pole barn, restrooms, stairs and ramps, boardwalks, playgrounds and the archery range. Currently, dual outhouses are being constructed at the one-room Zimmerman School.
The operations team does everything from mowing 68 acres each week, to maintaining vehicles, equipment, parking lots and trails. The team also maintains the district’s 35 buildings, and cleans rental facilities.
In other business, the park board:
- Accepted a bid from Helms & Sons Excavating for $107,943 to construct a parking lot and culvert on the new property at Baldwin Woods, near Weston.
- Learned that the park district had received a matching grant of $95,301 from GameTime to purchase new playground equipment for Harrison and Otsego parks. Jeff Baney, assistant park director, said the existing playground equipment is at least 25 years old. The new equipment will be purchased this year and installed in 2019.
- Went into executive session to discuss land acquisition. No action was taken when the board returned from executive session.
