By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The latest park hit the bullseye for archers in the Wood County area.
On Tuesday, the Wood County Park District held its monthly meeting at the new Arrowwood Archery Park, located on Linwood Road, southeast of Bowling Green.
The park adds archery to the activity list of canoeing, biking, fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking and rock climbing offered by the park district.
“It shows the diversity of the Wood County Park District and the diversity of the staff,” said Denny Parish, chairman of the park board.
Parish said he is proud of citizen support and staff making the variety of activities possible. Park district Executive Director Neil Munger agreed.
“The idea for this archery range actually came from public input,” Munger said.
(A grand opening will be held Sunday.)
After the meeting, park board members were given a chance to try their skills at the new archery range.
A park employee tries his archery skills.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the park board got its annual visit from former park board member and current park patron Frank McLaughlin about the need for more bike accommodations by the county park district.
McLaughlin said he was out on the Slippery Elm Trail again this past weekend. He said he can’t imagine any park in the county getting more use.
“It’s like a freeway out there on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said.
While the trail from Bowling Green to North Baltimore is great, more would be nice.
“We could certainly use something from Bowling Green to Perrysburg,” McLaughlin said.
Munger mentioned that as a member of the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments bicycle committee, the park district has learned of possible plans to use Hull Prairie Road to connect Bowling Green and Perrysburg. McLaughlin noted the narrow nature of Hull Prairie.
Wood County is also falling behind on connecting the Chessie Circle and North Coast trails, he said. A bike trail already stretches from Lorain to eastern Wood County, then picks up again in Lucas County heading west to Archbold.
McLaughlin mentioned the park district owns land that could be used for a bike trail in the Perrysburg Township area.
“It would be nice to see that happen,” he said.
“This is the one missing piece,” he said of the east-west bike trail across northern Ohio.
Munger said the park district is trying to use a regional approach on bike trails, and will continue to look for grant funding for such projects.
Wood County Park District Board on Tuesday
The board also agreed to increase park shelter house rental rates to $40 per day. Munger said the rates had been $25 for the last 27 years or so.
Other area shelter house rental rates are $30 to $80 for four hours. The park district rentals are all for full days.
“It’s still a bargain,” board member Tom Myers said of the new $40 rate.
“All of our shelters have electric, so if you bring a crockpot for a reunion,” there’s plenty of power, Munger said. “We’ve got some really good facilities.”
In other business at Tuesday’s meeting:
- Munger mentioned the unexpected death of former park ranger Doug Carr. Board member Bill Cameron asked the district to consider some effort to remember Carr.
- Park police responded to board member Sandy Wiechman that the number has dropped of the people trespassing from Sawyer Quarry Nature Preserve to the neighboring stone quarry.
- Munger said wetland plans are progressing at the Reuthinger Memorial Preserve. Once the corn is harvested, grading will be done, followed by seeding. “It’s been a long process, but a good one,” Munger said.
The Arrowwood Archery Park grand opening will be Sunday, Oct. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. Visitors can try archery and receive a short safety and skills lesson available first-come, first-served. Guests are welcome to bring their own equipment.
The new archery range, located at 11126 Linwood Road in Bowling Green, will be open every day of the year from 8 a.m. until 30 minutes past sunset. It has a covered, open-air shelter that is free to use. Park visitors must bring their own equipment for personal range use. Park programs will provide equipment and instruction.
The first public program offered at the Arrowwood Archery Park will be the free Jack-O’-Lantern Open Archery on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Pumpkins and carving tools will be provided to create jack-o-lantern targets. Expert instruction and archery equipment will also be provided at this Halloween-themed outdoor recreation program.
For more information about the 20 parks and nature preserves in the Wood County Park District system and about the public programs offered, visit www.wcparks.org , or call 419-353-1897.
