By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The Wood County Park District Police Department ’s Police officers will soon have new body-worn cameras as part of their uniforms.
The Wood County Park District’s Board of Commissioners on Tuesday accepted $21,330 from the 2023 State of Ohio Body-Corn Camera Grant Program. The district was selected to receive the grant for the purchase and reimbursement of body-worn cameras and related accessories, according to Park Director Christopher Smalley.
The cameras, which will be purchased from Midwest Public Safety, are comparable to the equipment used by the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. The cost also includes storage of the videos, he said.
The board also approved the purchase of a Ford F-150 crew cab truck as a park police patrol vehicle. The vehicle, which will be a replacement vehicle, will provide a larger vehicle in the fleet to use when there are large items, such as abandoned bicycles, that need to be picked up, or when setting up for events, Smalley explained. The truck will be purchased from Baumann Ford in Oregon, Ohio, at a cost of $45,434.04.
Additionally, specialized equipment for the new truck was approved at a cost of $7,925 from Northwest Ohio Emergency Equipment.
Bids sought for new entrance ramp
A new ramp is being planned at the W.W. Knight Nature Preserve building entrance. The existing ramp, which is original to the building, has degraded due to salt and shoveling in snowy, icy conditions.
Assistant Director Andrew Kalmar worked with Architect Scott J. Heacock to provide design services for the replacement ramp. The new ramp will look similar, but instead of being constructed of wood, the ramp will be a heated concrete structure, that will eliminate the need to salt or shovel. The heating element will extend to the parking lot, Kalmar said.
The project will go to bids within a week with an anticipated start and completion date between April 1 and May 30.
Wild Lights brightened winter blues
The Wood County Park District’s Wild Lights Weekend in January did its best to provide a cure for the wintertime blues.
Despite subzero temperatures during the fourth annual event at the W.W. Knight Nature Preserve, 575 people braved the cold and the snow to enjoy the 10 lighted and decorated stations, Craig Spicer, program naturalist, reported at the meeting.
“We started the event to tackle the phenomenon that is the winter blues,” he said. “After January hits, there’s not much to look forward to. It’s still very cold, but it’s important for people to get outside.”
The event is designed to for all ages and all demographics. Ten lighted animal stations are set up throughout the park. Local organizations and companies volunteer to add lights and decorate each of the stations that feature life-size foam animals that represent the animals that were present during the Great Black Swamp era, Spicer said.
The teams competed for prizes, judged by park personnel and other volunteers. Announced on Jan. 21, winners were Tourist Cougar, first place, by Visit Perrysburg; Eclipse Black Bear, second place, by The Downey and Lopez/Meek Families; and ‘80s Big Buck, People’s Choice and third place, by For the Fun of It!
The Friends of the Parks provided a cozy, indoors environment for visitors to warm up and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies. The event was free though donations were accepted to help cover the costs of the friends group, Spicer reported.
Wild Lights Weekend occurs during the time of year when park traffic is low. “It’s a really opportune time to give people an excuse to come out to enjoy the parks, have a lot of fun and create some memories in one of our parks,” he said.
In addition to the 575 people who attended, Spicer reported that their social media posts reached over 10,000 engagements. They also had news coverage in many local papers and on the local television stations. “The reach of the event is far greater than just those who attend,” he said.
Next year’s event is scheduled Jan. 10-12 at the W.W. Knight Nature Preserve.
In other business, the board:
Entered into an agreement with Budget Blinds of Perrysburg to replace the blinds in the Hankison Great Room at W.W. Knight Nature Preserve for $9,196.35.
Authorized Smalley to dispose of through sale, donation, disposal or other means surplus property of the park district.
Heard the district will host four viewing sites for the April 8 eclipse: William Henry Harrison in Pemberville, the Carter Historic Farm outside Bowling Green, and Bradner Preserve.
Learned the first Native Plant Sale is May 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Champion Barn on the Wood County Fairgrounds.
