By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
In a county flat as a pancake, the chance to go rappelling and “bouldering” locally may go like hotcakes.
Wood County Park District officials discussed policies for the new adventure program at the Sawyer Quarry Nature Preserve, an old limestone quarry at 26940 Lime City Road in Perrysburg Township.
“Who would have believed you could go rappelling anywhere in Wood County,” said Neil Munger, park district director. “It’s about as flat as this table.”
The park district board listened to plans to open the quarry for public rappelling for people who bring their own equipment and have experience. People rappelling down the rock faces, should “know the ropes,” Munger said.
No formal registration would be required at the quarry, which is open from sunrise to sunset. Rappellers will be asked to fill in permits, place them in a box on site, and will be advised to use certain areas of the quarry. There are two cliffs in the quarry that will be labeled on a map posted on a kiosk.
The quarry will also be open for “bouldering,” which was described to the board as low level rock climbing that allows climbers to practice their techniques without ropes. There are two ridges of 8 to 12 feet in the quarry that would work for bouldering.
Wood County Park District Director Neil Munger
“People are interested in this and there’s nowhere else to do this around here,” said park ranger Shawn Ruemmele. “There’s a big void in Northwest Ohio for this type of thing.”
The closest rappelling rock faces are in Hocking Hills and the Cleveland area. Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo have rock climbing walls, but that is very different from the quarry, Ruemmele said.
Park District Board President Denny Parish noted that the addition of rappelling and bouldering sites could draw new people to the park district.
Ruemmele cautioned the use may be limited initially. “There’s not a climbing community in Northwest Ohio because there’s nothing here.”
Some questions were raised by the board about the liability of requiring rappelling experience, but not having someone on staff present to verify that. The park district’s risk management consultant advised that district just needs to state that experience is required.
The issue will return to the board next month for final approval.
Also at the park district board meeting, Munger said 10 bids were received for the Bradner Preserve parking lot and driveway paving. The bids, which were all lower than the estimate of $156,000, ranged from $104,500 to $124,985.
The strange part, Munger said, was that for the first time in 17 years since he’s been the park director, the two lowest bids were exactly the same amount. The identical bids came from Gerken Paving, of Gibsonburg, and Ward Construction, of Leipsic.
Both contractors came with glowing recommendations, so both qualified as the “lowest and best” bid.
Never confronting a situation like this before, Munger researched how to handle the conflict and was informed that the decision must be made with a coin toss. However, before the toss could occur, Munger said that Gerken Paving withdrew its bid. So the board voted to accept the bid by Ward Construction.
Park board member Bob Dorn asked if identical bids ever occur in the future, the district can give preference to a local contractor. The board was advised to consult its legal counsel on that issue.
In other business, the board was informed that the park district had received a $10,000 grant for in-car computers for park rangers. The new computers will be sturdy and built for the road, to replace the current laptops.
The district rangers had applied for $20,022 to pay for computers for six vehicles. Because of the frequent repairs needed for the current laptops, the board voted to approve another $10,022 to furnish another three ranger vehicles with the sturdier computers.
The board also approved paying a change order for the one-room Zimmerman School, which was moved one country block to its new site on the Carter Historic Farm. After moved, it was discovered the school needed more block for the foundation and more support for the chimney. The additional cost was $1,900.
