GRAND RAPIDS – Over a dozen communities have been awarded grants through the Wood County Park District.
Director Neil Munger announced the recipients of the 2010 Local Park Improvement Grant Program Awards at
a recent board of commissioners meeting at Beaver Creek Preserve.
The $100,000 will pay for a variety of parks-related items, such as picnic tables, playground equipment
and trees.
Lake Township received $4,507 for playground equipment and a safety surfacing border at Friendship Park.
Trustee Melanie Bowen said the new equipment will be installed by the shelterhouse near Ohio 795,
creating a second playground area for park users.
Bowen said park district grants over the years have almost completely funding playground equipment,
drainage tile, grass seed, bleachers and dugout benches at the township’s other park, Fireside, in
Millbury.
"They’ve been very, very generous to us," Bowen said.
Munger said grant requests from three communities – Bowling Green, Portage and Risingsun – weren’t
funded.
Portage, which is under fiscal emergency by the state, requested grants for various playground equipment,
for $19,000, $6,347 and $4,352.
Munger said the committee was concerned about Portage’s finances and putting an extra burden on the
village for upkeep and maintenance.
There are three categories for the grants program, $0-$5,000, $5,000-$10, 000 and above $10,000.
Bowling Green submitted three applications, each for a $20,000 project, Munger said.
Of the three applications submitted by Risingsun, Munger said the review committee looked most favorable
on a $10,761 grant for baseball field fencing. But it did not rank high enough given the competition for
funding.
He said the committee that reviews the projects is made up of three parks professionals from outside Wood
County.
Here are the projects receiving funding. They will receive checks in March.
¥ Bloomdale, $6,366, playground equipment, safety surfacing border
¥ Cygnet, $3,200, baseball dugout construction
¥ Haskins, $2,500, batting cage, picnic tables
¥ Liberty Township, $5,973, playground equipment and safety surfacing
¥ Luckey, $5,331, picnic tables
¥ Millbury, $ 9,300, paving of parking lot and walkways
¥ North Baltimore, $6,974, playground equipment, picnic tables
¥ Pemberville, $2,530, pool pump, drinking fountains
¥ Perrysburg, $4,843, picnic tables
¥ Portage Township, $11,231, playground equipment
¥ Rossford, $11,771, outdoor fitness equipment
¥ Tontogany, $8,267, playground equipment and surfacing, basketball goal
¥ Troy Township, $3,770, trees and benches
¥ Washington Township, $2,747, adjustable basketball goal
¥ West Millgrove, $5,265, playground equipment and safety surfacing
¥ Weston, $1,595, accessible picnic table and handicapped signage for parking lot
¥ Wayne, $3,824, baseball scoreboard
Also at the Monday meeting, the park board:
¥ Heard the Black Swamp International Pow Wow will be held Sept. 26 and 27 at Buttonwood Park. There will
be music, dancing, vendors, food and hands-on activities.
¥ Heard construction is going on at Cedar Creeks Preserve in Northwood. A playground project is about to
be finished, restrooms are under construction and paving will start later this month.
¥ Heard hunting season is in progress and Baldwin Woods and Cricket Frog Cove are closed to visitors on
certain days when hunting is allowed.
¥ Heard the park district would be participating in Make a Difference Day on Oct. 24. Volunteers will be
meeting at W.W. Knight Preserve in Perrysburg to work on projects.
¥ Went into an executive session to discuss personnel and land acquisition. No action was taken.
