What’s in a name?
The Wood County Board of Park Commissioners may have hit on the final designation for parkland located
near Kenwood Elementary School west of South Main Street, partially bounded by the Slippery Elm Trail.
Parks Director Neil Munger recommended that the plot be called the Black Swamp Preserve, which was
suggested by the public at recent meetings concerning the property. The recommendation was made at
Monday’s regular meeting.
The area had not been officially named and had been referred to informally by several other names,
including the Kenwood Property.
Board Chair George Thompson said the name is appropriate given that a large number of children will visit
the area and be able to identify how it differs from other parks. The park includes a wetland
environment. He also said that the name would be an easy one not only for children, but for their
parents and others to understand.
It was also suggested that a meeting room at the W.W. Knight Nature Center, which Munger noted was made
possible by donations from the Friends of the Wood County Parks, be called the Friends Green Room. The
name refers to the fact that the room was planned around the use of environmentally friendly materials.
The names will be voted on at the board’s next meeting, to be held May 9 at the Reuthinger Memorial
Preserve.
Munger also said that the park district’s 2009 strategic plan called to convert a part-time
administrative assistant position to full-time. That has not yet taken place, he said. Instead, he
offered a proposal to eliminate that position and convert the current part-time volunteer services
coordinator position to a full-time volunteer services/marketing specialist. The position would take on
all marketing duties for the park district, as well as some administrative tasks, in addition to the
current duties.
Munger said that the move would provide stability, and noted that the individual currently in the
volunteer services position is capable and has marketing experience. In the past, functions like the
park district’s newsletter have been handed around to different staff members to handle without being
centered in any one position. The position would earn $10.96 per hour, up from $10.25 per hour.
Board Commissioner Bob Callecod said that the park district needs someone to both make people aware of,
and get people involved in, the parks.
"It’s a good move," he said.
The board unanimously approved the measure.
In other business, the board:
¥ Approved the $11,618.80 purchase of an IBM computer file server from InTech IT Solutions, Bowling
Green, to replace the eight-year-old server currently in use.
¥ Heard from Munger that a list was made of obsolete or non-functioning surplus equipment possessed by
the parks including portable radios and chargers, vehicle light bars, and out-dated laptop computers.
After the items are declared as surplus, under the Ohio Revised Code they are then placed up for bid at
auction, usually at govdeals.com, Munger said. The board approved the measure.
Board member Mary Kreuger was absent from the meeting.
