Copied from the
Circleville
Herald - July 16,
2010
Park gives OK for negotiation over disputed land ownership
Proposed bike path west of city crosses disputed land
By CRAIG ALLISON
STAFF WRITER
Published: Friday, July 16, 2010 5:06 AM EDT
CIRCLEVILLE -- The Pickaway County Park Board held a special meeting at the Clarke-May Museum Thursday evening to discuss disputed land ownership in part of the area where the park board’s proposed biking and walking path will be located west of the city.
The board met with officials from Dayton Power & Light to discuss possible options available to resolve the dispute which challenges ownership of land near State Route 138 near where the old Pennsylvania Railroad crossed the highway west of Circleville.
A family who resides on the land filed suit against DP&L claiming they owned the land “based on use,” according to Matt Dicicco, an attorney representing Dayton Power & Light.
“We disputed that claim and filed a counter-suit. If it goes to court a judge will say you own this and you own that, or the judge will say one party or the other owns all of it,” said Dicicco.
“What we would like to do is avoid court and sit down with the family and try to reach an agreement where everyone is satisfied. The park board gave us that ability tonight with their motion,” he said.
The meeting was convened and went straight into executive session. After nearly an hour of executive session the meeting was reconvened and a motion was put on the table giving Dayton Power & Light permission to negotiate with the family to try to reach an out of court settlement.
The motion passed unanimously.
“The ultimate goal is to develop the old railroad right of way into a walking and biking path from State Route 104 west to New Holland,” said board member Pete Hartinger. “Right now the main goal is to obtain the land, then we can plan the specifics,” he said.
One specific is already in place. The project is called the Pickaway Trail.
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County
closer
to
control
of
park
Board
to
vote
Friday
on
fate
of
LE
Park
By
DAVID
AMEY
EDITOR
Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 5:06 AM EDT
CIRCLEVILLE - Short of being given the keys to the property, Pickaway County Park District commissioners made a giant step towards becoming managers of the Logan Elm State Park.
“I am impressed with the spirit of community, the pride you have in the history of the park, and the interest in the project,” said Burt Logan, executive director and CEO of the Ohio Historical Society at the conclusion of an informational meeting at the McDowell Exchange School.
However, fate of the proposed management agreement won’t be decided by the Board of Trustees of the OHS until a Friday meeting in Columbus, he said.
“It will be a perfect fit, a go-to location for all of the natural history enthusiasts in Pickaway County,” said Pete Hartinger, president of the Park District commissioners. “The giant elm tree that used to be at the park is a symbol of Pickaway County. It’s the center picture in our county flag.” The proposed agreement would grant the park district management control of the park, which would still be owned by the historical society, for 5 years. It would include a maintenance contract in which the historical society would give the district $4,000 per year for upkeep plus OHS would maintain responsibility for major expenses.
“If this happens, we need to get local people involved as much as possible to see what needs to be done,” said Ken Speakman, vice president of the local commission. “I see this as a real workable deal because of the accountability we have.”
When the meeting was proposed, he said he was approached by Dave Harber of Town & Country Lawn Care to mow the park for the remainder of the year.
“It’s not going to work unless we get volunteers,” said commissioner Bill Richards. “It will take people who want to make it work.”
Plans are already underway to import a large elm tree to the gated park, repair the open shelter house, install portable restroom units, and the Soldiers Monumental Society plans to repair and outfit the flag pole in the center of the park.
The five-acre Logan Elm State Memorial, five miles south of Circleville on State Route 361, one mile east of U.S. Route 23, is said to be the site where, in 1774, Chief Logan of the Mingo tribe delivered his eloquent speech on Indian-white relations. The speech was supposedly delivered under a large elm tree. Considered to have been one of the largest elms in the United States, the tree stood 65-feet-tall, with a trunk circumference of 24 feet and foliage spread of 180 feet. The tree died in 1964 from damage by blight and storms.
The Ohio Historical Society acquired the site in 1912 in conjunction with the efforts of the Pickaway County Historical Association. The property was deeded to the state historical society by Howard and Mary Jones, Fannie Stage, and Fred Fickardt.
“For a variety of reasons, many of them financial, we have agreed to site management agreements on 46 of our 58 properties across the state,” said George Kane, director of historical sites and facilities for the historical society. “And, they have all worked for the benefits of citizens because we have been able to keep the sites open and available.”
The Pickaway County Park District was formed in 2002 to benefit the citizens of Pickaway County by preserving of green space, developing recreational activities and preserving the historical and cultural history of the county.
The Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology, natural history and historic places. It administers the largest statewide network of sites and museums in the nation.
Copied from the
Circleville
Herald - May 17, 2010
Starkey
smiles
on
city
park
Volunteers
work
to
develop
Butterfly
Garden
By
DAVID
AMEY
EDITOR
Published: Monday, May 17, 2010 5:06 AM EDT
“Amazing.”
 That was the word uttered with regularity Saturday by all of the more than 30 volunteers who worked diligently to fulfil the dream of the late Ralph Starkey — the development of the Butterfly Garden at Mary Virginia Crites-Hannan Park.
“Dad would have loved this,” said Beth Starkey-Hill, his daughter, who was one of the volunteers. “We know he is smiling down from Heaven, watching everything we are doing here,” she said.
“While his main interest was the development of the park, he spent a significant amount of time at the Butterfly Garden — just walking around staring at it,” she said of her father, 78, who died Jan. 24.
The volunteers, who ranged in age from Clyde Gosnell in his 80s to Reggie Amey, 11, were greeted by perhaps the best Saturday weather of the year. And, they all left with dirt and sweat-soaked clothing, sore muscles, blisters, and sunburns.
“This is phenomenal,” said Dannie Fouts, head of the Friends of the Parks volunteer group, which is undertaking the development of the park with Starkey’s passing. “It’s a real tribute to Ralph.”
The volunteers, organized by Jim and Ramona Edmond, served as the labor force for Gosnell and Randy Sanders, two men who share Starkey’s passion for restoration of native land.
 “I remember Ralph calling me, asking my advice on how to turn this 72 acre piece of land into a community park,” said Ashville’s Gosnell, who retired from leadership of the company he founded, Design Group, which specializes in the design of hospitals.
“We came up with wet and dry prairies with plenty of native plants, wetlands, walking trails, playground equipment, bird houses, and of course, the butterfly garden,” he said.
He and Sanders recently worked to create a bird and wildlife sanctuary at Old Man’s Cave, and serve together on the Friends of Hocking Hills State Parks, the Appalachian Ohio Alliance conservation group, Land Trust, and the Delaware County educational Farm.
Saturday’s plan, using 736 native plants and a bag of wildflower seed, had Gosnell and Sanders digging holes for the plants, some of the volunteers doing the planting, others carrying jugs of water to the various planting sites, some delivering wheelbarrow loads of mulch to the gardens, and others raking the mulch.
The plants ran the gamut of vegetation native to the region from milkweed to Joe Pie.
“They will produce flowers that will attract butterflies and birds to the park,” Gosnell said.
 “The turtlehead and swamp milkweed we planted in the wetlands will attract Baltimore check spots, large orange and white butterflies that resemble Monarchs,” Sanders said.
In addition, the volunteers have plans to work with the Association for Tropical Lepidoptera to import native butterflies to the park, both adults and larvae.
“The caterpillars will eat the leaves of the native vegetation we’ve just planted, burrow into the ground over the winter, and repeat the cycle next year,” Gosnell said. “We probably won’t see them for a couple of years.”
Starkey served on advisory boards for Circleville Youth Center, National Council on Youth Leadership for Pickaway County, Pickaway County Adult Community Corrections Program and Hocking Valley Community Residential Center.
He was past chair and current board member of Pickaway County Community Foundation, volunteer coordinator for development of the new city park, initiated the Starkey Fund for Youth of the Pickaway County Community Foundation. The Starkey Fund provides a well-known motivational speaker each fall for the students of Circleville High School.
He was former Board of Directors Pickaway County Heart Association, six year Board of Directors for Pickaway County United Way, honorary chairman and speaker for successful passage of 2005 operating levy for Circleville City Schools, chairman of Youth Activities Committee, Circleville Noon Rotary and Trustee Circleville Shrine Club.
He was the recipient of Dr. Bennett Cooper Award for lifetime commitment to community corrections, Circleville Noon Rotary Community Service Award, Sertoma Service to Mankind local and district awards 2005, Circleville Rotary Community Service Award 2003 and Central Ohio Senior Citizen of the Year 2007.
In the 1960s as Pickaway County Juvenile Probation Officer, Ralph initiated the first clothing center for needy families that continues to operate today. As executive secretary of the Pickaway Child Welfare Board, Ralph started the first workshop for developmentally disabled adults.
During his career in juvenile corrections, he served as superintendent of four correctional facilities for youth, regional administrator for the Athens Region and deputy director of the Ohio Department of Youth Services. In the 1980s as deputy director of DYS, Ralph was instrumental in laying groundwork for Circleville as location for the Circleville Youth Center. Shortly after he retired from his career in corrections, the Ohio Dept. of Youth Services dedicated the Ralph C. Starkey High School at the Circleville Juvenile Corrections Facility. After his third retirement, he served another 5 years as Human Resources Director for the City of Circleville.
Alicia Eckhart, project manager for the park through the Pickaway County Community Foundation, said completion of the park that Starkey envisioned will be the best tribute the community could ever give him.
“That park is developed and exists for families to come together and play and learn and become healthy because of Ralph Starkey,” she said. “It was his dream to give kids and families a place to go. This summer, kids will be out there splashing around and flying kites and walking their dogs, and that will all be because of him.”
Starkey is not the only one remembered by the volunteers. In addition to the generous benevolence of Mary Virginia Crites-Hannan, the Pickaway County Community Foundation paid tribute to Michael Harrison.
In 2006, Circleville Noon Rotary kicked off the project to develop the park site with the establishment of the Mike Harrison Park fund of the Pickaway County Community Foundation to honor the late Harrison for his dedication to the community.
And, one of Saturday’s volunteers was Faye Hill, widow of Don Hill, who died shortly after Starkey.
In recent years, his passion was being involved in the new park located near his home. He gave his time and furnished equipment to mow grass, plant and water trees and watch as the people came to enjoy the evolution of a field into a place where they could spend quality time with family, friends and pets.
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Copied from the
Circleville
Herald - January 29, 2010
LE park might return to county
Historical society wants to
divest
By DAVID AMEY
EDITOR
Published:
Friday,
January 29, 2010 5:07 AM EST
The Logan
Elm State Memorial is on
track to return to Pickaway
County.
The Pickaway County Park
District is pursuing a
lease/management agreement
with the current owner, the
Ohio Historical Society,
which would return ownership
of the park to the county
after 10 years.
“This is a big deal
because Pickaway County has
a lot to gain,” said board
vice president Ken Speakman.
“We need to respond quickly
to the offer and come up
with a decision as soon as
possible.”
And, that's what the
board is attempting to do.
The five-member board
plans to meet at the park,
located off state Route 361
south of Circleville, 3 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 4, for a
walk-through, and also
announced plans to meet with
Pickaway Township Trustees,
the Logan Elm School Board,
and the Pickaway County
Sheriff's Office for input
prior to a final decision.
The five-acre Logan Elm
State Memorial is said to be
the site where, in 1774,
Chief Logan of the Mingo
tribe delivered his eloquent
speech on Indian-white
relations.
The speech was
supposedly delivered under a
large elm tree. Considered
to be one of the largest
elms in the U. S., the tree
stood 65 feet tall, with a
trunk circumference of 24
feet and foliage spread of
180 feet.
It died in 1964 from
damage by blight and storms.
The tree's former
location is marked by a
plaque. Other plaques and
monuments in the park honor
Native Americans and early
Ohio settlers.
The proposed agreement,
according to board chairman
Pete Hartinger, would grant
the park district management
control of the park for 10
years. It would include a
maintenance contract in
which the historical society
would give the district
$4,000 per year.
In other business,
members discussed progress
on the development of an
east-west corridor through
Pickaway County, leasing
land from Dayton Power and
Light.
"It's been a vision of
the Park District to create
a hiking, biking,
equestrian, handicapped
accessible trail through the
county," said Hartinger.
"And, we hope to have the
deal completed this year."
First part was
completion of a two-mile
trail from the group's Canal
Park to Calamas Swamp. The
new extension, currently
being surveyed, would extend
the trail to the Fayette
County line in New Holland,
approximately 16 miles.
Path would be the
abandoned Pennsylvania
Railroad line, at one time
called the Cincinnati
Muskingham Valley line, and
early plans call for it to
be connected with trails
developed by similar Park
Districts in Fayette and
Clinton counties.
Future plans call fro
the local group to obtain a
right-of-way for a
connecting trail east to
Stoutsville, where it could
meet with the Fairfield
County Heritage Park
District.
"This essentially would
connect us with five state
parks, ending at Caesars
Creek State Park," said
Hartinger.
The District also has a
15-year lease with the Ohio
Department of Natural
Resources to develop a
similar trail from Franklin
to Ross counties.
"We are really excited
about this opportunity, and
would like to invite local
citizens to volunteer to
make it a reality," he said.
The Board also announced
the pending development of a
parking area near Martha
Hitler Park thanks to a
$25,000 grant from the Ohio
Department of
Transportation.
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Copied from the
Circleville
Herald -
January 26, 2010
Looking for Starkey’s legacy? Park It
Ralph Starkey 1931-2010
Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:07 AM EST
By TRISH BENNETT • STAFF WRITER
 While
the Mary Virginia Crites-Hannan Park on Route 188 bears the
name of its most generous benefactor, the site is considered
one of the many legacies of the man who spearheaded its
continuing development.
Ralph Starkey, 78, passed away
suddenly Sunday, but he will long be remembered for his
tireless dedication to the new park and the youth of
Pickaway County.
"He was truly a dedicated person to
Circleville and our community," said Barry Keller,
Circleville city council. "He always had the interest of the
youth first and foremost in everything he did, whether it
was talking to high school kids, being inspirational to
local football teams or being the flag-carrier for this park
on 188."
After a knee injury in the 1950s ended
his football career with the New York Giants, Starkey
returned to Ohio to begin a career in the juvenile justice
system. Employed by the state Department of Youth Services
for more than 35 years, Starkey was instrumental in
establishing good working relationships between the
department and the juvenile courts, according to Linda Modry,
deputy director of parole and community services.
"He made such an impression on people
and was such a great leader that we still talk about him,"
Modry said. "His style of working with the community was
probably one of the bigger contributions he made because he
really taught people how to work together and how to work on
behalf of kids."
Starkey held many positions in the DYS
throughout his career, she said, and was instrumental in
bringing the Circleville Juvenile Detention Facility to
Pickaway County. In fact, she said, the school at the
facility was named after Starkey since its inception.
He was also deeply committed to the
Circleville City School District and used the Starkey Fund
he created in his brother’s memory to promote education in
Circleville.
"Ralph did a lot at the high school,"
said Kirk McMahon, Circleville superintendent. "He would
always bring a motivational speaker in at the beginning of
the year to get the kids fired up about the new year. He was
definitely a friend to the school."
He was a friend to many people,
according to Sheriff Dwight Radcliff, due in large part to
loyalty and dedication to his community.
"I never heard him turn anyone down,"
Radcliff said. "He was pretty well in tune with anything in
this community and the betterment of it, and he was very
committed to the youth of this community."
Starkey also worked as a consultant at
the Pickaway County jail on matters of jail and staffing,
working with the civil division on appraisals and assisting
in the interview process of new department personnel, he
said.
"In his later years, though, his real
determination was that park," Radcliff said. "He was out
every minute working on behalf of that park. You just
couldn’t hold him down."
Radcliff said Starkey’s loss is a
tremendous one, to him personally as well as Pickaway
County.
"I certainly will miss him, I know
that," he said. "A lot of more important people than me will
miss him. He was plugging every day for that park, and it
was that determination that kept him going. It’s a big
loss."
Without Starkey’s guiding force,
Radcliff said he hopes progress at the park continues
forward to completion.
While city finances make it difficult
to provide much assistance, Keller said he hopes Starkey’s
"army of volunteers" will help keep up the momentum.
"Hopefully we will have someone else
in the community who will step up and take that on," Keller
said. "With his involvement, the park has evolved into what
it is today. There are a lot of projects left to be
completed, though, and we as a city need to follow up and
make sure they get done."
The splash pad, a water playground, is
currently under construction at the park site, and a
four-season shelter house to be named after Starkey will
begin construction this spring, Keller said.
Alicia Eckhart, project manager for
the park through the Pickaway County Community Foundation,
said completion of the park that Starkey envisioned will be
the best tribute the community could ever give him.
"That park is developed and exists for
families to come together and play and learn and become
healthy because of Ralph Starkey," she said. "It was his
dream to give kids and families a place to go. This summer,
kids will be out there splashing around and flying kites and
walking their dogs, and that will all be because of him."
While his mission must carry on,
though, McMahon believes Starkey left some difficult shoes
to fill.
"This community has lost some pillars
in the last year, and it’s tough to replace those people,"
he said. "But you really don’t replace a Ralph Starkey."
Copied from the
Circleville
Herald - July 2, 2009
Marker installed at Martha Hitler Park
Granite rock first step in development
By DAVID AMEY
EDITOR
Published: Thursday,
July 2, 2009 8:51 AM EDT
Showing how deeply the sandblasting was used to engrave
the marker rock is Charlie Wellman.
Also pictured are Andi Humphries, Park Board and
Pickaway Visitor's Bureau secretary; Charlie Babb,
Ken Speakman, Pete Hartinger, and Chuck Wellman.
DAVID AMEY/Circleville Herald
A huge engraved rock has been
installed in front of Martha Hitler Park to mark the
property, which has been owned and maintained by
Washington Township trustees since 1982.
“This property is really a gem in the rough that not
many people know about,” said Pete Hartinger, chairman
of the Pickaway County Park District, which has been
working through a 15 year lease management agreement
with the trustees to facilitate its development. “This
is our first step in the development,” he said.
The granite rock, infused with quartz fissures, was
found on the farm land of Mike Bell, Dunkle Road.
Computer-designed engraving by sand blasting was
completed and donated by Charlie Wellman of
Wellman
Monument Co.
The rock was placed on a 2.5 foot concrete
foundation at the entrance of the 22-acre park, located
off Bolender-Pontius Road, through a grant from the
Pickaway County Commissioners.
But, that is not the only change for the park, which
is located off Hominy Creek and is the confirmed site of
a prehistoric Indian village.
Using funds generated through the sale of vehicle
license plates — a first in Pickaway County, the Park
Board is working with the Ohio Department of
Transportation for a $25,000 grant for other
improvements at the site. This includes a paved parking
lot, a hiking trail, and hopefully even a small shelter
house.
“We also have several Eagle Scouts who want to help
us by donating projects specific to the property,” said
Charlie Babb, a former Park Board member who now assists
the group.
While history of the property is unclear, the Hitler
family was one of the first pioneers in Pickaway County,
according to Ken Speakman, a member of the Park Board.
“This land, with its higher elevation, was actually
the site of a prehistoric Indian village,” he said,
remembering finding a stone ax and several arrow heads
on the property.
“Dr. Jarod Burks, an archeologist with Ohio State,
is planning to visit the park this year with magnetic
imaging equipment to try to help us identify which
Indian culture it was,” he said. The park is located
relatively close to the Hitler Mounds, built by Hopewell
Indians.
Left to Right:
Andi
Humphries, Park Board and Pickaway Visitor's
Bureau secretary; Charlie Babb, Ken Speakman, Pete
Hartinger,
Chuck Wellman and Charlie Wellman.
Copied from the
Circleville
Herald - May 4, 2009
Pickaway Trail opens near Canal
Park
By CRAIG ALLISON
STAFF WRITER
Published:
Monday, May 4, 2009 9:34 AM
EDT
Pickaway Trail, a new
walking path opened Saturday
on Canal Road just south of
Canal Park, opened Saturday
for area nature enthusiasts.
The walking trail
generally follows the
westward path of the old
Cincinnati-Muskingum Valley
railroad right of way from
Canal Road, connecting the
Pickaway County Historical
Society’s Canal Park with
Calamus Swamp located on
state Route 104.”
At the time of its
purchase for development of
a walking trail, the CMV
railroad right of way was
actually owned by Dayton
Power and Light Company. The
Pickaway County Community
Foundation and the Pickaway
County Commissioners each
contributed $7,000 for the
purchase of the land.
“Our goal eventually is
to obtain the CMV right of
way all the way to New
Holland and one day have a
developed trail all the way
to the edge of the county,”
said Pete Hartinger,
Pickaway County Park Board
member.
The opening of the trail
was timed to coincide with
the historical society’s
annual observation of Canal
Day.
“Visitors can start at
Canal Park and walk the
towpath trail south to where
the railroad intersected the
canal,” said Ken Speakman of
the historical society.
“Once there they can take
the footpath over the
canal, walk across Canal
Road, and take up the new
Pickaway Trail westward to
the Calamus Swamp. There is
a combination foot paths and
boardwalks completely around
the swamp that will lead
people back to the Pickaway
Trail for the return walk.
That is a two mile walk,” he
said.
Along the walk visitors
can pause at the
Owens-Campbell cemetery
located just off the trail.
It is one of the oldest
family cemeteries in
Pickaway County according to
Speakman.
“If you reference
Williams Brothers’ History
of Franklin and Pickaway
Counties, which was
published in 1880, it tells
of William and Mary Owens
coming into Wayne Township
in 1830,” said Speakman.
“They came in a covered
wagon from Maryland.”
Circleville resident and
World War II veteran Wendell
Owens is their descendent.
Below are photos that
accompanied this article:
John
Mylett and Dick Somers were
the first two walkers to
tackle Pickaway Trail after
it opened on Saturday. DAVID
AMEY/Circleville Herald
Ada
Burke, who donated her
family’s property at Calamus
Swamp, talks with Ken
Speakman after the ribbon
cutting. Pickaway Trail is
in the tree line behind
them. Pickaway County is the
home of 11 wildlife
preserves. DAVID AMEY/Circleville
Herald
Cutting
the ribbon for the opening
of Pickaway Trail are, from
the left, Rodger Southward,
County Community Foundation;
Charlie Weaver, president of
the County Historical
Society; Marcia Hall, County
Community Foundation; Kenny
Speakman and Kenny Temple,
County Park Commissioners;
Glenn Reeser, County
Commissioner; Charlie Babb,
member county park board;
Bill Richards and Pete
Hartinger, County Park
Commissioners.
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Copied from the
Circleville
Herald - Janurary 22, 2009
Ice rink should be ready by
weekend
Skating may start as soon as
Saturday
By TRISH BENNETT
STAFF WRITER
Published:
Thursday, January 22, 2009
10:17 AM EST
If
the weather holds and the
water freezes as
anticipated, the ice rink at
Mary Virginia Crites-Hannan
Park should be ready for
skating this weekend,
according to Ralph Starkey,
park organizer.
“The whole area is
covered with water now,”
Starkey said. “They’ll go
out and put a thin coat on
top of what freezes
overnight, so hopefully
we’ll be opening it up for
skating sometime Saturday.”
Water for the ice rink
was pumped in Wednesday from
the wetlands area by crews
from the city service
department, Starkey said.
The wetlands area is
designed to be able to flood
the rink area automatically,
but so far this year, the
water levels had not risen
enough to use the automated
system.
“We were about three
inches short of being able
to just open the box and let
the water flow into it,”
Starkey said. “But even if
we don’t get up that high,
it’s not that big of an
issue to run a hose and pump
the water out there where we
need it.”
Residents can skate on
the rink at their own risk,
Starkey said, and a sign is
expected to be posted daily
to alert visitors whether
the ice is safe for skating.
“Hopefully people can
come out there Saturday
afternoon and it will be
ready to skate on,” he said.
“It’s a big area, though.
You could probably put 100
kids on there and still have
plenty of room.”
Wood and fire starter
also is available around the
rink for guests at the ice
rink to warm up during their
winter activity, Starkey
said.
He said he hopes
temperatures will remain
below freezing at least long
enough for a planned “Fire &
Ice” event at the park
slated for Feb. 14.
Originally, Starkey had
hoped to get the rink area
filled from nearby fire
hydrants with the help of
the Circleville Fire
Department, but the task
posed several problems for
the department in addition
to the cost of water from
the city’s utility
department.
“We just don’t have
enough old hose to lay on
the ground to fill the
pond,” said Chief Tim Tener,
Circleville Fire Department.
“It would take 1,200 feet of
hose to go from the hydrant
to the pond, and we only
have about 300 feet of old
hose that isn’t in service.”
With recent sub-zero
temperatures, Tener also
knew the hose would freeze
as the water was being
pumped, potentially damaging
equipment that would be
costly to replace.
“One problem with
cotton-jacketed hose is that
when water flows through it,
it’s designed to naturally
seep,” Tener said. “As cold
as it’s been, the hose would
freeze to the ground, and
we’d either have to chip it
out or wait until it thaws.
With old hose, it wouldn’t
hurt anything, but I
couldn’t responsibly use
in-service hose to fill the
ice rink and risk not having
it for an emergency or
having to replace it because
it got damaged.”
But while Tener worked
to round up out-of-service
hose from other area
departments, city employees
came up with a solution that
cost nothing but a few
hours’ time, according to
Terry Elliott, director of
public services.
“It’s a long distance
from (Route) 188 to the
rink, and it’s been
extremely cold, so there
were some issues with having
the fire department do it,”
Elliott said. “Dane
Patterson suggested since
the wetlands was right here,
it would be much easier just
to fill it that way. We
didn’t have the distance
problem, and it didn’t cost
any money, so it was a
win-win situation all
around.”
In the future, Elliott
said, the wetlands are
expected to self-generate,
and filling the rink in the
winter months will not
require any special
planning.
“The wetlands was just
developed late this year,
and we just didn’t have
enough rainfall this fall
for it to fill itself enough
to use the boxed valves out
there,” he said. “We don’t
expect that to be a problem
in future years.”
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Copied from the
Circleville
Herald - Friday, November 21, 2008:
Park District receives
funding
Plan to build hiking, biking trail west of city
The Pickaway County Park District Commissioners have
received matching grants from the Pickaway County Community
Foundation and the Board of County Commissioners to purchase
a two-mile section of the old Penn Central Railroad west of
Circleville.
Park Commissioners will develop a hiking and biking trail
linking Canal Park on Canal Road with Calamus Swamp near
Route 104.
Canal Park has a parking area open to the public during
the day; Calamus Swamp is open to the public with parking,
boardwalks and blinds for bird watching. The proposed trail
between the two areas passes through the historic
Owens-Campbell cemetery at its center. The trail is expected
to open for hiking in the spring of 2009 with the bike trail
completed at a later date.
The purchase of this trail will enable the Park District
to work with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and
Rails to Trails organizations to secure funding to extend
the trail to the Pickaway County line and to connect it with
the Triangular Trail and other parts of the Ohio bikeway
system.
The Park District established in 2002 is governed by
volunteer Commissioners whose mission to create, preserve,
protect, and manage a system of parks, nature preserves, and
outdoor recreational facilities to be held in public
ownership with a focus on local natural, historical, and
cultural resources and maintained for the leisure use and
enjoyment of this and future generations. The Park District
has worked for several years to secure this trail and is
grateful to the Pickaway County Commissioners and all the
county volunteers involved in the effort, especially to the
Pickaway County Community Foundation which, since 2001, has
been involved in making all of Pickaway County a desirable
place to live; work and play.
The Pickaway County Community Foundation is also governed
by a volunteer board and has been active in supporting
outdoor recreation by taking the lead in development of the
Mary Virginia Crites Hannan Park, funding the Canal Park
shelter house, the Gazebo at the
Ashville Community Park,
the Circleville City pool and athletic fields ' throughout
Pickaway County. The Foundation provides a vehicle for
donors to support philanthropy in Pickaway County.
All donations are tax deductible and the funds are used
to provide grants and services to non-profit organizations.
The Park District also recognizes the survey services
donated 'by Mike Clark and Associates and legal services
provided by the staff of the Pickaway County Prosecutor's
office:
Inquiries for receiving more information about the
Pickaway County Community Foundation, about making gifts to
the Foundation or to request a grant application, should be
addressed to the Pickaway County Community Foundation, P.O.
Box 3, Circleville, Ohio 43113 or 477-6207.
Copied from the Circleville
Herald - Saturday, June 21, 2008:
Park
District purchases land for trail
Canal Park will be
linked with Calamus Swamp
By TRISH BENNETT
STAFF WRITER
 A
deal signed with Dayton Power & Light lays the groundwork
for development of a hiking and biking trail linking Canal
Park with Calamus Swamp near state Route 104.
The Pickaway County Park District purchased parts of the old
Penn Central Railroad for a two-mile trail, according to
Charles Babb, park district board member. The trail is
expected to open for hiking in spring 2009 with the bike
trail completed at a later date.
"The park district and others have worked for several years
to secure this area for future use by the citizens of
Pickaway County," Babb said. "We will be looking for
assistance to develop this trail in the form of grants and
gifts from private or business donors."
The trail, he said will connect Canal Road and state Route
104 and will run along the old railroad line.
Canal Park, owned the the Pickaway County Historical and
Genealogical Society, has a parking area open to the public
during the day.
Calamus Swamp, owned by the Columbus branch of the National
Audubon Society, is open to the public with parking,
boardwalks and blinds for bird watching.
The proposed trail between the two, with the historic
Owens-Campbell cemetery at its center, will be owned and
maintained by the park district, Babb said.
The Pickaway County Park District was established in 2002
with members appointed by the senior county probate judge,
Jan Michael Long. The purpose of the district, Babb said, is
to make sure land and green space is available and
maintained for the future of the county.
"Some park districts have paid staff, but we are all
volunteer," he said. "As a park district, we are still in
the infancy stages, but we're working to try and secure land
before it gets soaked up by everything else and there's
nothing left."
The district currently holds a lease with the state of Ohio
for control of 90 percent of the historic canal lands in
Pickaway County, Babb said.
It
also controls Martha Hitler Park in Washington Township,
which will be upgraded with a parking area, hopefully within
the next year.
The park district meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Thursday of
each month at the Pickaway County Public Library.
Meetings are open, and the public is encouraged to attend.
More information on the district and its projects can be
found on the Internet at pickawaycountyparks.org.
— Staff Writer Trish Bennett
can be reached at 474-3133 or
tbennett@circlevilleherald.com
Also See the article in
page A1 & A2 of the Circleville Herald June 21st 2008 Issue below:
Page
A1
Page A2
Visit the Circleville Herald Website
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