Park board hears success from Ring of Lights walk; learns about Winter Walking Program

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By Kris Allen

The Bellefontaine Park Board met Tuesday evening.

Recent warm weather led to an increase in numbers at the recent Ring of Lights walk held at Blue Jacket Park on Saturday, October 22nd. Recreation District Superintendent Kris Myers told the board that approximately 400 children ended up coming through the walk, a number that is the largest in his memory.

Myers said that 20 community organizations assisted in handing out candy during the event. Myers guessed that all told, in the area of 1,200 residents took part in the walk.

Myers also informed the board that youth basketball registrations have recently wrapped up. This year will feature travel-type games for 4th through 6th grade for both girls and boys as well as recreation-type competitions for the same ages. Additionally, teams will be made for 2-and 3-year-olds as well as “Little Dribblers.”

Wrestling registrations, according to Myers, stand at 41 this year, up from 35 last year.

In keeping with the sports theme, Myers said that the Adaptive Bowling Program, for children with special needs, is currently taking applications. The league will run from December through February.

Winter Walking will also take place this year at Bellefontaine Elementary. The program begins January 2nd and takes place from 6-7:30 PM Monday through Thursday nights. The list of county schools where the walking program will take place will be coming out soon.

In other board action, Myers updated the group about an issue that has been happening at the disc golf course. Myers said that a property owner, whose property abuts the course, is having disc golfers entering their property to retrieve wayward discs. Myers told the board that he is in the process of implementing a netting system that will hopefully reduce this issue.

In addition to the netting, he has been in contact with the local disc golf club to explore the possibility of altering the layout of the baskets near the affected homeowner’s property to steer disc golfers away from the property.

Myers said that all the fields under the jurisdiction of the recreation district have been prepped for the winter. In addition, he has also ordered trees that will be planted in strategic locations at parks, to act as memorials, and as shade trees.

His office has also been working with the Logan County Land Trust to complete work on the log cabin at Myeerah Park. Recently, he met with a timber framer that provided valuable insight into what they can do to help the cabin last well into the future. The Land Grant received a $1000 grant that enabled some work to be done on the cabin.

Myers also informed the board that he received a letter from Vice President Karen Brady, indicating that she will not be returning in 2023. Brady, a 22-year member of the board, will remain a member of the Shade Tree Commission.