Summary: The ribbon has been cut and the latest addition to Woosters park system is open and ready for business.
A windswept hill at the crest of Oak Hill Road with a stunning view of the surrounding countryside was the site of the dedication of the newest addition to Woosters park system – Oak Hill Park.
Members of the community bundled up to protect against the blustery conditions gathered at the Rotary Pavilion on Oct, 15 to celebrate the community collaboration that produced one of the most unique parks in the area.
A lot of people made this happen and this is the time to recognize those people for their contribution, said Wooster Mayor Bob Breneman.
From the $500,000 Ohio Public Works Commission Clean Ohio grant used to purchase the land and the Noble Foundations donation of the proceeds of the sale to develop the park to the Gene and Joan Buehler familys donation of a handicapped accessible trail and the Rotary Club of Woosters donation of a pavilion, a whole host of organizations and individuals partnered with the city to make the park a reality.
And the list goes on.
Wayne County Community Foundation did so much behind the scenes that actually pulled all the pieces together to make it happen, said Breneman adding that many city employees including former Parks and Recreation Manager Chuck Malta, Public Property Maintenance Division Assistant Manager Daryl Decker, City Engineer Joel Montgomery and City Council and countless donors and volunteers came together to make the project possible.
You all made this happen, said Breneman adding we truly are blessed as a community to have such a giving and caring people.
I love it when a plan comes together and this plan has come together, said Noble Foundation President David Noble.
Noble looked back on his youth and recalled the opening of Layton Elementary School and Christmas Run Park and wondering how something on such a large scale was possible.
It happened because of community, said Noble. That school, that pool, this park are all an expression of community.
Noble also recalled how concerned his mother was that the children on Woosters south side didnt have a pool of their own when Freedlander Pool was built. In response she singlehandedly raised the funds for the construction of Knights Field Pool.
I have a challenge for the city. I think we need a bike trail in the south end of the city, said Noble.
I think the next job is to have a bike trail on the south end of Wooster and the Noble Foundation would be glad to support such a project, said Noble.
Furthermore we need a bike route that connects the two bike trails, said Noble who turned to Breneman and added that while he appreciated the wonderful job the city did on Oak Hill Park your works not done.
According to Buehler family representative Cindy Webster, like the Nobles, Gene and Joan Buehler loved nature and they loved their Wooster community. What better way to combine those than to provide this wonderful walkway where we can all enjoy the scenery.
Dad would have especially liked to have been here today to see the fruition of a vision he had for continuing his appreciation for nature, the encouragement of exercise and a gathering spot for family and friends, Webster added.
For the members of the Rotary Club working a collaborative project that benefits the entire community, like the Oak Hill Park project, is a natural fit for Rotary.
As Rotarians we are most proud of our partnerships, said Rotary President Lynn Moomaw.
(Oak Hill Park) is a partnership that we can see and use all year round. It is a partnership that preserves valuable land and provides an educational and recreational setting for generations to come, said Moomaw.
