City of Marysville

Parks & Recreation Department

2002 Year End Report

The 2002-year was an exciting year for the City Parks and Recreation Department. Unique this year was Marysville being the final leg of the 2002 Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA). Eljer Park was the site of this amazing event. The Park became a temporary campground for over 3,000 bicyclists. The park looked like a tent city and the event was capped off by an amazing performance by Arnett Howard and the Creole Funk Band. The event was a huge success and involved a lot of community planning and involvement.

Also new in 2002 was the Marysville Grand Prix, a bicycle race event that included a race for locals and children. The event attracted about 70 racers for the main event. The 30 mile race was held downtown on a .6 mile loop. The event included assistance from the Police Department and the Street Department.

The Summer Playground Program was developed to provide adult supervised recreational activities for children in grades K-6 at various parks in the City. Eljer Park and Mill Valley Park were the two locations. The program was staffed again by Jessica Halterman (Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL) and Ryan Miller (Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL). I received very positive feedback from many parents on the program and on Jessica and Ryan. The parents and children really like them both.

The continued improvement of the City’s Municipal Pool is still a major goal of the Parks & Recreation Department. Each year, we strive to improve the appearance and daily operation of the pool. The recreation programming such as scuba lessons, aqua aerobics, and adult and family swims are strides in the right direction.

The end of the pool season became very challenging because many of the lifeguards return to high school or college and therefore, leaves the pool short of certified lifeguards. A couple of times after Labor Day, the pool had to close early due to the lack of lifeguards.

The Parks & Recreation Department organized the Vendor’s Square for the Honda Homecoming again in 2002. The location was moved to the downtown parking lot across from City Hall. The vendors were very pleased and the logistics of the entire event went smoothly. The moving of the location was suggested by the Downtown Business Association in an attempt to get the motorcyclists in the downtown area and keep them there.

“A Day in the Park” continued to be a success. Kroger’s, Big Bear, Nestle R & D, and Home City Ice provided much needed products to make this day possible by their generous contributions and the Union County United Way for their monetary contribution. The citizens of Marysville can celebrate the “Parks” by gathering information from the various non-profit organizations that are there to provide games and knowledge of their organizations, by sharing with fellow citizens, and enjoying food, entertainment, and swimming. There is a constant effort by the Parks & Recreation Department to improve this day and make it better for all. A clown was on hand to provide balloon animals to the children. Many council members volunteered their time for this event and that is greatly appreciated.

The Marysville Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with the Union County Independent Soccer League sponsored a soccer clinic put on by the Columbus Crew. 423 children participated in the clinic. Many of the Crew players and coaching staff complemented the facilities at Eljer Park.

Again in 2002, the Parks and Recreation Department hosted the National Football League’s annual Punt, Pass, and Kick competition. The Event was held in September at Eljer Park. The youngsters that won the Marysville Punt, Pass, and Kick qualified for further competition in Columbus with a chance to qualify for the national competition to be held at the Super Bowl.

A tennis league was held at the high school tennis courts. Tennis Tournaments were held over Memorial and Labor Day weekends. Overall participation was good and I anticipate these tournaments will be held again in 2003.

Ice skating on the tennis courts at Eljer Park was offered as a safe alternative to skating on the City ponds. This location is lighted and offers ice skating from 9am to 10pm. Early the weather cooperated but then warmed up.

The Parks and Recreation Department mailed a newsletter in late March of 2002. This newsletter contained information about the pool and the summer programs and activities as well as forms for recipients to fill out and return for early pool pass and various park activities requiring registration. The newsletter and forms were also online at the web site.

The “Friends of the Park” volunteer program is an attempt to utilize the willingness of volunteers that Marysville has to offer. Many activities are conducted in the City that require volunteer help. This is an effort to establish a volunteer base that I can assess. In 2002, about ten people placed their names on the volunteer list. These volunteers were much appreciated and welcomed.

The “Concert in the Park” program is on the rise. With this being the second year of the program, the attendance is growing and I look forward to the continued growth of the attendance.

The “Ten Days of Hoops” at the Eljer Park basketball courts experienced an excellent attendance by grades 5-6 and 7-8. The total participation was 36 children in the lower grades and 28 children in the upper grades. I anticipant continued growth for this program.

In conclusion, the City of Marysville Parks and Recreation Department is growing and moving in a positive manner to compliment the community of Marysville. The Parks and Recreation Department has no full time employees and the Superintendent is part-time, therefore, many of these accomplishments would not be possible without the assistance of the Building and Grounds Department Superintendent and his department, and Ellen Carter, the Administrative Assistant at the Public Service Center.