In a special presentation to the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District (BJRD) Board of Trustees at their Tuesday, Jan. 7, meeting, Kris Myers, parks superintendent, gave a brief overview of what he’s learned recently about the concerns and aspirations of Logan County youth.
Working with the Harwood Institute for Public Knowledge, the Logan County Youth Team came up with three central themes they want to focus on based on information they gained during the six-month project.
Myers’ report stated the goal was “to foster a supportive and engaging community that encourages our youth to stay and thrive in Logan County.”
Besides interviewing 88 children of various ages, the team also facilitated nine community conversations, bringing together youth and adults. Out of that, they came up with these themes:
One – A safe, family-friendly environment and initiative to encourage growth. A standout concern was accessible sidewalks.
“It came up in every group conversation,” Myers said. Issues included condition, connectivity and neighborhoods without sidewalks. Specifically, young people with a job but no car want a safe option when they need to walk to work.
Two – Creating a close-knit community where people can connect through neighborhood events and gatherings.
One of the first topics raised in this discussion was the Fred Carter Park project. Last summer, the youth group from Vineyard Christian Fellowship spent a week cleaning, weeding and establishing trails through the park, which sits off Lakewood Drive in Bellefontaine.
“Dave Schwieterman and I started that conversation, which involved kids,” Myers reminded the board. In essence, they began doing the work of this theme before they had the discussion. In fact, Myers plans to meet with Schwieterman this week to discuss future projects.
Three – A focus on compassion, accessibility and positive change to create a nonjudgmental environment where everyone feels valued.
For Myers, though, the key takeaway came from asking young people who they trust. Surprisingly, they expressed a general distrust of their schools, teachers and guidance counselors. That was counteracted by a clear dependence on parents.
Speaking for the youth, Myers put it this way: “‘In the end,’ they said, ‘no matter if I’m a turd or not, my parents will defend me.’”
In response to the report, the board discussed options for local events, like bringing back concerts in the park. “I think that’s something our community is ready for,” Myers concluded.
Football Program
The meeting started with an issue expressed by Rob Palmer, who serves the department as a football, basketball and baseball coach. Three other area coaches attended in support.
Palmer’s intent, he stated, was not to criticize the recreation department or Bellefontaine schools, but to advocate for their young athletes.
“We had an exceptional football season last year,” he began, “finishing undefeated with a record of 10-0 in the Little Mad River Valley League, outscoring our opponents 278-44.”
According to Palmer, this was the first time in 12 years they’d enjoyed such a feat. He credited much of that to the dedication of the coaching staff, which includes board member Keyne Strickland, Dean Whetzel, Tyler Vermillion, Doug Robb, Shawn Cox, Brendan Keneson, Chris Hoge, Nach Eaton and Wes Bach.
Though they had initially planned to cut seven players from a roster of 40, the effort and potential of all the boys inspired the coaches to keep them on the team. They’re glad they did.
“These 40 boys dedicated themselves throughout the year to bring a championship back to Bellefontaine. However, we believe their achievements are not being celebrated enough,” Palmer said.
The coaches asked that some kind of recognition take place during halftime of a Bellefontaine High School boys’ basketball game, which was denied. Palmer feels such an acknowledgement would only take about 10 minutes, “yet it could significantly boost community engagement and enthusiasm for youth sports.”
With that in mind, Palmer approached the board with the request they consider ways to highlight the boys’ achievement.
Though Myers said he did have several conversations about this, it didn’t work out and, as a result, didn’t move forward.
“It was nothing malicious,” Myers admitted, “but there are so many things like that already and it just didn’t fit at that time.” He also apologized for not pushing harder, and the board agreed they should do more to support their student athletes.
In other board news:
- MacKenzie Fitzpatrick will now serve as the liaison between the board and the Bellefontaine City Council.
- The sports program continues to have an officiating shortage and Danny LeCompte, recreation coordinator, has often had to step in to help out.
- Despite the weather on Monday—or, perhaps, because of it—the first night of the Winter Walking Program saw 17 people show up. They are still looking for volunteers to monitor that.
- The department now has three tournament dates for 2025: first weekend of May, first full weekend of June and second weekend of July. Registrations are already filling up.
- Log work has been completed on the log cabin at Myeerah Nature Preserve and they’re wrapping up the roof and gutters.
- They also plan to move forward on adding pickleball courts at the high school. Since they see young people there almost every night, that’s where the impetus is originating. “They are clamoring for more space,” Myers said.
- 2025 final budget included “tweaking” the salary for the administrative assistant, costs to hire retired contractors, and an adjustment to potentially fill another maintenance position. It also included a check from the state to reimburse the Blue Jacket Park project and an expected tax revenue of 1.6 million. Additional revenue is projected at $120,000.
Myers reminded the board they will owe a $750,000 debt payment in 2026.
The board passed the 2025 final budget, which now goes to the city council. They should approve it by March. - With part-time administrative assistant Carol Robinson leaving the BJRD to work in the Bellefontaine engineering department full-time, the team is now looking for a new full or part-time assistant. The job listing has been posted and is open until Friday, Jan. 10.
Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District’s 2025 Capital Project List:
1. Myers stated the Harmon Park project will be the biggest one of 2025 and it will have two phases, starting with community meetings to nail down the design. They plan to use social media posts and neighborhood flyers to get the word out and will conduct the meeting at Lutheran Community Services.
This project doesn’t come out of the budget but has separate funding. Myers hopes to keep the cost to less than $1.5 million.
2. Myers also said there’s a need to repave the east and west walking paths at Southview Park, so efforts will be made to address that.
3. They will refurbish the restrooms at Mary Rutan Park and the north and south ones at Ratleff Park. Changes will include vandal-resistant doors and stainless steel sinks. With these facilities more than 50 years old, the board agreed it’s time for updates.
4. Finally, they’ve recognized a need to address the signage at the parks—not only to make them better but to have a consistent look to all of them. The BJRD will work with Freytag & Associates Inc., Sidney, to create a new design.
For the next three months, the BJRD board will deviate from its regular schedule and location and will meet in the police training room on the second Tuesday instead of the first. As a result, their February meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11.