Volunteers spruce up park for Harbor View villagers

Fencing, playground equipment given helping hands

6/9/2012
BY MADELINE BUXTON
BLADE STAFF WRITER
  • Harbor-View-Mark-Klatt

    BP worker Mark Klatt, left, gets help from Gracie McDaniels, center, and Lola Fuller as he sets piping for a new fence. He was among volunteers who turned out Saturday at the Harbor View Village Park.

    photo courtesy of matt zaleski

    • BP worker Mark Klatt, left, gets help from Gracie McDaniels, center, and Lola Fuller as he sets piping for a new fence. He was among volunteers who turned out Saturday at the Harbor View Village Park.
    BP worker Mark Klatt, left, gets help from Gracie McDaniels, center, and Lola Fuller as he sets piping for a new fence. He was among volunteers who turned out Saturday at the Harbor View Village Park.

    BP worker Nikki Furney gets help from her daughter Evelyn spreading 40 yards of mulch in a new playground area.
    BP worker Nikki Furney gets help from her daughter Evelyn spreading 40 yards of mulch in a new playground area.

    HARBOR VIEW, Ohio -- Children in Harbor View — one of Ohio's smallest villages, with about 120 residents — will no longer approach rusted fences and dilapidated playground equipment when they head to the neighborhood park at 327 Lakeview Dr.

    Fifteen employees of the nearby BP Refinery on Cedar Point Road began maintenance work on the park on Friday and finished on Saturday at about noon.

    The refinery donated $30,500 to the village for the renovation. Repairs were also completed by the construction firm A.A. Boos, which donated workers and equipment to move park structures and drill holes. Sail Masters Inc. donated funds and workers for fence repairs.

    "The area was a concern not just for our children, but for the nearby Oregon youngsters who went there to play," Mayor Rick Brink said. "Not only are they donating their time, but these volunteers are bringing skills to make repairs that probably would not get done without paying an outside contractor. Quite frankly, that's money the village simply doesn't have."

    In addition to spreading mulch, volunteers built a fence in front of the playground, completed the installation of playground equipment, fixed a seesaw, and repaired a swing set.

    "I'm extremely happy with everything that has been done," Mayor Brink said. "There are a few other things that kids have asked for that we're going to install sometime in the future."

     

    Todd Schick, left, and Tim Galford, both BP workers, repair a damaged and bent see-saw at the community park.
    Todd Schick, left, and Tim Galford, both BP workers, repair a damaged and bent see-saw at the community park.

    “I’m extremely happy with everything that has been done,” Mayor Brink said. “There are a few other things that kids have asked for that we’re going to install sometime in the future.”

     

    Harbor View Village Park — which only covers about one-third of an acre in the less-than-19-acre village — was dedicated in 1979 and had the original equipment on the playground before this weekend's renovation, Mayor Brink said.

    Mayor Brink said that a rededication date for the park will be set this Monday at the village council meeting. He also said that all of the volunteers and workers who donated their time to the project will be invited to a celebratory cookout.