Category: Parks & Recreation

Reminder of the upcoming meeting to introduce the Maumee River Water Trail to local citizens is scheduled to be held at the Paulding County Public Library on Monday, February 13 from 5:30 to 7:00pm.  For those who may not be able to attend and would like to see a video of the highlights, please follow this link:  http://video.wbgu.org/video/2365931668/.

Please also see the draft proposals for signage and the brochure that will become a part of the program.  Please take note that a formal public launch site will be made available at Forder Bridge, and an additional site is being evaluated for eastern Paulding County.

Plans continue to be made to improve the launch site area for this coming year at Riverside Park in Antwerp.

Click here to download a pdf of the proposed draft of the Maumee River Water Trail signage.

Click here to download a pdf of the proposed draft of the Maumee River Water Trail brochure.

The Antwerp Rotary has been fundraising for some time and has recently begun work efforts to refurbish the village tennis court.  The court will have a new slab of concrete, additional drainage, and a sanded acrylic finish like those used on many tennis courts (shown in the picture).  The court will also include playing boundaries for pickelball in addition to tennis boundaries.

A special thanks to Floyd Ramsier for spearheading this effort and to the groups and individuals who helped contribute to the project.

The Antwerp Boy Scout Troop 143 has begun working to create a hiking trail in the lower portion of the property at Riverside Park.  The project is the Eagle Scout project for Josh Ehlinger, who will head up work efforts.  The trail will make a loop on what used to be the island and return along an existing lane that was cut into the hillside generations ago.

Sara Keeran and Nancy Lichty are heading a project to introduce Rain Gardens into the park to help resolve some drainage issues the park has developed over the years.  The plan is to install a couple of gardens to help absorb some of the ponding that occurs near the playground.  As those become more mature, future rain gardens will be created in other low spots near the playground and throughout the park.

Mark Greenwood has been visiting with numerous agencies over the past months to determine how we can create a canoe kayak launch at Riverside Park.  The ACDC has agreed to partner on this project, Jim Pendergrast is representing the ACDC.  We will be surveying the current roadway and launch areas to begin creating formal layouts to submit with applications to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Ohio EPA.  As the project begins to take shape, a task group will formed to help with any funding efforts and work related activities for the project.  If anyone has specific skills or access to landscape architect or civil engineering expertise, please contact Mark Greenwood.

In addition to local efforts being made, there is an effort to create a state designated Water Trail for length of the Maumee River in Ohio.  State designated water trails are highlighted on the Ohio DNR website, and will help to create additional interest and participation throughout the river system.  For more information feel free to visit:  http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/watertrails. Once the Maumee River has been designated as a state water trail, we will be better positioned for eligibility on state grant monies that are available each year.  In addition, Antwerp will be promoted along with all the other access sites along the Maumee. The state will also provide signage and water trail pamphlets to be distributed at each access point.

Click here to view the Maumee River Water Trail map