Family reunions are something you either love or hate.
My family started having these regularly, just before my grandfather passed away. Now that both grandparents are gone, as are two of their seven children, three grandchildren and a great-grandchild, it seems my generation is becoming the “grandparent” group. My father’s generation has become the “great grandparent” group. Even when only half of us show up, it’s a rather large number to trace back to just two individuals.
I’ve probably traveled to five of the last 10 of these gatherings which are always held in Tuscarawas County, Ohio (where my paternal grandparents first met and married), with its abundance of outstanding recreation facilities.
Until a few years ago, we met at the New Philadelphia Tuscora Park, which has three pools and numerous carnival rides for the little ones to enjoy. Also found are great picnic shelters and grounds including tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, an amphitheater, and fishing ponds.
The best thing about this park was the all-wooden, antique carousel with a Wurlitzer organ and 14 original oil paintings. You could spoil your children rotten with cotton candy, pool visits and rides until their heads and stomachs were spinning, and not spend $15.
Beginning in 2002, the meeting place changed to the Dennison Township Park, just a few miles up the road. This gave the event planners access to their preferred date and again offered great facilities. The pool, however, was aging and unattractive. Two years ago, the pool wasn’t even open.
So I was surprised to drive into the park last weekend and see a beautifully renovated facility. With a lovely brick entry and new concession stand, huge bright blue and white umbrellas that could shade 30 people each, a three-story water slide, spray fountains, multiple pools and more -- this once tired park looked like Montgomery County’s Frog Pond on steroids.
How did a little village manage this transformation in less than two years, adding to the county’s large inventory of pools, hiking trails, parks and recreational facilities?
This county is home to Schoenbrunn, the first Protestant settlement in Ohio, and Kent State University (where in 1970 the Ohio National Guard fired at students, killing four and wounding nine). This county boasts being where astronaut John Glenn took his first flying lessons, where Woody Hayes started his head-coaching career, and was the childhood home to baseball’s Cy Young. Still very much farm country with a large Amish population, the area economy has revolved around coal and clay, bricks and tiles and trains, and has over 15 nature parks – in addition to the local community park system.
The demographics of Tuscarawas and Montgomery are relatively similar. With the populations of each at about 90,000 and median income of about $37,000, and one university, the difference becomes the way the Ohio tax system is set up. They have 19 municipalities to Montgomery’s two towns, and another 22 townships, which translate to villages, or unincorporated areas.
Each area can assess special “mil” taxes to fund whatever need residents will support through referendum. So schools might ask for a 6 mil tax, which would add six-cents per $100 valuation for a finite period of time. Those funds could only be used for the stated purpose in a specific community. Travelers pay only a combined 8.67% state and lodging tax, and the price of gas was the same in Ohio as here at home.
How can a community get an additional tax on the ballot and approved by a majority of voters, then plan and build such a facility in less than two years?
This one facility looked like it was already providing an immediate return on investment, retiring any short term debt with a visitor fee of $3 a day for pool access while “locals” purchased season passes. People of all ages were obviously enjoying themselves, moving from the pools to horseshoe pits, to ball courts or walking trails – and back to the pools to cool off.
It was great fun to see my numerous cousins and my brother and aunts, and reconnect. This reunion reminded me again that life is so very short and time passes too quickly.
My own little children are now grown and mostly gone from the NRV. They grew up while waiting for such amenities here at home.