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Community Contributions 2008
Boy Scouts Assist with Storm Clean-up
 Members of Boy Scout Troop 516 answered the call to
duty and volunteered their time to assist with the clean-up of wind damage
sustained at Grant Park. Sacrificing a planned canoe outing and many hours
on a Saturday afternoon, these scouts cleared trails of brush and debris
that littered the park following the hurricane force winds that swept
through the area in September. Their efforts helped free Park District staff
to work on other damaged areas and provided safer trails in this wonderful
nature park.
Teen Raises Funds for Trees
Sometimes one person can make a difference. The eighth-grade social studies project in Ken obecki's class at Watts Middle School was not all that daunting. Students were to "Make a Difference" by spending 25 hours doing something to contribute positively to the Centerville community that would make a difference in the lives of others. But once 14-year-old Patrick Ditzel began thinking about what he might do and chose global warming because he had seen so much about it on TV, he had to come up with a plan he could implement.
He decided he would solicit donations from people in his neighborhood so the Centerville-Washington Park District could buy trees for the district's parks. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen through photosynthesis, helping improve air quality.
"I went door to door and collected checks from people," he said. "I got my whole neighborhood and part of another."
The checks totaled $1,230 and came from 64 donors, said Carol Kennard, director of the park district. "We were overwhelmed when Patrick brought in his donations," she said. "This student really went above the requirements of the project. I think this is a good example of the positive influence our young people can have on the community." She said the Park District intends to purchase trees and plant them at Waterbury Woods Park this fall. Story excerpted from the Dayton Daily News.
Williamsons Named Volunteers of the Month by United
Way
 United
Way's Volunteer Connection and WDTN-TV named Tom and Vicki as Community
Volunteers of the Month for May 2008.
Tom and Vicki each share at
least 15 hours of their time weekly with several nonprofit organizations.
They have served more than 500 children during their time with the
Centerville-Washington Park District, where they volunteer weekly as both
volunteer naturalists and resident butterfly experts.
In addition to
creating a butterfly garden for the Park District, they also assist with
butterfly gardens at both Cox Arboretum and Hithergreen senior Center. Tom
utilizes his skills in woodworking to complete projects for Cox Arboretum.
The couple is currently completing a Master Naturalist training program
provided by Five Rivers MetroParks. Previously, Tom assisted with the
extensive renovation of the Aaron Nutt Cottage for the
Centerville-Washington Township Historical Society, a project that lasted
more than one and a half years. Vicki assisted with the project by regularly
providing food for renovation volunteers, sewing curtains for the house, and
creating a quilt to assist with fundraising efforts. Vicki also serves as a
driver and a member of the Strummers musical group for Hithergreen Senior
Center, in addition to quilting with the Creative Quilters.
While
volunteering has always been a part of their lives, Tom and Vicki increased
their involvement following Tom's retirement. "After I retired, we
consciously made the decision to give back to the community we've been
taking from for years," says Tom. "I come home with much more that I've
given," says Vicki.
"Tom and Vicki are helping to get people outdoors
to discover our parks as both educational and recreational settings," says
Outdoor Education Coordinator Kristen Marks. "They define volunteerism by
giving their time not only to Centerville-Washington Park District but to
other organizations as well." Story excerpted from wdtn.com.
Scouts and Rotary Members Work Together
 St.
Charles Cub Scout Pack 813 established a new program in 2008 entitled "The
Pack Gives Back." The program is designed to provide the boys opportunities
to donate their time toward community service projects. Since the Pack
utilizes the area parks, one opportunity was coordinated with Brian Kunkel,
Operations Manager of the Centerville-Washington Park District. Mr. Kunkel
arranged for a tree mulching project at the Grant Park Nature Nook. The
trees were originally planted by the Centerville Rotary Club. On a chilly
April morning the Rotary Club, the Park District, and Pack 813 combined
their efforts to mulch more than 50 trees at the Nature Nook. When the
project was completed, it looked great and everybody appreciated the efforts
of all involved. Story & photo courtesy Andrea Lapp
Donations Support 2008
General
Warren & Mary
Rose Back
Gilbert & Roberta Nelson
KTC/QRRC
United Way
Welch
Family Prayer Group
Memorial
Anthony & Karen Staub
Marilyn Johnston
Patricia Kellogg
Allan &
Karen Kennedy
Alan
Krohn
Sandra & Charles
Leboeuf
Jain Lin, MD
Marian Otterbein
Nature Nook
Penbrooke Garden Club
Oak Creek South Skate
Park
Centerville Kiwanis Club
Oak Grove Park Dog Park
Judith Northcutt
Ronald Weir
Oak Grove
Park Rotary Shelter
Centerville Rotary Club
Michael Gentile
Otey Peters
Oak Grove Park Soccer Facilities
Centerville United Soccer Association
Programming
George
Greenleaf
Yeck Family Foundation
Schoolhouse Park
Noon Optimist Club of Centerville
Wee Elk Football Association
Waterbury Woods Park Trees
David
Risner
Sudhakar Maraboyina
Tammy Roberts
Valerie Pierce
Valerie
Eisenhauer
Michael Suttman
Ronald Johnson
Deborah Preston
Sally
Rintoul
Kim Zwirko
Chengwu Zhang
David Stultz
Virginia Mitchell
Paul Boeckman
Sabiha Siddiqui
Namchi Le
Catherine Hume
Amy
Conroy
Diane Castro
Clarence Miller
Susan Dorrough
Jarrod Keely
Donna Marie Slagle
Roger Bunn
Anne Porter
Jodi Seeley
Sangeeta
Agrawal
Judith Arnold
Jeffrey Kleinman
Casey Kilbane
Gayathri
Mahesh
Anjali Balwally
Jewell DePalma
Kenneth Keeton
Sandeep
Singhvi
Katharine Cates
Lisa Bruder
Myrna Fuentes
Jain Lin
Hilda Cosme-Thomas
John Kim
Ashok Kishinnchand
Lois Shaw
Kristin
Lamb
Vanessa Frey
Phillip Hall
Jackie Ouellette
Claire Chilson
Sue Hendricks
Camelia Wibowo
Caren DiMario
Nancy Thomas
Deirdre
Hughes
Arun Aranha
Vijay Rao
Denise Hazenfield
Bihu Sandhir
Carol O’Neill
Andrea Clark
Khan Mohamed Fazlulla
Cheryl Gerber
Susane Brabender
Jerome Blanford
Beth Kline-Fath
Sharon Hagan
Pamela Jesch
Karin Seymour
The Ditzel Family
Grant Funding 2008
Bikes Belong
William & Dorothy
Yeck Nature Fund
Scout Support 2008
Elliot Beeman, Troop 193
Built and installed 3 different agility
apparatus for the big dogs at Oak Grove Park.
John Doncaster Troop
513
Built 3 foot bridges and installed them on trails at Seminary View.
David Hoy, Troop 49
Cleaned up Elizabeth Hoy Park; painted play
equipment, mulched and planted flowers, trimmed trees in memory of his
grandmother.
Alex Foley, Troop 116
Built 20 brochure boxes.
Adam Schultz, Troop 316
Removed a bridge and built one in its place
in Grant Park behind Watts Middle School at base of trail going down hill.
Ben Waldron, Troop 425
Cleared honeysuckle from the mill site at
Bill Yeck Park. Added to an existing bridge (8 ft) to avoid standing water.
Alex Valencia, Troop 425
Painted post and rails in several parks.
Brian Bergers, Troop 516
Built and installed 2 foot bridges at Grant
Park in the mature woods. Spread chips and dust on sections of trail that
hold water around the upper meadow.
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