Although he’s enjoyed the board service, he said the time has come to say goodbye at year’s end to the board he’s served as president for 44 of those 45 years.
The park district had five acres when Wannemacher, a 37-year-old lawyer in Troy, was appointed to the board by Judge Sam Foust.
“I always had an interest in the outdoors. Why the judge picked me, I have no idea,” he said. “At that point, there wasn’t much going on, and the judge had also set aside $100 out of his budget.”
The district passed the first of its 10-year levies in 1974. The board purchased its first acreage including Charleston Falls, land in the southeast part of the county that also was being eyed for a campground, Wannemacher recalled.
Today, the district owns 2,116.5 acres across Miami County and has extensive education programming and community activities
“It is hard to believe how many pies we have our fingers in now,” Wannemacher said.
The secret, he said, is having the right people.
“Quite frankly, I think that is what our board has done over the years: We’ve hired the right people and allowed them to do their jobs. They are the ones that have the talent, and I think it has proved very successful,” he said.
The generosity of land owners, support of taxpayers and creativity and commitment of staff are among factors that have allowed the district to prosper, Wannemacher said.
Each park has a unique feature, part of what makes it fun for people to visit, he said. “The number of visitors to our parks seems to be increasing every year. To me, that is a positive sign the district is doing something right.”
As the district celebrates its 50 years, he said he wanted to thank Arthur “Ozzie” Haddad, former county engineer and later county commissioners, for petitioning for a park district in the 1960s. He also thanked the people of Miami County.
“When I went on the board I decided that I didn’t have a whole lot of money but had time I could contribute. This was my community involvement,” Wannemacher said. “I guess, after a few years, it was one of those things that you just couldn’t let go. When you see some progress, you just want to see some more.”
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.
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Online: For more information on the Miami County Park District, visit www.miamicountyparks.com.
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