Last year’s Whitetail Deer Festival was a huge success. the crowd was huge. Thanks to your support, we raised enough money to paint the floor in the Rarden Gymnasium Renovation Project…about $3700. Now those hard earned heating dollars won’t escape out the roof. The gymnasium is available now for rental for basketball playing, cornhole tournaments, 4H activities, country music shows, dances, etc, If you’ve not checked it out yet, you’ll be surprised at the work thats taken place…again, almost entirely on volunteer labor. If you’re interested in renting these facilities, contact:  Mayor, Delbert Copas at 740-372-5412
Also, we have budgeted aprox $1700 for improved upgrade of electric service on the North Park. This will give us approx 400 amps through out each side. Also, we are in the process of having a new sign painted and erected in at the entrance of the Rarden Community Center and Gymnasium. This will hopefully be installed by Festival weekend.
As far as other Rarden Community Park projects go, We still want to extend the size of the Basketball Courts with two additional goals, add an additional 2″ of new asphalt paving on the walking track and court, seal and stripe both parking lots, and purchase new cooking grills for the new south shelter constructed last year on the south side. As you can see when you’re in the park, the new addition this year is the Gazebo.
A Bulldog Committee funded the Gazebo. The Festival funds help finance the concrete footers and Peebles Masonic Lodge donated monies to help with landscaping.
With growth of our Park, comes increased maintenance costs and upkeep. The money donated by folks reserving both shelters for reunions, parties, etc. is a big part of keeping the grass trimmed, weedeating done, mulching, and controlled spraying each year around the fences, and playground equipment.  The John Deere tractor that is used was funded entirely from Festival funds a few years ago and is dedicated solely to the Rarden Community Park. Also, all water and electric as well as portalet costs are funded from the festival proceeds.
We are all very appreciative of our young people doing their part to keep our Park clean and vandalism free. And a special thanks to the 4-H youth group (The Rarden Rivals) that spent hours cleaning, turning table tops, and scrubing shelter floors, all as a volunteer group to help keep our park clean and enjoyable. It’s clear that all our citizens enjoy the facilities and do their part to keep it maintained for the future of their children. If you would like to volunteer as a park helper or Festival helper, just contact myself or any Rarden Festival Committee member…..just picking occasional litter while walking or using the playground is a big help in maintaining its clean appearance.
If you’re unable to help physically, but would like to contribute financially, all donations are sincerely appreciated and may be mailed to Rarden Park Fund, PO Box 3  Rarden, Ohio 45671
Thanks to all our volunteers for your continued support of our Park, the Whitetail Deer Festival, and the Rarden Community……

Ronald Syroney,  Chairman
Rarden Festival Committee, Inc

Festival Panoramic – Early Sunday, September 26th 2004

Just an update on how our community park is progressing. We had so much damage from last years terrible rains and ruts from all the traffic on the grounds, that it took most of what we made to repair that damage and install sub-surface drainage system.Hence many of the planned improvements had to be postponed for future funding. We HAVE managed to complete the new Picnic Shelter on the south park side now complete with picnic table seating for 48-50 people. This project, as with most all the park projects, was completed with ALL VOLUNTEER LABOR. Many thanks to those who gave up their time with families and evenings, weekends, along with donated gasoline, tools, and a lot of sweat this hot summer to see this project thru. Special thanks to Southern Ohio Concrete and Tim Copas Roofing for the Concrete Floor and new roof installations. There are too many other volunteers to mention here, but you know who you are and I thank you!

We also have expanded our Park’s Electric service with the addition of a 400A service on the south side near the shelter and an additional 200A on the north side. This will insure continued growth of the Whitetail Festival in the years to come.

We’re really proud of the Cleveland Pear trees that have been installed on the south side along St Rt 73. They’re really a pretty site in the spring when they’re covered with white blooms. We would like to add some more of those in the future as money permits. We will try to add some BBQ grills at the south shelter eventually and and maybe a few more pieces of playground equipment, but it all takes money and quite a bit of it…

If you would like to help fund this project, pledge forms are still available and can be picked up at McAllisters One-Stop in Rarden or can be requested by mail at Rarden Park Fund, PO Box 158 Rarden, Ohio 45671, or stop by the Festival Committee Tent this year.

I also want to thank the members of our Rarden Community for keeping your park clean and orderly and supporting the park fund over the years…..

Gene McAllister
Rarden Park Committee

Festival Panoramic – Early Sunday, September 26th 2004

Just an update on our community park’s progress. Last year’s Whitetail Deer Festival provided funding to purchase a  brand new 345 20 hp John Deere mowing tractor for keeping your park’s grass mowed, neat, and clean.  We purchased this equipment late last year and has been in use all this year making the grounds well groomed, as it should be.

Plans are also underway for another picnic shelter on the south side of the park. We should have enough funds for plans,  materials, and concrete and with volunteer labor, a 24′ x 36′ shelter with picnic tables near the playground equipment.  We had hoped the state plans and bids would be completed so construction could be finished by this year’s festival,  but not sure that’s
going to happen in time.

Also, in the works, are plans to expand the paved basketball court for a larger play area and improve the  space required for the 3-on-3 tournaments each year.

If the 2006 Festival does well enough, that may be a reality for 2007.

Also, planning some repaving of the walking track and resealing and striping of the parking areas. It all takes money and  lots of it. Even with a lot of volunteer labor, funding is big problem in small communities like Rarden, so remember that,  and support our Park Fund.

Thanks for your support over the years.
For contribution forms write :

Rarden Park Fund
P.O. Box 158
Rarden, Ohio 45671

Thanks
Gene McAllister
Rarden Park Committee