Solving the pumpkin problem, one gourd at a time
I realize the nation’s 14th-largest city faces bigger crises than the disposal of decorative gourds.
But thanks to the pumpkins tossed back on my curb by the yard-waste pickup crew in my neighborhood, I learned a few things this week.
I happened to be near a window on Tuesday morning when the crew passed by. There appeared to be some sort of delay out in front of my house, but because of my car’s positioning I couldn’t see exactly what the issue might be.
Yard waste bags were stacked twodeep at the curb, brimming with the bulk of the leaves off my silver maples, as well as the cornstalks and assorted harvest produce I’d broken down to make way for the Christmas decorations.
near one of the lakes.
A ranger said traffic counters have not been installed yet, but he said the number of visitors had remained steady after the park opened at 6:30 a.m.
Some of them were walking their dogs, including Jessica Ames, who lives in a nearby subdivision and who brought her 12-year-old husky, Sabo.
“We walked down to the waterfall, did part of the mile-loop trail,” said Ames, 32.
“I love it. It was great. I will be here a lot.”
The park is part of 600 acres west of the Scioto River, north of Trabue Road and east of Dublin Road. Within the site, Thrive Companies, formerly Wagenbrenner Development, is building more than 1,000 apartments, 317 townhomes/flats and 289 freestanding condominiums at a cost of $650 million
Sommer Hengstler, 31, of Clintonville, was visiting with her friend, Jaimie Whaley, 27, of Olde Towne East. They went down to the waterfall and walked the trails. Hengstler called it
“underwhelming,” with Whaley adding she wished there were more trees. Hengstler said she wished developers weren’t building homes there.
A little later, David Liu was pedaling his bike up a road after he finished riding the mountain bike trail at the northwest corner of the park. The 23-yearold doctoral student at Ohio State University lives about 10 minutes away in Upper Arlington.
Ohio doesn’t have a lot of steep, mountain-bike terrain, Liu said.
“I’m from Alaska,” said the Anchorage native. “We have plenty of trails. A lot are packed dirt.”
While some Ohio trails have stones that make them a little slick, he said, Liu liked what he experienced on the hilly mountain bike route at Quarry Trails.
“I’ll probably be back a couple times this week,” he said.
And Metro Parks officials expect there will likely be many more people visiting Quarry Trails, the park system’s 20th park, this week and for the next several weeks for a look-see. Another sunny day with a high that could hit 60 is forecast for Thursday, which is expected to attract many more visitors. mferench@dispatch.com @Markferenchik