University students have a lot of opportunities as Bowling Green residents in the upcoming months as discussed at the city council meeting Monday night.
The University’s Office of Residence Life SMART program will be hosting Real Talk with Real Cops. Police Chief Tony Hetrick and other officers will be at the event, talking to students about their rights and relationships with officers.
“[Tony] really embraces the concept of community policing, and really being out there in the community sharing the perspective of law enforcement,” said Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter when explaining the event to council members.
In addition to Real Talk with Real Cops, Barbara Ruland, executive director of Downtown Bowling Green, said that students from Delta Chi will be volunteering as the crossing guide service for Downtown Trick or Treat on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Ruland also explained that the city will begin decorating downtown shortly after Halloween with the holidays rapidly approaching. Getting ready for decorating includes fundraising, a plan that was thought up two years ago and expected to take six years to fund.
“The community response was so good that it’s looking like we might be able to finish it up this year,” Ruland said.
One of these fundraisers will be held at Stones Throw on Veteran’s Day. By presenting a coupon to the server on the day of the fundraiser, 20 percent of the bill will be donated to the Downtown Foundation for the Lights.
Cookie Jar, a popular spot for students, will also hold a snowflake cookie fundraiser.
The struggles surrounding the homecoming parade were also on Mayor Richard Edwards’ agenda.
“The BGSU homecoming parade worked out, I think, amazingly well, despite a perfect storm,” Edwards said.
The perfect storm Edwards referred to was a combination of accidents on I-75, the bridge slide involving interstate I-75 and US Route 6, and traffic jams in all directions. Edwards thanked first responders including the State Highway Patrol, the Wood County sheriff, ODOT, the construction crews, Tony Hetrick, the members of the police forces, and the members of the fire commission, as well as Brian Craft and the staff of the public works division (who assisted first responders with traffic complications) for their work under what Edwards called “extremely difficult circumstances.”
Edwards also discussed the official ribbon cutting of Ridge Park, which has been a topic of discussion within city council and the community for over two years. The ribbon cutting was held prior to the meeting on Monday.
“You can’t put a dollar tag on that,” Edwards said about the smiles from the children gathered at the park.
