Hometown Heroes, Stuff-A-Truck,

Nisbet Park update, Memorial Day parade

By Chuck Gibson (Special thanks to Krista Rose, City of Loveland) 

 LOVELAND, OHIO (May 9, 2023) — The City of Loveland has been very busy ensuring our community is a great place to live, work and play.

During the first weeks of 2023, the city announced several programs, events, and improvements for all around Loveland. Coming up this Saturday, May 13, is the “Stuff-A-Truck” Loveland Police Invite Community to ‘Stuff-A-Truck’ event sponsored by the Loveland Police Department (LPD) and Loveland Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (LCPAAA).

The event will be held from 3-8 p.m. during the annual Loveland Food Truck Rally at the Shoppers Haven Plaza, 597 Loveland-Madeira Road. The LPD and LCPAAA invite the community to drop off non-perishable food donations to stuff a police truck full! All food items dropped off will be donated to Loveland LIFE Food Pantry to benefit those in need in our community.

“This food drive is all about taking care of our friends and neighbors who may need a bit of a helping hand.” – Peggy Goodwin, LCPAAA President.

Among the non-perishable items suggested for donation are: soup, canned chicken, canned tuna, cereal, sugar, flour, canned beans, rice, pasta, canned fruits, canned vegetables, crackers, and cookies.

For more information about the event, please contact Peggy Goodwin at (513) 677-9066. To learn more about LIFE Food Pantry and its food programs, please visit https://lifefoodpantry.org/.

Loveland Hometown Hero Program

The Veterans Memorial Committee also announced the launching of the Hometown Hero banner program.

Here’s how they describe the Hometown Hero program:

The program is a tribute created for the community to recognize and honor local residents who are serving or who have served in the United State Armed Forces.

Each banner will honor a specific person and will include their photo and name, rank, branch of service, years of service, and any awards received. Banners will be displayed on utility poles along State Route 48 from Broadway Street to the Oak Street/SR 48 intersection.

To be eligible, the individual to be honored must currently reside or have resided in the City of Loveland corporation limits or within the Loveland City School District.

If you would like to nominate yourself or a deserving service member, please visit https://www.lovelandoh.gov/494/Hometown-Hero-Military-Banner-Program to download the program application.

For questions about the program, please contact Misty Clark at (513) 707-1437. To learn more about the city’s Veterans Memorial Committee please visit https://lovelandoh.gov/230/Veterans-Memorial-Committee. /

The City also announced details on the annual Memorial Day Program

The City of Loveland Veterans’ Memorial Committee announced plans for the 2023 Memorial Day program to be held Monday, May 29th starting with a parade at 9 a.m. from Loveland Elementary School, 600 Loveland Madeira Road, to the Loveland Veterans’ Memorial. Immediately following the parade, a ceremony will be held at the Loveland Veterans’ Memorial, located on West Loveland Avenue at the corner of Riverside Drive. The ceremony will feature a speech from Sergeant Dave Corlett, a 31-year veteran of the Cincinnati Police Department and Army veteran who served in Iraq.

Sergeant Corlett is the founder of the Military Liaison Group within Cincinnati Police Department and an instructor with the Hamilton County Mental Health Crisis Teams. He has worked with Veterans Affairs and the local court system to improve relations between military veterans and law enforcement. His efforts have been recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and he was the winner of the DOJ’s 2021 L. Anthony Sutin Award for Innovative Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships. Prior to joining the CPD in 1992, Sergeant Corlett served with the U.S. Army in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

If you or your organization would like to be in the parade, please register online at https://www.lovelandoh.gov/FormCenter/Event-Participation-12/Parade-Registration-Memorial-Day-124.

For additional information about the 2023 Memorial Day program, please contact Misty Clark at Loveland City Hall at (513) 707-1437.

Improvements completed and coming at Nisbet Park  

Loveland has been awarded two grants to further the improvements and revitalization of Nisbet Park including a walking path and dining area development happening this spring.

Here’s what the city said about what’s happening at Nisbet Park. 

Nisbet Park runs through the heart of Historic Downtown Loveland and is located just off the Little Miami Scenic Trail. According to a 2020 study by the Friends of the Little Miami State Park, the park averages more than 125k trail users a year — not to mention regular park visitors.

In 2021, the city’s Recreation Board surveyed the public and drafted a plan to revitalize the park.

As the first step in carrying out the plan, an ADA-accessible gazebo and pathway were installed in March 2023, thanks in part to a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ NatureWorks Program. The 24-foot diameter gazebo can accommodate small concerts, family parties, and weddings. The pathway will eventually become part of a walking trail, leading to a river overlook, reoriented amphitheater, and new seating areas just to name some of the coming improvements.

“These grants allow us to keep moving forward on the improvements to Nisbet Park.,” explained David Kennedy, Loveland City Manager. “It will take a few years to accomplish everything in the park plan, but little projects are all part of the big picture. When it’s done, the park will offer amenities for all ages and abilities.” 

With the two new grants, construction will begin this spring on the next phase of projects:

• • The Clermont County Park District has awarded the city a $9,775 grant to expand the new walking trail from the gazebo to the park’s southern perimeter at North Karl Brown Way. Plans call for a future gateway entrance to be built in this vicinity.
  • The Hamilton County Board of Health has awarded the city a $15,000 grant to install an outdoor dining area with picnic tables — similar to the dining space installed in front of City Hall. This will be the first of three dining areas to be built in the park along the Little Miami Scenic Trail, beneath the park’s mature, shady tree canopy.

• “Building these seating areas shows the city is supporting downtown businesses by adding more outdoor dining spaces,” Kennedy said. ‘The grants require local matching funds from the city.”

In August, an infrastructure project will take place through a portion of Nisbet Park and its immediate access streets. Harrison Avenue between Karl Brown Way and Railroad Avenue will be widened. Sidewalks, curbs, storm sewer, and drainage improvements will be made. Once this project is completed, the city will be able to proceed with further implementing the Nisbet Park Master Plan. Tentative plans for 2024 are to install the rest of the walking trail, improve river access, and install swing benches.

To view the Nisbet Park Master Plan, please visit https://www.lovelandoh.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2476/Nisbet-Park-Master-Plan-8-22?bidId=.

 For the latest on the Scenic Bike Trail closure updates and about living life in Loveland visit: https://lovinlifeloveland.com/