Last Saturday, a group called the Combs Honor Park Project, organized a massive cleanup project to help give the 65-acre park a makeover. Complete with two dump trucks, trash bags and an array of flowers ready to be planted, the group descended on the area, determined to make a difference.
Carol Reba was the manager of the project and said she was very pleased with how many people showed up to lend a hand.
“This is a very important part of the city and a park that should be family-friendly, so it was good to see more than 50 people show up to help make it that way again,” she said. “Steve has worked so hard to get this cleaned up and his effort has been outstanding.”
Monnin, 58, was almost without words when he described what it was like to see Mayor Patrick Moeller, along with several other members of the city and residents putting in elbow grease to beautify the landscape.
“”We had two dump trucks supplied by the city and loaded them up with trash and I had my tractor cutting down brush by the hill on B Street where all the dope heads hang out and that will help clear them out and give people a better view of the park,” Monnin said.
Bo Combs, 68, had his Australian Shepherd dog in tow Thursday enjoying the park’s makeover and what the future may hold for it.
“I used to come down here when I was a kid and go fishing, swimming and kayaking,” he said. “People have no idea how nice this used to be because it got run down, but Steve has been at it making it look good again. You can fish and get use of the water and really walk around the park.”
Monnin has also recently unfurled a huge banner that named nine different species of birds that can be found in park.
“Bird watchers will have a great time here,” he said. “There are American Bald Eagles that nest here and you can even see Ospreys.”
Geese and ducks also roam the grounds, much easier now because of the needle and trash removal efforts throughout the past year.
“Lately, I haven’t come across many needles — really none at all,” Monnin said. “There is a little trash that gets left, but not as bad as it was.”
Police have stepped up patrols in the area, and the spotlight that has been put on the park has helped to drive trouble away, according to Monnin, who plans to keep the momentum going.
He has delivered a “wish list” to council that covers several areas of concerns he hopes get addressed.
“We really need to get the bathrooms opened up down here, and that would obviously be a big help — especially when parents bring their kids here,” he said.
The project also caught the eye of Halle Gudgell, a Miami University Hamilton student who is the school’s Student Government Association president.
“The huge push to get kids on the right track, staying away from the bad paths and doing more in their community — this park will do just that,” Gudgell said. “At Miami Hamilton, we’ve pledged to help do what we can to make this park successful.”
Also noticing Monnin’s efforts is the Washington Lodge #17 F&AM Masonic Lodge in Hamilton. The organization has nominated him as its Community Citizen of the Year. The group stopped bestowing the honor several years ago, but Monnin’s efforts changed that.
“It is simply to recognize someone who has significantly contributed to the welfare of the community and has impacted the lives of many,” said Senior Deacon of the lodge, Jeremy Spangenberg. The award will be presented May 2 at the lodge.
“I was happy to hear that I was getting the award, but I really just care about getting the park cleaned up and having it stay that way,” Monnin said.
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