BY ANGELA KOENIG
Enquirer Contributor
CHEVIOT -- A $25,000 donation by the Kiwanis Club of Westwood - Cheviot will offset unexpected costs to repair roads at Harvest Home Park.
The city park on North Bend Road is home to the organization's annual Harvest Home Fair -- now in its 137th year.
"It just behooves us to help take care of the park," said Ron Dabney, Kiwanis club president.
Although the Kiwanis decided late last year to make the donation, the check was presented this week.
Earlier this year, a bid to resurface the lot came in at $39,000, but the final cost was $72,000 because it had to be completely re-dug, said Safety Service Director Steve Neal.
The lot's sorry state was revealed when trucks arriving for the resurfacing job started sinking, he said.
"You don't know what's under those streets until you get into them," he said. "It was something they (the contractor) couldn't foresee. "
Shallow core samples were taken to determine the amount of resurfacing materials necessary, but deeper samples -- that may have identified the problem early on -- were not taken because of the cost, said Mayor J. Michael Laumann.
"It can cost $3,000 to $4,000 to have those samples done . . . but it's not going change anything. You only find out in advance what you're going to find out anyway," when the work begins, the mayor said.
About $3,000 of the $33,000 overrun was for additions to the original work bid, including new curbs and sidewalks on an adjacent street. An additional $2,000 was paid to have the parking lot finished before the Cheviot pool opened.
While the parking lot project went over, projects on West Harding and Camvic Terrace in the same package came in almost $10,000 less than original estimates. "That's what happens when you're dealing with estimates," Mr. Neal said.
The Kiwanis donation is one in a string of improvements the club has made to the park. They include:
- Three shelters
- An access road
- Assistance with a new restroom for the handicapped at the main shelter house
- Paint for the dance barn
The Kiwanis Club has been very generous, providing things for the the park that the city cannot afford, the mayor said.
