BAILEY LAKES — What’s better than one new park?
Don’t think too hard — the answer is two new parks. That’s what Bailey Lakes and Ashland County officials celebrated Saturday morning, along with community members and children.
The pair of parks located on either side of U.S. 250 are now open to the public. Saturday’s ceremony took place at Ringler Park — the larger of the two — which is nestled at the intersection of Highland Boulevard and Wesley Street.
Ringler Park features a jungle gym, swings, rockers and spinners.
The smaller park, known as Lakeview Park, is located along Lake Drive and situated on property overseeing Savannah Lake. It includes a jungle gym and swings.
Bailey Lakes Mayor John Benshoff said when the village was setup in the early 1960s, the property Ringler Park now sits on was owned by the Ringler family.
The Ringler family designated the property — along with the property on Lake Drive — to be “parks forever,” Benshoff said.
As the village evolved, the previous parks had swing sets, teeter-totters, slides and even horseshoe pits, he said.
“We had everything in there until all of the sudden we found out that they didn’t comply with insurance regulations and we ...