Tim Hilborn (left) won the quilt raffle made by Nancy Reed (right).
Alberta Stojkovic | AIM Media Midwest
Saturday, Oct. 12, featured perfect fall weather for hiking and the chili cookoff at the Flying Squirrel Preserve in Chester Township.
After an afternoon of hiking and a scavenger hunt, park guests enjoyed sampling a dozen chili recipes along with hot dogs and home-baked cookies. The winner of the third annual Fall Chili Cookoff at the Flying Squirrel Preserve was Mike Murphy. Tim Hilborn won the quilt raffle, with the nature-themed quilt made by Nancy Reed.
Many guests enjoyed chili in the park lodge, while others found a spot on benches around the campfire. Paul Whitt, of Grove City, entertained with guitar music throughout the afternoon.
Chester Arbor Gleaners organized the Chili Cookoff and provided campfire refreshments for the event. Chesterville’s Selover Library offered craft activities for children. Denny West commented that the main feature of the event was the beauty of the nature preserve and the time spent gathering around the campfire at the end of the day.
Hilborn, who is chairman of the Morrow County Park District, thanked Lisa Hull and the Gleaners for their sponsorship of the cookoff. He also expressed appreciation for the many volunteers who worked on the trails and upkeep of Flying Squirrel Preserve.
The Gleaners and park board thanked the following for their support: Carri Jager, Morrow County OSU Extension Office; Carol Lessick, Centruy 21 Excellence Realty; County Commissioner Tim Abraham; Gerry Hartman; Hilborn; Leaping in Faith; LSI Chemicals; Morrow County Cattlemen; Morrow County Sentinel, Morrow County Soil and Water; Nancy Reed; Sames and Cook; Selover Library; Weiler Farms and Wendy’s.
Flying Squirrel Preserve is Morrow County’s newest park with 124 acres located on County Road 121, two miles north of Chesterville. The nature preserve was formerly a Presbyterian Youth Camp called Buckhorn, which was abandoned for several years. The purchase of land by the Morrow County Park District in 2020 was possible with a Clean Ohio Grant of $845,752 and a private gift donation from Brent Hayes.
The park board and volunteers continue to make improvements and have developed six trails. Flying Squirrel is now open from sunrise to sunset. Visitors can park at the gate along the row of pine trees and walk in. Trail maps are in the box by the gate.
Additional information about Flying Squirrel Preserve and other Morrow County parks is available at https://morrowcountyparkdistrict.org.
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel. She can be reached at [email protected].
