Open-air fitness equipment dedicated

Evan Goodenow | Oberlin News-Tribune

MaQue Lawson, Oberlin Community Services volunteer coordinator, and Rebecca Shaw, Lorain County Health & Dentistry spokeswoman, do reps as city recreation superintendent Ian Yarber and Cherilyn Holloway, economic opportunity coordinator for Oberlin Community Services, watch.

This outdoor exercise equipment was unveiled last Wednesday at Depot Park. A $47,000 federal taxpayer grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paid for the equipment and its installation. The six machines include a two-person chest press, four-person leg press, and a stair climber. The money also paid for a bike rack and a water station at the park as well as one water station at the Oberlin Recreation Complex, 225 West Hamilton Rd., and one at Tappan Square. About 140 square feet of curbing and pavement around the equipment was paid for with $38,000 from Oberlin’s income tax capital improvement fund, said public works director Jeff Baumann.

Yarber thanked Oberlin and Lorain County Health District officials for their help in the project. They assisted in applying for the grant through the Ohio Department of Health. The equipment can be used while the park is open, which is from 30 minutes before dawn to 30 minutes after dusk. “This fitness zone at Depot Park is another way that the Oberlin community can lead a more healthier lifestyle,” Yarber said.