Commissioner Evan Slaughenhoupt
During the June 2, 2015 meeting of the Calvert Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), Commissioner Slaughenhoupt asked the board to reconsider the name of the park. He said he believed that a mistake was made and it needed to be corrected, He said the name was too long and people would not remember Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park. He had originally asked that the name be Edwin Ward Volunteer Park, but was not seconded at the meeting of the BOCC on November 18, 2014. The name chosen at that time was Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park, due to recommendations from the Park and Recreation Advisory Board, Battle Creek Nature Education Society and public comments received. The recommendation passed with a 5-0 vote at that meeting to name the park Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park.
Doug Ward
The BOCC voted to revisit the name. On June 9th, Doug Ward, a son of Edwin Ward, appeared before the BOCC and spoke during public comment. He said that the name as was voted on in November was the preferred one for the park, as his mother was someone who had a passion for recreation and nature. He also spoke about volunteers and said that any one of the county parks could have a volunteer spot in them but not necessarily in the name.
The item regarding the renaming of the park was on the BOCC agenda for June 16, 2015, and Doug Ward was again in attendance, hoping that the name would remain as was voted on in November. Commissioner Slaughenhoupt made a motion to change the name to Edwin Ward Volunteer Park and it was seconded for purposes of discussion. Commissioner Slaughenhoupt said that a Ward family member had sent him a note asking that
Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park
volunteer be in the name. During the discussions, the commissioners said they were not in favor of changing the name, especially since Mrs. Ward was not a part of the name. Doug Ward was asked to come to the mic for his take on the name. Ward asked Commissioner Slaughenhoupt who in his family had wanted the word “volunteer” in the name of the park since no one in the family knew who it was. Commissioner Slaughenhoupt said he could not recall the name of the person as it was a handwritten note to him back in 2014 and he had disposed of it.
Doug Ward again said the name that had been originally chosen was fine with him. The BOCC again took the vote to leave the name as is and it passed. So it will remain the Ward Farm Recreation and Nature Park.
Margit Miller / Calvert Beacon