Bader hired to manage water park

The water park has a new manager.

She’s a familiar face from a familiar family.

Portland Park Board hired Mara Bader on Tuesday to be the manager of Portland Water Park for the 2025 season.

She follows her mother Missy, who was its first manager, and her sister Eliza, who was its leader for the last two summers.

“Of course, she’s been a guard since 2019, so she’s very familiar with the daily operations,” said park board president Brian Ison on Wednesday morning. “She’s been kind of in the head guard role when the assistant manager and manager were not available on the pool deck for a specific day. She’s got that experience.”

Board members Shauna Runkle, Michael Brewster, Jennifer Weitzel and Ison voted unanimously to approve her hiring. (Board member John McFarland is serving a voluntary suspension. He was arrested last month for four felonies, but charges have not been filed against him.)

The board and Bader will work together on hiring an assistant manager and lifeguards for the year.

Ison said work to prepare the water park will begin in the next couple of weeks. The planned opening is Memorial Day weekend.

Also Tuesday, the board approved the use of Hudson Family Park for a Jay County Conservation Club fundraiser from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 24, a Jay County HAMM Radio Club fishing derby from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 7, and a wedding from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.

The park board also discussed the need to replenish fish in the park’s pond. It received a quote of $2,000 to restock the pond and is asking for donations to help with that effort.

Addressing a request from the Portland Rockets to add a storage building, the board learned there is sufficient space to do so. (At its previous meeting, members had asked about proximity to property lines.) The board tabled a decision on the issue until after their annual park tour that will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field.

The board also tabled a request from the HAMM radio club for use of a building that was set to be demolished at Milton Miller Park and a decision on quotes for upgrades to a press box at a baseball/softball diamond at Weiler-Wilson Park.

Parks manager Ronnie Reynolds informed the board that new playground equipment for 2 through 5 year olds has been installed at Haynes Park (see photo on page 2). Mulch was put down around the new equipment Wednesday morning.