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ALCOHOL-RELATED QUESTIONS
We allow alcohol in the Hankison Great Room at The Nature Center at W.W.
Knight Nature Preserve and the Otsego Stone Hall only with the purchase of an
Alcohol Permit ($75) and additional $150 damage deposit. Alcohol is not permitted at any
other facility or in any other park.
You must be 21 years of age or older and apply for the permit in person at
Park District Headquarters at least 45 days prior to your event. At that time,
you must pay the alcohol permit fee of $75.00 and additional damage deposit of
$150.00, fill out the permit, and show a drivers' license. Headquarters is open
M-F 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and is located at 18729 Mercer Road, rural Bowling
Green, between Simonds and Sugar Ridge Roads. We prefer payment by cash or
check, but can accommodate Visa and Mastercard.
Are underage persons allowed to attend my alcohol event?
Yes.
Are underage persons allowed to consume alcohol at my alcohol
event?
No, you are responsible for your guests. You definitely do not want to allow
them to consume alcohol under your permit.
We are getting married and are not going to provide alcohol for the
guests. The only alcohol to be served will be at the head table for a toast.
Do we need an alcohol permit?
Yes. you do. Alcohol usage and sales is controlled by the
State of Ohio.
What if my guests bring their own alcohol?
You are ultimately responsible for the premises if damage is caused by anyone
in your group. You must have paid for an alcohol permit in advance for any of
your guests to consume alcohol at your event..
Can I provide alcohol to my
underage son as long as I am monitoring them?
No, they will be cited as well as you.
What appliances are available in the Otsego kitchen?
A full-size refrigerator/freezer, a three bay sink, an upper and lower oven,
and a four-burner stove top. There is no microwave. Otsego also has plenty of
countertop space. Ample outlets are available for roasters and crock pots.
Do you provide cleaning supplies?
No, we do not provide dish soap, scouring pads, washcloths or towels.
What amenities are included in the Hankison Great Room kitchen?
The Hankison Great Room is a serving kitchenette. It has a
refrigerator/freezer and double sink. A microwave is available, but not an oven
or stove. Ample outlets and countertop space are available for roasters and
crock pots.
Can I use the kitchen if I have an event elsewhere in the Nature
Center?
No. The kitchenette is for use for the Hankison Great Room only.
Can I bring a hot-plate, indoor grill, or Coleman stove to cook some
food?
No. Please plan on cold food serving. We do not have a fire suppression
system at this facility.
Do you provide cleaning supplies?
No, we do not provide dish soap, scouring pads, washcloths or towels.
Otsego Park: 20000 West River Road, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. Located
at the intersection of SR 295 (Otsego Pike) and SR 65 (West River Road).
W.W. Knight Nature Center/ Hankison Great Room: 29530 White Road,
Perrysburg, Ohio 43551. Located just off East River Road (SR 65). White Road
runs between SR 795 and 65.
Beaver Creek Retreat Area: 23028 Long Judson Road, Grand Rapids, Ohio
43522. Located between Milton & Beaver Creek Roads.
Rudolph Civic Center: 10109 Rudolph Road, Rudolph, Ohio 43462.
Slippery Elm Trail - Cricket Frog Cove Area: Entrance is on Freyman
Road, 1/2 mile west of the Slippery Elm Trail, between Rudolph and Mitchell
Roads.
Slippery Elm Trail - Rudolph Savanna Parking Area: 10330 Rudolph
Road, Rudolph, Ohio 43462.
Unfortunately, Otsego Stone Hall and the Hankison Great Room are rented quite
often and neither is available for preview at a moment's notice.
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Otsego Stone Hall will be open for previewing the first Monday
of the month from
7:00-8:00 p.m. unless it is a holiday. Please call Park District Headquarters
to see when the preview is for month's where the first Monday is a holiday.
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The Hankison Great Room will be open for previewing the
first Wednesday of the month from
7:00-8:00 p.m.
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Please contact Chief Ranger Todd Nofzinger (419)
575-7336
tnofzinger@wcparks.org to
arrange other preview times. Allow two days to a week to set up your visit.
I need an hour to two hours tops inside Otsego Stone
Hall or the Hankison Great Room to measure, work with my florist, and so
forth...
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We're sorry, but besides the designated preview
times above, specially set previewing appointments are for 10-15 minutes at
the most.
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We are trying to be as helpful as possible for
renters, providing photos on this web site and measurements and other
information in the Facility Amenities Chart and specific rental facility
pages.
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If you have suggestions for information you
would like to see on our site that you haven't found, please e-mail us:
info@wcparks.org
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We recommend that only necessary people view the Hall and Great Room, such as
your caterer. Please use the open previewing sessions above if at all possible.
Otherwise, you will need to determine several possible dates and times that all people
can come at once, and we will see if any of those dates and times are possible.
During the week is better than weekends, especially May - October, when
facilities are usually rented on all weekends and Rangers need to be out in the
parks.
No, many other groups and nature programs are already
scheduled at various times throughout each week. Preview times are set as
follows... Otsego Stone Hall the first Monday of the month from 7:00 - 8:00
p.m. and the Hankison Great Room at W.W. Knight Preserve the first Wednesday of
the month from 7:00-8:00 p.m. unless it is a holiday. A staff member will be present to answer questions.
Not unless you rent the facility the day before your actual
event. Chances are someone may already have it reserved.
You will need to call Park District Headquarters to see if
special arrangements are possible. Last minute changes to meeting times may not
be feasible since we do not use keys and ranger staff must meet you to
open the room. Ranger staff have many other responsibilities and follow a
pre-determined schedule created the month prior after rentals are closed for the
upcoming month.
Yes, if your event runs late, the Park District will charge
you $75 for any part of an hour after your designated departure time that your
party leaves. If you request a later
departure time in advance, (prior to the employee’s schedule being made) we can
accommodate you for $50.00 per hour.
No, for several reasons. One is that they may catch in the
fans at Otsego, causing damage.
We are having a wedding and plan to use the library,
LOONA or restroom as a changing room for our wedding party.
Unfortunately, these rooms are open to the public during
your event and may not be used as a storage place or changing room by your
event.
Is the Lobby part of the Great Room, and can we use
it for our event?
No, the lobby is a public space where the public may be
wandering through at times. Do not set up your gift table or use any other
rooms in the Nature Center for coats, etc.
How long does clean up take and what do I need to do?
The Rangers will provide a check list of items that need to
be completed at the end of your event. Basically, the kitchen should be clean,
as well as tables and chairs. The floor does not need to be mopped or swept.
However, all tables and chairs must be put away, and the trash should be removed
to the outside storage units.
Can I bring the tables and chairs into the lobby from
the porch?
No, they are for public use and not part of the rental
agreement.
Can my guests take alcohol beverages out to the lobby
and porch area?
No, these areas are open to the general public during your
event.
Can we leave a vehicle overnight?
You must contact the ranger and complete a waiver,
otherwise the vehicle will be towed.
I would like to put skirting around the tables at WW
Knight, what are the dimensions?
29 inches high and 30 inches wide with a ¾ inch lip or
table top thickness.
I am having a wedding and inviting 200 guests but I
only expect about 150 people to attend.
The site capacity of the Great Room has been changed to 100 people,
because realistically it could only fit 150 people if they were all standing
with nothing else in the room.
The Great Room will not
accommodate chairs, tables, a bar, dance floor and a DJ. You should only plan
on 80 guests with such an arrangement.
What is the table size?
We provide 8 foot rectangular tables, which are 29 inches
tall and 30 inches wide with a ¾ in thickness to the table top.
Can we bring in portable air conditioning units for
our event at Otsego?
No, our electrical system may not be adequate to handle the
electrical load.
The balcony area and the lower grass area at Otsego
is perfect for the wedding ceremony, can I take your tables and chairs outside
for seating?
No, we have a small staff and cannot clean the mud off the
legs on a daily basis. If you want additional chairs for your outside event, please call a local equipment rental company.
We are having our wedding ceremony at Otsego and plan
to use the Marlow River Overlook for part of our ceremony and keep all our
belongings there during our event.
Unfortunately, the Marlow River Overlook is open to the
public and is not part of your rental agreement. Please do not use this for
your event. Your belongings will not be safe during your event if left in this
room or in the public restrooms.
I am going to have a caterer or rental company that
needs to get in the hall before I arrive, how will they get in?
We do not have employees on site, and we expect to meet you
one time only, so please arrange to have all your deliveries and event personnel
arrive during the rental meeting times you set. It is your responsibility to have someone you know meet deliveries or event personnel if you cannot be there. We will not
make several trips to the site, nor will our staff sign for your deliveries. We
will need to have the name and phone number of any commercial enterprise you
hire for your event in order to discuss the event with them so that they
understand our guidelines prior to the event.
I love decorations, what can I put up at our event?
You can have any free-standing decorations, but a limited
amount of decorations can be attached to the building. Otsego has a few tack
strips on the beams to which push-pins may be secured. No staples, tape, or
nails may be used on any window or door at either facility. No balloons are
allowed at either facility even as centerpieces. Children are children and will
remove balloons to play with them. The ceiling in the Hankison Great Room is
extremely high and poses quite a problem to remove balloons, while balloons may
get stuck in the ceiling fans in Otsego Stone Hall, causing damage.
Please limit candles to one per table if enclosed and
contained. Any wax spilled on the fireplace mantles at our facilities must be cleaned up
at the end of your event.
How do I obtain a key for my event?
We do not provide keys for any event. A park employee will
meet you at the prearranged time you selected upon reserving the facility and
will unlock the room and provide use and departure instructions.
I will not be able to meet the park employee as
originally planned. Can someone else meet them to open the facility?
As a rule, no. We need the person who reserves the
facility to meet Park District personnel since the original renter needs to sign
paperwork indicating that they understand park guidelines and the penalties for
various infractions. After we meet you, you are responsible for meeting
other commercial enterprises you have hired for your event. If several people
are responsible for the event, then their names should be on the paperwork.
Also, you or someone from your party must be present to sign for deliveries. Park
District personnel will not do this for you.
Do you provide extension cords?
No.
Do you provide utensils?
No.
Do you provide table clothes?
No.
My event is a little bigger than I expected and I’m
worried about the amount of room I have to work with. Can I use the side
storage rooms to put up my bar?
No, those areas are for storage only. Tables and chairs
need to be put back after your event, and they would be placed on top of all the
spilled alcohol and mixers.
I need to see how many outlets are available for our
use and their locations.
There are at least two outlets per wall and should
accommodate any set up you have.
Do you have a changing room for our wedding party?
No. You will need to come dressed or make arrangements to
bring a motor home on site. The restrooms are open to the public, and your
belongings will not be safe if left in the restrooms or anywhere outside the
room that is part of your rental contract.
Can I decorate the outside of the building?
No, we do not allow nails or staples attached to our
buildings or signs. The remainder of the park is open to the public and we do
not want to detract from the park experience.
I have a DJ and plan to rock the house. How loud can
it get?
Please remember your event may overlap the general
operating hours of the park, which closes at dark. We may receive a complaint
from the public, and our rangers may need to order the DJ to turn it down.
We are having a Christmas party and want a large real
tree for our event.
We're sorry, but fire regulations and our insurance in a
public building will not allow this type of set up.
We're having a fourth of July event or New Years Eve
event and we bought fireworks to celebrate! What type do you allow?
No fireworks, loud explosions or other incendiary devices
are allowed.
My caterer, sound guy or equipment rental company
cannot arrive in time to pick up after our event. Can I leave equipment
overnight?
No, you will lose your refundable security deposit, and the
equipment will be moved outside by our staff since there is a good chance that
the next day will be reserved by another group. Cleaning must also occur early
in the morning to prepare for the day's use.
Can I bring a circus blow up toy for a birthday party
inside the facility or leave it outside?
No, we do not want an uncontrolled playground provided by
our guests..
Can I set up an extra tent for my event?
Possibly. Please contact Chief Ranger Todd Nofzinger (419)
575-7336 or
tnofzinger@wcparks.org to
discuss the reason you need it, and your suggested location.
Are there grills at Otsego? I am renting the Stone
Hall and want to do a cookout.
Yes. Otsego has grills. There are two near the kitchen door
between the caterer's parking lot/entrance and the building. You must bring your
own charcoal.
What is the fireplace mantel size for the two
fireplaces at Otsego?
9 inches by 9 inches.
No. Unfortunately, we have no storage place and our personnel clean the hall
bright and early in the morning for the day's rental. If your equipment is left
there, our personnel cannot clean and the next renter will have nowhere to put
their equipment and will find the hall dirty for their event.
Yes. Please use bird seed only -
outside only.
Yes. For Otsego, you may preview the
Hall the first Monday of the month from 7:00-8:00 p.m. unless it is a holiday.
For the Hankison Great Room,
previews are the first Wednesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
A staff member will be present to
answer your questions.
Other questions?
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