Wood County officials, Couch family dedicate picnic shelter
Members of the family of former Wood County Commissioner David Couch, including his son current Commissioner Blair Couch, and other local officials, gathered at Fort Boreman Park on Monday to dedicate a picnic shelter in his honor. The shelter was built a couple years ago, but a formal dedication had not been held until now due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Members of Carlin’s Battery D, along with their sister unit Beardsley’s Battery K of Beverly, Ohio, shot their cannons three times in honor of West Virginia Day at Fort Boreman Park on Monday. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Members of the family of former Wood County Commissioner David Couch, including his son current Commissioner Blair Couch, and other local officials, gathered at Fort Boreman Park on Monday to dedicate a picnic shelter in his honor. The shelter was built a couple years ago, but a formal dedication had not been held until now due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Members of Carlin’s Battery D, along with their sister unit Beardsley’s Battery K of Beverly, Ohio, shot their cannons three times in honor of West Virginia Day at Fort Boreman Park on Monday. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
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PARKERSBURG -- A number of local officials commemorated West Virginia Day and honored a former Wood County Commissioner on Monday.
The Wood County Commission did not have a meeting Monday in observance of West Virginia Day, but county officials, representatives from Rotary International and more gathered at Fort Boreman Park to dedicate the picnic shelter built in memory of former Wood County Commissioner David A. Couch.
Couch, who owned and operated the local Hertz Car Rental business in Parkersburg for many years and served as a commissioner in the late 1990s, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in December 1999 and passed away in December 2001. He is the father of current Commissioner Blair Couch.
The picnic shelter, which was built over two years ago, was paid through money collected by the Parkersburg Rotary Club through its Sour Mash Golf Tournament in the elder Couch's memory. A formal dedication has been planned for almost two years, but the COVID-19 pandemic kept delaying it.
Blair Couch said West Virginia Day was the best opportunity to do it because of his father's commitment to the community and love for the state.
"(Rotary) collected this money, approached me and I said let's build a picnic shelter," he said. "That was a few years ago.
"We spent a year planning out what we wanted to do. This is the culmination of that."
Rotary officials said they collected around $8,000 as the elder Couch was an active long-time Rotarian.
"This is really a nice shelter," Blair Couch said, adding it is in a quiet area of the park to have gatherings there. He also talked about how plans are in the works between the City of Parkersburg and the county to bring water and sewer lines up to the park.
Wood County Administrator Marty Seufer said a sign is being made to place near the shelter that will include a picture of the elder Couch and a short bio outlining his service as a commissioner. That is expected to be placed at the shelter in another week or so. They are also growing a French Welcome Oak nearby that came from the former West Virginia Tree Farm.
"Dad was pretty special and this shelter will live on for a long time," the younger Couch said. "His memory will stay in Wood County."
Blair Couch talked about the shelter, it being West Virginia Day and having Carlin's Battery D, a Wood County Civil War re-enactors group, shooting its cannon in celebration of West Virginia Day. He also discussed Long Tom, the Civil War era cannon that was placed at Fort Boreman Park last November and encouraged people to come see it.
Carlin's Battery D, along with their sister unit Beardsley's Battery K of Beverly, Ohio, shot their cannons three times in honor of West Virginia Day.
"We are proud to bring our cannons around to show everybody," said Jim Miracle of Carlin's Battery D.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com