“Maybe a fence that’s rusting but hanging together is the most we can hope for,” I concluded the column.
The very next day, I got an impassioned call from Paul Kozuszek of Piqua, who had grown up in Miamisburg and enjoyed many family picnics at Mound Park. As a boy, he was fascinated with the 65-foot burial site — the second-largest conical earthwork in the United States — which was built by the Adena Indian tribe who flourished in the region between 1000 B.C. to 400 A.D.
“The Adena Indians are quite a sophisticated civilization,” said Kozuszek, who would climb the 108 steps to the top of the Mound and imagine the view that the Native Americans would have surveyed.
After reading my column, Kozuszek decided we could do better than a rusting fence.
Kozuszek got in touch with Doug Voss, Miamisburg’s superintendent of parks and facilities, who encouraged him to look into launching a volunteer effort to spruce up the Mound.
Kozuszek was discouraged with an initial estimate of $9,000 for basic repairs.
“Where am I going to come up with $9,000?” he wondered. “I don’t know what I’ve bitten off here.”
Enter The Bogg, the newest and most energized civic group in Miamisburg. It was founded six months ago by executive director Jason Barton and vice president Jason Johnston, who distinguish themselves as “Bald Jason” and “Big Jason.” They were looking for a way to engage the youth group at their church, SouthBrook Christian, in community outreach.
“We wanted to take God’s love from the inside to the outside,” explained Johnston.
“The Bogg” is an acronym for “Because of God’s grace,” a name suggested by one of the kids. The group is committed to one major project a month, and Voss said they always deliver.
“I’ve never seen a volunteer group like this where if they tell you they’re bringing 50 people, that’s how many will show up,” he said. “I keep a list of projects handy now because I know The Bogg will come looking.”
Shortly after Kozuszek’s visit, The Bogg folks contacted Voss, looking for a project.
“It’s weird how it all came together,” Kozuszek said. The city paid for paint and materials, and on July 9, an army of 50 volunteers showed up to paint the fence surrounding the burial mound and repair the overlook’s railing and stone landing. By the end of the day, the 50-year-old fence was a gleaming silver.
On Thursday, a group of volunteers from Lexis-Nexis, taking part in corporate responsibility day, painted the fence on the park’s perimeter all for a mere $500 in paint — a fraction of what it would have cost to put city workers on the job.
“We’re really pleased,” Voss said. “It really pops out at you now.”
And the work isn’t done. The Ohio Historical Society plans to replace the wooden railing, and it has authorized two Miami University students from the Hamilton campus to create interpretive panels about the Mound in the park’s educational kiosks.
“We have a lot of momentum now, and it all started with Paul Kozuszek,” Voss said. “It was something he grew up with and he wanted to preserve it for the future.”
Kozuszek still can’t believe it took three months to complete a project he thought would take three years.
“It shines now,” he said of the fence. “I can’t describe the feeling, how many people helped and how everything came together. It’s a dream come true.”
In other words, never underestimate the power of a man determined to make a difference.
For more information about how to help, visit www.thebogg.org.
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