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Annual car show in Oak Grove

Photo by Michael Kelly Teacher Diane Grabow gestures as she helps children in the Oak Grove Christian School summer camp empty a wading pool on Wednesday afternoon. In the background is the Oak Grove Recreation Center community park, where a fundraising car show will be held Sunday.

Fans of sunshine, food, play and classic cars will have a chance to experience all that Sunday morning at the Oak Grove Recreation Center.

The volunteer group that looks after the community park is holding its ninth annual car show at the park Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and hoping for good weather.

Volunteer and Oak Grove resident Joyce Freeland said Wednesday it’s the ninth year for the car show, proceeds from which are used for improvements and maintenance.

“This will be the first time we don’t have judging, so it’s really just a cruise-in, a chance for people to enjoy these classic cars,” she said. “We usually get about 50, depending on the weather, and of course our goal is to get a lot of them. The first 25 will get a dash plaque.”

The park is behind Oak Grove Christian School on B.F. Goodrich Road. The school was once part of the Marietta City Schools system, but after it closed West Muskingum Township bought it and the adjacent property and converted it into a community center. The building was later sold to the board of Oak Grove Christian School, and the building became a school again. An agreement between the township and the school allows flexible use of the park and the building.

“The park is all level, there’s a walking track and a covered pavilion, and people who come to the show will have access to the air-conditioned school building if they need to cool off,” Freeland said. “There will be hot dogs, nachos and cheese, baked goods, and we’ll be giving away door prizes about every 20 minutes,” she said.

The event, she said, can raise up to $700 for park improvements.

“It’s been a very nice addition to the neighborhood, it provides a play area for children,” she said. “Between it and the school, it’s utilized well by the community. We have church activities, birthday parties there, and it’s easy to keep an eye on the children.”

On Wednesday afternoon, teacher Diane Grabow was taking down an inflatable slide between the school and the park and helping a few children empty a small wading pool as clouds blew in and rain threatened.

“It’s our school summer camp, we’ve got about 15 children altogether,” she said. The park is useful as a playground for the school, she said, and the school is often used for community events.

“We’ve got a very nice relationship with the township,” Grabow said.

She lives in Lowell, but she said her husband will almost certainly come to the car show.

“He has an old Cadillac,” she explained.

Freeland said the park group, made up of about 10 people, has projects in mind.

“Someday we’d like to have outdoor restrooms, anything really we can do to make it better park for the community,” she said. Other events during the year to support the park include bake sales and plant sales, she said.

The National Weather Service forecast on Wednesday shows a cool front moving in Sunday that could generate showers and storms by Monday. The weather outlook for Sunday morning and early afternoon is uncertain but the oppressive heat is expected to break overnight Saturday going into early Sunday.

If you go

¯ What: Ninth annual Oak Grove Recreation Center car show.

¯ Where: Oak Grove Recreation Center, 535 B.F. Goodrich Road.

¯ When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

¯ Cause: Fundraiser for park improvements.

Source: Oak Grove Recreation Center.

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