Wednesday, April 26, 2000
Township moves toward naming new park after VOA
By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer
UNION TOWNSHIP — Though the big radio towers of Voice of America came down in 1997, the nation's first pro-democracy short-wave station continues its rebirth into what may become America's first Cold War museum.
Tuesday evening, the trustees of this Butler County community proposed naming the township's newest and largest park after the historical centerpiece station that dominates the 625-acre former VOA site.
Union Township trustees heard a first reading of a resolution that would name the township's 308-acre recreational parcel of the site Voice of America Park.
The Bethany VOA Station ended global broadcasts in 1994, but the VOA headquarters, built in 1944 as the nation's first VOA transmitting station, remains the focus of preliminary proposals that would convert it into the nation's first free-standing Cold War museum.
“It preserves the name. The park will have a theme around the VOA's role in the Cold War,” said Union Township Administrator David Gully.
Trustees are expected to approve the park's name at their May 9 meeting.
Trustees also announced the second of two public meetings to gather design ideas for the new park area surrounding the VOA headquarters. The meeting will be May 10 at Lakota West High School. There will be an open house gathering at 6:30 p.m., with the general meeting following at 7 p.m.
In other actions, trustees announced that a formal ceremony will be held June 28 that will mark the community's official adoption of the name West Chester. Voters in March overwhelmingly favored dropping Union Township for West Chester, a name township officials has informally used for years. Details of the ceremony will be determined later. Ohio law does not allow the formal switch until 90 days after election results have been certified.
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Township moves toward naming new park after VOA
