October 29, 2000
A dream come true with the opening of the Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve
By Paul E. Jones
Correspondent
Emerson wrote, "Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. The flowers, the animals, the mountains, reflected wisdom of his best hour, as much as they had delighted the simplicity of his childhood."
Although Emerson's appearance was not expected or his words read, the presence of Dr. Garlo was felt by all in attendance at the Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve ribbon cutting ceremony in Bloomville.
Alma, daughter of Drs. Oli and Maria Garlo, spoke, "My father's presence is felt behind every tree, under every fallen leaf, and by every animal that enjoys protection on this nature preserve."
Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve is the realization of the American dream of a Polish immigrant physician named Olgierd Casimir Garlo. Over the last 40 years, that dream was embraced and executed by the entire Garlo family.
Immigrating to the United States in 1948 from Communist and Nazi occupied Lithuania and Germany, Olgierd and his wife Maria, also a practicing physician, settled in Tiffin. Having lived under both Soviet Communism and Nazi occupation in Eastern Europe, the Garlos were extremely grateful for the freedom and opportunity that living in the United States offered them. The right to purchase land, not enjoyed in their European life, represented the epitome of life to the Garlo family. With the acquisition of the land just south of the community of Bloomville, Olgierd's dream began to manifest into the first physical stage.
Dolly, Olgierd and Maria's other daughter, spoke as tears of appreciation fell down her face, "My father would be so pleased if he could see the results of all the hard work that is evident here today. Our family would like to thank all the volunteers, the park commissioners, and anyone else who played a part in this project."
The opening ceremonies included awards being given to Roland Zimmerman, Janet Del Turco, Rose and Mike Wheatley, and Dan Mason for their many hours of volunteer work in making the day possible. Seth Nichols, Troop 442, Republic, was recognized for his construction of a building that housed the many documents pertaining to the history of the project. The task, completed by Nichols, promoted him to the rank of Eagle Scout.
Although the frigid Ohio wind chilled exposed hands, Park Commissioner Linda Anderson's rendition of "America the Beautiful" warmed the spirits and kindled the expectations of the 40 to 50 people in attendance. That spirit continued with the reading of Tiffin Calvert student Andrea Lucius's poem:
"The Dream"
A dream not followed can never be caught
A dream is imagining wonderful thoughts
Seeing yourself in places anew,
Looking for the best thing in life for you
A dream is always there, staring at you in the face,
Telling you to go find that magical place
Looking you in the eye, it brings on the strain,
Not following it leaves you empty and plain.
A dream is a heart-wrenching, deep-down thought
Follow your dream and it will be caught
Believe in yourself and you will go far,
Reach up and touch the world's brightest star
A dream is your ticket to fly away free
Showing you life and all it can be
Dreams that come true have been chased and sought
For a dream not followed will never be caught
By Andrea Lucius, Tiffin Calvert
The only disappointments of the day were the governor's not being able to attend and the bald eagle being missing from its nest. Instead, a red-tailed hawk enjoyed the spacious sky over the large man-made lake. The eagle's nest, built laboriously and perched illustriously on one of the tallest trees, remained empty.
With the day's ribbon cutting, one mile south of Bloomville, a nature preserve, sponsored by the Seneca County Park District, is open for all residents of Seneca County to enjoy.
Emerson wrote, "There is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eye can integrate all the parts, that is, the poet. To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature."
Yet, the existence of the Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve is evidence that the Garlo family can see, Andrea Lucius can see, and all those volunteers can see.
The poet Langston Hughes wrote, "A dream deferred will dry up and fester and run, and maybe explode."
Thanks to the Garlo family, many volunteers, and the Seneca County Park Commissioners, Dr. Garlo's dream came true. It is called the Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve.