Transportation Resources in Wilmington, Ohio Transportation should not be a daily struggle. This page provides information on local transit as well as assistance for car repairs. Table of Contents License & ID (view) Transportation (view) License & ID Wilmington BMV Address: 1850 Davids Dr Suite 110, Wilmington, OH 45177 Hours: Mon–Fri 8am to 5pm, Sat 8am to 12pm Phone: (937) 382-2864 Services: Issuing and Re-printing of ID cards (both driver and non-driver) Registration issuing and renewal Driving records Scheduling Drivers Tests Transportation Wilmington Transit System General Transportation Wilmington Transit System delivers passengers to places of shopping, work, healthcare, school, babysitters, daycare, etc. Wilmington Transit System is a "demand responsive, door-to-door service"; which means when a passenger calls, they send a vehicle, and if assistance is required, they will help them from their door to the door of their destination. Passengers may also make “time calls”, which is to set up a time that they need to be picked up at a later date and time. Address: 260 Charles St. Wilmington, OH 45177 Phone: (937) 382-7961 Cost Per Ride: $2 one-way fares in city limits. $1 one-way fares in designated areas within city limits for elderly and/or disabled with a Wilmington Transit System-issued ID card. Call for out-of-city limits rates. Learn More: Website Clinton County Community Action Program (CAP) Medical Transportation Assistance Clinton County Community Action Program (CAP) provides medical-related transportation assistance. For eligibility, you must verify your current income, and provide a piece of mail with an address dated within 30 days, ID, SS#, and proof of appointment. Address: 789 N. Nelson Ave. Wilmington, OH 45177 Phone: (937) 382-8365 Clinton County Veteran Commission Medical Transportation Assistance The Commission provides transportation to the VAMC of our district, which is Dayton, and also the parent medical center of the Wilmington VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), which is Chillicothe. All exceptions to transportation policy must be reviewed and approved by the Veterans Service Commission. Learn More: Website ODJFS Transportation Assistance Medical & Work Transportation Assistance Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services (ODJFS) provides limited assistance to help eligible residents with transportation. Must have Medicaid. Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services (ODJFS) also provides assistance if not having the transportation keeps you from working. Ask for Prevention Retention & Contingency (PRC). Must have minor children in your household. Phone: (937) 382-0963

On June 20, 2024, The City of Wilmington, Ohio Administration removed 10 parking spots on Main Street without the approval of City Council as required by City Code ( Section 305.03 ). The area affected was between South Street and Walnut Street by the Clinton County Courthouse where 21 reverse-angle parking spots were converted into 11 parallel parking spots. At the City Council meeting on June 20, 2024, Mayor Pat Haley stated, “I made a mistake… It was my understanding that I would have the authority to paint those [and] change those spots.” Haley continued by explaining that he believed the changes would be minor and also address some of the concerns he has heard regarding safety and usability in that area. “It won’t affect the number of cars [but] by only 2 or 3 numbers, so I don’t think you’ll see much of a difference there, but we feel like it will be safer… that’s why we did it,” stated Haley. The parking spots were originally set to reverse-angle parking after recommendations of a 2018 ‘ Downtown Wilmington Pedestrian Improvement Plan ’ conducted by the Clinton County Regional Planning Committee (CCRPC) in partnership with the City of Wilmington, Main Street Wilmington, and Public Workshops. The study found that, “reverse-angle parking… is safer for drivers and easier than… parallel parking,” and went on to explain the additional safety benefits: Removes the difficulty of backing out into oncoming traffic Increases the visibility of motorists and cyclists when pulling out of a space Positions the passengers of the vehicle to exit towards the sidewalk rather than the roadway To rectify the situation, current Mayor Pat Haley attempted to gain retroactive approval from City Council on July 18, 2024, but failed because the legislation included additional changes on North South Street that would remove trees and sections of sidewalk to gain 4 parking spots. Dissenting Council Member Josh Schlabach explained that he first wanted to hear from businesses on North South Street before making any changes, stating, “I reached out to Ole Town [Tavern] prior to the meeting and they hadn’t known anything about it.” For more information, or to share your thoughts and concerns, view public recordings of past City Council Meetings on the City of Wilmington's website or contact a City Council Member. First Ward, Joshua Schlabach: jschlabach@wilmingtonoh.org | (937) 725-7280 Second Ward, Michael Snarr: msnarr@wilmingtonoh.org | (937) 699-0308 Third Ward, Don Wells: dwells@wilmingtonoh.org | (937) 725-2604 Fourth Ward, Bob Osborn: bosborn@wilmingtonoh.org | (513) 478-8867 At-Large, Jamie Knowles: jknowles@wilmingtonoh.org | (937) 725-9321 At-Large, David Nanstad: dnanstad@wilmingtonoh.org | (937) 537-9904 At-Large, Kelly Tolliver: ktolliver@wilmingtonoh.org | (937) 218-1832 President, Matt Purkey: mpurkey@wilmingtonoh.org | (937) 302-6092

448 West Main Street Wilmington’s Veterans Affairs Clinic is an outpatient medical facility for local veterans that provides a variety of primary care and specialty health services, including those listed below: Laboratory & Pathology: Comprehensive blood tests and advanced diagnostics, including lab services such as infectious disease testing, blood analysis, and surgical pathology . Mental Health Care: Services include consultation, evaluation, and treatment of various mental health issues. Additionally, outpatient services offer individual and group therapy for psychiatric disorders, marriage and relationship problems, aggressive or self-harming behaviors, and more. Pharmacy:  Trained specialists are available for assistance in obtaining prescription medicines and supplies. Refills are available via phone, mail, or online. Primary Care:  The VA primary care providers collaborate with patients and their caregivers to ensure comprehensive, lifelong health care, including immunizations. The services include women’s health care, radiology, social services, telehealth, and more. Learn more information at VA.gov

Happy Cow’s Creamery owner, Donal Bickel, joins the podcast to share the story of Clinton County’s LAST dairy farm and how his family made a “real change” from selling 100% their milk to a co-op in West Virginia to now selling their milk direct-to-consumer and even opening their own retail store during COVID. Donald also shared how his family recently received a grant (after their 3rd attempt) to get a bigger vat with the hopes of making their own yogurts and even selling their milk at Kroger stores that want to promote more local products. Listen to episode 46 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, "Happy Cows Creamery at New Horizon Farm with Donald Bickel", on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website Happy Cows Creamery at New Horizon Farm is hosting this year’s ‘Dinner in the Fields’ for Leadership Clinton on August 10, 2024 at 4pm. Tickets are on sale now at leadershipclinton.org/ditf-2024.

Bank Barn Meats is a Clinton County Farmers’ Market staple run by Rachel Jarman alongside her husband and two children. Their family farm specializes in raising lamb meat which is sold at the Clinton County Farmers’ Market and local businesses Kava Haus and Lumberton General Store. The Jarmans also have a large YouTube presence with over 600 subscribers to help the community get a glimpse into the daily operations of their farm and how they care for their lambs. Before COVID, Rachel said she had relatively little experience raising lambs, but through seasons of trial and error, and plenty of help from other farmers, she now has it down to a science. Rachel was exposed to farming at a young age. “Growing up, my dad and mom raised corn, soybeans, and wheat, and we [raised] 4H animals. That consumed a lot of our summers—raising animals, getting them ready for the fair,” she explained. After graduating from Wilmington High School, Rachel followed in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents by attending The Ohio State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in an agriculture-related field. Rachel currently works part-time at Ohio AgrAbility, which she described as, “helping farmers who have incurred injury, illness, or disability get back to farming”. This allows her flexibility to manage her farm while spending time with her children—“they’re only this age once”, she said. One of Rachel’s long-term goals is for her farm to remain in her family for 100 years, earning the title of a Century Farm—a goal she is just 35-years away from achieving. Hear more of Rachel’s story on episode 44 of our podcast at realchangewilmington.com. Learn more at fb.com/BankBarnMeats.

Cowan Lake State Park, located at 1750 Osborn Road, provides a peaceful and engaging environment for those looking to explore the great outdoors without having to travel too far. The best part is it’s free; due to Ohio being one of seven states to have no State Park admission fees. Cowan Lake offers family activities all season long, including guided educational hikes, sunset kayak tours, and weekly children’s activities led by Naturalist Caden Sauerbrey at the Nature Center on Wednesday–Sunday 10am to 6pm. Additionally, there are recently renovated cabins available within walking distance of the beach, Nature Center, and Camp Store for those looking for overnight accommodations starting at just $130 a night. Historically, the Adena Pre-Columbian Native American culture inhabited the area that is now Cowan Lake over 2,000 years ago, leaving earthworks that include mounds and a circular enclosure that remains protected to this day. Following World War II, the increased demand for outdoor recreational spaces led to Ohio acquiring land along Cowan Creek in order to develop a lake and a park. The Cowan Creek dam, completed in the mid-1900s, formed Cowan Lake, creating the park enjoyed today. The parks new Naturalist, Caden Sauerbrey, joined Cowan Lake in August 2023, shortly after graduation from Ohio Northern University where he was originally studying for a career in Pharmacology. However, 3 years into his degree he realized that field was not for him. Shortly after this epiphany, Caden stumbled upon a seasonal Naturalist position posted online at Blue Rock State Park in southeast Ohio and decided to give it a try. That experience sparked his decision to change majors and pursue a career that aligned with his passions in what he describes as his dream job. “I saw a job posting for a seasonal Naturalist... and I said, ‘that’s what I want to be when I grow up’”, said Caden. He explained the deep-rooted love for the outdoors was sparked by his grandparents while growing up on their family’s farm in Zanesville, Ohio. “That farm has been in my family since around 1954. My grandpa originally moved him and his family to the farm then, and [my family] never really left. The things around there are what have inspired me to be here [at my current position]. I would sit there and bird-watch with my grandparents sometimes… So, just connecting yourself with nature... That has inspired me to move forward in the career that I am [currently] at”, he explained. Regarding what the position of Naturalist entails, Caden explained, “I wear a lot of different hats, and do a lot of different things, but my primary responsibility is public programming here in this park... So, I’ve [led] hikes, canoing, archery, and various assorted educational activities. I [also] run the Nature Center, which [serves] as an educational resource that teaches people about the things that are out there in Ohio. So, we [learn about] a lot of native species, a lot of plants, bugs, fungi… If you can think about it, I’ll probably have an answer for something. I am also in charge of a lot of our public relations for the park… A lot of science, especially biology, can be relatively complicated. It’s my job to take that natural science and make it digestible for non-scientists”. Both the Nature and Education Centers were originally green-lit in 2019, converting what used to be cabins into additional vital resources for the park. Current displays include information regarding fossils, bald eagles, the American lotus, and more. The center is also home to animal ambassadors which currently include: a Grey Rat Snake, two Box Turtles, two birds of prey, a Frog, and the infamous Spotted Salamander, who holds the title of the official state Salamander of Ohio. In addition to educational resources, multiple events are held year-round, with the highly anticipated upcoming 3rd Annual American Lotus Celebration, organized by the Friends Caring for Cowan Lake State Park, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit thats mission is to preserve and enhance the park’s natural resources. The event will be held on August 3r, 2024 from 11am­ to 5pm, during the peak of the lotus bloom season. Attendees will enjoy a pontoon boat tour of the beautiful blooming Lotus colonies on the lake, while also enjoying local merchants and food vendors. When asked about the reasoning behind the festival, Caden explained, “the lotus is native to North America from the Caribbean Sea up to Ontario. But in Inland lakes, especially in Ohio, there are two [lakes] that have lotus, and this is one of them. They grow in some of the coves of Lake Eerie, but they are relatively rare, especially in inland lakes.” Other resources and events located at the park include a reservable dance pavilion, a certified professional 18-hole disk golf course, a public beach with a bathhouse, a youth fishing pond, and more. For upcoming events and additional park information, visit Cowan Lake’s Nature Center Wednesday–Sunday 10 am to 6 pm. Learn more at parks.ohiodnr.gov/cowanlake.

Adventure Cove at 3410 E Rombach Avenue (just north of Walmart) is in the process of considering new ownership to offer full-time attention and the possibility of expansion—“eventually I would like to have a go-cart track”, said new manager, Yvonne Price. Current owner, Beth Rice, purchased Adventure Cove at an auction in 2012. It had been closed for several years and she wanted to reopen it for the community. During the pandemic in 2020, Beth transitioned the business to being on the honor system. Then in 2023, Beth was approached by Yvonne Price from Brown County who had just finished her Master’s Thesis on opening and running a miniature golf course in her home town. Yvonne said, “I had called around several areas and hardly anyone would talk with me. [Then] someone told me about Adventure Cove in Wilmington, so I contacted Beth and that’s how we got started [working together]”. Although Beth had the business and 8.43 acre property listed for sale at $399k, and offers from gas stations (not including Wawa), she was nervous they would tear down the course. So Beth and Yvonne worked out an agreement to lease the business to Yvonne with the hopes that she will be able to increase profits enough to get a bank loan to purchase the business. Since taking over operations, Yvonne has added a 19th hole challenge, putt-putt pool, and music to the course. Yvonne has also started advertising corporate events and recently hosted McDonald’s. Other events have included school field trips, bridal showers, and even weddings—plus, starting in July, there will be a 10-week league! Call (937) 302-6249 for details. Visit Adventure Cove Monday–Saturday 10am to 9pm and Sunday 10am to 7pm. Learn more at adventurecovewilmington.com.

Article by Dustin Pearce Over the past year, I’ve interviewed numerous leaders in Wilmington businesses, nonprofits, and government with the simple goal of highlighting what is good about this place we call home (see realchangewilmington.com/podcast). What I’ve learned is that Wilmington is proud to have some amazing people and infrastructure. However, I’ve also learned that our current ‘Statutory City’ government means that: 1) our city’s rules default to generic state statutes instead of ones locally created and voted upon; 2) key city employees are “appointed” instead of “hired” based on qualifications, and; 3) projects and vision for our city can completely change, be canceled, or reset every 4-years. I believe this lack of control, quality, and consistency is stifling Wilmington’s success. Our city has a major airpark, accredited college, historic theatre, and incredibly resilient people—plus we are strategically located between Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton. So there’s no reason why Wilmington shouldn’t be as, or more, successful than neighbor cities like Lebanon, who in 1960 declared Statutory Law to be “cumbersome, expensive, and poorly adapted to the needs of a municipality.” That’s why I think it’s time we consider becoming a ‘Charter City’—to empower our community and locally elected City Council/Mayor to make policies that fit our city while partnering with a professional full-time City Manager to consistently execute a better vision for Wilmington’s success: a better downtown people like to explore, a better police force to keep public spaces safe and clean, and a better school system to attract and keep families. I believe we are a community of empowered individuals who can get stuff done—like rebuild our rec center again. So let’s stop being led by default statues, and let’s charter our success. Learn more at wilmingtoncharter.com.

Caden Sauerbrey with Cowan Lake State Park joined the podcast to share information regarding his role as the park's naturalist, the amenities, and activities that our State Park has to offer! This is a great podcast for those interested in learning about free and inexpensive activities to participate in over the summer! Listen to episode 45 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, "Cowan Lake State Park with Caden Sauerbrey", on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website

The Clinton County Trails Coalition (CCTC) started 1990, but for the first 10-years didn’t have a trail. “We had to educate people in Wilmington what it would be like to be on a bike trail,” said Bruce Saunders, one of the CCTC’s founding members. “We said, ‘go to Loveland and Xenia. See what they look like’.” In the beginning, the plan was to build the first trail from Nelson to Ogden because, “it just goes by the dump, there’s nobody there”, said Bruce. “The City owned the first mile and the Roberts family owned the rest.” However, according to Bruce, Larry Roberts Sr. said, “No way... I will never give it to you and my children will never give it to you.” Ironically, Larry’s children eventually did give the land, but at the time the CCTC had to change course. The land between Mulberry and Nelson became available and the City got involved to help connect Clinton Memorial Hospital. “We call it ‘picking the low hanging fruit first’”, said Bruce. “So if you see our development through town, and see a 7.5-mile trail out in Sabina not connected to Wilmington, we intend to connect it, we just haven’t been able to get the land together yet. But over time, we will.” CCTC’s number one job is to advocate for trails, the second is to build trails—and while they cannot physically build trails, they can raise donations and apply for grants to build trails. Then, when they get money, they can go to organizations like the City or County that can receive money, hire contractors, and build trails. Finally, when the project is done, the City or County owns and maintains the trails. The vision for Wilmington’s trails is to make a full circle around town and connect to other cities like Morrow. Bruce hopes the Lowes Drive trail could continue along the flood plain to the houses being built at the old drive-in, and that land could be acquired along the railroad track from Lowes Drive to connect Sabina’s trail and then out to Washington Courthouse. Bruce shares more about his journey with CCTC on episode 43 of our podcast at realchangewilmington.com/podcast. For those who have never explored the trails, Bruce says the best place to start is by visiting Wheelies bike shop at 171 S Mulberry Street located on the Luther E Warren Peace Path. Learn more at clintoncountytrails.org.

Rachel Jarman with Bank Barn Meats joins the podcast to share how she bought her family’s farm and raises lamb meat that has been served at Kava Haus, Lumberton General Store, Trail Haus, and the Clinton County Farmers Market! This is a great podcast for anyone interested in learning about a local farmer or starting their own farm! Listen to episode 44 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, "Bank Barn Meats with Rachel Jarman", on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website

Bruce Saunders with Clinton County Trails Coalition visits the Real Change Wilmington Podcast to share how the organization got started and what the vision is for Wilmington's trails. Learn more about Clinton County Trails Coalition at clintoncountytrails.org. Listen to episode 43 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, "Clinton County Trails Coalition with Bruce Saunders", on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website