Allen County commissioners Tuesday morning agreed to permit use of the courthouse lawn for the Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run the night of July 8 and into the morning of July 9.
Mike Ford, a member of the organizing committee, also asked that the county not charge for having employees keep the courthouse open for restroom access. Cost a year ago was about $225.
Ford said music, period games, inflatable toys for kids and a movie again would be a part of the event that recalls Melvin’s mad dash a century ago after he planted dynamite that demolished several taverns along West Street and broke windows in the courthouse.
Parts of the celebration will be moved to an earlier time — the tale of Melvin was related shortly before the 12:26 a.m. run started last July — so “older people won’t have to stay up so late.”
About 600 people participated in the 2010 run. Ford said as many as 1,000 might be involved this year, in part because cutting edge technology would be employed in timing runners for the certified 5K race. Each will carry a chip that will give precise race time when the runner crosses the finish line.
A VENTILATOR will be added to the county ambulance service’s equipment inventory.
Director Jason Nelson said county ambulances had used a ventilator borrowed from Allen County Hospital when carrying patients to metropolitan medical centers. With just one on hand, the hospital prefers not to be without, he said.
Commissioners gave Nelson permission to purchase a ventilator for an amount not to exceed $5,000. He said the device would include a sleep apnea feature.
