C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

CAPTION: While remnants of a $3.3 million note issued in 1994 for development of Green Hills Golf Course smolder in a bucket, a few community members who worked for the passage of an extended sales tax to pay for the course share “high fives” as they celebrate the final payment of the certificates of participation. From left, Roger Bernskoetter, Butch Shaffer, Ken Lauhoff, Gene Whitmer (all part of the Stay the Course Committee), and Chillicothe Mayor Chuck Haney. A ceremony took place at the municipal course today with dozens of people in attendance.

The final payment on the $3.3 million certificates of participation was paid on Monday and city officials along with members of the public and supporters of the 18-hole golf course gathered at the clubhouse at 10 a.m. today (Wednesday) to celebrate the ceremonial burning of certificates.

Chillicothe Mayor Chuck Haney served as the master of ceremonies for the event and recapped how the idea for the golf course was first drafted on a paper napkin by a few people gathered at Harlow’s restaurant in 1991.

One of those who was there at the time and pushed hard to make the golf course a reality was Bill Tharp, of Chillicothe, who died unexpectedly yesterday (Tuesday). A moment of silence was held in his memory as well as others who had given of their time to make the course happen but were not in attendance.

Special recognition was also made of Paul Murphy, who worked tirelessly for the course’s development and was the organization’s chairman when the 18-hole course was dedicated in 1993. “I can’t think of how many hours the original committee put in to make this happen,” Haney said. “This truly is a great day in the history of Chillicothe.”

Haney also noted the financial support the course received while it went through tumultuous times prior to the election when Chillicothe voters approved a sales tax extension to pay off the debt on the course. The effort was pushed through by the Stay the Course Committee, headed by Ken Lauhoff, Butch Shaffer and Gene Whitmer. These three were present today and also made comments during the ceremony.

CAPTION: Kenneth Lauhoff, a member of the Stay the Course Committee, participates in the golf course ceremony.