Village of Hiram
The Village of Hiram recently launched the Village Pass, a collaboration between the village and Hiram College. Hiram residents who purchase a Village Pass have access to the college’s athletic facilities and other events on campus. In return, Village Pass members must commit to supporting the college in a variety of ways. They can choose their flavor of choice: supporting the garden club, the theater, an athletic team or hosting out-of-state students. There is a large array of things a member can do.
“Essentially, this becomes a vehicle to help students who might gain a lot from the support of village residents,” Mayor Anne Haynam said. “A lot of village residents want to help the college, and this creates a way for them to do it.”
Orientations are held periodically at the college’s athletic facility as part of the process of obtaining a Village Pass. That is also how members get their ID.
“In a lot of ways, the college is opening its doors to the village residents, and we’re creating a booster club for the college,” Haynam said. “We’ve had this troubled relationship between the village and college, and this really speaks to the new energy to work together. It’s exciting.”
There is a one-time fee associated with the Village Pass. The fee for an individual is $25, and the fee for a family is $50 plus $10 for each additional child.
For more information, email Haynam at [email protected].
Hiram College will host a solar eclipse event at noon Monday, April 8 on the campus green near the library. Eclipse glasses will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. To register, go to hiram.edu/events.
Justin Visutti was sworn in as a new village council member March 26. He replaced Keith Holmes, who stepped down.
Hiram Township
Hiram Township agreed to help the Village of Hiram by gifting its police department around $40,000.
“They asked for help, and we have the money to help them,” township Chair Jack Groselle said. “The village’s police department has a cruiser floating around the township now and again that people see, and they do a good job of ticketing speeders in the township.”
The township is getting bids for its annual chip-and-seal project. “We do almost half of the township’s streets every year,” Groselle said.
Village of Mantua
The Downtown Mantua Revitalization Corporation’s annual reverse raffle and dinner will take place Saturday, April 13 at St. Joseph Catholic Church at 11045 St. Joseph Blvd. in Mantua Township. The theme is “Fiesta.” Doors open at 5:30 p.m. There will be cash prizes for the big winners and baskets for the other winners.
There will be a farmers & makers market in honor of Earth Day from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 26 at the Granary Building at 4690 E. Prospect St. This is the first farmers & makers market in the month of April. It will start up regularly in June for the summer.
A road project on West Franklin Street for the road and for drainage gets underway today.
There will be a Hillside Cemetery clean-up at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 6.
“We’ve been recruiting volunteers,” Mayor Tammy Meyer said. “We’ll look for trash and limbs that are down, things like that.”
On Tuesday, April 2, the Village of Mantua Shade Tree Commission will review poster drawings by the 88 third-grade students at Crestwood Elementary School and choose the best ones. At the end of April, awards will be presented to the children with the best drawings in honor of Arbor Day, which is Friday, April 26.
On March 18, Next Door General Store and Bulk Foods opened in the renovated 1905 building on Prospect Street.
The monthly Mantua-Shalersville Area Chamber of Commerce meeting will take place Thursday, April 18 at Mantua Township Town Hall at 4196 Twinsburg Warren Rd. The theme is “What Is a Trail Town?” The Village of Mantua was recognized as a Trail Town on July 14, 2018. Networking begins at 5 p.m. The public is invited.
Mantua Township
Artificial flower arrangements and decorations at West Lawn Cemetery must be removed by Monday, April 15. Remaining items will be removed by township personnel and discarded to allow for clean-up and grounds upkeep. For more information, call (330) 357-8013.
The Mantua Township Service Department is beginning its yearly spring preparations and maintenance program. Included are sprucing up the ball fields; replacing flagpole ropes; installing new flags; servicing the township’s trucks, tractors and road equipment for spring and summer duty; and general maintenance and repairs throughout the township.
The Mantua Township Trustees are accepting letters of interest from township residents interested in serving on the board of zoning appeals and being a zoning commission member. Two alternates are needed. Go to mantuatownshipohio.gov/announcements for more information. Mail letters of interest to: Mantua Township Fiscal Officer, Julia Pemberton, P.O. Box 841, Mantua, OH 44255; or email [email protected].
Nelson
Nelson Township will hold its annual clean-up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5; the drop-off site will be located behind the Nelson Community Center in the parking lot. The community center is located at 11642 Windham Parkman Rd.
“We’ll have a lot of rubbish dumpsters and metal dumpsters,” township Chair Anna Mae VanDerHoeven said.
People must provide identification showing that they are township residents. Items that will not be accepted include paint, liquid, oil and hazardous waste. Up to six tires from each household will be accepted.
The Portage County Land Bank will demolish four homes this summer on State Route 305, State Route 282, Bloom Road and Knowlton Road. The property owners will keep the properties.
Village of Windham & Windham Township
Windham Township and the Village of Windham’s annual Spring Cleanup will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or until the dumpsters are filled) Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 behind the Waste Water Treatment Plant on State Route 303. Four tires per household will be accepted. To see the list of items that will not be accepted, go to windhamtownship.com. You must provide identification to show that you are a township or village resident.
Freedom
Freedom Township is looking into purchasing a new mini excavator for the road department. The road department currently does not have an excavator.
The township will be repairing the dugout roofs at the baseball field at Freedom Park this spring.
Garrettsville
The Garrettsville Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the annual St. Patrick’s Day event March 17 on the corner of Main Street and Center Street. There were horse-and-carriage rides plus face-painting and a petting zoo for children.
“All of the local restaurants and taverns had specials as far as corned beef and things like that,” Chamber Board of Directors Member Aaron King said. “It was very successful.”
