Mantua Township

Mantua Township road crews are out patching potholes and replacing and repairing street signs. This winter has been brutal for infrastructure, but the service is determined to get the roads back to satisfactory condition very soon. Preparations are also being made to get the cemeteries and ballfields spruced up for spring visitors and youth baseball, respectively.

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The township recently received a revised zoning permit that increases the occupancy to 299 individuals at the township’s annex rental facility. The township is also updating the service area to accommodate larger events. Interested parties are requested to contact the township’s custodial department if they would like additional information on holding an event at the annex. Plenty of well-lit parking, ADA-accessible entrances and bathrooms are provided.

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The township has recently received possession of a new 2025 Caterpillar Mini-Excavator. The funds for the purchase were provided by the American Rescue Fund Act. Township trustees will be advertising soon for the sale of a 2014 Case Mini-Excavator by sealed bid. Additional information will be forthcoming.

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A new roof for Mantua Township Town Hall has been approved as part of the Town Hall Restoration Project. The township trustees thanked The Mantua Township Restoration Society for its monetary contribution to the project. Town Hall serves as the governmental meeting center for all township officials, including the Mantua Township Board of Trustees, the Mantua Township Zoning Commission and the Mantua Township Board of Zoning Appeals.

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Any interested party that would like additional information on what’s happening in Mantua Township should visit mantuatownshipohio.gov.

Paris

The Paris Township Trustees are looking into prohibiting noise and nuisances such as people driving with no exhaust on their vehicles and things like that.

“We’re looking to see what other townships have for putting that kind of language in the books,” township Trustee Dave Kemble said. “Our zoning board will work on it, and we’ll have the public meetings that are necessary to put it in the book. I met with Regional Planning and the Portage County prosecutor recently just to start looking into it, what the language would have to say and also that it coincides with state law.”

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The township purchased two new refrigerators – one for the Shearer Community Center and one for the fire department – and a new electric stove for the community center with grant money received from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council.

Rootstown

Portage County Water Resources has begun the construction of the new water tower at Rootstown Township Park. The old water tower has been torn down. The project will take more than a year.

“When the county took over Rootstown water,” township Trustee Dave McIntyre said, “the old water tower was not tall enough to fit into their system the way they had it.”

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The Rootstown Lions Club’s fourth annual chili cook-off was held Feb. 16 at the NEW Center at NEOMED. Fairhaven Church of Rootstown won first place. The Rootstown High School teachers took second place, and Arin Morgan was third.

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The Portage County Sheriff’s Office will hold an Easter egg hunt from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12 at the township park.

Charlestown

Rick Grund retired in January from his roles as Charlestown zoning inspector, Charlestown Cemetery sexton and township roads superintendent. Replacing Grund as zoning inspector is Paul Jalbert, and replacing him as cemetery sexton is Kerri Fotheringham. The township trustees chose to dissolve the roads superintendent position and instead named Trustee Tim Patrick as the new director of roads.

“We only have a little more than six miles of roads,” Trustee Bruce Lange said, “so we turned the new roads position into an hourly one.”

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The Charlestown Activities Committee’s annual Easter egg hunt will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 12 at Charlestown Park on Rock Spring Road.