Streetsboro
Streetsboro City Council authorized participation in the Ohio Department of Transportation project scheduled for April 2026 that is going to be a complete rebuilding and resurfacing of the center of town.
Completion is set for December 2026 or early January 2027. The entire center portion of town at the intersection of state Route 14 and state Route 43 – the Square – will be completely redone with new concrete. Then resurfacing will be done from Portage Point Drive all the way to the Ohio Turnpike and state Route 43 from Market Square Drive to the Twin Lakes border.
Then the slip lane on state Route 303 will be removed, and a signalized intersection will be created there.
The following are the estimated costs of the nearly $6.7 million project:
- Federal portion – $4,074,069
- City portion – $2,103,231
- State portion – $515,600
“It’s a project that’s really been needed to be done for a long time,” Mayor Glenn Broska said.
Meanwhile, the construction downtown continues. Completed are the fire station, the Gateway Green and the Splash Pad, which opened Memorial Day weekend and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day (or longer depending on the weather). Construction continues on City Hall (scheduled for completion by December or January) and the playground.
The Streetsboro Area Chamber of Commerce’s next Brewing Success Morning Meetup will be from 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, July 25 at the Hampton Inn Streetsboro at 800 Mondial Pkwy. This is a relaxed networking environment with a brief presentation on key business topics. Breakfast treats and fresh coffee will provided by the Hampton. This is an opportunity to:
*Meet one-on-one with the Chamber’s president/CEO and board members.
*Learn more about how the Chamber can benefit you and your business.
*Make connections with local professionals.
This is a complimentary event, but reservations are appreciated to help with the planning. To register, contact the Chamber at 330-626-4769.
The eighth annual RAT Memorial Golf Outing on May 16 at Windmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna was a smashing success.
“What an amazing day on the course,” Chamber Board of Directors Executive Director Deborah Covert said. “And it wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible golfers, generous event sponsors, dedicated volunteers and thoughtful donors. You helped make this year’s outing the biggest yet.”
Taking home first-place honors was the Eckard Baldwin Funeral Home and Chapel team.
Recent ribbon cuttings were held at Wingstop at 9515 State Route 14 and The Mother Ship Cannabis Dispensary at 9156 State Route 14. An upcoming ribbon cutting will take place at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17 at Handy Rents at 10050 Wellman Rd. Serving contractors and DIYers since 1963, Handy Rents offers equipment rentals from tools to heavy machinery.
Aurora
Aurora Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin’s administration has been undertaking a major stormwater management project in the Geauga Lake neighborhood that is partially funded by a substantial FEMA grant it received.
“As part of this project, we purchased seven properties in the Geauga Lake neighborhood and took down the homes,” Womer Benjamin said. “This was all with the residents’ consent. They decided they wanted to sell their homes. We’re in the process of looking at best stormwater management practices to put on the now-vacant properties.”
Womer Benjamin’s administration wanted to purchase four more properties in the Geauga Lake area but couldn’t because there was not enough funding.
“By the time we got to actually implementing the project,” the mayor said, “the homes were a lot more expensive than their initial appraisals. We’ve been advised that additional funds – $907,000 – may be available for us from FEMA. That, with our contribution of about $100,000, would allow us to purchase those four properties, take down the homes and then implement the stormwater management practices, which city council approved us to do. Our first bids came in too high, so we rebid that part of the project, and council approved a contract with SiteWORX to do it.”
Meanwhile, Womer Benjamin’s administration has been working for the last six weeks or so on the potential purchase, which council approved, of an additional property at 1053 Fairview Ln. at a price of $270,000. The property is adjacent to the Geauga Lake property the mayor’s administration recently purchased along the lake that also goes along state Route 43 and is adjacent to its park property on the other side.
“This would connect the two properties,” Womer Benjamin said.
The city’s sidewalk repair program is back. It is a program in which residents with sidewalks in front of their homes that need to be repaired can apply at auroraoh.com on the service department’s page to work with the city to have the sidewalks repaired. The city will share in half of the cost and will also bid the project, which will mean reduced costs for the city.
Womer Benjamin’s administration is purchasing two Chevrolet special service vehicles for the Aurora Fire Department for approximately $105,000. The purchase and installation of equipment for the vehicles will cost $22,806.
In order to provide more information to the public, Womer Benjamin will be enhancing her mayor’s reports she gives at each city council meeting.
“This will have more information in it about what’s going on around the city,” she said, “particularly since we don’t have our local newspaper anymore.”
The first section of the Aurora Trail, the new hike and bike trail, will celebrate its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at the Paddock River Preserve parking lot adjacent to the trail. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Festivities will also include food, music and family-friendly activities such as a trail-themed scavenger hunt and a bike parade for kids. Be among the first to explore the trail!
“It’s a scenic hike and bike trail that connects residents to nature, recreation and each other,” Womer Benjamin said.
Aurora’s Summer Concert Series is underway. The concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursdays of the month through August at Veterans Memorial Park at 35 W. Pioneer Trl.
Food Truck Wednesdays are from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month through August at Kiwanis-Moore Park.
Salon Patrick, a spa and salon offering hair services, massages and facials, will host a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 10 at its new location on state Route 43.
Ravenna Township
The Ohio Department of Transportation is conducting a crash study regarding the validity of installing a street light at the intersection of Hayes Road and state Route 14 in Ravenna Township.
“They redid the intersection several years ago, and when they did that, the street light that was previously there is farther away, so there’s no street light there,” township Chair Vince Coia said. “We, as a township, feel it would be safer at night if there was a street light there. There are stop signs on Hayes Road, but at night you don’t know that Hayes is there if you’re on 14 until you’re on top of it.”
The township trustees recently appointed Abbie Buday as the Ravenna Township Fire Department’s new full-time fire chief. Buday started June 5.
City of Ravenna
The Portage County Veteran Service Commission will celebrate its relocation to 466 S. Chestnut St. with a grand opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 28. There will be a local veteran disc jockey, The Slop Truck, guest speakers (at noon) and raffle baskets (drawing at 1 p.m.).
The Reed Memorial Library Summer Concert Series continues with Babies in Black performing July 13, Back Alley Relics on Aug. 10 and Joanie Calem Sing Along on Sept. 7. All concerts are from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays at the library’s outdoor pavilion. The library is located at 167 E. Main St.
The Only in Ravenna Scavenger Hunt and Balloon A-Fair/Food Truck Roundup will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 19 downtown. The scavenger hunt will take place throughout the city; first-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded. There will be vendors and unique finds, food, and live music with disc jockey Krooze. For more information on the scavenger hunt, sponsors, vendors and participants, contact Ryann Cline at 330-296-3886 or [email protected].
The Honorary Way Ceremony will be at noon Saturday, July 26 on the courthouse lawn at 203 W. Main St.
Shalersville
The Shalersville Township Trustees received a $1,000 MORE grant that can be used to purchase safety items or personal protective equipment.
The township has started roadside mowing and was halfway done as of June 3.
The township trustees will hold the budget hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 17 before the regular trustees meeting.
The Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority reported a rate increase for this year.
The zoning book will be updated to reflect changes in the law for advertising/reporting legal notices.
According to Ellen Paterson, president of Crestwood Youth Softball and Baseball, there are plans to build or purchase a shed, preferably one that is 10 feet by 20 feet, and to paint it Crestwood’s school colors.
