Suffield
Suffield passed a motion to accept bids for a new pumper truck for the fire department, which will replace a 1994 pumper truck. The bids opening will happen at the township trustees meeting Tuesday, March 28.
“It might take two and a half years to get the pumper truck,” township Chair Jeff Eldreth said. “We’re also getting a new grass fire truck and a new ambulance in about a year. We’ll get grants from the American Rescue Plan for some of the cost of those two vehicles.”
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The township will be getting a second Dollar General, which will be built at the corner of Portage Line Road and Waterloo Road.
“They’re in the preliminary stages now, just getting all of their ducks in a row,” Eldreth said. “It’s an empty lot.”
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Hamrick Manufacturing will soon be relocating to a brand-new facility in Brimfield.
“We tried our darndest to keep them here,” Eldreth said, “but we didn’t have enough offer for them.”
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The Lions Club and the Suffield League held a chili cookoff fundraiser Feb. 4 at the Lions Club. About 15 people brought chili.
“It was a wonderful event. There were probably about 40 guests,” Eldreth said.
The profits were donated to the Randolph-Suffield-Atwater Food Shelf.
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The Suffield League is having Laugh at the Lake at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 11 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church at 755 S. Cleveland Ave. There will be three comedians and dinner. The admission fee is $50 per person. To purchase tickets, contact the Suffield League, go to Charlie’s Garage at 1247 Waterloo Road, or call Tom Calcei at 330-256-8042.
Brimfield
Brimfield held a public hearing for two zoning amendments Feb. 13. One of the amendments would allow buildings less than 200 square feet to be placed on a property without needing a zoning permit.
“In other words, people buy a shed at Lowe’s,” township Trustee Nic Coia said. “This proposal would eliminate the need for a building permit for those sheds.”
The other amendment is for above-ground pool fencing. Right now, there is a requirement that if you have an above-ground pool on your property, you must put up a fence around it that is 4 feet tall.
“The amendment changes that, in that the wall of a pool could constitute that fence height,” Coia said. “In other words, if you have an above-ground pool that’s 4 feet or higher, you wouldn’t have to put the fence around it because the pool wall is there as long as you have the other safety code, which is having a ladder with a locked gate on it.”
Both amendments will go up for vote at the next trustees meeting Wednesday, Feb. 22.
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The township accepted the proposed resolution for a public committee that is going to bring back the parade for Brimfest this year.
“We’ve been without a parade for a few years since before Covid,” Coia said. “When the township took over Brimfest from the Brimfield Chamber of Commerce last year, we didn’t really have the resources to handle the parade, so a public committee came together and asked if they could take over the parade. We agreed to that, so we should have a parade this year for Brimfest.”
Brimfest will be Sept. 22-23, and the parade would be Saturday, Sept. 23.
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The township held an event Feb. 12 in which people went to the community center and made Valentine’s Day cards that will be sent to local senior citizens. People also made cookies to share with other guests.
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Brimfield will have a woodcock walk at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 10 at Cranberry Creek Park at 2211 Lynn Road. The Brimfield Parks Department will also provide insight into the behavior and habits of the woodcock, an elusive bird. Admission is free.
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The township will have an amphibian hike at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23 at Lions Community Park. There will be a walk through the woods guided by Parks Director Cassie Weyer, looking and listening for frogs, toads and salamanders. Weyer will also give a lecture about the animals’ life cycles and how to identify them. Admission is free.
Randolph
There is a strong possibility that a two-family stall bathroom with an attached 32-foot by 60-foot pavilion with picnic tables will be installed at the old middle school playground.
“It’s a beautiful, wonderful playground, but there are only two port-a-potties that are disgusting,” township Chair Sue White said. “When you have special-needs children, the families deserve something to where it’s not bad.”
People from all over Portage County use the playground.
“Mary Rodenbucher, our fiscal officer, and I went to the township association meeting in Atwater Feb. 18,” White said, “and we asked if the other townships could donate some money to help with this project since all of their people are using the playground. We’re also going to look at some grants and things like that.”
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Randolph got approval for a new gazebo it is going to build in the center of town. Half of the cost will come from a grant.
“The gazebo will be built as soon as we can get it done,” White said. “The old gazebo will be torn down. I wanted it to be repaired, but the repair cost was very, very high. The new gazebo is costing about half the price as fixing the old one.”
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The second Monday of every month, there is a senior lunch at the senior center on state Route 44 behind the library and fire department. All senior citizens are welcome. Everybody brings a dish to share.
“Admission is free,” White said, “but if fried chicken from Bob’s or something is ordered, everybody pays a couple dollars. We had 33 people at the senior lunch Feb. 13.”
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Waterloo High School will host a wellness platform at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23.
Mogadore
Two months ago, Mogadore received a $35,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to help start funding for a new half-mile walking trail at Lions Park. The trail is going to be asphalted and will loop around the baseball field in the back of the park. Village council just passed a resolution at its last meeting to apply for a second grant from the ODNR for $115,000 to help pay for the walking trail.
“If we get the second grant, the walking path would hopefully be done by the end of this summer,” Mayor Mike Rick said.
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Mogadore’s brand-new pickleball courts, basketball courts and a tennis court at Lions Park should be open to the public by late April. The old basketball courts and tennis courts were torn down.
“We’re going to seal and paint the new courts in early April,” Rick said.
The village received a Community Development Block Grant from Summit County last year for $150,000 that paid for half of the project.
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The Mogadore Historical Society will have its monthly soup and sandwich fundraiser luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 8 at the Russell M. Pry Community Center at 3857 Mogadore Road.
“For $10 or less, you can have a great lunch,” Rick said. “Last month, the historical society set a record for their soup and sandwich luncheon sales.”
