So, who is to blame here? We seem to be a society fixated on pinning the blame on someone or something. The war is over people!!! Blame? Forget the blame (Hint, Hint)! Forget the name calling!! We’ve now documented and recorded for posterity the sometimes sordid history! The world-renown magnificent school building, constructed in 1914, has sat vacant, and for the most part unused for 19 years now. It was purchased with great plans for making it into a community center, senior center, township offices, meeting place. Does it appear that the local politicians have gotten in the way of our political process and basically derailed things, leaving us with a great building with loads of sorely-needed uses that now doesn’t get utilized for much of anything? One side will tell you that!
Let me tell you, relate to you “the other side of the story”, this from me, a person who has been on the other side and both sides.
Matt Benner is the spokesman for the Township Trustees. An amiable man, fluent and easily conversational, he is a man of great integrity, and a past fire chief of Mantua. His positive persona and reputation precedes him, which is not always the case with men in political positions. Sit down and talk to him and you will find him to be rational, coherent, believable and trustable. Is this important? To me it is very important! Matt relates that the trustees have indeed been working hard at getting the building to be usable all through the covid plague. And please note that regular township business as usual has had to carry on. The school is not always front and center, primary on the agenda. Various contractors have been brought in to assess and plan to remedy situations scheduled to be underway. A hierarchy of tasks had to be created. In layman’s terms this means the leg bone is connected to the hip bone, the…. yada, yada, yada! Basics have to be completed before you can move on to the next task. The heating system—an old boiler system, ancient by today’s standards, has to be renovated, replaced, first and foremost. The current advice is to replace it with a modern heating system. This has to be accomplished first. Then there is the plumbing. The sewer and bathroom situation has to be greatly improved. A new sewer system for the Historic district is in progress. The electrical system has to be brought up to date. The building, any public building for modern usage, has to be air conditioned. Utilities and major operating systems have to be upgraded. Internally, walls have to be redone, sometimes refigured, repainted, rooms refloored. Grants have been applied for. Joe Biden money has been received and is already in the system for revitalizing the Historical district. Classification changes away from strictly historical have to be accomplished in order for public meetings and assembly to be allowed to be held. This is most important and critical to going forward!! Sewer, water, electric, Wi FI all have to be brought up to current standards to allow for these things to happen.
The wheels of progress in the public-political domain move very slowly. And no matter how you classify it, money is the bottom line. Mantua Township is at the bottom of the pecking order. All work will have to be done in small bits and spurts, as budget money and political grants will allow. Yes, it is almost 20 years now that the school is lying for the most part unused. Local wars and skirmishes had to be fought. Bits of progress have been made, i.e., the elevators, fixing the roof, keeping up the exterior. The current trustees are in line to begin to redo the various situations as can be afforded. Yes, certain personalities play negatively into the situations, they always will. But the Benners stand out. Benner, I wish that you and I could have served together as trustees. Thank you Matt Benner for providing much needed information as a trustee.
Great advice is given by Michelle Zivoder, co-owner of the Villager and a long time very active person in her local town of Garrettsville. She has done great things to revitalize her town. “There are many buildings / projects such as this one —the School building. We need to get people involved. Are you looking for a great project, do you have the time and energy to make a difference in your community?”
We, Mantua Township, need you! We need new blood to continue to move forward with the whole restoration and revitalization efforts to preserve and illuminate our history. We need new volunteers for the MaRSI organization the Mantua Area Restoration Society Incorporated. We need people who know how to write grants, lots of them. We need new volunteers to help out, and someday take over the Historical Society.
We need benefactors, people and businesses that have “Made It” in the community and are now willing to give back.
Here are several local people you can call, contact, e-mail, shout out to:
- Matt Benner, Trustee: e-mail: mbenner@mantuatownshipohio.gov;
- Carole Pollard, MaRSI: e-mail: lionsong@roadrunner.com;
- Lynn Harvey, Historical Society E-mail: lynn_a_harvey@yahoo.com;
- Skip Schweitzer, writer call 330-562-9801, e-mail: skipstaxidermy@yahoo.com
Skip Schweitzer is a past Township Trustee,1990-94. He also served on the Zoning Appeals in the 1980s. He has first-hand knowledge of the local politics. He is a psychologist, current newspaper columnist, and retired businessman. He has lived in Mantua Township since 1975 (48 years). His children went to Mantua Center School and his wife Barbara retired from the School after 28 years. He has been associated with the MaRSI Save the School effort since the school was purchased. He is part of the Moonshadow Trio that sings and plays at the MaRSI Soup and Salad dinners. Many other people including Lynn Harvey, Carole Pollard, Kathy Hughes, Dottie Sumerlin, Trustee Matt Benner, have contributed greatly to this series. Skip is always available to speak to your group. Just e-mail him or call him.
