Garrettsville – Many watched from afar as the historical Buckeye Block went from being beautifully restored buildings to ashes on March 22, 2014. Being the small town that Garrettsville is, this fire touched most of the community, however the building owners and business owners were especially affected. Mike Maschek, who owned a majority of the block was deeply moved. When reminiscing about that day, he clearly remembers what impacted him the most. “It wasn’t the buildings burning down, but the people impacted by that event. People carrying water, sub sandwiches, McDonald’s, pizza and water to the firefighters and workers as they tried putting an end to a fire that didn’t want to stop….that’s what impacted me. I only lost a building, but the business owners lost their livelihoods and the citizens of Garrettsville lost their memories. Buildings can always be rebuilt to replace what was lost. My intention is to do so.”
Maschek is gearing up for an exciting new adventure doing what he does best: restoring the streets. He is currently working with different land designers, students and professor from Kent State and the village to recreate not only the lost history, but the future history of Garrettsville.
Maschek is not one to ignore great roots that have been planted. Garrettsville has rich roots of history that Maschek is determined to keep alive. When talking about the future for the Buckeye Block, he says, “I believe that we are on the verge of seeing a new Garrettsville, but not losing the charm of the old one. I am thoroughly enjoying working with the mayor, council and the planning commission. A town is not great because of its buildings; it’s great because of its people. This town is filled with great people.”
