Rotary Hosted Successful Sidewalk Spring Chalk Drawing Contest
Mantua - In what is becoming an annual harbinger of the season, the second annual Easter Chalk Drawing Contest took place over Easter weekend, when local amateur artists came out to help the season spring forth on local sidewalks. This is the second time the Rotary Club of Mantua has held the event. According to Rotary President Dean Olson, the...
A Night of Sunshine – Rotary Club of Mantua
Mantua - The past 12 months have been difficult for organizations that depend on fundraising to finance their community service. When the Crestwood Middle School Sunshine Fund approached the Rotary Club of Mantua to help make up for their inability to do their in-person events we sympathized, but said we too had to cancel our own fundraisers. Instead of...
Art Hits the Sidewalks in Mantua this Weekend
Mantua - To help make the holiday weekend more colorful, the Mantua Rotary Club will be hosting a sidewalk chalk competition on Saturday, April 3rd. The first ever, friendly competition takes place in front of the Crestwood High School from 1:30 - 3:30 pm, and provides aspiring chalk artists of all ages to come out and add their own...
Forage + Feather Welcomes New Owner Artisan
Mantua - When Forage + Feather opened its doors last August at the historic Mantua Grain building (4690 East Prospect), the shop provided visitors with the ability to browse among jewelry, body products, and home furnishings curated from over a dozen local artisans under one roof. Shop founders Tracy Fana and Hedy Laverdiere -- both artisans themselves, used their...
Local Woman’s Mission to Help Kids
Mantua - Angela Smith of Mantua recently started an organization called iTELLsecrets. Her purpose is to help children learn the difference between good touches and bad touches, to help protect kids from sexual abuse. Strikingly, among cases of child abuse reported to law enforcement, 93% of victims knew the perpetrators; 34% were family members while 59% were acquaintances. Only...
Five Five Media Co Now Open in Mantua
Mantua - A new shop opened its doors recently in Mantua, though the occupants are no stranger to the village. Five Five Media Company, Holly and Matt Michelson’s photography and videography business has been in operation since 2011, so while this isn’t a new business, it’s definitely a new location, at 4690 East Prospect Street. Five Five has also carved...
Mantua Quick Mart is Open For Business
Mantua - Peter Patel, shop owner, is no stranger to convenient stores. He owns and operates another Quick Mart in Ravenna. When the opportunity arose to purchase the former Circle K store in Mantua, Patel was happy to transform the chain store to an independent business. The former location had also been home to a Subway, leaving a void for...
Local Organizations Go Online To Raise Funds for Kids
Mantua - For many years, the Crestwood Middle School’s Sunshine Fund has helped students and families in crisis by providing things like clothing, class trip fees, and more. What originally began as a small-scale effort organized by CMS Guidance Counselor Lynne Morrison has been transformed, providing Crestwood families, local businesses, and community organizations with an opportunity to help students...
Crestwood School Board News
Mantua - At their last meeting, Superintendent David Toth publicly recognized Food Service Director Jennifer Bujak-Hirsch and her Nutrition Service team for helping to support Crestwood students and their families throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Toth noted that the team served more than 300,000 meals to area families, both in school and via drive-through services from March through December...
The Nominations for ‘Villager of The Year’ are in…
As we all dealt with the ever changing world of Covid in 2020, we saw the best (and sadly, sometimes worst) of people. Some just dealt with things, moved on and waited to see what was coming next, while others refused to just sit back and wait. Our community has some amazing people who set their minds to thinking outside...
News From Mantua Village
Mantua - At their last meeting in 2020, Council approved Ordinance 2020-54, which amended Ordinance 2019-49, the “Mantua Village, County of Portage Water and Sanitary Sewer Systems Transfer Agreement” that was struck down by voters last year. This agreement has been amended, and “overwhelmingly approved by residents,” according to Councilman Matt Rosolowski. Council also approved Resolution 2020-55 a resolution authorizing...
Crestwood School Board News
Mantua - At their recent organizational meeting, the Crestwood School Board elected Karen Schulz to serve as Board President and Kristen Cavanaugh to serve as Vice President in 2021. They determined that the board would continue the pattern of meeting monthly at the Crestwood Primary School building at 7 pm. In their first regular meeting of 2021, which was held...
Crestwood Distributes Food and Holiday Cheer
Mantua - A week or so before the final meal distribution before the Christmas, Jennifer Bujak-Hirsch, Director of Nutrition Services at the Crestwood Local School District had an idea. The Crestwood Local School District has provided over 300,000 meals since the pandemic began in March. And while local families have appreciated receiving breakfasts and lunches, she thought, after a...
Portage County DD Board Honors Hattie Larlham Employee with Community Service Award
Mantua – Hattie Larlham employee Maggie Wooten has been selected as a recipient of the Earl and Mary Lohr Community Service Award presented by the Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities. This award recognizes high-performing professionals and engaged citizens in the developmental disabilities services field. Award recipients have a known reputation for providing exemplary advocacy, services or supports to individuals...
Mantua Township Trustee News
Mantua Twp. - At a recent meeting, Township Fiscal Officer Susan Skrovan noted that CARES Act funds must be used by 12/31/20, necessitating the need to have another meeting prior to the end of the year in order that invoices for applicable products and services could be gathered and checks issued prior to year’s end. Trustee Matt Benner noted that...
Mantua Celebrates Christmas in the Village
Mantua - This holiday season, shopping local is even more important, as area restaurants and businesses move forward amidst a pandemic. Local folks have appreciated the convenience of having access to small stores close to home during this strange year, appreciating that much of what they spend at local shops remains in the community. According to data gathered by...
Crestwood School Board News
Mantua - At the November Board meeting, District Treasurer Sarah Palm shared the District’s Five Year Forecast. In it, Palm noted that in Fiscal Year 2021, a revenue shortfall is expected. According to Palm, “This means that expenditures are expected to be greater than revenue by $374,231.” She also noted that based on current projections, by Fiscal Year 2025...
Mantua Twp. Trustee News
Mantua Twp. - At their last meeting, the Trustees discussed how the Township could better utilize Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. In addition to N95 masks, gloves, touchless hand sanitizer and soap, Trustees discussed the purchase of a new message board, and equipment to facilitate online meetings. Trustee Matt Benner reported gathering estimates to update lighting...
Martial Arts Ohio Opens in Mantua
“We are so excited to open Martial Arts Ohio in Mantua,” shared owner Jack Edwards. Program Director Jessica Globokar added, “As one of six new businesses in Mantua in recent months, we’re so excited to be a part of revitalization in Mantua.” They’ve worked incredibly hard to revitalize their current space, working “from the ground up” creating a welcoming lobby...
DMRC Auction Invites You to Experience Mantua
Mantua - Since 2007, the Downtown Mantua Revitalization Corporation (DMRC) has been helping to breathe new life into the historic Village. From small-scale projects like the addition of planter boxes and bike racks to providing matching funds in support of large-scale projects including the Mill Street extension of the Headwaters Trail, the south side sidewalk construction, and the downtown...
Crestwood School Board News
Mantua - At the last Board meeting, Crestwood School District Treasurer Sarah Palm shared the latest Revenue and Expenditure comparisons with the Board. She noted that the latest Revenue Comparison shows that District revenues are generally aligned with what was presented in the May 5th Year Forecast. She shared that in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, revenues are currently $20,141,208....
Local Farmers Provide Support & Hope
Ohio Relief Haulers, a nonprofit organization the aims to help farmers battle against natural disasters like flooding or fires, was begun in 2017 by Travis and Brittany Hamlin. The couple, who run the Hamlin Livestock Ranch in Rootstown, have farming in their blood; Travis is part of the multi-generational Derthick’s Farm in Mantua. As the couple cares for their young...
DMRC Needs Your Help!
Mantua - Since 2007, the Downtown Mantua Revitalization Corporation (DMRC) has been helping fund projects in Mantua in an effort to breath new life into the historic village. From smaller scale projects like the addition of planter boxes, park benches and bike racks throughout the village to providing matching funds in support of larger projects; the DMRC is committed...
ODOT Proposes Roundabout at SR82 & Chamberlain
Mantua Twp. - In an effort to improve safety in Mantua Township, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) proposes the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of State Route 82 and Chamberlain Road. According to documentation provided by ODOT, this intersection has been chronically identified on the Highway Safety Program list since 2012 due to a clear pattern...
Artist Robert Kroeger Tours Portage County Barns
Portage County - Artist and barn aficionado Robert Kroeger, from Cincinnati, visited Portage County last week in order to tour some of the area’s notable historic structures. ‘Barn scout’ and Mantua resident Heather Paisley prompted the visit. Barns are near and dear to Paisley, who was raised on a 90-acre farm in Gustavus in Trumbull County. A lover of...
R44 Improvements Continue in Mantua
Mantua - Those who adhere to the Stephen Covey idea that ‘What you do has far greater impact than what you say,’ may see that thought in action in Mantua these days. Restoration 44 opened its doors in May of 2019 offering coffees, teas, and a welcome meeting spot, its open doors invited those from near and far to...
Barn Artist/Writer visits Mantua, OH
Robert F. (RF) Kroeger is a second-generation artist using the palette knife impasto painting methods onto Masonite or linen panels to preserve a memory of early American history with each barn he visits. Using the very wood from each barn he paints he makes frames for the paintings, giving them that rustic charm. In some cases, when the barn...
Crestwood School Board News
Mantua - At the last School Board meeting, which was held the evening after the first day of the new school year, Superintendent David Toth shared that nearly 1,300 District students had attended in-person class, while an additional 280 students attended school virtually. He thanked teachers and staff for their hard work in preparing the buildings and individual classrooms...
DMRC Supports Local Businesses
Mantua - Since Covid-19 has had a detrimental affect on small businesses across the nation, closer to home the Downtown Mantua Revitalization Corporation (DMRC) decided to put their own spin on the ‘shop local’ movement. This spring, the group voted to reactive their Small Business Grant program, offering $400 to help fund projects to promote businesses within the Village. Under...
Mantua Village News
Mantua - At their last meeting, council met virtually with the two candidates who expressed interest in filling the open seat vacated by David Sluka. Members of Council had the opportunity to pose questions to the two residents, Tammy Meyer and Wes Collins, before convening in executive session to vote on the appointment. Tammy Meyer, who desires to serve...
