Hiram – In late December, Representative David Joyce came to Hiram to conduct a swearing-in ceremony for newly-elected or re-elected officials from Portage County. At that event, elected officials from Garrettsville Village, Hiram Township, Hiram Village, Mantua Village, Mantua Township, Nelson Township, and Crestwood School Board all took their oaths of office. Representative Joyce thanked Hiram Village Mayor Lou Bertrand for organizing the event, and Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett and Portage County Treasurer Brad Cromes for helping with the swearing-in ceremony.
At the December Hiram Village Council meeting, Fiscal Officer Susan Skrovan notified council that the village would receive a NOPEC Energized Community (NEC) Grant in the amount of $2,028 for 2018. The grant can be used to help the village implement energy efficiency or energy infrastructure projects that will benefit the community.
Next, Chairman Chris Szell of the Park Board provided an update on park projects. He noted that the village expects to be reimbursed a total of $127,000 in funds from both NatureWorks and Land & Water grants. He noted that the village’s total cash contribution was $35,446, which was less than the original estimate of $46,000. He noted that the Park Board was still waiting for a temporary occupancy permit, and for some lighting to be installed in the gazebo in the park, which is located at the site of the Hiram Elementary School on Bancroft Street.
In his Police Report, Chief Brian Gregory shared that during ‘No Shave November’ officers in his department teamed up with Metro Security and Investigations to raise money for charity. Officers from both organizations donated cash for the opportunity to be unshaven during the month. On Wednesday, December 13th, the Crestwood 4C’s Food Cupboard was presented a check for $420 as a result of these efforts. According to Chief Gregory, the funds helped serve the needs of local families during the holiday season.
In December, the department’s charitable efforts continued when Hiram, together with the Garrettsville Police Department, held their annual ‘Shop with a Cop’ program on December 16th. Chief Gregory extended special thanks to the Streetsboro Target for coloring books, toys, and snacks for the children who attended, as well as partnering to make it a special day for the 26 Crestwood and Garfield school children who attended. He also thanked the volunteers, including officers and the mayors of both Villages, who gave their time to wrap their gifts for those children. “This is a very special program that we hold dear to our hearts,” Chief Gregory explained, “that former Hiram Police Chief Ed Samec started six years ago. This program brings children and safety officers together and builds a bond that is essential to community policing as well as providing for families that would be unable to bring about the holiday joy with food and gifts. There should be no child that feels the sense of confusion and the feeling of going without during the holiday season due to poverty and/or financial strains,” he concluded. After a morning of shopping and gift wrapping, everyone was invited back to the Hiram Christian Church for a delicious hot luncheon provided by AVI and the Western Reserve Kiwanis.
In the Fire Report, Chief Bill Byers reported that his crew responded to 28 calls in the month of December. He noted that average response time was 6 minutes, 46 seconds.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Hiram Village Council will be held on Tuesday, February 13th at 7 pm; residents are encouraged to attend.
