Garrettsville – Mike Maschek, the proud owner of the Garrettsville Feed Mill has the inside scoop for the new beginnings that he’s planning for not only his building, but his town. Maschek has always taken an interest in the Mill. For the past seven years, he’s stood from afar imagining the endless possibilities that could occur if the Mill were to be restored. Maschek believes that the Mill is the focal point and the center of Garrettsville, and he has many things planned for its new beginnings. Many people that have taken interest in buying the Mill have thought that it would be easier to just demolish the whole building and start from scratch. This may be the easy thing to do, but if someone were to demolish the building, all the history that is held inside, basically still in time, would be gone forever.
Maschek is known for saying: “You can rebuild all you want, but you can’t rebuild the history of a building.” He has a keen eye for hidden treasure. What others may see as garbage, he looks further into than most eyes can see. He looks into the hidden possibilities that can come out of anything if the proper time and effort are put into it. As a strong believer in Jesus Christ; Maschek takes one of Jesus’ parables to a whole new level. Jesus talks about the lost treasure in Matthew 13:44-46. Good things are often hidden. “The Mill has been hidden for far too long. When I first laid my eyes on the Mill, I knew that it was something that would have great potential. The possibilities were endless. I kept visualizing what it could look like. The Mill is a focal point of the town and possibly the start of a great revival, both on the streets and in people. I feel like many people weren’t willing to pay the price to see the Mill restored. I believe that this will bring Garrettsville…hope again.”
The willingness of Mike Maschek to see the town of Garrettsville become the best that it can be is something rare, something that is uncommon to find in most people. Maschek who was also the owner of the majority of the Buckeye Block, sees a connection with the March 22 fire, and the Feed Mill. He says, “After the fire, the Feed Mill was a way for me to keep the momentum going. It’s kind of like a kick start to continue. It represents a city that is “Garrettsville Strong”.” We are not giving up. Jesus said, “You don’t take a light and hide it under a bushel, but you place it where it can be seen.” I am putting a lighted cupola on the top of the Feed Mill to offer encouragement, hope and new life to this community.”
