Village Residents,
It has been a little over a year since Mayor Craig Moser passed away unexpectedly and that I had the responsibility to step in and take over the reins of a wonderful and well respected Mayor. I admit that at first I was frightened to be taking over such a huge responsibility of being your Mayor. I realized that I had no choice and that I would do everything in my power to serve the community as your Mayor. One of the questions that I am asked the most is how do you like being Mayor? I answer that it has been a challenge but most everyone that knows me knows that I am always up for a challenge. When I am called or confronted with a question regarding the Village I have done my best to respond with an answer or look into the situation and resolve the issue promptly.
This is what I will call my midyear report of the Village. We endured the tough winter with some temporary patching of the roads. We will be soon cracking sealing some of the roads. Bidding has gone out for chip sealing and paving for some of the most damaged roads. Unfortunately O.D.O.T. has informed me that they will not be paving State Route 82 till next summer. The Liberty Street Bridge by the Street Department is supposed to be replaced by June 29th 2014. Sidewalks are being evaluated for repairs as much as our budget will allow this year. We are also looking at an alternative of concrete lifting for the sidewalks that are not level instead of replacing. A Beautification Committee has been created to look at enhancing areas of the Village such as the entrance signs, parks, parking lots, Main St and other areas. Thanks to The Chamber of Commerce; with their hard work we have enjoyed events such as Community Garage Sale, St. Patrick’s Day celebration and Car Cruise Nights with more to come. A big thank you goes to The Summerfest Committee for one of the largest festivals ever. We endured the floods as best as we could with a big thank you to the fire, police, water and street departments for making our residents safe and doing what they could do to get our Village operational again. Hopefully, we will not have to endure such a severe storm and flooding again. Now for the million dollar question, what about Paul’s Grist Mill? A demolition permit has been taken out with Portage County and the building is supposed to be completely down and cleared by December 11, 2013. If it is not razed by that date Portage County Building Department will take further action.
As I end this letter I would just like to say that this year I have been yelled at in two incidents in a disrespectful manor that I did not deserve. I was taught years ago by my old boss the late Paul Patry, try to keep calm and keep your cool. You will get more things done and accomplished by talking civilly to someone and try to work it out. The next time you have a concern or complaint try talking it out with me or your local councilman or councilwoman . You might not always like the answer but we will do the best we can to solve your problem. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Mayor Rick Patrick
