Mantua – In her report, Mayor Linda Clark shared that grant funding is available through AMATS for road improvements and streetscapes. Traffic studies are needed; the mayor noted that a study is currently in progress. She will notify council of the results upon they study’s completion.
In public comment, it was noted that the 10th annual Art on the Hill event takes place this Saturday, July 14th from 10 am until 6 pm. The festival will feature over 80 artisans selling their wares, as well as an array of food and wine vendors, a Chinese auction, and photo contest. For more information on the festival, visit the Art on the Hill page on Facebook. At 3 pm that day, the Village of Mantua will be designated at a Buckeye Trail Town. Representatives from the Buckeye Trail Association will commemorate the occasion near the bridge at the Headwaters Trail, since portions of Headwaters are part of the Buckeye Trail (BT); Mayor Clark will be on hand to issue a proclamation as well. “This is an exciting time for the Village,” Mayor Clark shared. Mantua is the tenth town in the State to receive the Buckeye Trail Town designation. The event will also be celebrated during the Buckeye Trail Little Loop Challenge, where volunteers hike portions of the roughly 250-mile portion of the BT on Saturday as well.
Mantua joins Dayton, Defiance, Loveland, Milford, Piqua, Troy, Xenia, and Zoar as Buckeye Trail Towns providing restaurants, shops, and other in-town amenities to Buckeye Trail visitors. At that time, a new mural depicting a scene from the Headwaters Trail will also be unveiled. The mural is located on private property adjacent to the trailhead, and was a joint effort between former Crestwood Middle School art teacher Eric Head, his students, and members of the DMRC.
In similar news, it was noted that work on the Buchert Park Trail will begin in August. The trail will run along the north side of the Cuyahoga River, and will provide several scenic resting areas along the river. The project was funded through a Nature Works grant of over $32,500, with matching funds of over $12,000 provided by the DMRC. In addition, the Village will be undertaking a project this month to improve drainage on West Prospect Street. The project is made possible through a grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC). The project will extend the storm sewer system from Reagan Street to a portion of Prospect Street; any pavement disturbed during construction will be repaved upon completion of the project.
According to Village Engineer Rich Iafelice from CT Consultants, the village’s water reservoir project was successfully nominated for a low-interest loan from the Ohio EPA. In addition, an OPWC grant pre-application was submitted for the project; the strategy is to seek $300,000 in grant funding, along with $150,000 in a zero percent loan for this project.
In other news, it was noted that the Mantua Potato Festival Committee is soliciting donations for this year’s festivities. The 45th annual festival will be held at Buchert Park on September 7th through 9th.
The next regular Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 17th at 7 pm; residents are encouraged to attend.
