WESTON – The sidewalk replacement program will continue as planned for 2011.
Councilman Mark Sheffer announced during Monday’s council meeting that among the residents he spoke with
about the program, there were "only two nay-sayers out of the entire group."
He noted residents who wanted a delay on enforcing the program "had plenty of time to protest."
Only two residents have attended council meetings in the past weeks to request a delay for having to put
in new sidewalks because of the poor economy.
Sheffer said he’d had "as much positive as negative – if not more. Let’s get this thing rolling
since it’s already on the books."
Mayor Howard Lashuay agreed with Sheffer on the issue, saying he had received two phone calls in favor of
the sidewalk program.
"People feel it’s the best thing in the village in a long time," he stated. "This sidewalk
program will go right ahead and carry on."
Councilman Jeff Helberg reported he heard from one family on Evon Lane which had budgeted for putting in
their sidewalk and thanked council for "being on top of it. It will beautify the village and make
it handicapped accessible."
Councilwoman Tammy McClellan reported a community clean-up of the baseball diamonds will be done April 9,
beginning at 9 a.m. Opening day is April 30 at 10 a.m., including pictures of the various baseball
teams.
Sheffer congratulated Glenn Loftis and the Rec Board members on their collection of about $2,500 from
local merchants for the ball program, and thanked the merchants for their donations.
"It’s a wonderful thing to have baseball back in town," he said.
The ball field will also be the location for the Weston Fire Department’s annual Easter Egg Hunt on April
16, beginning at 11 a.m.
Residents will have a chance to spruce up their yards and houses with the upcoming brush pick-up April
25-29 and the unlimited/heavy trash pick-up on May 6. More details on each event are on the village’s
Web site at www.westonohio.org.
Helberg reported the Ohio Department of Natural Resources/WSOS program to assist qualifying residents in
having up to two ash trees removed from their property is again open. Applications are at the village
hall and can be turned in between April 1 and June 3.
"If you have an ash tree, they’ll send someone out and do all the legwork," he said. "If
they say it’s diseased, they’ll work with you."
A link to WSOS’s Web site with information on the ash removal program is on the village’s Web site. Click
the blue bar on the right labeled "News/Notices."
Otsego Superintendent Jim Garber and board members Brad Anderson and Jamie Harter attended the meeting to
talk about where the village is with its decision on Weston Elementary. He noted the school district can
get a better cost figure if it bundles the demolitions of the schools in Haskins, Grand Rapids and
Weston, although he said no decision has been made on the other two schools so far.
Councilman Shad Kendall informed the men that local residents are being asked to attend an open forum on
May 2 (at the fire hall) where they can give input on the school building issue.
Once the new elementary school is completed for the 2012 school year, middle school students will be
housed in Grand Rapids Elementary for six months while renovations are done at the old high school. The
hope is for students to be out of the Grand Rapids site by January, 2013.
It was agreed Kendall, Helberg and Sheffer will make up a committee to meet with the school board and
discuss both the school and the ball fields.
Also during the meeting, council:
¥ Heard a request from Russ Harshberger of Brown Lane requesting the village take over the private road
to give its few residents the services of other people in town and a street light. Council agreed to
look into it.
¥ Heard Fire Chief Randy Tolles received a $10,000 grant to get new radios for the fire department.