Volume 51, No. 18
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
Russell Delays Demo of Old Fire Station By Ann Wishart ann@geaugamapleleaf.com Russell Township’s abandoned fire station was granted a reprieve of at least four months Feb. 5 thanks to Trustee Jim Mueller’s request. Mueller asked the board to hold off tearing down the unexceptional structure at 14921 Chillicothe Road pending his case study on what could be done with the station built in 1952. “I don’t expect us to spend $200,000 on a new roof, but it is still an asset worth $500,000,” he said during a trustees meeting. “I hate tearing down something that could be useful in the future.” Trustee Gary Gabram said he has been considering possible uses for the flat-roofed fire hall for five years, but an engineer said the
ANN WISHART/KMG
Russell Township Trustees agreed to delay demolition of the old fire station on Chillicothe Road for four months while another study is conducted on its possible usefulness.
walls wouldn’t support the weight of an elevated roof. “The sewers aren’t connected, the electrical (system) is shot. We’d have to start from zero,” Gabram said, adding the station has no historical value. “We’ve had problems with that
building for 30 years,” he said. “All it is now is a building with four walls.” Mueller said he is not suggesting the trustees do anything with the station immediately, adding there may be ways to get a new roof on the structure safely. “As long as the roof doesn’t col-
lapse, it could stay like that for years until we come up with a use for it,” he said. “As it stands today, it’s worth half a million dollars, at least.” He said he has talked to a local architect about evaluating the building and presenting options. “Recycling a building is a lot cheaper than (building) a new one,” Mueller said. Fiscal Officer Karen Walder said the township has a contract to have the old station demolished and she would contact the contractor about a delay. Gabram and Trustee Kristina Port informally agreed Mueller’s request for another study. In other business, trustees voted to accept the bid of $5,824 from Visual Armor Security for a See Station • Page 7
West G Ed Foundation Shines Spotlight on WGTV Submitted
SUBMITTED
David Allen produces the morning announcements using the WG Vmix program thanks to funding from the West Geauga Educational Foundation.
WGTV, West Geauga High School’s Television Production Club produces and airs the morning announcements every morning for high school students – sharing various sorts of information from upcoming events and meetings to congratulatory messages. WGTV members work as on-air talent, technology troubleshooters, as well as audio and video editors and mixers. With funds received from a West Geauga Educational Foundation grant, the club was able to purchase new equipment enabling WGTV to be streamed to the West G TV YouTube channel. WGHS students can
now access the announcements at any time, which is especially helpful for those students that are in other buildings or campuses during the announcements. Kelly Klampe, WGTV advisor, states that the grant also made it possible for the club to purchase a more professional virtual set, and with that, the ability to experiment with different graphics and video packages. The West Geauga Educational Foundation (WGEF) is a non-profit organization that provides funds to enable new ways of teaching and learning in the West Geauga School System. Each year the foundation trustees review applications from See WGTV • Page 6
stanDarD Postage & Fees PaiD WiLLoughby, oh Permit 42 LocaL PostaL customer ecrWss/eDDm
CHESTERLAND NEWS