Listen: Pop-up linear park to link Imagination & Carrousel districts; The Black Fork Commons Mercantile; Remember Angela Jean Fliger

 

 

 

 

 

Transcript:

You’re listening to Source Daily: A new daily news podcast for Richland County. Join us Monday through Friday to stay up to date with what’s happening in North Central Ohio. We’ll be sharing a closer look at one of our top stories, along with other news, local history, memorials, answers to your questions, and more. 

Today – A temporary, pop-up “linear park” that will use parking areas along Third Street, is set to open in late September. So what would it look like?

What would a pedestrian-friendly park that links the city’s new Imagination District and its established Carrousel District look like?

Well, that’s the goal of a temporary, pop-up “linear park”. It’ll use parking areas along Third Street and is set to open on September 20th and remain open until October 1st.

The effort is funded primarily through a national AARP Challenge Grant. The AARP awarded more than $3.2 million among 244 grantees. Applicants were encouraged to develop projects that did things like create vibrant public places, or deliver a range of transportation options

The project is being led by the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development and its Richland Community Development Group.

Jodie Perry, chamber president and CEO explained that the overall goal of a linear park was one of the ideas in Mansfield Rising. Specifically, they wanted to create a sense of synergy between the Carrousel District and the Imagination District so that people would want to walk between those two organizations.

She also said that it will be a few years before anything permanent is put in place, but they wanted to give people something to consider first.

The idea is to show how pedestrians, bikes and cars can all interact and still feel safe.

So what exactly is a linear park? Some of the best examples are found in The High Line in New York City, The 606 in Chicago, The Beltline in Atlanta and The Greenway in Boston.

Longer than they are wide, linear parks take people on a journey through the city. 

They can be as short as a few blocks or as long as several miles. They often serve as a link in a city’s plans to boost alternative transportation. 

And while traveling from one block or neighborhood to the next, people get to see the city through a different lens when they use a linear park. 

There are several local groups participating in the effort, including the chamber, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, The Renaissance Theatre, Little Buckeye Children’s Museum, FiELD9: architecture, Entrepreneurs’ Kitchen, Richland County Regional Planning Commission, the City of Mansfield and Mankind Murals.

Before we continue, a quick message from our sponsors at Black Belt Pro Fitness…

It’s back to school season! Did you know that regular practice in the martial arts has been shown to improve focus, goal-setting and academic performance? 

The team at Black Belt Pro Fitness, Mansfield’s premier martial arts studio, is all about helping kids and teens become healthier and more confident in all areas of life. They teach self-control and self-respect above any physical technique… and of course, they make it fun too! Right now they have classes for kids ages 4 and up. They also have membership options for the whole family. Visit them blackbeltprofitness.com to learn more.

Now, some local history…

Roeliff Brinkerhoff… You may not know much about him, but you’ve seen his name around town: 

like the school, like the street.

Colonel Brinkerhoff was a young attorney in Mansfield when the Civil War began and he enlisted as a quartermaster. After the war ended, he was stationed in Washington DC and happened to be in Ford’s Theater when President Lincoln was shot.

He wrote about the experience in his memoirs saying that… “for a moment there was a stillness of death. The audience seemed paralyzed. No sound whatsoever came from the box. It is said in the various accounts that Mrs. Lincoln shrieked – I heard no shriek. Major Rathbun testified that he shouted “stop that man.” I heard nothing of that kind, and I believe I could have heard a whisper.”

Next, we’re answering a question from our readers and listeners like you…

Today’s question? What is happening with the unfinished church on Park Avenue West?

The unfinshed church has drawn the community’s attention for many years.

It’s owned by Grace Brethren Church in Mansfield, and it turns out the church has no intention to finish the project. Instead, they’ve actually been trying to sell the property for years.

It all began when the Grace Brethren Church bought the land in 1992. They hired contractor Henry Gassaway, who started building construction in 2002. 6 years later Gassaway sued the church for owing him payments for construction expenses. However, the Magistrate determined that the congregation never approved the proposed cost through a vote. Gassaway passed away in 2014.

Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson said the city receives calls and complaints about the property every year. And like many residents in the community, he said it would be nice to see something get done with the property.

Is there something you’ve always wondered about Richland County that you’d like us to investigate? Check out richlandsource.com and click “Talk to Us”. Here, you can ask us anything and we’ll go out and find the answers. 

Black Fork Commons Mercantile in Shelby

Now, we’d like to take a moment to highlight Tony and Bev Hall. The Halls see the Black Fork Commons Mercantile and The Well Coffee Shop as more than a business. It’s their promise to the city.

They planned to open the business last year until the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project. But it also gave them more time to make the place homier. The business opened its door on July 8.

When entering the mercantile, customers will find everything from children’s and women’s clothing to jewelry and toys. 

And In addition to coffee, The Well Coffee Shop offers soft drinks and baked goods. 

The Halls told us they want to “bring Shelby back” and let more people know about the city’s history. That’s why Black Fork Commons Mercantile is now doing trivia questions about Shelby on its Facebook page! The first person who answers it correctly will get a free cup of coffee.

Next, from Knox Pages…

Nearly $100,000 worth of livestock was sold at this year’s Knox County Junior Fair “Sale of Champions” – doubling the amount raised in 2020.

And John McCann, of Mount Vernon, received this year’s Hall of Fame Award, which is sponsored by the Junior Fair Sales Committee. The award recognizes an individual or business who has played a key role in the livestock sale over the years.

Finally, we’d like to take a moment to remember the life of Angela Jean Fliger of Mansfield.

Angela was born in Mount Vernon and was employed at Air Solutions. Angela was a doting grandmother who loved and adored her grandchildren. She was an advocate and voice for our United States Veterans, and was a member of VFW Auxiliary Post #3494. 

Halloween was Angela’s favorite time of year and she celebrated it all month. She won many awards for the Scariest Costume at the VFW. Her hobbies included cheering on the Cleveland Browns, relaxing rides on the motorcycle, mushroom hunting, and spending quality time at her camper.

Angela is survived by her mother, her children, her soulmate, Ed; his daughter, her cherished grandchildren, her brothers and sister, nieces and nephews; and her special little dog, Champagne.

Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Angela’s life.

Thanks for listening, join us again tomorrow!

Also, make sure to head over to richlandsource.com and click be a member button to help support independent local journalism that informs and inspires. 

Every contribution goes to helping us make Richland County a better place and to help keep our journalism free. 

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