Mansfield City Council member asks if parks levy language is too broad:
Blood Prison Christmas Incarceration haunt set for OSR:
Jody Lynn Johnson:
Is Mansfield ready for a new pool at Liberty Park?
Today – During this week’s meeting Mark Abrams, the city’s parks and recreation superintendent, said that the City of Mansfield will build a new $8 million pool and aquatics center at Liberty Park if a proposed 0.25-percent income tax increase is approved by voters in May.
He explained that his department is unique, in the fact that if he gets $15 million, people will be able to walk out to the park and physically put their hands – this time in the form of the aquatics center. The new aquatics center is part of the City of Mansfield’s $29 million “master parks” plan, the framework of which council approved in 2020. The proposed tax increase would generate nearly $15 million during its four-year run, averaging around $3.7 million annually.
The only money now going to the parks and recreation department is $850,000 a year from the city’s parks, recreation, illumination, demolitions and emergency services tax, which was successfully renewed by voters earlier this year. But legislation given a second reading by council on Tuesday doesn’t specify a pool and aquatics center in its language, it merely asks voters to approve four-year tax increase for “parks capital improvements.”
Jon Van Harlingen, 3rd Ward representative on Mansfield City Council, noted that the legislation in itself is very broad, very general. It talks about additional income tax receipts to be used exclusively for ‘parks’ capital improvements and maintenance, thereof.’
Nevertheless Adams emphasized that work done in the city’s parks is visible and transparent, adding the city would not begin collecting the new revenue until January 2023. He said funds from the levy would also allow work to begin on other aspects of the “master parks” plan, including security, maintenance and connectivity.
Van Harlingen continued to press the issue, saying that Adams brought some documentation on some really nice looking pools and the news media is sitting here.
Abrams responded by saying, “Well, that is the big-ticket item. It is what everybody talks about. Nobody wants to talk about putting in toilets. I mean, let’s be honest.”
For now, the city’s only public pool, located at Liberty Park and built in 1938, closed early this summer due to maintenance issues and city officials have said it will not reopen again.
Abrams said there was a problem inside a “water line that’s probably been buried for 85 years” that led to problems with the retaining wall inside the pool pump house.
OSR Blood Prison
Now, some local history. We all know it from The Shawshank Redemption – but the Ohio State Reformatory’s history goes much deeper than the 1994 film.
It was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in operation until 1990, meaning it closed just a few years before the famous film. It was September 15th 1869 when the reformatory actually opened its doors to the first 150 offenders.
The prisoners were brought in by train from Columbus and immediately put to work on the sewer system and stone wall surrounding the complex.
Next, an event that you need to know about – Vic Amesquita will be home for Christmas — to scare the hell out of you. OK, so not on Christmas itself, exactly. But Amesquita and his fright experts will offer a unique holiday experience this weekend at the former Ohio State Reformatory.
Dubbed the Blood Prison Christmas Incarceration event, Amesquita said he hopes it becomes an annual event similar to the group’s long-running Halloween-season spooktacular inside the iconic former prison at 100 Reformatory Road. He said this event is Christmas meets Halloween.
Blood Prison already has the Warden’s Widow and all of her crazy guards and inmates, but now she welcomes in Krampus and some evil elves for the holidays. They’re very excited to run this event for the first time. Last year was going to be the first time but they had to shut down due to COVID-19. The haunt will be open today and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Jody Lynn Johnson
Finally, we’d like to take a moment to remember Jody Lynn Johnson of Mansfield. Jody was born in 1975 in Mansfield. Jody had a deep love for children, and used that as she taught and ran group homes. She took her love of teaching and shared it with her grandchildren.
Jody was an exceptional wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved spending time with her husband, Michael. Some of their favorite things to do together were going to the lakes, hiking at Mohican, Hocking Hills and Pleasant Hill. Together they were always searching for their next adventure.
She lived for her grandchildren, and was an active grandmother who was always doing projects, singing with them, taught them how to write their names, and taught them how to do household chores. As the most accommodating mother, she was always juggling her daughter’s schedule without a complaint.
She was always willing to help with anything and did whatever was asked of her. Family was very important to Jody and she made sure to make time for them in many ways: from her Sunday calls with her Aunt Therea and Uncle Cliff, to weekly dinners with her parents and in-laws, to visiting her daughters, to simply playing cards at the kitchen table. Anytime they were together was special to Jody.
Even at her death, she was helping and reassuring her family that all was well with her and she loved them dearly and was ready to meet the Lord.
She had love for everything including her fur babies, Buckeye, Brutus, Bo, José, Lilly, Ella, Bella, and Stevie that she always would insist that she did not want. Jody leaves behind to cherish many fond memories with her husband of 27 years, Michael, his daughters, her much loved grandchildren, her parents, her siblings, and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Jody’s life.
