Mansfield City Council applauds ‘Peace on My Block’ initiative

MANSFIELD — It’s not often Stan Jefferson and members of the Mansfield City School board get to attend a City Council meeting.

Local lawmakers made sure the veteran educator and current district superintendent knew he was appreciated after Jefferson explained the district’s new “Peace on My Block” initiative.

“Any questions?” asked Jefferson, whose own board usually meets on the same evening as local lawmakers.

The only immediate response was applause by members of council, followed by praise for the district’s efforts to convince students to seek non-violent responses to conflict.

In a city that witnessed seven young people murdered in the first seven months of 2023, the school district’s effort begins in earnest when the new school year begins in a few weeks.

Program rolling out as new academic year begins

“We know that in the last year there has been a series of violent events in our community. And we know that great communities are great because the school district and the community come together,” Jefferson told City Council.

“That’s why we call it a school community. We are one great school community,” he said.

The program, which includes members of the Mansfield Schools Employee Association, will include pledges, banners, posters, t-shirts and bracelets — all encouraging peaceful solutions that do not involve guns.

Council approved a resolution in June in support of the MCS initiative.

Jefferson, who thanked members of the school board and local organizations who are supporting the effort, said the district is producing the banners in-house and will provide them to an organization requesting one.

Brad Strong, president of the 400-member MSEA that represents teachers and support staff members, said the union fully supports the project.

Strong said he noticed the “Peace on My Block” signs popping up around the community this summer.

“This community has experienced much pain over the last 18 months with violence in our city. But I thought, ‘I only live on one street. I only live in my little part of my neighborhood. How can I help in having peace on other people’s blocks?’

“Then it hit me. As the MSEA and as the president of the MSEA, we can start with peace in our schools (and) peace in our classrooms,” Strong said.

He said the MSEA purchased signs promoting the program that will be placed in each of the district’s classrooms during the upcoming school year.

“If we start teaching our children there are peaceful ways to solve problems, that handling things is better than violence, peace will surely follow into our neighborhoods,” the union leader said.

Strong said former President John F. Kennedy believed peace was “a daily, weekly and a monthly process” aimed at gradually changing opinions, eroding old barriers and building new structures.

“This campaign of ‘Peace on My Block’ that Mr. Jefferson is proposing will take time — one day, one week, one month before we can build new and we can change opinions and build new opportunities for our young people,” he said.

“We are going to continue to teach peace,” Strong said.

“Staff will be encouraged to find lessons focusing on peace during our social emotional lessons as dictated by the Ohio Department of Education. Peace in our classroom leads to peace in our hallways, our cafeteria and our buses and (that) leads to peace in our schools.

“The peace in our schools leads to peace on our streets. The peace on our streets leads to peace on our block, which leads to peace in our great city,” Strong said.

City Council members praise “Peace on My Block” initiative

After council members finished applauding, several praised the program.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” 5th Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz said. “It’s everyone, young and old. There is a visual to it. Who could ever dispute that we need any kind of a peaceful initiative?

“I am very excited about what the schools are doing. It’s things like this that make me proud to be a Tyger,” said Diaz, who presented Jefferson with a copy of the signed resolution council approved in June.

At-large Councilwoman Stephanie Zader also praised the project.

“Anyone who knows me knows that children are a passion of mine. I still couldn’t be a teacher though, so God bless ya’ll,” she said with a laugh.

“We would love to think that it starts at home, but not every home is the same. But there’s one other place that our children go all go. And that’s school. So that’s another opportunity for us to impact them. You guys have a huge opportunity and I love seeing things like this where we are going to encourage our children,” Zader said.

6th Ward Councilwoman Kimberly Moton was next to offer support.

“As an employee of the Mansfield City Schools, I look forward to continuing the ‘Peace on My Block’ inside the classroom, inside the building and definitely on my block,” she said.

Codes and Permits employees honored for beautification efforts

Public Works Director Dave Remy and Maintenance Operations Supervisor Gary Utt on Tuesday evening also took time to honor Cindy Pina and Tami Thompson, both of whom work in the city’s Codes and Permits Department.

“These ladies actually go above and beyond their normal work,” Remy said. “They’re the ones that have transformed the city’s plaza into what it is today from a flower standpoint and a maintenance standpoint.

“They rely on Gary and the staff to help, but they’re the ones that volunteer their time after work to go out there. They just planted a bunch of stuff (Monday). They need to be recognized for that effort. They’ve done it for a number of different years. They make the outside of the building look very, very nice — when at times in the past, it hasn’t looked that way,” Remy said.

Also on City Council’s agenda:

In other actions on Tuesday, City Council:

— voted to accept $1 million in grants from the Richland County Foundation for three community improvement projects:

— $500,000 for the $5.4 million Sterkel Park for All project. The grant will be paid over three years (2023-2025). Work has begun on the 20-acre, all-inclusive park and playground at the city park located off Hillcrest Street.

— $300,000 for the $13.6 million Mansfield Rising Main Street Improvement Project. The grant will be paid this year. The city hopes to break ground on the project in the spring of 2025. There is separate legislation that would allow the city to apply for state grant funds for storm sewer installations needed for the project.

— $200,000 for construction of a 100-foot long, $850,000 tunnel beneath Trimble Road, part of a project connecting the B&O to the trail on the east side of the busy, four-lane roadway. That work is expected to be done in the spring/summer of 2024. The bike trail connector itself will be done in 2025.

— give a first read to an ordinance requiring Mansfield residents who have not had their water meters converted to measure gallons instead of centrum cubic feet to pay a $75 monthly fee. The citywide water meter conversion project began four years ago and as many as 600 meters have not yet been replaced.

— approved a “then and now” certificate to pay Wallace & Pancher Inc. $78,220 for completing an evaluation on improvements to the Municipal Building. The city maintenance department had the work done before submitting a purchase order to the finance director. The money will come from the city’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act funds.

—approved vacating a portion of Leonard Avenue between McPherson Street and an unnamed alley.

— approved seek bids for annual city needs for things such as fire hydrants, catch basin grates, gravel, concrete, propane and chemicals for the water and wastewater treatment plants.

— approved the acceptance of an $80,000 grant from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to assist with the Drug Abuse Response Team Project. No local match is required.