Overview: The Jericho Wall
The wall and parking lot along Dickson Avenue, between West Third and Fourth streets, will be a memorial art park for families of drug addiction casualties.
MANSFIELD — The Jericho Wall is nearly ready for its public unveiling. It’s a new art park for families who are casualties of drug addiction.
Organizers behind the wall on Dickson Avenue between Third and Fourth Streets in Mansfield have scheduled a public dedication ceremony for Aug. 31 at 11 a.m., according to Rev. Paul Lintern.
Lintern spoke at Mansfield City Council this week, inviting local lawmakers to attend the event and see the changes that have been made to a formerly nondescript wall and parking lot owned by the First Christian Church.
“This is a wall to honor the families that have casualties in the war of addiction,” Lintern said.
Banners along the park wall were installed earlier this week. The parking lot was repaved three weeks ago by Hammett Asphalt Paving. Artists have begun their work.
Lintern was on site Friday morning building a stage in the corner of the parking lot. A pavilion for information, storage and picnicking will also be constructed.
It’s come together just as Lintern and a group of Mansfield ministers have talked about in recent years.
“We have prayed about the opioid epidemic and searched for ways we can respond to it. Everyone felt helpless. None of us felt adequate to deal with it,” Lintern said in March as fundraising and design efforts began.
A committee was formed that included Lintern; Luke Beekman from the Mansfield Public Arts Commission; Amanda Nichols from Project One Recovery; Rev. El Akuchie from Mansfield City Council; Aurelio Diaz from Mansfield City Council; Joe Trolian from the Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board; Andy Chalk from the Rotary Club of Mansfield; Rev. Greg Bibler from First Christian Church; RoEllen Sinkerwich from Volunteers of America; Tom Roepke from Linden Road Church and Jayne Stahlke from the Community Alternative Center.
(Below are images of the work in progress at The Jericho Wall on Friday morning.)
Lintern told council the new site will be one of hope and recovery.
“The cost of addiction is huge and you know that. And the wall does not spend a lot of time looking at the dark side of addiction. The families that will be comforted there, the people that will be remembered there, already know that cost.
“We know that cost. This will be a wall where there is education, inspiration, hope and comfort for those that are affected by addiction,” Lintern said.
“And we have the support of all 18 mental health organizations that are part of the Richland County Mental Health Board. They have stepped up to be the builders of the pavilion,” he said.
