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Thursday, October 18, 2018
Long-Term US30 Project Could Provide Immediate Funding For Economic Development Domino By CHRIS MODRANSKI
FPS Correspondent
State Representative Kirk Schuring of Ohio House District 48 provided details on the Regional Transportation Improvement Project (RTIP) to the Malvern Rotary Club. The Rotary opened their meeting to the public for the presentation. The primary purpose of the RTIP is to extend US Route 30 from East Canton to the eastern state line and to provide a connecter road from US Route 30 to Carrollton. Carroll County is the only county remaining in Ohio without a four-lane highway. The RTIP was introduced in 2014 to the Ohio State Legislature by Schuring and became law in 2015. To date, the cooperative agreement between Carroll, Columbiana and Stark counties is the only RTIP in the state and allows for the trio to channel their resources for the extension project. The RTIP has a subset funding mechanism called a Tax Financing District (TFD), which is very similar to Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Instead of being handcuffed to one location, a TFD can be used to collect taxes anywhere within the three counties jurisdictions. Schuring stressed that the TFD does not go after an already
Ask yourself, if you’re in the back of an ambulance with a life threatening condition, how many minutes saved can make a difference? Carroll County Commissioner Robert Wirkner
existing taxed property. Instead the TFD would be for any new commercial development. The business owner is not going to pay anymore or any less taxes based on the TFD but the distribution of these taxes is how the local funding for Route 30 will be acquired. The RTIP requires the local government, including the school districts, to be involved on a case-by-case scenario to determine the percentages of how the taxes are distributed. “I have been in office for 25 years now and one way local officials convince me that a highway needs improved is they have me travel to meetings, and I’ve traveled State Route 43 for years and years. And I can’t imagine if you had an emergency, how long it would take to get to the hospital. It should be five minutes away. This is not just about economic development, it’s also about people’s
health,” said Schuring. Funding from the TFD can be directed now to development, which would create a domino effect of funding. Commissioner Robert Wirkner, who has been working on the RTIP with Schuring from its conception, gave an example using Carroll County’s Commerce Park. The Commerce Park is set to have water and sewer installed in 2019 thanks to an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT plans to build a new garage at the intersection of state Routes 9 and 171. Wirkner said if a company wanted to locate in Commerce Park, but the water and sewer lines were 500 feet from the proposed property, the funds from the TFD could be used for the utility installation because of the return on the investment. “Ask yourself if you’re in the back of an ambulance with a life threating condition, how many minutes saved can make a difference? My career before becoming a county commissioner was a deputy sheriff in Carroll County and I can tell you there are times when minutes count. One of the feasibility studies completed for this project revealed the number of traffic crashes taking place in our geographical footprint. About 469 accidents per year are anticipated to be eliminated if this project is completed,” said Commissioner Robert Wirkner.
Ashton House Museum Will Mark Its 10th Anniversary By GEORGETTE HUFF
FPS Contributor
Colt Kelley, 17-month-old son of Cameron Kelley and Amy Romig of Sherrodsville, enjoyed sitting in the pumpkin patch during the festival Friday. Colt liked the little ones the best, made a funny face when he tried to take a bite, but still offered it with a big smile to his grandmother, Carol Buckey, also of Sherrodsville.
Algonquin Mill Festival Sells Out
Throughout his long life, John Ashton may not have saved “everything,” but he tried, always with a vision that the items would help following generations understand and appreciate the ways their lives were shaped by historical events and everyday objects. Mr. Ashton’s vision became reality with the opening of the Ashton House Museum in 2008. The museum, located in the former Ashton residence at 120 Third St. NW, Carrollton, will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission, refreshments and gifts. Preparing for the opening was a two-year project. A community room was added to the back of the house, and Brad Wheeler, of Wheeler Construction, built a series of freestanding display cases and modified some existing cabinetry, to house displays. In addition, in 2006, Jim Painting began sorting and cataloguing the trove of artifacts the Ashtons had accumulated. Letters - John saved those written to him,
his wife Evelyn did not - license plates, toys, Kentucky Derby programs, Ohio State University memorabilia, Mrs. Ashton’s collection of Red Rose Tea figurines, magazines, 8-track movie tapes, transistor radios, samples of beauty products, a rotary-dial telephone, and much, much more. Altogether, the collection currently contains more than 89,300 objects. Approximately 1,200 items are on display in the public areas each year. Painting, who was named curator of the museum in 2007, said donations of items related to local events or history are accepted. While the displays often evoke nostalgic memories, the house itself is worthy of attention. Custom-built for the Ashtons in 1961, by local carpenter Ralph Harper, particular features show the attention to detail that went into its construction. These include countertops in the kitchen and the main bathroom that are lower to accommodate Mrs. Ashton’s shorter stature, as well as a recessed light in the living room that was installed in the precise location necessary to illuminate the table used for the card parties she hosted.
Visitors may also hear the tale of the clock in the bathroom that mysteriously restarted on Mr. Ashton’s birthday. In its 10-year history, the museum has hosted more than 14,000 visitors from 40 states and several foreign countries for tours and events. The Ashton House Museum is operated under the auspices of the Ashton Preservation Association, which has awarded $544,900 in scholarships and $510,000 in community grants over the last 10 years. The Ashton House Museum is open April through December, WednesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Special tours may be arranged. Admission fees are $3 adult and $2 ages 412. There is no charge for children age 3 and under. Admission will be free for all visitors on Oct. 20. For additional information, call 330627-2682, or at ashtonhousemuseum.com. Contact the curator at 330-312-2736, or at jimpainting@frontier.com. “Like us on Facebook.”
The Algonquin Mill Festival came to an end Sunday. But even with the cold, wet weather, hungry people still came to have some fun. More than 17,000 people came to the festival over the three-day period. “It was not a record breaker but a nice average amount considering the weather,” said Jen Cramer, on behalf of the County Historical Society. “We had great performances by the high school bands and choirs,” continued Cramer. The 9,000 tons of handmade sauerkraut that was prepared by volunteers in August sold out on Saturday. Those who came to the festival expecting to enjoy a lunch of pork and sauerkraut were disappointed. Thousands of homemade cookies made by volunteers also sold out before the end. Long lines could be found at all of the food vendors through the three day festival. Cold weather or not, people knew where to get something good to eat.
2018 Antique Power Show Is This Weekend The 2018 Antique Power Show is this weekend, Oct. 19 - 21. It is held at the Carroll County Fairgrounds on Kensington Rd., Carrollton. On Friday, the eat stands open at noon and the tractor pulls start at 6 p.m. with weigh-ins at 5 p.m. Featured Friday will be the Hillbilly Pullers. On Saturday, Oct. 20, eat stands open at 8 a.m. A Swiss steak dinner will begin serving at 4 p.m. and will run till 7 p.m. or until the steak is all gone. Countryside Equipment Stock Transfer Pull begins at 1 p.m. There is a $10 entry fee. A 20-inch hitch, no cut tires, and top cuts are permissible. On Sunday, Oct. 21, eat stands open at 8 a.m. Countryside Equipment Dead Weight Pull begins at 11 am. There is a $5 entry fee. A car show is held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and “Spikeman” will be spinning the old tunes. There will be dash plaques, club awards, and the People’s Choice Awards. There will be raffle tickets available for a tractor and there will be other prizes awarded at 3 p.m. The tractor pull events are highly
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attended and a crowd favorite. So come early to make sure you have a seat. Carroll County Antique Club President Kevin Nichols said there are a few changes in the schedule this year. The pedal pull will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. after the Parade of Tractors. The downtown Parade of Tractors will be held at 1 p.m. The parade will go down 2nd Street, past the police station, down the square, and back out to the fairgrounds. “Last year we had 175 tractors on display and more than 300 cars for the car show. About 150 cars came but saw the competition and drove on through,” said Nichols with a laugh. The eat stands will have hamburgers, hotdogs, sloppy joes and all the festival favorites. Nichols said he has received calls from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and all over the State of Ohio about the tractor pulls. Even if the weather is cool, a tractor pull is always fun, entertaining, and you’ll have lots of good food to warm you up, according to Nichols.
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Guides Helen Skinner, left, Courtney Wells, right, and curator Jim Painting welcome visitors for Ashton House Museum.
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