 Greenfield City Manager Todd Wilkin presents Ryker Stark with the village's first Citizen of the Month Award at Tuesday's council meeting. Ryker was recognized for his actions that saved the lives of two men. (Photo by Angela Shepherd)
Greenfield 7-year-old honored for quick action Suggestion box is now available in third-floor lobby By Angela Shepherd Village of Greenfield A 7-year-old is Greenfield’s first recipient of the newly-implemented Citizen of the Month Award, and he earned it by quick action that saved the lives of two people. That Citizen of the Month is Ryker Stark. While City Manager Todd Wilkin began to tell council Ryker’s story, he became too emotional over the action of the child and asked Ryker’s father to tell council members what had happened. The father said he was in the house cooking dinner while his son played outside. At some point, Ryker came in and told him someone was on the ground beside a car in the alley and they needed help. The father was able to go outside and call for emergency personnel for help for two men who were in medical distress. While Wilkin was too overcome to speak the story, his written report to council contained further details. It said that the child, while out riding his bike last week, noticed some odd behavior from two men in a car in an alley near his home. While the two men were in physical peril because they were experiencing a drug overdose, it was the quick action of Ryker that got medical personnel on the scene and saved their lives. Wilkin said he intends to share a photo of Ryker with Highland County Court Judge Robert Judkins so he can share that photo with each of the men when they are in court, and they can look at the face of the boy who is responsible for their being alive. “Even though Ryker is only 7 years old,” Wilkin wrote in his report, “he represents Greenfield as a whole. We are just normal people who are willing to step up and help our neighbors in times of need.” Wilkin presented Ryker with a plaque and as he shook the grinning child’s hand said, “You saved two men’s lives. This is a big deal.” Along with the Citizen of the Month Award, there are other recognitions that the village plans to start making. One of those is to recognize an Employee of the Month, and it is a way for the administration, employees and residents to acknowledge village employees for their work. Another is the Greenfield Home & Garden Award, with its first recognition planned for the July 21 council meeting. It is a way to recognize the hard work and dedication of residents who contribute to the beauty of Greenfield with things like their landscaping, gardens, well-maintained homes, and decorations. Wilkin said that suggestions for more ways to recognize people are welcome and encouraged, not only for the awards mentioned above, but also other awards for things like best Christmas decorations, spookiest Halloween decorations, or most patriotic decorations. “The idea,” Wilkin said, “is to promote the beauty of Greenfield and the citizens that create that image.” Any of those suggestions may be dropped off anonymously in the village’s new suggestion box, which hangs on the wall just outside the elevator in the third-floor lobby. The box is for any suggestion, Wilkin said, including thoughts on things like grass mowing or how the village is spending tax dollars. On the related matter of the Greenfield community, Andrew Surritt, chief of the local non-profit search and rescue organization Rescue 101, also spoke to council. His organization was heavily involved in organizing the searches for 18-year-old Maddie Bell, who was believed to be missing for nearly a week before it was learned that she was safe and had left the state of her own accord. Surritt said that during those days of searching, there were more than 1,000 people that showed up to help and more than 14,000 man hours logged by volunteers. While there were non-local people and organizations that helped, too, the majority of the volunteers and the man hours were local people, he said. The point of Surritt providing these numbers was to show how much was done by the community that stepped up to help one if its own. Surritt and his team have been involved in searches across the state, and even deploy nationally when needed. In all their years and experience, Surritt said none of them have ever seen the “overwhelming” show of support that Greenfield showed when Bell was missing. Surritt thanked the village and the community for its efforts. He also told council more about the organization and what it has to offer Greenfield when it is in need. For more information on Rescue 101, visit its Facebook page or rescue101sar.org. Sarah Blair, representing her group called No Child in Need, spoke to council about the group that was begun over a year ago to help local children with things like school supplies and Christmas presents. While she is working on gaining a non-profit status, she and others in the group have helped local children from small donations and taken on a lot of out-of-pocket expense on themselves, she said. Well, the group is hoping to be able to have some fireworks on the Fourth of July as a way to spread some joy. Blair said it wouldn’t be a large display this year, but would still be a good show. The group has raised about half of what it needs so far through selling raffle tickets and other items, as well as through donations both from individuals and from businesses. Blair said there is a donation container at Stewart’s Pharmacy and that she will be fundraising at Greenfield’s Community Market over the weekend. There are obstacles in getting it all together by July 4, like insurance, time, and funding, but Blair and other members in the group are determined to keep trying. If the show doesn’t happen this year, Blair said she will refund what money businesses have donated, if that’s what they wish, and everything else that has been donated will go toward next year’s endeavor of a big fireworks show at Mitchell Park. If this year’s event is able to happen it will begin at 10 a.m. at Mitchell Park on July 4 and will include a truck show, contests, prizes, and vendors. Wilkin said having fireworks back in Greenfield would be great, and perhaps Blair “is the catalyst” to make that happen, and if not this year, than in the years to come. On another matter, Wilkin said he has heard comments regarding the village’s administration and capitalism being under attack in Greenfield. Wilkin emphatically declared that is not the case and that capitalism “is not dead or under attack in Greenfield.” “We work hard to ensure our business partners have what they need from their government without the government interfering with their ability to operate,” he said. The administration is continuously working to foster excellent relationships with local business, invite new business, and encourage growth. On the related matter of local business, Wilkin said he recently spoke with Corvac’s plant manager, Brian Gilbert, regarding the plant reopening after being closed down due to Covid-19 restrictions. He reported that Corvac is doing well in its restart. He added that the plant is currently hiring and he encouraged recent graduates to look there for employment, adding that it is a great place to start a career. Adient is also hiring, he said. The jobs are right here, he said. “These are good companies in Greenfield and they are looking for good people.” In other business, council members and Wilkin thanked Paint Creek Fire/EMS District, village employees, and Rescue 101 for their efforts to clear debris after last week’s nasty storm that left significant tree damage throughout the village. The Greenfield Village Council meets in regular session the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers on the third floor of the city building. For village news and updates, go to greenfieldohio.net and the Village of Greenfield, Ohio Facebook page. Partnerships help Greenfield to $3.4 million grant for railroad Railroad personnel inspect a bridge along the Greenfield rail line during an earlier project to improve the tracks, ties, bridges and crossings.
By Angela Shepherd Village of Greenfield Greenfield has been awarded a grant totaling more than $3.4 million for improvements on its 29-mile rail spur. This comes only four years after the completion of another multi-million dollar improvement project on the rail line. However, the railroad was not refurbished as thoroughly as what was originally planned due to significant cost increases over the nearly four years it took from project funding to actually getting the project started. Due to that, there have been ongoing maintenance issues along the rail that this grant will remedy. According to Greenfield City Manager Todd Wilkin, the grant dollars will cover improvements like tie replacement, the replacement of a couple crossings that are in poor shape, and several bridge replacements. The award came with the help of partnerships with the Highland County Board of Commissioners, APEG (Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth), ODRC (Ohio Rail Development Commission), ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation), the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, and the Federal ARC (Appalachian Regional Commission). Through the partnerships, the match money of more than $1.7 million was raised for the 50/50 grant. That money was matched through the federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. “It’s a great thing for the county,” getting the rail system to a better level of operation as it supports so much industry and employment in the county, Highland County Commissioner Jeff Duncan said. Wilkin thanked those involved in the partnerships for their dedication to Greenfield’s rail spur. “It means a lot,” he said. “It’s a big deal for our region. We are still waiting for the details as to how and when we can get started. Our goals are to remedy the slow orders on the track.” Currently, the rail is rated at 10 miles per hour, which is the lowest allowable rating for transportation of hazardous materials. The improvements will bring the rail to a 25 mile per hour rating. The 29-mile rail spur supports approximately 1,800 jobs with the industries on the line -- Greenfield’s Adient, Leesburg’s Candle-lite, and New Vienna’s Huhtamaki. Huhtamaki’s plant manager, Michael Wadsworth, said,” Our facility at New Vienna has been experiencing good growth the past couple years. The security of the railroad helps to ensure this growth with the delivery of our raw materials.” “We are very excited about the grant,” Bryan Thompson, plant manager at Adient, said. “It will give Adient and Candle-lite and Huhtamaki the ability to get more reliable deliveries” and ensure productivity. “This grant, along with the support from other state and federal partners,” said Katy Farber, vice president of APEG, also known as Ohio Southeast, “ensures this valuable regional asset can continue to help support employment and economic growth in the area.” “This grant shows the dedication that the Greenfield administration has for its shipping partners and the 1,800 jobs associated with the rail,” Wilkin said. “This will help solidify many local jobs for our region.” 2019 Annual Report presented
by City Manager Todd Wilkin On March 3, 2020 Greenfield City Manager Todd Wilkin presented his Annual Report to members of Greenfield Village Council, citing many improvements within the village during his second year with the administration. Wilkin referenced five areas of strategic focus -- fiscal health, economic vitality, community engagement, community safety and resilience and sensible, citizen-focused government – that help to provide an environment fostering a quality of life in which residents and businesses can thrive. “With the support of Village Council and the village personnel, we have advanced our strategic focus for our local government while adhering to our approved economic development plan,” Wilkin said. To view or download a copy of the 2019 Annual Report, click HERE. |
Greenfield Tree Commission members Holly Ellinger (left) and Kandy Wilson unfurl banner signifying the village’s sixth consecutive year as a Tree City USA community.
Greenfield receives Tree City USA
award for sixth consecutive year The Village of Greenfield has been recognized as a Tree City USA community for the sixth time! See details on the COMMUNITY page. Village of Greenfield seeks
bids for lease of agricultural land Bid opening 1:00 p.m. June 26 The Village of Greenfield has posted notices seeking bids on approximately 186 acres of village-owned agricultural land during the years 2021 through 2023. Most of the land available in located in the South Central Ohio Industrial Park (approximately 175 acres). Additional land of about 11 acres is located in Ross County. For details, visit the NEWS & NOTICES page where the legal notices are posted. Todd Wilkin shares useful info for
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