Welcome to Suffield Township

The Annual Suffield League Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday April 14th drew about 75 children to Wingfoot Lake State Park. Photos courtesy of Pauline Persons
 

On Tuesday April 9th the Suffield Board of Trustees met before about eight people.  Fire Chief Bob Rasnick gave his monthly report which outlined the 62 calls for service that the Fire Department had responded to in March.  He said that this year's call totals is about the same as this time last year.  He also reported that this coming Friday six of his Fire Explorers and three adult advisers will be going to Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual Fire Department Instructors Conference.  Cost of the trip, which includes renting a van and hotel accommodations, is being paid from money earned at last fall's fundraiser.  The Chief also said that the Suffield Fire Department and the Mogadore Fire Department pooled money in order to get six thermal imagers for the price of five.  These imagers have come significantly down in cost over the years.  The first one our department ha, which the manufacturer had loaned to the New York Fire Department just after the September 11th disaster, cost $14,700, while these new imagers were $542 each.  The new ones are also much smaller than the older units.

On March 20th there was a statewide Tornado Alert Safety Drill.  At that time the Code Red system that Suffield Township participates in was activated.  About 5,000 phone numbers in Suffield were called to advise of the drill.  The system recognized that only about 1,800 of the phones actually received the notification.  Chief Rasnick said that there are a lot of phone numbers for persons in Suffield that still need to be added.  He suggested, for those who have not yet registered for Code Red Weather Alerts, that they go to the Suffield Township website and click on the Code Red logo on the right side of the home page and sign up for the alerts.  It is free and confidential.  Remember that this alert system can be added to your home land line and to any cell phone. 

Lori Calcei mentioned that the Portage County Board of Elections is in need of poll workers for the upcoming primary election.  The caveat is that someone who wants to work at the polls needs to receive training beforehand.  The last training date before the May 7th primary is April 19th.  Call the Board of Elections at 330-297-3511 for further info.

In a move that made a lot of commonsense the trustees voted to remove an addendum to the Zoning Resolution that prohibited dangerous dogs.  Since the township has no authority to enforce such a ban, the document, which was added to the Zoning Resolution on 2002, was removed.  Dangerous dogs are handled by the Portage County Dog Warden.  Trustee Jared Phillip asked for and received a purchase order in the amount of $1,500 to pay Hammond Tree & Associates for shooting elevations at Wingfoot Lake.  He said that the actual cost would be between $800 and $1,500.  The water level there is supposed to be no higher than 1147 feet above sea level according to a 1916 court case.  Once the elevation is determined, three markers are planned to memorialize the level. 

Road Department foreman Pete Einloth told the trustees of what his department has been doing and what they plan to do in the near future.  Trustee chairman Jeff Eldreth motioned that the trustees accept the report for the Suffield Township Tax Incentive Review Council.  It was received unanimously.  Eldreth also motioned that the trustees accept an annexation agreement with the Village of Mogadore for seven tenths of an acre in the old West Country Club property.  This issue also passed.  Eldreth postponed any discussion on the proposed new salt barn until trustee Tom Calcei could be there. 

The next trustee meeting is on Tuesday April 23rd at 7:00 AM.  The Zoning Commission will not meet on April 10th, but on Wednesday April 17th at 7:00 PM.  No Board of Zoning Appeals are scheduled.  These meetings will be at the Suffield Community Room at 1256 Waterloo Road. The annual Suffield League Easter Egg Hunt is this coming Sunday April 14th at 1:00 PM at the Wingfoot Lake State Park.  The event is for children twelve and under. 

The Suffield Township Board of Trustees met on Tuesday March 26th at 7:00 AM before a crowd of five citizens.  Most the business discussed was mundane and of the routine nature.  Chairman Jeff Eldreth announced that the annual Township Clean-Up Day will be on Saturday April 20th from 8:00 AM until 12:00 AM.  It will be held at the township Road Department garage, which is on State Route 43 to the rear of the historic Town Hall.  The Portage County Solid Waste Management District has provided the township with rules on what will be accepted.  These rules are:

1.  A strict limit of 10 tires per vehicle will be accepted at the collection event.

2.  Passenger tires with rims will be accepted.

3.  Tractor tires, with rims, will be accepted.

4.  Cut (sheared) tires will NOT be accepted.

5.  Tires that are muddy of filled with dirt will NOT be accepted.

6.  Semi tires will NOT be accepted.

7.  We CANNOT accept heavy equipment tires or treads from mini excavators.

8.  We CANNOT accept chunks of rubber.

9.  We CANNOT accept inner tubes.

10. Tires will NOT be accepted from commercial businesses.

11. Batteries will be accepted.

12. Electronics will be accepted, however, NO TV's WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Fiscal Officer Lori Calcei reported that NOPEC has okayed two grants to Suffield Township for 2019.  One was for just shy of $19,000.  NOPEC has agreed that using this money to pay towards the new electronic sign would be appropriate.  The other grant for $1,500 is to be used for a community based event.  There is also $400 worth of leftover NOPEC grant money from 2018 that the township can use.  The trustees discussed some options on this.  Tom Calcei said that the Suffield League has decided not to have the annual Suffield Music Festival in 2019, but instead is considering a "community picnic" at Wingfoot Lake State Park.  This grant money could be used for that event.  Jeff Eldreth talked about a Christmas decorations competition in which residents would nominate and vote on the best decorated house.  A small portion of the NOPEC grant could money be used as prize money.  No decision on spending this grant money was made.

The new electronic sign is up and running.  Community based organizations are encouraged to advertise their events on BOTH the Suffield Township website and on the electronic sign.  Call Jeff Childers at 330-819-8905 to provide website information and call Shannon Eldreth at 330-807-0384 to provide information for the electronic sign.

Jeff Eldreth reported that the annual street sweeping has been completed.  Buckeye Sweeping was the contractor this year.  There was some discussion on the proposed new salt barn.  Jeff Eldreth hoped that the new salt barn would be about 54' by 40' and would hold about 900 tons of material.  Since that amount of salt is about twice the amount used annually, Eldreth said that he wanted a shed large enough to shelter both the salt and grit that the township uses.  Keeping the grit out of the weather will prevent it from freezing into chunks that won't go through the spreader apparatus.

The trustees next meet on Tuesday April 9th at 7:00 AM (this time is correct, meeting time was changed).  The Zoning Commission meets on Wednesday April 10th at 7:00 PM.  No Board of Zoning Appeals hearings are scheduled.

The Portage County Board of Elections is in dire need of poll workers for the upcoming primary election, which is Tuesday May 7th.  Poll workers must attend a class before April 19th and will be paid $20 to attend this class.  Pay for working the polls on election day is $120.00.  Both Democrat and Republican poll workers are needed.  Click here to learn more and to find an application. (On the left side of the Board of Elections homepage, click on the "Precinct Election Officials - Pollworkers" tab.)  Further questions can be addressed by calling the Board of Elections at 330-297-3511.

Advertise yourself, your business or where you work by sending us your business card.  We will put it in the section above on the title bar that is entitled "Business Cards".  There is no cost to you, and the card will remain there until you ask that it be taken down, or when you ask us to replace an old card with a new, more up-to-date card.  You can e-mail the card to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or snail mail it to Jeff Childers, 229 Waterloo Road, Suffield, Ohio 44260. 

Click here to see 2018-2019 Basketball scores