andrew0816

As promised, I took pictures of the completed Renaissance Theater expansion project. More photos here

Timken calls back 55 workers By KIMBERLY GASURAS • News Journal January 30, 2010 BUCYRUS -- The Bucyrus Timken plant is calling back 55 workers. "Some workers went back this week, some come back to work on Monday and another group will be back to work on Feb. 5," said Lorrie Paul-Crum, spokesperson for Timken. Plant manager Jon Mazander said 29 workers will be placed in the bearings plant and another 25 in the distribution center, which is set to close later this year. ... Read More Here

I will try to get some exterior and interior shots when I go home this weekend. Curtain rises on theater expansion By JAMI KINTON • News Journal January 27, 2010 MANSFIELD -- A brush of paint and a cleaning sweep will complete the new addition to the Renaissance Theatre. Tuesday, the News Journal toured the $5.4-million addition, which will be open to the public from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Despite a few paint cans and the need for some finishing touches by construction workers, the new 30-by-70-foot lobby sparkled with a vibrant gold. ... Read More Here

Region lost more jobs in December, state says By TERRICHA BRADLEY • News Journal January 27, 2010 MANSFIELD -- Unemployment in Richland County is up after more job losses in service-providing industries in December. According to data released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio's jobless rate stood at 10.9 percent in December, up from 10.6 in November. Richland County had a jobless rate of 13 percent, an increase from 12.1 percent in November. Crawford County's jobless rate was 14 percent, up from 13.3 in November. ... Read More Here

Mansfield home sales buck U.S. trend By AL LAWRENCE • News Journal correspondent January 26, 2010 MANSFIELD — National sales of existing homes took the largest monthly drop in more than 40 years in December, prompting analysts to ask whether the national economic recovery can be sustained. In the Mansfield area, where local sales figures for the same period showed an increase, officials are optimistic the decline in home sales has bottomed out. Figures from the National Association of Realtors show December sales fell 16.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.45 million, from an unchanged pace of 6.54 million in November, according to the Associated Press. Sales had been expected to fall by about 10 percent, according to economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters. ... Read More Here

Ink, I believe Mansfield's YMCA is demolished. I love these threads as well, thanks!

This is the 5th story on AdultMart and every article has been clearly biased against this store. The prudes in this town are unbelievable. Arrival of adult shop leaves city scrambling By LINDA MARTZ • News Journal January 22, 2010 MANSFIELD -- U.S. Supreme Court decisions to protect pornography under the First Amendment for decades restrict what a city can legally do to bar sexually oriented businesses, city law director Dave Remy said. "You can't outlaw them. You can restrict where they go -- similar to what the city can do relative to mobile home parks or trailer parks," he said. "We have our hands tied to a great extent." Remy said he is pursuing several possibilities to reduce negative effects on the city from the new Adultmart near Interstate 71 and Ohio 13. ... Read More Here

What a shame :(

Cross posted in the Mansfield Preservation/Demolition thread. Developer warned to secure house on South Main By LINDA MARTZ News Journal • January 13, 2010 MANSFIELD -- A downtown business developer was told he must immediately shore up the basement of a house city inspectors worry will collapse. ...snip... He told the commission he is bringing two businesses to downtown Mansfield, in the former Dunkin Jewelers' building, 28 and 29 N. Main St. Accounting and financial offices for Omega Defense Systems, a Phoenix-based business he purchased 15 months ago, will be on the North Main Street side. An eight-state marketing and sales office for LightDec USA, a fluorescent light company, will go into the North Walnut Street side, he said. ... Read More Here

Developer warned to secure house on South Main By LINDA MARTZ News Journal • January 13, 2010 MANSFIELD -- A downtown business developer was told he must immediately shore up the basement of a house city inspectors worry will collapse. Mansfield Housing Supervisor J.R. Rice told the planning commission Tuesday he's concerned because the sandstone foundation on a house at 511 S. Main St. is turning to sand, causing one side of the basement wall to collapse. The house, owned by Landmark Properties, has a center beam with severe termite damage, he said. ... Read More Here

Agreed, it seems out of place.

History may save Mansfield house from demolition By AL LAWRENCE • News Journal correspondent • January 4, 2010 MANSFIELD -- The Ohio Historic Preservation Office says there's enough historical significance to the home at 331 Prescott St. that the city should review alternatives to demolition. Mansfield received that opinion Dec. 28 in a letter from Mark J. Epstein, head of the Resource Protection and Review Department. The home was among 57 on the city's demolition list but was pulled in November after local preservationists determined it was one of three that possibly were worth review for historic value. Richland County Historical Society and Downtown Mansfield were granted third party review status in November after $1.6 million in federal funds were suspended because the city didn't have a signed agreement with at least one local group interested in historic review. ... More at: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100104/NEWS01/1040303/-1/newsfront2/History-may-save-Mansfield-house-from-demolition

^Me too. Now I want to go to Cleveland, I need another fix!

RTA has a youtube account, however, I don't think it is the same as the one that you linked to. By the way, this is their youtube channel.

Richland County home sales in dumps But it's a good time to buy, Realtors say By JAMI KINTON • News Journal • December 25, 2009 MANSFIELD -- While it may be a buyer's market, area Realtors say home sales have fallen significantly. Sluss Realty President Bix Sluss said the real estate market is down 30 percent in north central Ohio. However, if you have sound finances and job security, Sluss Realty's Jim Wilson said there has never been a better time to buy a house. ... More at: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20091225/NEWS01/912250305/-1/newsfront2/Richland-County-home-sales-in-dumps

Indeed; I was so disappointed to hear about the bombing there. Luckily no one was hurt and the fortress only sustained minor injuries.

Mexico City lawmakers make the city the first in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage By The Associated Press 12.21.2009 5:12pm EST Mexico City lawmakers on Monday made the city the first in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage, a change that will give homosexual couples more rights, including allowing them to adopt children. The bill passed the capital’s local assembly 39-20 to the cheers of supporters who yelled: “Yes, we could! Yes, we could!” Leftist Mayor Marcelo Ebrard of the Democratic Revolution Party is widely expected to sign the measure into law. The bill calls for changing the definition of marriage in the city’s civil code. Marriage is currently defined as the union of a man and a woman. The new definition will be “the free uniting of two people.” The change would allow same-sex couples to adopt children, apply for bank loans together, inherit wealth and be included in the insurance policies of their spouse, rights they were denied under civil unions allowed in the city. “We are so happy,” said Temistocles Villanueva, a 23-year-old film student who celebrated by passionately kissing his boyfriend outside the city’s assembly. ... More at: http://www.365gay.com/news/120921-mexico-city-lawmakers-make-the-city-the-first-in-latin-america-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage/

Wow, Mansfield's is hands down the best city hall in all of Ohio. ;)

I personally don't like option #3. For me, it ruins the experience of walking out of Terminal Tower and onto Public Square. I like the idea of closing off the square and creating a "square-a-bout" and using traffic calming techniques to slow traffic, thus providing easy pedestrian access to the park. I also like KJP's idea of lowering Superior (and closing Ontario) and combining the park that way. However, that brings about a lot of challenges, but I still think it is worth looking into. As for option #1, I think it would block the views from Public Square and I also fear that the city would not be able to maintain the structure. I like option #2 and feel that it is the best out of the three proposals (although if #3 were to be modified, I would like that one more).

Jobless numbers holding steady here Temporary hiring shows improvement By TERRICHA BRADLEY • News Journal • December 23, 2009 MANSFIELD -- The unemployment numbers in Mansfield and Richland County continue to stubbornly hover just under the teens, although temporary employment is showing signs of improvement. When November numbers were recently released, Richland County showed 12.1 percent unemployment, the same as October. Mansfield's figures dipped slightly to 12 percent from 12.2 percent in October. According to labor data, demand for temporary workers has surged as employers are looking for workers with higher skill levels to possibly stay as permanent employees. ... More at: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20091223/NEWS01/912230311/-1/newsfront2/Jobless-numbers-holding-steady-here

Portuguese govt may permit gay marriage By The Associated Press 12.17.2009 12:43pm EST (Lisbon, Portugal) Portugal’s Socialist government has drawn up a proposal that would make Portugal the sixth European country to allow gay marriage. The law is almost certain to pass, as the center-left Socialist government has the support of all left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties oppose the measure. The proposal changes Portuguese law to remove references to marriage being between two people of different sexes, Cabinet Minister Pedro Silva Pereira told a news conference Thursday, adding the government will send its proposal to lawmakers for a debate, probably in January. ... More at: http://www.365gay.com/news/portuguese-govt-may-permit-gay-marriage/

Agreed. I think Mansfield has been planning on converting the one-ways to two-ways, but I am not sure how close they are to actually accomplishing that.

DC City Council votes to legalize gay marriage By Jennifer Vanasco 12.16.2009 8:39am EST (Washington) After suffering setbacks from California to New York, Maine to New Jersey, same-sex marriage supporters got a victory Tuesday with the City Council’s vote to legalize gay marriage in the District of Columbia. Gay couples could begin tying the knot in the district as early as March. The only hurdles left to clear are the city’s mayor, who has promised to sign the bill, and Congress, which has final say over laws in the nation’s capital. The district’s nonvoting delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, said she expects no opposition there. “Make no mistake, 2009 has been one hell of a year for marriage equality,” said David Catania, who introduced the bill and is one of two openly gay council members. ... More at: http://www.365gay.com/news/dc-city-council-votes-to-legalize-gay-marriage/

Awesome, I am so proud of Mansfield! That's where the true patriots live. lol.