New signs for Gen. Hull presented to Greenfield council; Sharon Sims recognized

New signs will soon replace old ones for a Greenfield native, all thanks to a local teacher who thought it ought to be done.

Bill Roller, an art teacher at Greenfield Elementary, presented the Greenfield council at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 21 with new signs of native son Gen. John E. Hull.

Roller took it upon himself to raise the funds to get five new signs, which he designed, made by reaching out to the public for support of the project. He did get the support of the public, and the last couple hundred dollars needed came from the village, once it learned of his project.

There are currently four signs, each of which have been displayed for years at roadways coming into Greenfield. And while Roller said he didn’t have specific locations in mind when he embarked on the project, those four spots would be good ones. There is a fifth sign, and he suggested that maybe it can be hung near the courthouse.

He said he’s always been a “history buff,” and delving into Hull’s history has been very interesting. Roller’s idea for the new signs follows the new Johnny Paycheck signs being hung at Greenfield’s entry points, as well as the murals that have been and are being done in downtown Greenfield.

The metal signs bear a photo of Hull with a flag in the background against a black backdrop. Roller said the true color should last several years.

In other business, Sharon Sims was recognized as the August citizen of the month. Not only was Sims nominated for what she provides to the community through Sims Family Golf Center and the soccer fields for the Greenfield Soccer Association for Youth (GSAY), but also for her character.

Sims, who received a small plaque for the recognition, was incredibly grateful for the honor and said that though the plaque is small it is “grand” to her and “huge” in her heart. She has lived in Greenfield for 41 years, she said, and that time in this “giving town” has been “such a great journey” and a blessing.

She said she will hang the plaque at the Sims Family Golf Center.

The August employee of the month is Sunny Taylor, a utility and finance clerk with the village for the last few years. City manager Todd Wilkin said Taylor so often steps up to help wherever she is needed, even if it is something she is not familiar with, and the village is grateful for her willingness to help.

Other items that came up in the council meeting included Wilkin’s report, wherein he said that work is progressing at 239 and 245 Jefferson St. Olde Towne Pizzeria II has had to temporarily close down due to the failure of a wall of the neighboring building. But Wilkin said work is progressing, and the pizza shop should be able to reopen this week.

Of the utmost importance is public safety, Wilkin said. Currently the village is looking into funding sources to help address the issues at the building that has had the wall failure. Wilkin said all options are being explored.

The city manager also reported that a project for phase one sewer that would replace failing mains throughout town has ranked number one recently, which means that the project has better odds of getting funded. The project will now move on to a regional ranking.

Wilkin also noted that next year marks Greenfield’s 225th year, and there ought to be a celebration. He asked council members to think of all the photos from bygone days where the streets are full of people. “Let’s do that,” he said, fill the streets with people for a celebration of this “milestone that we get to be a part of.”

Wilkin called to the community to reach out with ideas. This will likely be something spearheaded by Main Street Greenfield, but this event should be what the community wants it to be, he said.

In other business, finance director Gary Lewis presented July’s finance report. This included the following: month-to-date revenue - $542,093; month-to-date expense - $212,522; year-to-date revenue - $3.24 million; year-to-date expense - $2.06 million; and a general fund balance of $764,774.

Finally, an additional member is needed to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals. There are currently only four members and there should be five. Anyone interested can contact the village offices or reach out to a council member.

The Greenfield council meets in regular session on the first and third Monday of each month at 4:45 p.m. in the council chambers on the third floor of the city building. Meetings are typically streamed live on Facebook. For information and updates, go to greenfieldohio.net or the Village of Greenfield, Ohio Facebook page. The village offices may be reached by calling (937) 981-3500.