Letters to the Editor; RJRD, Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve, sidewalk costs, and more
To the Editor,
Those women swooping in on the Village Council meetings with their complaints should be called Cranky Old People – the Next Generation.
Fifty some years ago another group of C.O.P’s used the same complaints to defeat the Richfield Village/Richfield Township merger: “We will become a city,” and “We will have to install sidewalks.” No one explained the bad things supposedly associated with cities and sidewalks, nor did anyone bother to ask enough people, and accepted those arguments at face value to defeat the merger.
The current C.O.P.s want to use the same argument to block residential development on the Constantine property. One of them also spoke out against further commercial development.
They complain the village plows the municipal parking lots too often. If one of those old ladies fell and broke a hip because the lot was not properly maintained; guess who gets sued?
The cold hard fact is those apartments are going to be built at Constantine’s. Richfield is going to become a city with sidewalks at some point. Considering our advanced ages, by the time that happens, we Baby Boomers will probably be dead. Find a hobby, you will be happier.
Van Pedigo
W. Streetsboro Road.
To the Editor,
Richfield Heritage Preserve shares great qualities with our neighboring national park – hiking and bridle trails, fishing, water sports, historic structures, cultural history, and rental venues.
Since 2009, Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve has funded a multitude of projects that enhance the visitor experience, and provided over 75,000 volunteer hours, just in the last 10 years.
Following are restoration projects funded by Friends: park office, $22,000; Kirby’s Mill, $338,686; Amity House, $47,000; North House, $32,800; Garfield Hall, $22,000; Endowment with Akron Community Foundation, 2024 activity of $16,901.
Following are programs sponsored by Friends: Winter Wonders, $25,000 net profit in 2024; Kirby Day, an educational event; hikes drawing over 100 participants annually and mill docents.
Why would the RJRD board entrust the future of this cherished space to only four part-time paid staff and remove a passionate group tireless volunteers?
The Friends can provide volunteers for unique projects, conduct fundraising efforts that add to the visitor experience, assist with resource management and preservation, and share their professional knowledge and skills of historic renovation. They can supplement the RHP staff in ways that cannot be supported through taxpayer dollars. The Friends can deliver direct and quantifiable benefits to the community. Why not support their efforts?
Cynthia McWilliams
Hawkins Road
To the Editor,
This will be the longest and most expensive sidewalk in the village so far, with further engineering yet to be done to establish the proposed costs. This engineering will create an expense even if the sidewalk does not get installed. Additionally, our service department has to plow all sidewalks when it snows, adding additional ongoing costs. I asked, at a public works/building and grounds committee meeting on 2-13- 2025, why make the request for a sidewalk from Hawkins Road on Broadview Road to Route 303? I was told that people want to walk to the center of town to go to the library and concerts in the Green. You need to know that sidewalks cannot be used by bicycles so exercise is [not a] use.
At that same meeting yesterday, there was a statement made by a councilperson saying “We have promised this sidewalk for quite some time already.” Why would council make such a promise before a vote?
Pat Healey
Hawkins Road
To the Editor,
As a Richfield taxpayer I feel it is absolutely necessary to encourage all who enjoy the beautiful Richfield Heritage Preserve to pay attention to the issues surrounding this park. Many do not understand the distinction and importance of the Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve. The Richfield Joint Recreation District board is the governing body, appointed by the township trustees and the village council. They oversee the park and are responsible to the taxpayers for fiscal due diligence.
The Friends have dedicated countless hours of volunteer time and raised over $500,000 for projects that would otherwise have been unattainable. These projects have been with the approval of the RJRD board and have enhanced the agreed upon name, “Preserve,” given to the park several years ago. The historical significance deserves the attention of all Richfield residents. Take a hike, take in the beauty, and get educated about what lies in our own backyard.
Betty van der Meer
Alger Road
To the Editor,
The first step to preservation is maintaining what you already have. For the past decade, the Friends of RHP have worked to stabilize and restore the park’s historic structures. Initially, it was disheartening to see the buildings deteriorate, but momentum has shifted from stabilization to restoration. The Friends have stabilized North House and Kirby House, restored Amity House (now generating revenue through rentals), secured funding for mill repairs, and made significant progress on Garfield Hall.
I was disappointed to learn that the park director halted progress and proposed mothballing Kirby’s Mill. The Friends have the resources to complete Mill House repairs, paint the exterior, install educational tools on renewable energy, and restore the swinging bridge. Delaying the work will only increase future repair costs, as materials and labor grow more expensive.
As a resident and taxpayer, I urge the RJRD and park director to collaborate with the Friends, leveraging resources and professional volunteers to offset restoration costs. This will enhance the visitor experience and generate revenue for the park.
Corey Ringle
President of FoRHP
Hawthorne Drive
To the Editor,
I have been associated with the efforts surrounding our Heritage Preserve since learning the property was for sale. I was a member of the working group to save Crowell Hilaka, then served on the Richfield Together Campaign and later served three terms on the board of the Richfield Heritage Preserve, all the while being a member of Friends. The focus groups and stakeholder conferences reinforced what I learned walking the neighborhoods during the Together Campaign. Later when engaging with the community for my current elected role as village councilman, my impressions were further reinforced. What the community has wanted has not wavered. The community wants what the Friends have been providing: a beautiful passive park that retains glimpses of its history. Friends has been making up the difference between what the park administration can provide on a limited budget and what the community has wanted all along, all with voluntary contributions, labor and expertise.
The RJRD needs the Friends. Without the Friends, RJRD will be delivering something different than what the community wants and voted for. Tearing out the magic that makes this preserve special is a violation of the public trust. Save the Preserve that we all wanted; save the Friends.
Charles (Pat) Norris
Humphrey Road
To the Editor
I am writing in response to a number of media posts regarding Richfield Joint Recreation District and the Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve. I would like to address misunderstandings that may be in the minds of people not familiar with the issues.
• The RJRD will not be redirecting funds raised for the Kirby Mill to other park projects.
• RJRD is not banning Friends members from the park. Any and all volunteers are welcome at the park.
RJRD is in extremely capable hands. Our park director has guided RJRD to its first budget surplus in years. The park is now a very different organization than it was 10 years ago when it was established. We now have a park director and three part-time employees. Many wonderful things are happening. We are maturing as an organization and focused upon building an enviable organization that will serve the community for decades to come.
In the coming weeks and months, the RJRD board will be deciding how we want to proceed with respect to fundraising and our relationship with partner groups. For updates, please follow us on social media or come to one of our board meetings. Board meeting dates and board members email addresses can be found on the RJRD website, rjrd.org, or [feel] free to reach out with questions or comments through our email, park-director@rjrd.org.
Anita Gantner
Richfield Joint Recreation District Board chair
Humphrey Road
To the Editor,
Over the years, the RJRD board has asked Friends to take on projects, such as completing the application to place RHP on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, and the restoration of Amity House in 2023. Sometimes Friends initiate an offer, such as the restoration of Kirby’s Mill (provisionally accepted in 2015; final acceptance in 2020).
The Friends have also made offers that were not accepted, such as the restoration of The Lodge (then Gund Hall) in 2018; and taking responsibility for the former Kirby estate (offer made in 2024; decision still pending).
The natural environment of RHP has been very important to the Friends since our beginning. We started removing invasive plants and replanting native species in 2010 when it was still a camp. Our work was included in the Clean Ohio grant that was used to purchase the property.
At that time, RJRD approved our projects to monitor and repair the perimeter fence and trails, and protect trees from beaver damage. In time, RJRD redirected fence and trail work to their volunteer coordinator. At the same time, Beth Sanderson of the Friends assembled a team of environmental experts to develop a plan to maximize the effectiveness of invasive species removal. RJRD participated in these conferences and the 2019 board approved of the plan. The work came to a halt in October 2022 when the park director removed our access to hot running water. RJRD rescinded their approval of the plan in 2024.
Lynn Scholle Richardson
Wandle Avenue
To the Editor,
Turning its back on a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of RHP’s resources in part because it is allegedly not sharing its financials does not seem to be the wisest move taken in December by the current board of the Richfield Joint Recreation District. The Friends of RHP have contributed a half million dollars to the preservation on behalf of its donors. The donations have offset restoration costs of buildings that are representative of Richfield history, and bring non-taxpayer revenue into the park.
The Friends’ reports to the community – with their financials – have been available at FriendsofRHP.org since 2015. The 2023 state nonprofit report is on file at the State of Ohio attorney general’s website, and 2022 and prior years’ nonprofit filings are available on the IRS website. The Friends have planned for the upkeep of the historic buildings by establishing an endowment with the Akron Community Foundation.
One wonders why the current RJRD board and park staff are apparently unable to work with a nonprofit friends group whose leadership and mission are essentially the same as the group who successfully worked with prior appointees and staff for almost 10 years. I am not a Richfield resident but I am a frequent visitor to your community, a nature lover, history buff, and a fan of the law that made the creation of the joint recreation district possible. I hope the RJRD and the Friends can reconcile for the sake of this regional treasure.
Terry Duncan
Olmsted Falls
To the Editor,
The Friend’s Trash Latrine Crew (TLC) at Richfield Heritage Preserve has been cleaning latrines and emptying trash containers weekly for 8-plus years with a team of volunteers at a great savings to the taxpayers of Richfield. The Heritage Preserve is unique in that it has many latrines along the trails, providing much-appreciated convenience. The friendly presence of TLC provided guidance and direction to park visitors, contractors and others that are unfamiliar with the Preserve. We provided additional services such as clearing blocked trails, blowing leaves out of pavilions, decorating for the holidays, answering visitors’ questions and much more. We were the boots on the ground. All hikers thanked us. The RJRD board, park director and employees have forced TLC’s pause by changing all the locks on the Preserve, thereby removing our access to tools, stating that they now have paid staff and no longer need us to volunteer. ∞
Clive Fetzer, Strongsville;
Sandy Norris, Richfield;
Nancy Kanik, Strongsville
Betty van der Meer, Richfield.