Group asks Steubenville Council to play a bigger role in First Friday
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STEUBENVILLE -- Members of the Harmonium Project are calling on city officials to play a bigger role in their First Friday celebrations.
Harmonium President Marc Barnes was at City Council's meeting Tuesday to present a list of wants, including permanent restrooms and an obvious police presence for the First Friday celebrations, which began in 2018.
"This festival has become a sign of hope for all of Steubenville, and it has become very recognized as a sign of this city," Barnes said. "This might have started as a Harmonium Project festival, but in the minds of the people it belongs to them. I'm here tonight to ask the city to rise to that perception … the perception that the city of Steubenville puts on the biggest and best festival."
Barnes told council downtown business owners report First Friday crowds have boosted their bottom line.
"Our idea was to 'fake a thriving downtown until we had a thriving downtown,'" he said, pointing out the goal then, as now, is to fill in the gaps between downtown businesses, "so when people come downtown, they don't see (them)."
"Now, two blocks of the city are full, end-to-end" during First Fridays, he said. "And this year looks like it will (be even bigger)."
In addition to permanent restrooms, which he admits are a "big-ticket" wish, Harmonium Project would also like to see the city add permanent, attractive trash cans on Fourth Street; install anchors and run string lights between building tops in the 100 block of N. 4th Street; pay for one or two police officers to walk a First Friday beat or otherwise increase police presence during First Friday celebrations; hang plants from the commercial district's light poles each spring; run a water line to the "green space" on Fourth Street for volunteer flower-waterers and vendors to use during First Friday; plant trees in tree spaces throughout the commercial district; invest in larger, wheeled planters that can be rolled into place in order to block street traffic during festivals and signs reading "Road Closed for festival" to hang on them; support creation of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, in Steubenville's commercial district that would allow patrons to purchase an adult beverage at a participating vendor or restaurant and walk with it in hand around the festival area only; and install pet waste signs and a bag dispense in the green space as well.
Councilwoman at large Kimberly Hahn told Barnes several items on the group's wish list are part of Urban Project Director Chris Petrossi's proposed streetscape grant application, so they'll have to await a decision on it before they proceed with things like decorative cans, for instance.
Likewise, City Manager Jim Mavromatis said it would be up to Harmonium Project to approach business owners for permission and liability agreement before anchors can be installed on the buildings.
"We need a release from every building owner," Mavromatis said, "their signature and what happens if one pulls (a brick) down."
Later, Hahn asked Law Director Costa Mastros if he could draft the anchor agreement with business owners and he said no.
"We would not want to be liable," Mastros said. "They'll have to go to each individual building owner and make whatever deal they want to make."
Paying police officers to walk a designated First Friday beat is also a "tough call," he said. "There are so many functions in town where they hire police, the reason being if there's going to be drinking. There are so many things to consider."
Council unanimously adopted a resolution honoring Vietnam veterans.
Prior to the vote, a letter penned by Councilman Willie Paul, unable to attend the meeting, was read into the record, thanking Vietnam veterans for their service and pointing out their "bravery, sacrifice and strength do not go unnoticed."
Second Ward Councilman Tracy McManamon, who'd requested the resolution to commemorate National Vietnam War Veterans Day, said he "wanted to present this to the Vietnam veterans last week. Unfortunately, I was not able to do so." McManamon said he and Mayor Jerry Barilla would go to one of the group's meetings and present it in person "so they can understand how we truly feel about them."
A group of Vietnam veterans had attended council's April 4 meeting to accept the resolution, but walked out after noticing Councilwoman Asantewa Anyabwile and Councilman Royal Mayo stood but didn't salute the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance.
At the time, Anyabwile had said a "silent protest of not saluting the flag is not a slap in the face of those people who walked out. It is a silent protest to let folks know if you listen to the words of the pledge it says 'and justice for all,' but there's not justice for all yet. "
Mayo had pointed out, "Everybody doesn't feel the same way because everybody doesn't have the same experience. But what we have to do is respect where everybody is coming from."
They and a group of like-thinkers in the gallery stood with their arms at their sides during the pledge but there was no walkout even though veterans were present.
One veteran later addressed council, pointing out he'd served with soldiers of all ethnicities, "We didn't see color, we didn't see nothing," he said. "We saw that flag, we saw the Constitution of the United States. We didn't take an oath to a party, we took an oath to the United States of America … I think that's how a small city government should act. I think that's the only way we can move forward."
McManamon, meanwhile, also asked that the names of 75 Vietnam era soldiers from Ohio still listed as missing in action be part of the meeting record.
"Let's not forget their names here," he said.
In other business:
— Council signed off on emergency legislation authorizing City Manager Jim Mavromatis to apply for grants through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Program and Clean Ohio Trails fund, as well as the city's participation in the 2023 ODOT road salt contracts.
— Hahn told council City Engineer Mike Dolak, working with Aspire, the city's grant consultant, was able to get an application for a $250,000 OMEGA grant for the Lovers Lane expansion project in before the deadline.
— She also said Dolak had ordered two LED pedestrian signs and one LED stop sign to address concerns with officials at Trinity Medical Center West over some "near-miss accidents with pedestrians."
"They should arrive by end of the month and be put up," she said. "Hopefully, those will improve pedestrian safety."
— Hahn sunshined legislation that would vacate a portion of Webster Alley between Fifth and Sixth streets from Market Street north about 160 feet to an unnamed alley, and told council that working through Inscape, a local non-profit helping young adults secure internships, they've been able to get an intern to work with Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf for the next 4.5 months.
"We're very grateful to Inscape and a young man who said he's really looking forward to it," she said.