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Apr 06

Moment with the Mayor for March 31, 2018

Posted on April 6, 2018 at 4:08 PM by Cathy Porchowsky

Moment with the Mayor for March 31, 2018
New Fire Chief
Acting Interim Fire Chief Robert Lindner has been appointed as Wadsworth’s 16th Fire Chief! I had the pleasure of swearing-in the new chief in a room full to capacity of supporters including colleagues from the City and other communities, retirees, family and friends. Chief Lindner has 25 years of fire service with the City, 15 of those as a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic. He holds an Ohio Level II Firefighter certification, Ohio Paramedic licensure and holds advanced certifications and training in many areas, including fire safety, inspection, investigations and health safety. He is also a Fire and EMS instructor and is currently completing the rigorous Ohio Fire Executive course provided by the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association. Chief Lindner began his Fire and EMS career in 1993 and became a full-time member of the Fire and EMS Department in 2003. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2008 and then Assistant Chief in 2015. Chief Lindner’s dedication and commitment to his profession, the department and the City is well-known to those who are acquainted with him. With his tremendous work ethic and wealth of firefighting and EMS experience, Safety Director Hiscock and I feel confident that we are in very good hands and look forward to working with him in his new position. Congratulations Chief!

Kaleidoscope Playground
Kaleidoscope Playground, located in Memorial Park at 155 Ault Street, was built by over 1,000 volunteer residents in 1995. This project is near and dear to my heart and many in the community remember their service, often working multiple shifts during the five days of construction. It is a wonderful place for families to gather and enjoy the expansive play equipment and sandbox! Because of its age and popularity and frequent use by hundreds of children over the years, the paintings attached to the structure are worn and faded. Photos of the paintings will be archived and placed in the Wadsworth Historical Museum at the Johnson House. The painting of new replacement boards is being organized by Girl Scouts Jade Wilcox and Hailey Hill who are working toward their Silver Award and became concerned about the condition of the original paintings. Painting will take place during the Main Street First Friday event on April 6th at 5:00 p.m., at the empty First Merit building downtown. To allow for the most participation, boards are limited to one per family. Kaleidoscope-themed coloring pages will be provided for children age 7 and under. Jade and Hailey are hopeful that the community will come together for the opportunity to provide beautiful new paintings for Kaleidoscope!

Award Winning Wadsworth Electric
Once again, the City of Wadsworth Electric Department has been recognized by the American Public Power Association (APPA) with a “Certificate of Excellence in Reliability” for the year 2017. APPA helps public power systems track outage and restoration data and then compares it to national statistics being tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. With 2000 public power communities in the country, only those in the top 10% receive the excellence in reliability designation. Exceptional service and award-winning reliability; what a great combination! Congratulations Wadsworth Electric!

Until next week………….
Robin L. Laubaugh, Mayor