Dover honors firefighters at pinning ceremony

Prior to the Dover Council meeting June 19, Dover honored two members of the fire department with a pinning ceremony in council chambers.

Honored were Lt. Ryan Parrish of Dover on his recent promotion to that title and a new hire, Nick Stelzer of Zanesville who will serve as a firefighter/paramedic.

The ceremony began with the individual swearing in of the two men by Mayor Shane Gunnoe. Their wives pinned the men making the honors official.

Dover Fire Chief Russ Volkert spoke at the event, he said one of the most important things they do at the fire department is the hiring process.

“We hire the best qualified person for that job. So, everybody that we hire is at the top of the class and has already shown a serious commitment,” Volkert said.

Moving up in the department takes dedication.

“When you see someone promoted, it means they've stepped up to the next higher level. They've studied, they worked hard, and they made a commitment to take on added responsibility,” Volkert said. “And what you see before you, in these young people, is the future of the fire department and the future leadership of the fire department for the city of Dover. They're among a very elite class folks over the last 150 years, and we're glad to have them on board.”

The badges used for the pinning ceremony are in the shape of a shield which symbolizes commitment and protection.

“At it's very essence, what a fireman does is when bad things happen, they show to help,” Volkert said.

At the council meeting, Dan Warther of the Dover Exchange Club along with Rockne Clark presented the city with a check for $5,000 for Dover’s end of summer celebration. Mayor Shane Gunnoe said the money would go toward the fireworks display and that others wanting to sponsor the event are welcome.

Warther and Clark also invited council to come to a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony at the picnic shelter recently completed in the Canal Dover Park off Front Street. The ceremony will be held at the shelter Tuesday June 27 at 6:30 p.m., rain or shine.

Dover Exchange Club members and members of the former Dover Jaycee's are invited to attend the ceremony in conjunction with the various Dover city officials. Immediately after the ceremony, the clubs will christen the shelter with a potluck, covered dish, picnic dinner. Table service will be provided, and all guests are asked to bring their favorite picnic dish or dessert to share. For more information, contact Clark at 330-827-8811 or email tusclerk@yahoo.com.

Councilmember Joe Sciarretti announced the June 19 meeting was his last. He and his family are moving to a home out of Dover, and he will no longer be eligible to serve.

Sciarretti was appointed to fill the council-at-large position when it was vacated by Justin Perkowski when he was appointed Dover council president replacing Shane Gunnoe who was appointed as mayor.

According to Gunnoe, the Republican Central Committee has up to 45 days to fill the vacancy. The term has two and a half years left.

In his mayor’s report, Gunnoe noted the city has been working very hard to fill a number of open positions within various departments.

“I am honored to congratulate Lieutenant Ryan Parrish on his recent promotion within our Dover fire department as well as Sean Berlyak on his recent promotion to light plant assistant superintendent and Dustin Briggs on his promotion to assistant general services superintendent,” Gunnoe said. “I am also pleased to welcome several new employees including Kyle Mizer, IT assistant superintendent, Nick Stelzer a firefighter/paramedic, Dalton Bell in the electric field, and Forest White in the water department. We also have many additional potential employees going through pre-employment testing now and hope to have a number of employee announcements in the coming weeks.”

Gunnoe announced paving in the city is going well. Paving has already been completed on Evergreen Drive, Parkdale Drive from 12th Street to Parkview Drive and West 16th from Wooster Avenue to Chestnut Street, Chestnut Street to 15th, and Oak Street off of 15th Street.

“This week, our paving contractor will continue to work on the west side of town. Please remember to watch our Facebook page for daily updates as we move through areas of town,” Gunnoe said.

At Dover City Park, Lewis Landscaping will begin in July overhauling several fields in order to provide a better playing surface.

“The overhaul involves bringing in new infield clay, sand and diamond conditioner and regrading the field. This will provide for improved water drainage and better playing experience for our youth. We hope to do the remainder of the fields in the years to come,” Gunnoe said.

Council approved two pieces of legislation. Ordinance 13-23 authorizes the expenditure of funds for the purchase of Kubota membrane bioreactor filter RW 400 units for the wastewater treatment plant and replacement parts in the amount not to exceed $550,000. The funding in this ordinance would last about four years. The filters have about a 10-year life span.

Also passed was emergency resolution 19-23 authorizing the mayor or the service director to enter into a partnership agreement with Tuscarawas County for the 2023 Community Housing Impact and Preservation program.

At the end of the meeting, the council went into executive session for a discussion of land acquisition and extension of public utilities for economic development purposes. No action was taken.

The next Dover City Council meeting will be held July 3 in council chambers, 121 E. Second St., Dover.