The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-01-28
PROTEST
MADE GIVING PARK
SITE FOR
New School Building To
City Council
Education Board Wants
Main Entrance At Ninn-
isiIa And Strong Oppo.
sltion Already yManifests
Itself.

Itself.
Are the members of the city council
going to give away a portion of one
of Cantons breathing spots to accom-
modate the members of the board of
education? That is question which
will come before the councilmanic
body for decision in the near future
At Monday nights meeting of the
council communication was received
bearing the signatures OF all members
of the board of education, in which
they ask that section of Nimisila
park, the main entrance to the beauti-
full grove which should be preserved
by the city be closed to the public
for the purpose of erecting school
building thereon The school board
asks for the southwest corner of the
park property in their communication.
This is erroneous. What they desire
Is that portion at the juncture of Ma
honing and Wheeler streets, extend
ing from the Mahoning street line to
the row of houses On the north side
of Wheeler street and extending quite
a distance from Wheeler street along
the Mahoning street side, robbing the
grove of many of its beautiful trees
and destroying the main entrance and
driveway to the park proper
This park was purchased by the
council some fifteen or more years
ago from the Stark County Agricultur-
al society, the sum OF $4,000 cash be-
ing paid for it. Since that time many
thousands of dollars have been spent
in making this natural park more
beautiful and the thought now that
portions of it are to be given away,
even for educational purposes, will be
met with much opposition.
Canton cannot have too many parks
and rather than give one foot of this
ground away the council should be
seeking more property of its kind for
park purposes. Here is the letter
from the school board, which is fol-.
lowed by protest that has the right
ring to il:
The Honorable City Council, Canton.
Ohio.
Gentlemen:-Th Canton high school
has outgrown the capacity Of the cen
tral high school building on West
Tuscarawas street. Additional ac-
commodations are required In the
northeast section of the city for grades
below the high school. We have given
much consideration to the selecting of
a suitable site for another high school
building, so located as to be most ac-
cessible from large portion Of the
east part of Canton school district.
We believe that the southwest corner
of Nimisila Park fronting on Wheeler
and Mahoning streets is the most de-
sirable site and the best location for
a high school in the eastern part of
the city. If this site can be secured
1t will avoid the necessity of erecting
another building for grammar and
primary grades, at this time, in that
section, as for some years to come
the new building will not all be need
ed for high school purposes, and the
lower grades can be accommodated in
the same building. A large portion
of the central high school building was
used for lower grades for years after
that building had been erected.
We therefore petition your honor
able body, to take such action as may
soon enable the board of education to
obtain title to a suitable site in MINI
isila Park, for public school purposes
J. w. LEHMAN,
JOHN NIEDERHAUSER,
LORIN G. WISE,
LOUIS P. d. YOST,
HARRY A. MARSH,
Board of Education.
The first protest against giving the
school board this land was read at the |
council meeting last night. 1t is as
Canton, o., Jan. 25, 1909.
To the City Council Of Canton, Ohio
We the members of the Canton Sor- |
osis understand that your Honorable |
body is considering the following mat
ters:
First, the sale of part of Nimisila |
park to be used for school purposes.
Second, the giving to certain par
ties the privilege or right to place
certain amusements in Cook park for |
the use of which a charge is to be |
made.
We desire most emphatically to pro-
test against your granting the use o.
either of said parks for either school |
or amusement purposes, believing that
either of said uses would be an In
fringement on our rights as citizens
interested In the beauty and welfare
of our city. In our rapidly growing
city we do not have at this time
enough purely park land for the large
number of children in our city who
need places for recreation.
We earnestly hope that each mem
Der Of your Honorable body will op-
pose the granting OF any our our park
land for any purpose other than that
for which 1t is now used.
Respectfully yours,
BLANCHE VIGNOS, Pres,
MRS. w. A. DILLMAN, Sec'y.