Safety Town village and 9/11 memorial to come along with new Wadsworth Fire Department

WADSWORTH — A new Safety Town village and 9/11 memorial are coming along with the new Wadsworth Fire Department upon completion. Tuesday evening, the Wadsworth City Council passed an ordinance to enter a contract with McComas Landscaping for construction of a permanent Safety Town village location and a 9/11 memorial. "Talking with the safety director, we were fortunate to find a piece of steel from the towers on 9/11, and they would like to place a memorial with the Safety Town behind the fire station," Wadsworth City Ward 1 Councilman Ralph Copley said. Copley said that the council wanted to incorporate a Safety Town village permanently, as to put an end to tedious set up. "The village is made up of these little buildings you'd have to assemble every year and paint lines on the playgrounds every year," he said. "This permanent one will be better for everyone. Plus, it helps the kids learn." Copley said the village will have the Wadsworth City School District help construct the buildings and house-like features of the small replica town village. He said that the village could receive sponsorship from local businesses, meaning some of the buildings would be small replicas of Wadsworth shops. Passed on second reading, and declared an emergency, Copley said that due to tree removal being necessary, the decision was made in regards to Indiana bats stopping and nesting in Wadsworth at certain times of the year. He said that if the bats were to be nesting in the wooded area, the city could not move ahead with any deforestation or limb removal of trees. "There is a small wooded area with scrub brush that needs to be gotten rid of," he said. The Safety Town village and 9/11 memorial will be featured behind the new fire station on College Street. Contact reporter Mason Savoia at (330) 721-4050 or at msavoia@medina-gazette.com.