Growing Up With the North Canton YMCA

Councilman Mark Cerreta shares his experiences at the YMCA, which include meeting his wife Lauri and then taking their kids to enjoy the Y, too

Little League President Gary Giammarco Honored for 25 Years of Service

Councilman David Held said it was a "real easy decision" to give a formal proclamation for Giammarco

The night was all about Gary Giammarco and his dedication to the North Canton Little League after serving 25 years as president. But, you wouldn't have guessed it when Giammarco took advantage of his turn to speak; he went row by row and thanked each person he knew who had come to see him be honored inside the North Canton City Council Chambers Monday night. Giammarco, whose children had participated in the little league while he was a team manager, doled out a lot of thank-yous, but his first was to his wife, Grace. "For 25 years I think I have been (at the field) every night, for three or four hours a day, and that takes a lot out of your life," Giammarco said. "I couldn't do it without an understanding wife who has patience and …

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City to Honor North Canton Little League President for 25 Years of Service

Know Gary Giammarco? He'll be in the limelight before Monday's North Canton City Council meeting, and city officials would like you to come show your appreciation for his 25 years of service to the North Canton Little League.

Usually, when kids outgrow their childhood sports teams and move on to other things, so do the parents. Not Gary Giammarco. When his two sons and one daughter outgrew their little league teams, Giammarco kept right on at it managing one of the teams, later becoming the president of the little league. For his 25 years of service as president, Giammarco will be honored at 6:30 p.m. Monday inside the North Canton City Council Chambers before that night's city council meeting. "When you get honored by your city, or by your peers, you have to be humbled," Giammarco said. "You have to feel good about that." So, what is it that kept Giammarco involved in the North Canton Little League all these years? "Because I enjoy the atmosphere of the little…

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City's Gateway Entry Signs Make Unique Holiday Gifts!

Eleven of the 15 signs are already "sold out," so act soon to get your family, organization or business name engraved on bronze plaques.

Looking for a unique holiday present that won’t be outgrown or go out of style? North Canton City Council member Mark Cerreta recommends buying a sponsorship for one of the city’s new Gateway Entry Signs. Even Doug Lane, president of the North Canton Area Chamber of Commerce, is advocating the signs as a nifty gift idea. “As you consider giving this season, please consider adding one of the (gateway) signs to your list as a long-lasting gift to future generations,” Lane wrote in the chamber’s November newsletter. Eleven of the 15 signs are already “sold out,” so those who have been thinking about having their family name, a company or organization name or the name of a loved one engraved on the bronze plaques needs to act soon, Cerreta …

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Entryway Signs on Their Way: Pic of the Day

The city started installing its new entryway signs today. The signs will greet pedestrians and motorists as they travel the city's main corridors.

Just a few weeks after the city settled on which entryway sign it liked, it's already installing them all around town. Councilman Mark Cerreta sent in this photo of an entryway sign going in near North Main Street and Orion Street in North Canton today.  It's one of two being installed now, although Cerreta said we'll have to wait a few weeks to see the post's top piece installed. Cerreta, who spearheaded the entryway signs project, has worked to gather community members' input about what they would like to see. (That included taking into account Patch readers' opinions in this online survey.) The end an amalgamation of several things the public liked about three different entryway sign options — the brick column that represents …

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City's New Entryway, Directional Signs Finalized

Councilman Mark Cerreta said the opinions of community members — including Patch readers — helped dictate their design

North Canton's choice for the new entryway signs is now set in stone. (Erm, sorry for that horrible pun ...) Councilman-at-large Mark Cerreta said he and others on his team took into account the opinions of community members he spoke to at different organizations' meetings, readers of Patch and other media outlets as well as those who stopped by the Master Plan table at the Main Street Festival. And the end result? It's an amalgamation of several things the public liked about three different entryway sign options — the brick column that represents manufacturing and industry, the North Canton "NC" logo that shows community pride and the base of stone, which, combined with the brick, gives streetscape workers more flexibility in the future…

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Cerreta Gives Update on Master Plan, Including Bike-Friendly Signage, Entryway Markers

Councilman-at-large Mark Cerreta filled in North Canton City Council members about updates to the Master Plan — a road map to future improvements within the city — at Tuesday night's council meeting

Councilman-at-large Mark Cerreta shared some new information about the North Canton Master Plan with council Tuesday night but said he'll give a presentation with more details soon. Tuesday night's update from Cerreta included information about:

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On the Agenda: Council to Discuss City Park Regulations, Master Plan Update

Members of the North Canton City Council will meet at 7 p.m. tonight in Council Chambers

City Council members will meet at 7 p.m. tonight in Council Chambers to discuss several matters, including regulations for the city parks, the North Canton Master Plan and an electric aggregation program. Hoping to find out what else is happening tonight at the meeting? Check out the full agenda in the PDFs section of this update. Councilman-at-large Mark Cerreta is prepared to update council about the North Canton Master Plan, which means sharing the progress of the city's entryway signs. At the Aug. 27 meeting, Cerreta told council the city has nearly made its decision about an entryway sign. North Canton Patch had run photos of the three signs in June and asked readers to vote for their favorite. Out of a brick, stone and a combination …

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LOOK: Your City Officials Attack Graffiti at Fred Astaire Dance Studio

Which graffiti remover works best? North Canton City Council members and the city's superintendent of permits and inspection were determined to find that out this weekend.

North Canton City Council members have been mulling over how to deal with graffiti in the city this year as the unsightly artwork continues to pop up on Dumpsters, park buildings and businesses. They've recently discussed an ordinance that would slap the wrists of business owners who dawdle on cleaning graffiti from their buildings. The proposed ordinance, which has been tabled since June, would require business owners to remove the graffiti within a certain time frame or else face punishment from the city (city officials are leaning toward a civil offense). Council members had also talked about which graffiti removers might work best and whether the city should buy the removers and sell them to business owners at cost. And on Saturday …

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North Canton Kicks Off Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program

The city's website now contains info on how to get involved

The city's new Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program aims to connect those in need with those willing and able to help. Spurred by Councilman Mark Cerreta, the program just recently made its way onto the city's website. There, residents can find out more about the program and how to get involved and start helping their neighbors. If you or your organization wants to be on the "go-to" list of volunteers to help, call City Hall at 330-499-5081 or sign up on the North Canton website at northcantonohio.com. North Canton Patch has also reported about the program. You can find more info here:

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Morgan Day

11:19 am on Friday, July 13, 2012

Not a problem, Ken. I actually just heard back from City Administrator Mike Grimes and he says they've made it clearer on the city's site. You can send an e-mail using their “contact” feature, which they made a link to on the home page.   more ›