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Local News

Friday, November 13, 2009

Village ready for business
By ERIC SCHAADT

Staff Writer

NORTH BALTIMORE -- Four new businesses in downtown North Baltimore will hold a joint grand opening Saturday with the goal of attracting customers and boosting the downtown's health.

A cinema, hardware store, craft shop and photography studio occupy once-empty storefronts in the 100 block of North Main Street.

Saturday's grand openings of the four ventures will feature a live radio broadcast and prizes provided by the stores.

"I live here," the new hardware store owner, Harold Haynes, said. "I've always liked downtown North Baltimore. We need more businesses."

Haynes is opening the store that bears his name at 124 N. Main St.

Haynes operates another hardware store in the country outside North Baltimore, and he said he wanted to expand his business to one inside the village limits.

His downtown business, which recently moved into a storefront that had been empty for two years, sells kitchen and bathroom equipment, among other household items. He also builds cabinets for the kitchen and bathroom.

Haynes' sister, Mary Ward, runs the Kountry Cupboard, 122 N. Main St., which opened in October.

Crafts and consignment items can be found in the Kountry Cupboard.

A Bowling Green couple has started a photography studio at 114 N. Main St.

Nicole Reza, one of the owners of Eric Reza Photography, said they brought their studio to North Baltimore because there was none "in the immediate vicinity."

She said families in North Baltimore have had to travel to nearby cities for portraits.

And film buffs should be happy with the Virginia Motion Pictures theater, which will offer family movies, classics and independent offerings in a downtown movie theater that had been shuttered since September 2008.

Owner Jayson Wickard has said he wants to bring family entertainment with reasonable prices to the theater where he had worked as a youngster.

Reza praised the opening of the new businesses in North Baltimore.

"I hope it means they revitalize (the downtown)," she said.

Haynes said, "People are happy seeing new businesses coming in and making North Baltimore look like it should again."

North Baltimore officials hope more stores arrive in the downtown.

Village Administrator Kathy Healy said she has fielded inquiries from other potential businesses, including a sandwich shop.

Healy estimated six empty storefronts remain in the downtown, including the former Faith Alliance Church and former Huntington Bank.

Meanwhile, some North Baltimore business representatives have banded together and may submit a bid to buy five vacant downtown parcels from the village to create more parking spaces along North Main Street.

Buildings on those parcels have been torn down by the village.

Schaadt: 419-427-8414,

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1 Comment

bill wrote:
businesses
“ None of the 4 will make it-North Baltimore hasnt had any influx of people moving in-once the railroad people finish building,they will leave and the town will be just as bad off as it always has been ”
Friday, November 13, 2009 6:15:17 AM
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Benton Ridge Shooting

This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.