It was, indeed, a year to celebrate the continuing restoration of Firestone Park. The players were many: Restoration and Beautification Committee, the Columbiana Athletic Booster Club, the Columbiana School District, the Firestone Park Cultural and Custodial Committee, the Park Board, the City of Columbiana, and many contractors and generous citizens.

New Football Stands

Probably the most significant project completed was the replacement of the football stands at Firestone Field. The school district, Clipper Booster Club and individual and group donors all made noteworthy contributions. The Booster Club Committee, headed by Sean Zentner, did the planning and fundraising to the tune of $1,400,000. The stadium was dedicated at the first football game of the season and to the Fisher Family: Dick “Sonny” Fisher (the original Columbiana Clipper), and to other Hall of Fame Fishers …. George Fisher, Jim Poulton, Erin Heasley and Bonnie Wilkinson. Members of the Fisher Family and many local donors who had supported the effort were present on a nice evening as the Clippers played Lisbon and won their game. Strollo Architects and Santini Builders were the contractors, with Summer Barker, the architect. Much yet remains to be done as the track, field, restrooms, concession stands are part of the next phase of improvements.

Concerts and Gardening Workshops

A new supportive 501c3 committee was busy making special additions to the cultural needs and maintenance of the park. Firestone Park Cultural and Custodial Committee joined the Restoration and Beautification Committee in their efforts to continue development of the park. They were sponsors for five musical concerts in September, with all but one at Idabelle’s Gathering Place and Garden. All were well-received with plans now in progress to continue them this coming Fall.

Also presented were five gardening workshops also held at Idabelle’s. Presenters included Skip McCullough of Meadowbrook Nursery, Keith Kaiser of Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens, Cindy Tyler of Terra Design, and COES experts from the state. All of these events to honor Idabelle Firestone’s love of gardening and music.

Other Ongoing Activities

The CHS class of 1976 also completed a small open-sided pavilion on the east side of Mirror Lake with table and benches. It’s an impressive-small group seating area South of the Memorial Gardens looking out over the lake. Park Superintendent Tim Reash also had the kiosk located at the west end of the pool parking lot set up with information about park events on a screen with an accompanying park map. Much appreciated and helpful to park visitors!

The park playground committee continue their work in fundraising and designing a new facility for younger children. They have chosen a contractor and a company to design the features of the new playground. They welcome input and help as they raise money for the safer new structure. See their facebook site for specific information.

Finally, the FPCCC, the Firestone Park Cultural and Custodial Committee, the new 501c3 joining Restoration and Beautification, enlisted the help of a local gardening care service to tackle the work on all the new plantings and beds installed two years ago. They were due for pruning, fertilizing, plant replacements and insecticide care. Terra Design, who had designed and had the beds planted by Enviroscapes, declared the scope and variety of plantings was sophisticated enough to be called an arboretum and recommended horticulture care. No one on the current park staff has the training and skills needed to accomplish this yearly or semi-yearly task. It took the outside company 39 days, and three men full-time to accomplish this first attention to the “park” needs. The park board and city administration has been notified of the need for skilled employees to maintain this major gift to the park. Inclusion in the upcoming 2025 budget is a necessity.

More Recreational Projects

Work has begun on the Senior Courts with the Spring completion of the bocce, horseshoe and shuffleboard courts expected. This is a project of R and B and the Tingle Family Foundation.

What lies ahead for the year 2025 is a continuation of some of the above — mentioned projects, as well as setting some goals for still-needed improvements.

Among these are the restoration of the interior of the pool house — a much-needed update to meet sanitary, aesthetic and historic goals. Also needed is the completion of two more phases of the stadium project, and attention to the city sewer line needing repair and running along the east side of the football field, the need for more and better restroom facilities throughout the park, as well as the continuing development of existing pavilions.

Visit Facebook for more details on all of the exciting projects completed and under development for Firestone Park.