The Rotary Club of North Ridgeville accepted the project to renovate Safetyville in late 2006.  The project involves the renovation of most current buildings within the Safetyville complex, as well as the complete reconstruction of several buildings.  The project is expected to be completed by June 2009. 

Map of the Safetyville complex listing current building locations and sponsors.

     In September 2006, the club prepared an assessment of the needed renovations.  We then scheduled a tour of the Safetyville site to inform and motivate our members.  In October 2006, we summarized and distributed previously completed member surveys in order to arrive at an accurate workforce to complete the project.  The club began to solicit local builders and retail stores for the materials needed in October, and started to coordinate the project with other interested outside groups to work with our Rotary teams.  At that time, the club organized the following project teams:

     Marketing and Promotion:  Ron Schwachenwald, Rita Price, George Stokes, Harold Bogner, Dennis Carson, John Musson, Dick Noll, and Pietro Trunzo.

     Project Engineers:  Emil Bagi and Denny Johnson.

     Team One:  Shawn Phillips, Doug Charboneau, Bob Bunsey, Shawn Mueller, Kerry Mueller, Chuck Sword, Carl Commons, Chuck Bowman, Paul Kantor, Tom Klear.

     Team Two:  Dennis Boose, Bob Liston, Dottie Alberto, Warren Blakely, Al Retay, Kim Cromwell, Chris Costin, Paul Graupmann, Craig Phillips.

     Team Three:  Pietro Trunzo, Richard Backman, Jack Smith, Kevin Corcoran, Casey O'Conor, Regis Holland, Sherry Drummond, Bob Kirkpatrick, Joe Martin, Wade Hammond.

     Team Four:  Pat Blakely, Dave Gillock, Hyacinth Williams, Adam Sonnhalter, Eric Breunig, Greg Cromwell, Paul Balog, Jeff Hopkins, Miklos Kis.

Kerry (left) and Shawn Mueller shore-up the bracing of one of the new buildings

Doug Charboneau puts some finishing touches on the painting details

     In December 2006, the club began soliciting local businesses for potential Safetyville sponsorships, which will included buying a building, building a building, or making a donation towards our project.  For example, the Friends of the Library have decided to have a mini-library built by the high school shop class as a project.

      The first official Safetyville was conducted at the Wilcox Elementary School beginning in 1978.  In the mid '90's, the Police Department and a number of concerned citizens began planning for the current facility.  Through the donation of time and materials, our current Safetyville was completed and opened in 1998.  Since that time, over 1,500 five and six-year olds have participated in the program.  In addition, over two dozen other communities have toured our facility and used our site as a prototype. 

     Registrations for Safetyville begin in May of each year.  During the week-long program, participants go through an initial orientation and receive a poster and t-shirt.  One day is spent reviewing police safety, another in fire safety, and yet another in school bus safety.  The final day of the program includes a review of everything learned during the week, with a closing ceremony and graduation from the program.

     If you would like more information about the Safetyville project, contact the webmaster by clicking here.