Jackson Township's new park named to honor legislator Kirk Schuring

JACKSON TWP. – The township's newest park will honor longtime resident and state legislator Kirk Schuring.

Schuring, currently serving in the Ohio Senate, has been a member of Ohio's General Assembly — serving in the Senate or House of Representatives — continuously since 1993.

Jackson Township and the surrounding community have benefited because of Schuring's years of service, Randy Gonzalez, the township's fiscal officer, said Friday.

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Township trustees held a special meeting Friday morning at the park's site to announce the name, passing a resolution and unveiling a sign.

The announcement came as a surprise to Schuring, who as late as Thursday afternoon expected to spend Friday morning in Columbus working with other legislators on a sports betting law the General Assembly is considering.

"I was flabbergasted," Schuring said after the announcement, then joked that such honors generally don't go to the living. "Who talked to my personal physician?"

New Kirk Schuring Park still being planned

The park will feature athletic fields and hasn't been built.

It will cover a 40-acre tract at the end of Belden Greens Circle NW, a road that is part of development at the former Tam O'Shanter golf course. Plans show seven regulation soccer fields and four smaller soccer fields, as well as parking, picnic shelters and rest rooms, and areas for food trucks.

The park will be situated between commercial development to the north along Fulton Drive NW and the 200-acre Stark County park that once was the golf course. Trails from the county park will connect with the township park and to the commercial development.

Township Administrator Michael Vaccaro said he hopes that plans for the park can be finalized by the end of November. That would allow the township to seek bids early next year.

The cost for the project hasn't been finalized, Vaccaro said.

Credit due to others

Schuring said he believed the names of others in the community should be added to the sign for the new park.

Gonzalez acknowledged the suggestions made and assistance given by others as the park has moved toward reality.

He credited developer Bob DeHoff for telling township officials they should try to preserve green space in the center of the township, and Stark Parks Director Bob Fonte for helping to convert most of the Tam O'Shanter golf course into a county park.

Gonzalez also gave credit to former Canton Repository Publisher Jim Porter, newly named president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, for helping the township connect with the Hall officials and the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co. Gonzalez said the township expects to work with Hall of Village to co-host events using the new park's soccer fields.

"We have a center park right in the middle of the township," Gonzalez said. "Our trustees — Todd Hawke, John Pizzino and Jim Thomas — have done a great job to guide this ship."

Many years of work, support

When Hawke read the resolution naming the park in Schuring's honor, he cited a string of projects where Schuring helped secure state dollars or pushed for legislation to make the project possible. In addition to the new park and the Stark Parks project, the list includes the amphitheater in North Park, the Stark County Public Library branch and the Paul and Carol David YMCA building.

Hawke and Gonzalez also noted Schuring's work in the 1990s on legislation allowing a joint economic development district between townships and cities. JEDDs allow townships and cities to collect and share income taxes while helping businesses grow.

Gonzalez noted that Jackson's new park is part of a JEDD with Canton. The project includes a Meijer supercenter and convenience store, other restaurants and retailers, an assisted living center and apartments.

Schuring commended officials from Canton and Jackson for working together and creating JEDDs to help the community develop.

"This one if special because it not only has economic development, but it has quality of life," Schuring said, citing the park projects that are part of the Tam O'Shanter development. 

Surprise for Kirk Schuring

While trustees announced Friday's special meeting earlier in the week, plans to honor Schuring were kept as a surprise.

Township officials shared the plans with his wife, Darlene Schuring — marketing director at The Canton Repository — who made certain the state senator was at the event. The couple's son and daughter, daughter-in-law and four of six grandchildren attended, along with other family members.

Rain forced people attending the dedication to move to a drier location. After trustees approved the resolution naming the park for Schuring, the event moved to the former Tam O'Shanter clubhouse that is part of Starks Park.

While thankful for the honor, Schuring questioned whether it was deserved. "There a lot of people who have done more to create this than me," he said.

The park dedication comes the weekend before a general election that has two current trustees, Hawke and Pizzino, facing four challengers. One of the challengers, Amy Kunkle, attended the event.