Civil Municipal Magazine Aug 2023

148 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 8 share of sports greats, including some notable Londoners, such as Warren Amling, an All- American Ohio State football player and 1945 Heisman Trophy finalist; professional baseball player Bob Bescher; Major League umpire Satch Davidson; and Dick LeBeau, an NFL hall-of-famer, assistant coach and defensive coordinator; and professional baseball great and coach Rick Renick. It can be argued that as a mayor, Closser is himself a kind of coach, leading his community to greater heights. One way is through improved Internet access. Omni Fiber is currently laying new fiber throughout London. Upon reflection, the mayor declares that he’s very big on recreation. “Especially giving kids things to do,” he said. “We all know about idle hands. When I became mayor, we wanted to redo our park. The City didn’t have a lot of funds at that time, so we decided to raise money through a public/private partnership, and we were able to raise $250,000 privately through individuals, businesses, and fundraisers. “We got $250,000 from the state capital budget. We did a $500,000 renovation to Cowling Park, which is on the corner of North Main Street and Park Avenue. We brought in walking paths and a brand-new, gigantic playground that is handicapped-accessible. That was another focus: we didn’t want kids to feel left out.” Closser also cited the local municipal pool and its concomitant splash pad. A local business generously donated $200,000 to bring this project to fruition. “There was an abandoned church next door that