BROOKFIELD -The township's historic district committee and officials are working together for improvements at the township center green and historic district.
The township center's gazebo recently had a new roof put on in time for the Christmas holiday celebration on Saturday. The committee also decorated the green for the holidays.
Also, local businesses around the green have decorated their storefronts, as have homeowners.
The effort includes seeking grant money for getting sidewalks at the center. Officials said there once were sidewalks there.
Township trustees met recently with the committee to discuss having Hazelton Street also become designated as a historic district, just like the area around the township center, due to the historic brick-style homes from the 1800s there.
Lois Werner of the committee said information will be sent to five residents who live on Hazelton explaining if the street becomes a historic district would they agree to the guidelines to be part of the district such as keeping the original style of homes.
Trustee Gary Lees said Hazelton Street is a short street in the West Hill area of Masury. He said when Glen Harper, a representative of the Ohio Historic Preservation Society of the Ohio Historical Society, was in the township he looked at the homes on the street and said they are from the late 1800s, which could qualify the area as an historic district.
Werner said a grant application will be submitted to the state by Feb. 1 to get sidewalks on the green, and that efforts are also under way for an Underground Railroad marker for the green.
Trustee Ron Haun said there are lighted wreaths for the public at $54 each including a timer. Local clubs, organizations and individuals have purchased wreaths for the center.
Haun said plans are to have a plaque placed at the center during the holidays indicating who donated to the wreath effort.
"We can plan to do other things on the green in the future,'' Werner said.
Haun said on Saturday there will be a memorial service and lighting of candles for those who died in 2012.
Every Class Helping Others (ECHO), a Brookfield schools alumni group, will be collecting canned goods at the celebration to help those in need during the holidays.
The historic school bell is being restored to be placed at the township green with a committee working on generating funds for that effort.
Haun said the goal is to get enough donations to build a small gazebo for the bell to be placed at the green.