Wall will complete fire station

NORWALK — Lake Erie Construction and Norwalk Concrete will be completing a wall at the new fire station. The back parking lot of the fire station will be closed off with a concrete wall and chain link gates. "We were seeing on our recorded cameras individuals cutting through the back parking lot area during the night. Even though this area is off-limits to the public, many were using it as a short cut," Capt. Rick Perry said. "Our department contacted Dave Bleile from Lake Erie Construction to see if we could somehow close this area off." Perry said Bleile contacted John Lendrum from Norwalk Concrete and came up with a plan. "They came up with a plan to bring the wall all the way around to the front of the property that matched the original concrete wall," he said. On Friday, Lake Erie Construction began boring holes for supports that will eventually secure the concrete wall into place. There will be gated openings with chain link gates supplied by Lake Erie. All the work for the wall is being completed through in-kind donations. "It was Mayor (Rob) Duncan that gave us the final OK to proceed with the project," Perry said. "Current safety-service director Ralph Fegley picked up where they left off and has been very supportive in the process to get to where we are at today." Perry said the fire station is blessed by those in the community who have contributed to the project. "Let's not forget all the work Chief John Soisson poured into this project," he said. "All we are doing now is finishing off what he started. He will forever be linked to this place." The new fire station was completed in 2018. The 17,000-square-foot facility at 108 Whittlesey Ave. replaces the station at 42 Whittlesey Ave. that was built in 1912.