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HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION <br />PRESERVATION SPECIALIST REPORT <br />July 20, 2015 <br />Hello Commission! <br />Not much to report this month as it has been business as usual. Lots of roofs, <br />landscaping, demolitions, and code hearings. Since I mentioned Code hearings, just to <br />bring folks up to speed: <br />618 S St Joseph -Taylor's Field, all secured and Ms McCarthy given 120 more days to fix <br />roof <br />621 Rex=Chapin Park- Mr Deka cleaned up his salvage yard and has been given until <br />August to complete roof and fencing repairs <br />622 Portage -Chapin park, Mr Santos strikes again with 30 days to complete repairs or <br />suffer civil penalties <br />Other business; Last month I held a workshop for headstone cleaning at City Cemetery. <br />The local media, WNDU Ch. 16 interviewed me and videotaped some of the volunteers <br />and I using drills with SOFT nylon bristles to clean the stones with diluted ammonia. <br />This created an uproar by folks who viewed the story who mistook the method for <br />grinding the stones down. As a matter of fact a gentleman who does this for a living and a <br />distributor of a chemical used to clean headstones declared that I was a criminal and <br />should be arrested for vandalism. Dozens more misinformed citizens commented and <br />even went so far as to ask for my resignation and charges brought against me. Upon <br />hearing what was going on the Kara Kelly from the Mayor's Office offered to push <br />through a press release to defend my training and actions. I was informed to not respond <br />as they would handle it. I used the methods taught by the DHPA at both weekend <br />workshops I attended. The video was watched by those that taught me and confirmed the <br />way I was cleaning was correct. I received threats and insults on social media for an <br />entire week. After a press release was written and forwarded to the Mayor's Office they <br />waited a week and decided it had blown over and no reason to talk about it anymore. <br />I WILL NOT be doing any more workshops at city cemetery. I felt like I was discarded <br />and left without a chance to defend myself. This will not do. I will not be advertising if I <br />am the guide for any tours nor any future workshops if I do any at all. Just wanted to <br />make you aware. <br />Thank you, <br />Steve Szaday <br />Preservation Specialist <br />