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Tiffin resident Don Mitchell named Citizen of the Year after decades maintaining small public green
Summary
At a Tiffin City Council meeting, Don Mitchell was presented the Citizen of the Year award after council members noted he has maintained a triangular patch of public grass at Ellis Street and Euclid for about 45 years.
A city official presented Don Mitchell with the Citizen of the Year award during a Tiffin City Council meeting after describing his decades of volunteer maintenance of a small public green at the intersection of Ellis Street and Euclid.
The recognition highlighted Mitchell’s long-running effort to mow and clean a triangular patch of grass that was left after the streets were realigned. “I do want to introduce you to one gentleman who has cared and donated his time for the last 45 years,” the city official said when introducing Mitchell.
The nut graf: the award recognized long-term, informal civic maintenance by a resident who said he began mowing the spot because Public Works had only been mowing it twice a year, which left the area overgrown and prone to illegal dumping. The council’s acknowledgement underscores how volunteer efforts can fill maintenance gaps in small public spaces.
Mitchell provided a brief account of his life and service. He said he moved to Tiffin in 1952, graduated from Tiffin Columbian High School in 1956 and served in the U.S. Air Force. He told the council he has lived in the same house since 1969 and estimated he has been maintaining the triangular green for “over way over 40 years, maybe 45.”
Mitchell described keeping active after retirement—riding a bicycle and doing local volunteer work—and said he uses a push mower to cut grass for neighbors who cannot. “I try to do 20 miles a day, every day,” Mitchell said of his cycling routine.
Mitchell also thanked Mayor Wilkinson and his wife, noting they had encouraged him to attend the meeting. The city official who presented the award closed by praising Mitchell as an example of what makes the community strong.
No formal vote, ordinance, or budget action was recorded in the transcript for this recognition. The remarks appear in the meeting record as a ceremonial presentation and public acknowledgment of a resident’s longtime volunteer service.
