One thing is certain, The Miss Ohio Scholarship Program is no stranger to drama.
During the last two months, Mansfield residents waited for the decision on the future of the program.
Would it stay in Mansfield, where it has seen a successful partnership for the last 36 years, or would it be wooed away by a competitive bid from the city of Zanesville?
Community leaders met with the Miss Ohio Scholar-ship Board of Directors on Wednesday and came up with an agreement that would keep the program in Mansfield for at least another three years.
Zanesville Mayor Butch Zwelling has been working hard for the last few years to make his city the new home for the pageant.
He claims he was offering The Miss Ohio Scholarship Program almost $400,000 in in-kind donations and cash during the next three years.
It wasn’t enough.
Lee Tasseff, director of the Mansfield-Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau, impressed the board by showing how the program would benefit from the city’s partnership.
Tasseff went through the organization’s wish list — which is still top secret — point by point.
“We said they were all doable,” Tasseff said. “If they’re sticking around, we intend for it to be a partnership.”
Going forward, that partnership will be the key to the success of the program in Mansfield.
Like other headline events throughout the year, the program has been used as a way to spotlight our city, bring in visitors and spread the message that Mansfield remains a major player in Ohio’s economy.
The program itself, however, isn’t much of an economic driver, but it would be a serious blow to Mansfield’s psyche to lose the show.
We’re glad to know that we have community leaders who recognize its value and were willing to fight to keep the program in Mansfield.
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