Gazebos.
They can be found in many towns throughout the region, in places that want to offer more than just the concrete and steel of progress.
At a time when communities are squeezing every dollar in their budgets, one would expect that some curmudgeon would complain about the building of a gazebo or the upkeep of one. After all, isn't a gazebo -- like the one in Avon, Olmsted Falls or Chardon -- a little more than a romantic fashion accessory?
Wouldn’t the money be put to better use by building a garage or buying a new police car?
Gary Starr, the mayor of Middleburg Heights, said if anyone feels that way, then no one has voiced that opinion in the past 32 years he has lead the city.
In fact, the reverse usually is true.
“Gazebos are the center for the community, something charming to look at, a taste of New England and the turn-of-the-century,” Starr said. “It helps define your community as something other than buildings and shopping centers. That's the look of the city I try to project – warm, traditional, family-friendly. You can't buy that.”
Middleburg Heights, like Chester Township, Avon, Olmsted Falls, Chardon and other cities cherish their gazebos and put them in places of honor.
The open-aired, roundish structures differ slightly in size and design, but are always recognizable. Few venture far from gazebos that existed thousands of years in a score of lands, including China, Italy and Great Britain.
Beyond their inherent tranquil beauty, gazebos are useful.
“We have dozens of weddings performed at our gazebo every year, some I have performed myself,” said Starr. “They are wonderful backdrops for people to take photos for weddings or other occasions.”
Middleburg Heights and other cities also use the gazebos for ceremonies, such as parade judgings, veterans services and holiday observances.
And they are great places to put on concerts, everything from big brass bands to hard rock.
“You just can't put a dollar figure on something like that,” he said, then noted that the Middleburg Heights gazebo was mostly donated by Sam Miller and Forest City in 1982 to honor the late mayor Steve Tymcio.
More importantly, as people drive through a town, the gazebo may be the one piece of architecture they will remember with fondness.
Starr likes his so much he hopes to build a second one in a proposed city park a short distance away.