Trimble Gives “State of City” for Manchester

Manchester kicked off its second annual State of the City Address on Tuesday April 21st in the Community Building. Mayor Mark Trimble welcomed everyone, reminding them that this event is to celebrate permanent, life-changing decisions that have had an impact on the city over the past year. Reverend Robbie Shirah opened in a word of prayer over the event. The colors were presented by the Manchester Fire Dept. and Manchester Police Dept. as Dreamers Daycare led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Students from the Lime Light Primary School followed by singing “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Mayor Pro-Tem Quardez Warrior reminded citizens that when we talk about the future, we are often setting our sights on where we are going.
“As I look around tonight, I see the future of the city of Manchester is not something that we are waiting for,” declared Warrior. “It is something that we are building right here, right now. With every choice and every investment made, history has brought us to this moment.”
Thanks and recognition was given to the Women’s Club and Rotary Club as well as members of the Butler County administration who were present. The Mayor Pro-Tem also acknowledged his fellow council members, noting that it was an honor to serve beside Mayor Mark Trimble, Danny Wadsworth, Delisha Hodo, and Jason Smith. Recognition was also given to City Manager Mark Pullium, City Clerk Angel Fowler and Assistant City Clerk Melissa Bishop, and other members of city hall for their daily devotion to the city. Others recognized included but were not limited to Sam Summers and his team with Public Works, City Marshal Ricky Hamlin and Phillip Denure, Tangee Cummings and the Recreation Dept. staff, Kimla Anderson and the Senior Center staff, Manchester Fire Dept., Manchester Police Dept., Manchester Development Authority, Downtown Development Authority, Planning and Zoning, Housing Authority, and last but not least the residents of Manchester. Without the voices and ideas of the citizens, there would not be fuel to change.
Councilman Danny Wadsworth gave introduction regarding the Manchester Community Impact Awards. This is the first year these awards have been presented, and it is to honor individuals or groups whose vision, leadership, and lasting contributions have created a meaningful, positive change within our little home town of Manchester. Throughout the previous year, the nominees were chosen by the mayor and council. With five nominees, they chose who best represented the values of the award.
The first winner of the Manchester Community Impact Award went to Demonta Prather, a native and Manchester High School alumni who returned to Manchester to give back as the high school’s assistant principal as well as head coach over their football and basketball programs. Demonta has had to shoulder his students in ways that many have not. In December 2023, he stood alongside the football team as they went to the state playoffs with the loss of a teammate heavy on their hearts. It was moments like this where it showed that leadership is not about drawing up plays, but it was about helping people decide who they are in the midst of pain, helping young people to understand courage in the face of collapsing. He showed them that they could stand for something bigger than themselves in those moments. In 2024, Demonta took the role of head coach for the football team and that spring they faced another death of a beloved teammate. Once again, Coach Prather was called to lead young men through pain to find their purpose. He kept his team united, and he showed that true coaching is about building strength in adversity and hardship. Demonta Prather led not with noise but with presence, not promises but with example, and with an unwavering commitment to those he impacted.
The Second Community Impact Award went to the Huddle Youth Center which was born out of a deep, long-standing commitment to the youth and families in the community. For over thirty years, Robbie and Angie Shirah invested in the next generation through sports, camps, mentoring, ministry, and outreach. They believed in our youth becoming champions on and off the field and were dedicated to giving our youth a consistent, safe space to grow. They reminded each child that they belong. It is no secret that strong communities are built through strong relationships. The Huddle creates a space for those relationships to flourish in our community. It has become a cornerstone organization for our community.
“We appreciate the city of Manchester opening their hearts and space for the vision of the youth center,” stated Angie Shirah. “I believe that the heartbeat of our city is the young people, and they need us to come together to support them, love them, and meet them where they are. We are blessed and honored.”
Manchester High School’s Drama Department presented two performances from their recent musical Rhythms of the Road as a special treat for the city.
Mayor Mark Trimble addressed the city once more, stating that he was honored to stand before everyone not as their mayor but as their neighbor, a fellow citizen of Manchester. He noted that many call hard earned success luck. Trimble quoted financial author Dave Ramsey stating “Success is not just luck. It is the direct result of altered behavior, commitment to discipline, and plain, old hard work. In other words, luck comes dressed in work clothes.”Those who helped to build Manchester in the past year did not do so in a year, but over years of hard work. He also referenced how Michelangelo took an imperfect, rejected block of stone and turned it into the Statue of David . Just like every block has a beautiful statue inside waiting to be sculpted, greatness is hidden inside of our town. The greatness of Manchester is it’s people. Mayor Trimble voiced that when people feel unheard or boxed in, tensions can rise. He agreed that strong cities listen to and create more room for their people. He asked for everyone to set aside blame and work and connect to build better future. He called to stop dividing and build chip-by-chip, decision by decision to unearth Manchester’s greatness. No one stumbles into greatness, but it comes to those who show up even when it is hard.