HISTORY The Mill

A history of the storefront in Wedgewood Plaza on South Raccoon Road that eventually became The Mill club:
July 1966: The storefront opens as Wedgewood Cinema, a movie theater with a ceiling-to-floor screen and 650 rocking-chair seats. It is billed as "Youngstown's Only Deluxe Theatre."
July 1986: The cinema closes.
June 1988: The cinema reopens as a discount movie theater.
February 1990: The discount theater closes due to slow business.
May 1990: Stratus, a club for patrons ages 16-20, opens in the storefront. The club doesn't serve alcohol.
March 1993: Nite Clubs of Ohio Inc. agrees to lease the storefront for $4,000 a month. Dorothea Wydick is president of Nite Clubs of Ohio. The storefront eventually becomes the Silver Dollar Saloon, a country-western dance club.
October 1993: Nite Clubs of Ohio is issued a liquor permit for the storefront.
November 1996: Austintown Township trustees ask the Ohio Department of Liquor Control not to renew the liquor permit for Silver Dollar Saloon. Trustees contend the club is being run with disregard for the law and that it interferes with public decency and sobriety. The club's neighbors complain about litter, loud music, and people wandering into their yards.
January 1997: Trustees withdraw their objection to renewing the liquor license after club management agrees to change its operation to satisfy its neighbors.
June 1997: Silver Dollar Saloon changes its name to Club 1743 after four months of renovations.
March 2001: The club changes its name to The Mill and reopens after more renovations.
June 2001: The club sells liquor to a person under 21 and later pays a $1,000 fine for violating state liquor laws.
July 2001: A wrestling event is held in the parking lot next to the club. Neighbors complain about noise and foul language from the event and call police, who warn club management they could be fined $1,000 for each future noise complaint.
October 2001: Club manager Christian Rinehart is cited into Mahoning County Court for a noise violation at the club. Police reports say the club had been warned about excessive noise eight times since June.
December 2001: The lease for the club is renewed with the name on the lease changed from Nite Clubs of Ohio Inc. to Country Productions Inc. The name on the liquor license remains Nite Clubs of Ohio. Wydick is president of Country Productions. Rent is decreased to $2,500 each month.
February 2002: Rinehart pleads no contest to the noise violation and is fined $25. He had quit his job at the club in January.
November 2002: Township trustees vote to ask the state not to renew the club's liquor permit. Police have responded to the club on several occasions in response to reports of fights, vandalism and theft. The trustees' objection is pending.
November 2002: The Mill closes. A sign on the door says "Closed. Heat problem."
Source: Court, state, and Vindicator records