City Employees Donate Their Own Time and Money To Help Others

Presents for local families are wrapped and prepared

 for delivery to Gahanna Residents in Need (GRIN). 

(Photo by Brian Hoyt, City of Gahanna)

Employees of the City of Gahanna annually participate in the Gahanna Residents In Need (GRIN) Adopt-a-family program.  This program allows members of the community to donate time, gifts and money to help those who need a little help during the holidays. 

This year city employees adopted two families and each family had two children.  Not only was money raised for gifts, but the families were also provided with a gift card to the local Gahanna Kroger for groceries and other items they may need.

Nancy Savage, who works in the Mayor’s Office, led the charge to collect donations and purchase items. “It was really nice seeing everyone pitch in and help,” Savage said.  “I live and work in Gahanna, so I was proud to be able to help those in my own community.”

Since 1998, GRIN has supported families in the Gahanna area by meeting a wide variety of needs. To learn more about GRIN or to get involved, visit them online at www.grin4gahanna.org.

  

Holiday Shopping Safety Tips From the Gahanna Division of Police

Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

This holiday season, don’t let the spirit of giving lull you into giving criminals a better chance to do their dirty work. They do some of their biggest business during the holiday season. People are rushing around, stressed out and careless, trying to get everything done. It’s enough to make a crook giddy with holiday joy! Here are some tips on how to safely celebrate the holiday season.

City Invites Residents & Visitors to Submit Photos That Shows ‘Any Day in Gahanna’

Gahanna is a proud, diverse community that means something different to everyone.  In keeping with this spirit, the City of Gahanna is asking residents and visitors to submit pictures of Gahanna for a project called ‘Any Day in Gahanna.’  Photos that are selected will be featured on homepage of www.Gahanna.gov and the City’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/CityofGahanna.

“When we redesigned Gahanna.gov, we really wanted visitors of the website to get a feeling of what Gahanna is about,” said Brian Hoyt, Gahanna’s Public Information Manager. “Who better to highlight the many scenes around Gahanna than residents and visitors?”

Photographs may be submitted via email to information@gahanna.gov and should include the photographer’s name, when and where the photo was taken and should state that the City of Gahanna may use their photograph for public use and display.

Photographs will be chosen based on how well they show different scenes in Gahanna as well their technical and artist quality, Hoyt said.

Residents and visitors of Gahanna are encouraged to submit their photographs beginning in the month of December. 

Ballot Issue #47: Civil Service and Human Resources

By Sue Wadley, PHR
Director of Human Resources

City of Gahanna

On November 8th, voters are being asked to approve an update to the City of Gahanna’s Charter that will better define the role of the City’s Civil Service Commission in relation to Gahanna’s Human Resources department. We are asking that voters support this effort and pass Issue #47.

When the Civil Service Commission was originally created, the City did not have a Human Resources Department and the Commission was tasked with performing traditional personnel duties including hiring, removing and disciplining of employees as well as hearing appeals on any of those same personnel decisions.

With the creation of a professionally managed Human Resources department in 2001, the role of the Civil Service Commission evolved.  Many of the original functions of the Commission are now provided or conducted by the Department of Human Resources.

The revised duties of the Civil Service Commission would be refined to better define their role as an appellate board; hearing appeals in regards to the hiring, removing and disciplining of employees as performed by the Human Resources department.  The Human Resources Department would still be required to follow the Civil Service rules and regulations.  This approach is preferred as a best practice so that the Civil Service Commission is not hearing appeals on their own decisions.

Approving Issue #47 will formalize the way in which the Gahanna Department of Human Resources and the Civil Service Commission work together. Issue #47 helps maintain the City’s established hiring practices while preserving employees’ protection under the Civil Service.

We hope that voters will consider the benefits of this change and vote yes for Issue #47 on November 8th.

For information about all four Charter Change Ballot issues, click here.

City of Gahanna Action to Address Hamilton/Granville Intersection Safety

To enhance the safety of pedestrians and motorists, construction has begun at the Hamilton/Granville intersection in Gahanna.

The work, which is currently under way, is collectively known as the “Hamilton/Granville Intersection Improvements Project.”.  Work on the road and medians near the intersection  is scheduled to be completed in early November, with additional work on sidewalks and traffic signals to be completed as necessary through November.

The Hamilton/Granville Intersection Improvement project was originally planned to be completed prior to the start of the 2011/2012 school year as to not interfere with school operations.  However, the improvements on this project introduced many conflicts with existing utilities.  

In preparation of the upcoming roadway work a major gas line and 14 AEP power poles were to be relocated.  The gas line work was completed in the winter and new poles were placed in late spring.  Unfortunately the work to transfer the overhead utilities (including power, cable and phone) to the new poles was extensive and required action from multiple entities who had to fit the work into their project schedules. 

The City worked closely with the various utility providers to move this process along as quickly as possible; however, the utility companies set their own schedules and the work was not completed by the time the project was to begin.  This delay has forced the project to be performed during the school year.

Upon completion, the project will introduce many new features that will enhance the safety of the intersection, including:

Public Art…in Gahanna

By Brandi Braun
Assistant City Administrator

The Gahanna Parks and Recreation Foundation (GPRF) is scheduled to unveil the community's first piece of public art that will establish a public arts presence and program in the City of Gahanna. The art is being funded by a private donation received in 2010 specifically to fund public art in the Creekside District. 

In 2011, the GPRF commissioned area artist Steve Bush to create a piece of art for the Creekside District and will be unveiled at the Foundation’s Friday after Five event.  Naming rights for the sculpture will be auctioned during the event thereby replenishing the Foundation’s art fund.  After one year, the piece will be moved to a permanent location in the Creekside District.  It is the intent of the Foundation members to continue this tradition of annually commissioning a piece to build a public art presence in Gahanna’s downtown.

The Foundation members wanted the art to be reflective of the community, so we put the call out through traditional and nontraditional methods asking for volunteers with an interest in public art to serve on Gahanna’s first Public Art Steering Committee. 

Six People serve on the committee:

• Jeannine Kern, Olde Gahanna resident and business owner, The Little Black Chair
• Amy Musser, Gahanna resident
• Laurel Naegle, Gahanna Resident & Parks and Recreation Board Member/Parks and Recreation Foundation Board Member
• Gary Sebach, Principal, Director of Architectural Services, Bird Houk a Division of OHM 
• Tony Slanec, Principal, Director of Urban Design & Planning, Bird Houk a Division of OHM
• Rhonda Tucker, Gahanna Resident and professional artist
• Jan Ross, Gahanna Parks and Recreation Board member & Parks and Recreation Foundation Board member 

Artist Steven Bush

The steering committee met two times with Steve.  At the first meeting, Steve brought and presented five art concept sketches based on his research on The City of Gahanna and the Creekside District.  The Committee members asked questions and discussed each concept sketch and narrowed down the pool of options to the two favorites.  At the second meeting, one month later, Steve brought models of each finalist that were presented and discussed.  The committee voted by ballot to select the “winning” piece, which Steve got to work on immediately!

Artist Steve Bush shows committee
members the artwork in progress

We are excited to unveil the artwork and you can be a part of it while supporting the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation.  Please join us at the Friday After Five Event for an evening of fun and good causes and to be part of the launching of Gahanna’s Public Art Program.   

For more information about Friday After Five, please go to www.gahannaparksandrecreationfoundation.org or call 342-4250.  If you are interested in becoming involved with The Arts in Gahanna, please contact Brandi Braun at brandi.braun@gahanna.gov or 342-4045.

______________________________________________________________

About the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation:

Parks & Recreation services are essential for our City’s quality of life. They benefit our lives each day by encouraging businesses and new residents to settle in Gahanna; they provide lifetime family memories; they improve our health and preserve our natural area. Like other resources, these services are funded by the City. However, the needs of our parks, facilities and recreation programming may exceed our financial resources. The Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation was founded to assist the Gahanna Department of Parks & Recreation in supporting these needs. This non-profit 501(C)(3) organization is a group of hard-working volunteer citizens who donate their time and talents to protect, nurture, and grow the opportunities our residents deserve.

About Steven Bush:
A few miles North East of Columbus in Blacklick, Ohio resides a treasure many have yet to discover. Steven Bush, a metal sculptor and owner of Smart Works has his studio a few feet from the home he owns with his lovely wife Theresa and two sons Sidney and Dominic. The five-acre location with a woods and lake is the perfect setting for an artist like Steve to practice his beliefs that the order of life must be - God, family, love of your work, money and time to play. Read the rest...

Gahanna’s Parks & Recreation Programs Impact Everyone

By Becky Stinchcomb
Mayor, City of Gahanna

Mayor Becky Stinchcomb speaks
during the official opening of the
Big Walnut Trail Section 7 Bridge

At City Council last week, I presented a proclamation celebrating the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association Parks & Recreation Month throughout July in Gahanna I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Parks & Recreation Month than when we officially opened our latest critical piece of the Big Walnut Trail.

But this trail is just part of what our Parks & Recreation program is all about and I would like to  highlight some of the other benefits we enjoy right here in Gahanna.

Our first priority as a City is to be Citizens Centric. Our Parks & Recreation facilities and programs are just that, and are not only a source of pride, but add to our quality of life, our health and a fact that is often overlooked, the economic success of Gahanna.

I am proud that Gahanna owns and operates 770 acres of parklands.  You may not know this, but that is the second highest acreage total in suburban Franklin County! 

Ask City Hall: Why is the City installing bike/arrow pavement markings on Stygler Rd. and what do they mean?

The section of Stygler Rd. between Chapelfield Rd. and the southern intersection of Ridenour Rd. is now designated as an on-street bike route as shown on the City’s Bikeway Plan.  The combination bike/arrow markings are a new pavement marking known as a “Sharrow”, pronounced “sh – arrow”. 

                

Sharrows indicate a shared lane in which both bikes and cars are to use.  Bikes are permitted in all lanes on public roadways, but Gahanna is using the markings to increase awareness of the presence of bikes in a particular lane on a roadway that has been designated a bike route. 

Last year when Stygler Rd. was repaved, the City reduced the center two-way left turn lane to 9 feet which widened the northbound and southbound lanes to better accommodate bikes.

Community Comes Together to Save the 4th Of July Gahanna Freedom Festival and Fireworks

Like most communities, Gahanna had to make some tough budget decisions. In 2011, City of Gahanna’s funding for the 2011 Fourth of July Freedom Festival and fireworks had been eliminated but the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation took on the challenge of Saving the Freedom Festival though individual and corporate donations.  Their grassroots efforts of outreach and soliciting online donations through their Facebook Page (www.Facebook.com/SaveTheFreedomFestival) yielded enough money to fund the fireworks.   Local organizations and businesses, such as Gahanna’s own Heartland Bank, CD 101, Donatos, the Gahanna Rotary, Eckl Parking and many others offered their support for a full day of events and a fireworks display the community will certainly enjoy.

These donations, combined with the generous donations of individuals and other organizations, means enough money was raised to fund the FREEDOM FESTIVAL and fireworks show at the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course (220 Olde Ridenour Road) for July 4^th, 2011. 

“Heartland has been fortunate to have navigated the financial waters successfully and simply wanted to give back to the residents of Gahanna.  The Parks Foundation and community were in jeopardy of losing one of the best community events of the year and we were not going to let that happen.  This is what community banks do.  Best of all, we also get to show our appreciation for our active Military by supporting the USO,” stated G. Scott McComb, Heartland Bank President and CEO.

“Our city did not want to lose this wonderful community event”, said Lee Tucker, chairman of the Parks and Recreation Foundation.    “It’s too important an event; it’s part of our identity as a city and a country and it’s become a tradition.  The community really stepped up through small and large donations.  Every dollar made a difference.” 

A new aspect to this year’s Freedom Festival will be that CD 101 on 102.5 FM will provide the soundtrack to the fireworks which will also be simulcast on their station.  The soundtrack will be heard throughout the golf course and on fireworks viewers’ radio. “Because of CD 101’s generous donation of their resources and talent, this year’s fireworks will be even better,” said Brian Hoyt, Public Information Manager for the City of Gahanna. “The synchronized soundtrack will only add to the experience and is sure to make this a fireworks show to remember!”

The Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation raised money through individual donations as well as larger, partner donations.  Some of the largest donors include the title sponsor Heartland Bank, an anonymous donor, Stripes Partners Superior Beverage Group and the Gahanna Rotary Club, ‘Patriot Sponsors’ Kemba Financial Credit Union, Eckl Parking, The Gahanna YMCA, Sunrise Masonic Lodge #783 and Buckeye Power Sales..

“This is another example of what makes Gahanna such a special community,” said Mayor Becky Stinchcomb. “I am proud of the Foundation’s efforts to bring everyone together and to honor our men and women in uniform. Community, service and tradition is what the Fourth of July is all about”

This year’s event will benefit the USO, who will help Gahanna honor those serving in the Armed forces.

The USO of Central & Southern Ohio helps lift the spirits of Ohio's service men and women and their families. A nonprofit, congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities. The USO provides a tangible way for all of us to say thank you, as it has for 70 years.  The USO is not part of the U.S. government, and funds that are generated locally are used locally to help those who sacrifice so much every day.

Activities and games are being provided by the Gahanna YMCA.

“What makes this so special is that we are going from no event to having one of the greatest events that Gahanna has ever had in honor of our soldiers and a true American Tradition, the USO,” said Tony Collins, Director of Gahanna Department of Parks & Recreation.  “All of this is thanks to the citizens of Gahanna, the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation and great community partners like Heartland Bank.”

Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the Freedom Festival Page for up to date information and a schedule of events for the The Gahanna Parks & Recreation Foundation Freedom Festival Presented By Heartland Bank Benefiting the USO.

Ask City Hall: Are Those Speed Bumps in my Neighborhood?

Q) There appears to be small speed bumps all through my neighborhood.  What is the purpose of these?

A) Many of the streets within Gahanna are composed of a 7-inch concrete base with a 3-inch asphalt surface.  These streets also have concrete combined curb and gutter installed which is poured separate from the roadway.  All of these components will expand and contract separately as temperatures rise and fall. 

During the hot summer months, the concrete base of the roadway expands and causes the base to compress.  Since concrete is not a flexible material this action increases pressure within the base of the road.  If this pressure isn’t relieved the road could buckle or break.  Due to this pressure, the roadway is designed to have asphalt relief joints installed approximately every 500 feet. 

An asphalt relief joint consists of a 5-foot wide full depth asphalt section which spans the road.  Since asphalt is a flexible material, it absorbs the stresses produced by the expansion of the concrete base and is squeezed during hot temperatures.  When temperatures cool back down the concrete base shrinks and the pressure on the asphalt relief joint is removed.  The asphalt relief joint will not fully resume its original shape and so a bump in the pavement is created. 

After years of this action the result is what appears to be a speed bump on the surface of the road.  As these joints become larger, they can become a concern and the sounds created by vehicles and trailers hitting them can be a nuisance. 

Upon request, the City can inspect these joints and grind down the pavement as necessary to alleviate the issues caused by the bump.

For more information, contact the City’s Service Department by clicking here.

Have a question for City Hall?  Leave a comment or email us at information@Gahanna.gov

Ask City Hall: Why can’t the City time the lights to all turn green at the same time?

The Gahanna City Engineer’s office is often asked questions regarding traffic signal timing and coordination.  Here are a few facts that may help you understand this complex system.

Traffic signals in Gahanna operate on a time-of-day schedule.  The timing and sequence of each light varies throughout the day.  Many of Gahanna’s signals operate in coordination.  Signal coordination is when signals in a corridor communicate with one another to operate in a sequence providing the motorist a greater opportunity to travel through the next adjacent signal.  Coordination is usually provided in a specific direction depending on volume of traffic.  For instance, during the AM Peak hour, Hamilton Road signals will favor the southbound direction and should change on a sequence which provides a motorist traveling southbound a greater opportunity to travel through multiple green lights while exiting town.

City Park Holds Special Meaning To One City Employee

John Pizzurro

When most people who live or work in Gahanna think of the name Pizzurro, they may think of a redeveloped park or the dog park.  But for one employee of the City of Gahanna’s Department of Parks & Recreation, Pizzurro Park is a reminder of his childhood and his family.  It’s no wonder that John Pizzurro is proud to talk about Gahanna and his family’s donation of the land where the park is located.

In 1943, during the same week that John was born, his father bought 216 acres of farmland in the area of what is now Claycraft and Morrison Road.  He said his dad’s intention was to retire there and run a farm and in 1949 that is just what he did. 

City of Gahanna To Host Groundbreaking Ceremony to Kick Off the Tech Center Drive Extension and Bridge Project

Residents and business will benefit from greater access as well as potential development.
Click here to see a map and drawing of this project

When:             Friday, April 1^st, 2011 2:30 pm

Where:           Entrance of the Tech center Drive Extension, intersection of S. Hamilton Road  and Pizzuro Park Dr.

Who:               Local and regional government and business leaders will make comments about the immediate and potential economic impact of the project followed by a ceremonial ground breaking.

This project will connect the Hamilton Road and I-270 interchange with Gahanna’s industrial and commerce area. With benefits as follows:

·         Relieve congestion of the 270,000 daily car count at the Morrison and Hamilton Intersection by diverting traffic. This will be a positive impact to 295 Businesses and 5,053 Employees

·         Provide better and shorter access to the current commerce area from I-270 and the airport

·         Provide access to Prime location for commercial and office development.

o   120 Acres in Central Park of Gahanna and 78 Acres of vacant land within I-270 Loop

·         Provide a link in the bicycle trail system.

·         Improved Drive Sequence

·         Direct Visibility to I-270

·         270,000 daily car count

Gahanna News: State of the City: Stinchcomb keeps goals in sight

Read the whole story here.

Gahanna Mayor Becky Stinchcomb and her staff have developed a five-pronged strategic plan to "take Gahanna to the next level."

More than 150 Gahanna Area Chamber of Commerce members and city leaders gathered Thursday, March 10, at the Creekside Conference and Event Center to hear Stinchcomb give her State of the City address. The mayor spent the bulk of her time at the podium pointing out how Gahanna's new approach moved the city through tough economic times in 2010 -- and will continue to do so this year.

Read the whole story here

Gahanna Police Name Officer Phillip J. Stacy Officer of the Year

Police Chief Dennis Murphy

Congratulates Officer Phillip Stacy 

During a presentation at the Gahanna Police Department today, Gahanna Police Officer Phillip Stacy was announced as Gahanna’s Officer of the year. 

The ceremony was attended by Mayor Becky Stinchcomb, Safety Director Robert Keyes, Police Chief Dennis Murphy, Deputy Police Chief Ken Bell, fellow police and City staff as well as members of Officer Stacy’s family.

Operations Bureau Commander Lieutenant Dan Williams presented Officer Stacy to the audience stating, “Officer Stacy is the embodiment of the pro-active professional police officer that we seek for the City of Gahanna. We are pleased to have him as a member of our agency and I’m particularly pleased to have him in the patrol bureau. It is an honor to present him with the 2010 Officer of the Year Award.”

Some of Stacy’s accomplishments, including a recent lifesaving award, were highlighted for those in attendance.

“Officer Stacy has only been a member of the Gahanna Police Department since July of 2007,” said Williams. “He performs his duties with enthusiasm, integrity and a maturity well beyond his actual years of service.”

Stacy was presented with a plaque and a certificate on behalf of the City by Mayor Becky Stinchcomb, Safety Director Robert Keyes and Police Chief Dennis Murphy.

“Officer Stacy is a fine representation of the great work and service of the Gahanna police Department,” said Mayor Becky Stinchcomb. “We appreciate all that you do for the City.”

Safety Director Robert Keyes said he was proud of Officer Stacy stating, “I appreciate the positive attitude and professionalism that you bring to work every day.”

Officer Stacy thanked those in attendance and said that he appreciates the recognition, but commented, “So many [fellow] officers are deserving of this award, so I appreciate being selected.”

(l-r) Safety Director Robert Keyes, Mayor Becky Stinchcomb,

Lieutenant Dan Williams, Officer Phillip Stacy, Police Chief Dennis Murphy 



Gahanna Youth Council Collecting for Prom Dress Sale Fundraiser

UPDATE: Some kids from the Youth Council appeared on WBNS 10TV to talk about their project.  Video is below.

The Gahanna Youth Council, a teen volunteer and service club, is collecting gently used formal dresses and accessories on Sunday, March 6^th from 1-3pm at the Gahanna Golf Course Clubhouse, 220 Olde Ridenour Rd. Collected items will be resold at affordable prices to help make prom more accessible to girls in Central Ohio. Proceeds of the sale will be used to support Youth Council programs. 

Gently used long and short formal dresses, dress shoes, jewelry, bags, clutches and other formal wear accessories will be accepted.  Prom Dress Sale dates are March 19^th and 26^th from 12 noon—4pm at the Gahanna Golf Course Clubhouse.  Proceeds will help support Youth Council programs such as TeenFest, their signature teen event traditionally held in August. 

Need more information? Contact Shannon Clonch, Gahanna Youth Council Coordinator, at 342-4250 or Shannon.clonch@gahanna.gov

Rain Garden Initiative

The City of Gahanna along with the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District want to help you plant a rain garden.

Right now you’re probably asking yourself “What is a rain garden?” Well, a rain garden is simply a flower garden that incorporates shallow depressions or channels that intercept rainwater on its way to stream and river beds. These gardens help eliminate pollutants, control erosion and prevent flooding, and does all of this while adding the beauty of plants and flowers to your landscape. You can place rain gardens near downspouts, driveways, sump pump outlets, or in the path of storm water flow through your yard.

The Rain Garden Initiative is a cost share program that will offer you up to $250 to install a rain garden on your property. Nevertheless, don’t delay. This program is only available to six residents, so if you want an environmentally friendly way to improve poor drainage in your yard and community contact the City of Gahanna Service Department at (614)342-4005.

What’s In A Number? A house number that is.

House numbers serve a critical function for emergency personnel and should be clearly displayed. House numbers are often the only way first responders can identify their intended destinations.

Did you know there is City Code requiring house numbers?

Section 1321.03 of Gahanna City Code states that all buildings shall install, display and maintain the  numerical address of the building in Arabic numbers not less than four inches in height.

The main concern is the safety of our residents. In emergency situations every minute is critical. So, please take this time to walk outside and make sure your home can be easily identified. It could make a difference in a loved one’s life.  

Gahanna: An Innovative Past, A Sustainable Future

Gahanna, Ohio is a progressive and diverse community with a rich history and a bright future.  For many years Gahanna has been among the leading communities in Central Ohio for residential, commercial, and industrial development.  Known as the Herb Capital of Ohio, Gahanna has been the recipient of numerous community and economic development awards including being designated by Money Magazine as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live.  Public sector leadership has continually recognized the type of development needed for the City to prosper.  Whether it was expanding the industrial business base after rapid growth in the residential population or revitalizing the core of downtown Gahanna when the City had grown its territorial boundaries.  Gahanna public sector leaders have strategically made investments that have secured the city’s long term success and sustainability. 

An Innovative Past

In the late 1970s, Gahanna’s leadership recognized the need to guide and direct development within the community.  Then a city of approximately 16,000 people, Gahanna’s residential population was rapidly growing and due to its prime location near the airport, major highways, and railway, the City was in a position to grow its industrial sector.  In 1978, the City took an unprecedented action and invested $2.25 million to purchase 103 acres of land in the southern portion of the City known as The Industrial Zone (TIZ).  The issuance of revenue bonds to invest in land and related infrastructure was designed to stimulate private investment in industrial facilities and to increase new job opportunities.    

Gahanna PD Pays respects to Cpl. Jacob A. Tate, USMC

GAHANNA, Ohio (January 11, 2011) - Members of the Gahanna Police Department, led by Chief Dennis Murphy, gathered in front of City Hall to pay their respects and render honors to Corporal Jacob A. Tate, United States Marine Corps, as his remains passed through Gahanna by motorcade to a North Side funeral home.  Cpl. Tate graduated from Gahanna Christian Academy.

Tate, 21, was killed Jan. 2 during combat operations in Afghanistan. He was based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. 


Photos by Brian Hoyt, City of Gahanna (RELEASED)


 Click 'Read More' to see more photos

Columbus Dispatch Editorial: Filling in... As cities face trim event expenditures, volunteers will be vital

Editorial: Filling in

As cities face trim event expenditures, volunteers will be vital

The Columbus Dispatch

January 7, 2011  

The hard fact that most cities will have less, if anything, to spend on fun and frivolity in the coming year could have an upside.

In communities that manage to muster volunteers and private contributors to keep civic traditions alive, those parades, festivals and other fun events will be even more meaningful.

Many communities already have cut back on such nonessential spending in the past two years. For 2011, with the strong likelihood that state funding to local governments will be slashed, more have cut city-sponsored celebrations from their budgets.

To keep them going, event organizers are seeking new sponsors and putting out the call for volunteers to take tickets, sell concessions, man the arts-and-crafts table and all the other tasks that make for a fun community event.

Click to read the rest

Emerald Ash Borer – What You Should Know

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive insect first discovered in Detroit, Michigan in 2002.  It attacks all varieties of ash trees.  EAB is now found throughout Ohio, which is under quarantine to help prevent its spread.  EAB has recently been found in, and is spreading throughout The City of Gahanna.

What to look for: Once infested, trees may show little sign of the pest for the first year or two.  The larval stage of EAB feeds under the bark of trees, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients. They emerge as an adult the following year leaving a D – shaped exit hole (PIC).  Adults are dark metallic green, ½” in length and 1/8” wide (PIC).   The EAB flies from early May until September.  Ash trees that become infested with EAB typically die within five years. 

Parks & Recreation Foundation Donation Made in Bob Toopes Memory

Pictured from left to right: 

Lee Tucker, Chair of the Parks & Recreation Foundation,

Ruth Toopes, Teri, Toopes, Dave Toopes

By Mike Musser,
Recreation Superintendant

Show Your Class.  These words touched so many students who passed through the halls of Gahanna-Jefferson Schools for many years.  They were the words of teacher, Bob Toopes.  Bob dedicated so much of his life towards the shaping of young student’s minds both in and out of the classroom.  That is one reason why his untimely death in 2009 was felt by so many.