Pickerington Magazine April/May 2017

T h e O f f i c i a l M a g a z i n e o f t h e C i t y o f P i c k e r i n g t o n a n d V i o l e t To w n s h i p

APRIL/MAY 2017

Mass Appeal

Pickerington North physics teacher Doug Forrest

INSIDE

Tyler’s Light update Devices in schools Spring food events PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Columbus, Ohio Permit No. 4697

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DEFINING & REFINING LIFE...

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1335 Dublin Rd., Ste. 101C Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-572-1240 • Fax 614-572-1241 www.cityscenecolumbus.com Kathleen K. Gill Gianna Barrett

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pickerington magazine volume 9, number 4 april/may 2017

6 Calendar 9

News and Information from the City of Pickerington

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News and Information from Violet Township

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faces

A Good Egg

p.14

Biological lab worker turned physics teacher emphasizes unconventional experiments

16 18

Growing Ever Brighter Tyler’s Light continues to expand efforts to fight youth drug addiction

in focus

Technically Speaking

p.18

Chromebooks, iPads and virtual reality headsets enhance educational experiences in Pickerington

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student spotlight

Sponsored by Pickerington Eyecare

Strike Force Central soccer star also brings dedication to the bowling alley

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p.26

Ride of your Life Pickerington’s Bridgett White follows her equestrian dreams at the University of South Carolina

on the table

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Springtime Snacktime Sweet treats and mobile munchies draw patrons to Pickerington fundraisers

around pickerington

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Photos from the community

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bookmarks

On the cover: Doug Forrest. Photo by Jeffrey S. Hall Photography

www.pickeringtonmagazine.com PickeringtonMagazine

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pickerington community calendar april/may 2017 Through April 8

April 22

Pickerington Community Theatre presents The Nerd

Brevard Circle 5K and 1 Mile Family Fun Walk

April 8 Breakfast with the Bunny

8 a.m.-noon, Pickerington Senior Center, 150 Hereford Drive, www.pickerington.net Breakfast, games and photos with the Easter Bunny highlight this Pickerington springtime tradition.

April 8 April 1-June 24 Wetherell Dairy

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society Museum, 15 E. Columbus St., www.pickerington historicalsociety.com The museum’s Saturday Open Houses feature local dairy artifacts collected by Kevin Wetherell this spring and summer season.

April 5 U.S. Navy Concert Band

7 p.m., Pickerington High School North, 7800 Refugee Rd., www.pickerington.k12.oh.us The U.S. Navy Concert Band once again drops by Pickerington toward the end of its spring tour.

Violet Township Women’s League Style Show

11 a.m., Jefferson Golf & Country Club, 7271 Jefferson Meadows Dr., Blacklick, www.vtwl.org This 18th annual Violet Township Women’s League event – featuring a luncheon and raffle in addition to the style show – raises money for the league’s scholarship fund.

April 20-23 Pickerington High School Central presents In the Heights

7:30 p.m. April 20-22, 2 p.m. April 23, Pickerington High School Central, 300 Opportunity Way, www.pickerington.k12.oh.us Central performs In the Heights, a musical set in the New York City neighborhood Washington Heights that follows the lives of multiple characters.

11 a.m., Sycamore Creek Elementary School, 500 Sycamore Creek St., www.pickeringtont1d.com This fourth annual fundraiser featuring two races as well as a children’s area with games and prizes supports local families affected by juvenile diabetes.

April 29-30 NARI of Central Ohio Spring Home Improvement Showcase Throughout central Ohio, www.trustnari.org The Local Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry shows recent remodels of homes in and around Columbus.

April 30 March for Babies

Registration 9 a.m., race start 10 a.m., COSI, 333 W. Broad St., Columbus, www.marchforbabies.org The local chapter of the March of Dimes presents its annual 3-mile walk fundraiser.

May 5 Pickerington Village Chocolate Hop

6-8:30 p.m., Olde Pickerington Village, www.pickeringtonvillage.com A multitude of Olde Village businesses, all laid out on a map, offer chocolate treats at this annual event.

April 22

Arbor Day Celebration

April 6-9 Pickerington High School North presents Pippin

7:30 p.m. April 6-8, 2 p.m. April 9, Pickerington High School North, 7800 Refugee Rd., www.pickerington.k12.oh.us North’s spring musical tells a story of a young prince, Pippin, on his search for the meaning of life.

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9-11 a.m., Simsbury Disc Golf Course, 625 E. Columbus St., www.pickerington.net Songs from the Pickerington Community Choir, a color guard performance May 6 by the Cub Scouts, a program on the Tyler’s Light 5K Run/Walk history of Arbor Day and more highlight 10 a.m., Toll Gate Middle School, this annual celebration.

12089 Toll Gate Rd., www.tylerslight.com The sixth annual 5K raises money and support for the drug addiction awareness efforts of Tyler’s Light. www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Photos courtesy of Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society and Janice Thomas

8 p.m. April 1, 7, 8; 2 p.m. April 1, 8; Epiphany Lutheran Church, 268 Hill Rd. N., www.pickerington communitytheatre.org This comedy follows a socially awkward man who moves in with a man whose life he saved in Vietnam.

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May 6 Big Comic Show

Mark you r calendar for these commun ity events

10 a.m.-5 p.m., Pickerington Public Library, 201 Opportunity Way, www.pickeringtonlibrary.org Workshops, author visits and autograph signings, gaming, food trucks, and more are part of this new Pickerington tradition, now entering its fourth year.

The 29th annual Golf Classic hosted by the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce includes lunch and dinner, as well as an auction.

May 13 Touch-A-Truck

10 a.m.-noon, Pickerington Community Pool, 11330 Stonecreek Drive S., www.pickerington.net Big trucks, cars, engines and more will be available for children to explore and learn about.

May 18 Discover the Dream

May 12 Pickerington Area Chamber Golf Classic

6 p.m., Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Rd., Powell, www.stjude.org This major annual event featuring cocktails, dinner, a patient speaker, and live and silent auctions raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

May 20 High School Graduation

Times TBA, World Harvest Church, 4595 Gender Rd., Canal Winchester, www.pickerington.k12.oh.us The members of the class of 2017 receive their diplomas.

May 20-Aug. 13 Three Voices: Conversations on Life & Conflict

Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, 145 E. Main St., Lancaster, www.decartsohio.org The next exhibition at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio features work by three Ohio women: Judy Brandon of Cleveland, Leslie Shiels of Cincinnati and Carol Snyder of Columbus.

Noon-6 p.m., Turnberry Golf Course, 1145 Clubhouse Ln., www.pickerington chamber.com

May 24 Ohio State Football: The Forgotten Dawn

6:30-7:30 p.m., Pickerington Public Library, 201 Opportunity Way, www.pickeringtonlibrary.org Author Robert J. Roman discusses his book chronicling the birth of the Buckeyes.

May 27 Noon-8 p.m., Pickerington Community Pool, 11330 Stonecreek Drive S., www.pickerington.net The community pool opens for the summer season and remains open through Sept. 4.

Submit Your Event

Do you have an event you would like to submit to our calendar?

Send details and photos to gbishop@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

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Photo courtesy of Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce

Pool Opening Day

INSIDE

PICKERINGTON

N E W S & I N F OR M ATI O N F R O M T H E C I T Y O F P I C K E R I NGT ON

Sycamore Creek Senior Living

Brand new retirement community to open in Pickerington in the fall When seniors no longer want to live at home on their own, Sycamore Creek Senior Living, Pickerington’s newest independent living apartments, hopes to provide them with a beautiful safe haven that “feels like home.”

Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC, repeatedly ranked by SeniorAdvisor. com in the Top 10 annual Best of Senior Living Awards in the U.S., is constructing a 24-hour staffed retirement community at 611 Windmiller Dr. Pickerington was chosen as one of Spectrum Retirement Communities’ newest locations in Ohio because of the demographics in the area.

“We feel that we can serve the seniors in this area,” said Kathleen MacDonald, vice president of marketing.

Though the facility does not open until September, Spectrum is already leasing some of its 132 apartments,

which feature full kitchens, washers and dryers.

“The community will be three stories with a total of 137,000 square feet on 5.38 acres of land,” MacDonald said.

“Forty percent of the community will be dedicated to community space.”

An elegant dining room that features a made-to-order menu and lighter fare options, a casual bistro, a private dining room for family and special occasions, a state-ofthe-art fitness center, a full-service beauty salon and day spa, a theater with surround sound, cozy lounges with fireplaces, meeting rooms for clubs and activities, a greenhouse, and a resource library with computers are some of the amenities offered as part of the community space.

Sycamore Creek also offers a wellness center, physical rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, a book club, mental fitness programs, transportation, and trips

to shopping centers and other entertainment venues.

Dining, most of the amenities, biweekly housekeeping and linen service, and utilities – water, gas, electric, cable TV and trash removal – are included in a senior’s rent.

Unlike some retirement communities, Sycamore Creek offers month-to-month apartment leases with no buy-in. Shortterm respite stays after illness, injury or surgery are available.

Small pets are also welcome to join seniors in their apartments, so the fourlegged member of the family does not have to find a new home.

Seniors and family members of seniors can get more information about Sycamore Creek by emailing info@sycamorecreek seniorliving.com or calling 614-210-3252.

Sycamore Creek hopes Pickerington seniors will make it the place to call home.

Combustion Brewery & Taproom City’s first-ever microbrewery to heat up Pickerington this spring Combustion Brewery & Taproom wants to kindle the thirst of Pickerington residents and the surrounding community for its fresh, handcrafted, made-inhouse ales and lagers.

Keith Jackson, the former head brewer at Gordon Biersch in the Arena District for five years and owner of Combustion, was looking for just the right setting to craft his own brews and create a community gathering place – a social hotspot, a “goto” – for people to meet up for a beer with friends, family and guests.

The Pickerington Creamery, located at 80 W. Church St., is the perfect setting for the brewery.

“The building is one of a kind and has amazing character. The inherently industrial feel of the building stylistically is what we wanted, and the fact that it is authentic is not something you come across every day,” Jackson said. “The www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

fact that it was previously a production facility lends favorably for a brewery to set up shop. We also chose Pickerington because it seemed like a city that was thirsty.”

Jackson said the company started with a “vision of what a brewery could be, then with a lot of hard work and burning the candle at both ends,” the idea and work ignited: Combustion.

“We were fortunate enough to obtain a loan from the Fairfield County Revolving Loan Fund, an amazing local economic development​initiative that is helping small businesses​all over Fairfield County,” Jackson said. “​We also worked with the Small Business Administration and Heartland Bank for additional financing and have a group of over 30 people who believed in the vision and ​invested​their hard-earned money to help us get started. I’m

forever grateful to everyone who helped make this all happen.”

Jackson feels it is important for his business, which currently consists of 12 employees, to have a personal connection to the community.

“We plan to support local initiatives and nonprofits through fundraising events,” Jackson said. “Long-term, our intention is to become part of the fabric of Pickerington; for Combustion to become ubiquitous with Pickerington.”

Residents can follow Combustion on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to be the first to learn about the official opening of the brewery and taproom.

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News and information from the City of Pickerington

Spring Events

Breakfast with the Bunny, Arbor Day Celebration and Community Pool happenings Pickerington is hopping with a variety of spring events for the entire community.

On Saturday, April 8, the Easter Bunny pauses from his egg-citing delivery schedule to have breakfast with children at the Pickerington Senior Center, located at 150 Hereford Dr. Tickets for the 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. seatings are $6 and must be purchased by April 6 at the Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department. Breakfast with the Bunny is free for children 2 and have their pictures taken. All proceeds and under, but still requires reservations. benefit the Pickerington Senior Center.

Children and their parents can munch On Saturday, April 22, a celebration of with the bunny, make crafts, play games the City’s commitment to preserving the beauty of its trees and landscape will be held at the Simsbury Disc Golf Course at 9 a.m.

The annual Arbor Day Celebration, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, will feature music by the Pickerington Community Chorus, a brief history lesson about Arbor Day, a color guard presented by Cub Scouts and the presentation of the Tree City USA award

to the City. The winners of the third grade essay contest will also be announced, and light refreshments will be served for the enjoyment of the participants.

April is the month for residents to get into the swim of things and save at the Pickerington Community Pool. Early bird registration for pool passes runs through April 30, and signups for swim lessons start May 1.

This year there are three swim sessions. Sessions are June 5-16, June 19-30 and July 10-21. Classes run from 9:40-10:10 a.m., 10:20-10:50 a.m., 11-11:30 a.m., 4:50-5:20 p.m. and 5:25-5:55 p.m.

Information on swim fees and other special events sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department are online at www.pickerington.net or can be obtained by calling Parks and Recreation at 614-833-2211.

citydirectory Pickerington City Hall, 100 Lockville Rd.

Olde Pickerington Village Farmers’ Market

Now in its fifth year, market spotlights local growers and Olde Village Farm-fresh produce, dairy, meat, jams, jellies, baked goods and an assortment of other homemade products and crafts from Ohio are ready for Pickerington shoppers to pick when the Olde Pickerington Farmers’ Market opens for business June 1.

Organizer Peggy Portier of the Pickerington Village Association (PVA) said the fifth annual Farmers’ Market will be held every Thursday through Sept. 28 from 4-7 p.m. at 89 N. Center St. The City and Mayor Lee Gray, said Portier, have contributed to the market’s rapid growth by allowing the market to use a lot in the village and providing access to electrical service and improved parking.

To be a part of the market, the products must be grown or produced in Ohio.

“Also, we think it is a good way to showcase the Village and offer a weekly social event to the public,” Portier said.

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“We like to support locally owned small businesses, and the market is a good way to do that.”

The market can accommodate 45 vendors each week.

“Since all products must be from Ohio, we won’t have things like sweet corn, tomatoes or cantaloupes at the beginning. We are at the mercy of the Ohio growing season,” Portier said. “There will be plenty of early spring items like freshpicked lettuce, radishes, green onions, asparagus and spinach.”

Residents can find out what new items are available at the market by signing up for email notices at pickfarmers@hotmail. com. That email address can also be used to ask the market organizers questions.

News on what’s fresh at the market can also be gathered by following the Pickerington Farmers’ Market on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

(All numbers prefixed with the 614 area code)

Building Services ..................... 833-2221 City Clerk/Council..................... 837-3974 City Manager........................... 837-3974 Development Services.............. 833-2204 Engineering Services ............... 833-2221 Finance Services...................... 837-3974 Human Resources.................... 837-3974 Income Tax Division.................. 837-4116 Mayor’s Office (Lee A. Gray)............................ 837-3974 Mayor’s Court.......................... 837-3974 Parks and Recreation............... 833-2211 Police Services......................... 575-6911 Service Department Streets.................................... 833-2292 Utility Billing............................. 833-2289 Utility Maintenance................... 833-2292 Water Plant.............................. 833-2290 Waste Water Plant.................... 837-6490 Water Reclamation.................. 837-6470 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

News and Information From

Violet Township Save the Date: Saturday, April 29

Drug Collection and Electronics Recycling Event Scheduled

By Chad Lucht, CPESC, Senior Urban Specialist, Fairfield SWCD The Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has been scheduled for Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Violet Township Service Center at 490 N. Center St. Participants are asked to enter the event from the North Center Street entrance.

The Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District – in cooperation with Violet Township, Fairfield County Sheriff’s office and Lancaster-Fairfield County Recycling & Litter Prevention – will be participating in the event.

This event marks an ongoing effort to rid the Pickerington community’s medicine cabinets of potentially dangerous drugs, particularly controlled substances. Only prescription pills and capsules will be collected. No aerosols, inhalers, liquids, creams, gels, ointments, powders, patches, suppositories, syringes or IVs will be accepted. We ask that you black out all personal information or remove labels before bringing containers to the disposal site.

In 2016, residents disposed of nearly 170 pounds of pills at this event that was held in the spring and fall. That was 170 pounds that was not discarded in the trash or flushed down the sink or toilet, leading to potential contamination of groundwater and wastewater treatment plants and causing harm to aquatic life and the human water supply.

Electronic recycling is also available at this event. The following electronic items may be dropped off at no cost: com-

www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

puters, laptops, printers, cables, mouses, keyboards, discs, electronic clocks, VHS/DVD players, radios and cell phones.

More than 14,000 pounds of electronics was recycled from these same events.

No items containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), commonly utilized as refrigerant or as propellant in aerosol cans, will be accepted. A certified facility, such as the Lancaster Transfer Station on Ewing Street in Lancaster, must handle the disposal of this compound.

Computer monitors will be accepted at no additional cost if they are included as part of an entire computer system. However, there will be a $3 disposal fee for computer monitors delivered without a processor tower.

Televisions will be accepted at the event at a cost of $1 per diagonal inch. Only cash and checks will be accepted as payment for disposal fees.

Call the Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District office at 740-653-8154 or the Fairfield County Sheriff’s office at 740-652-7900 for more information about prescription drug disposal. Call Chad Reed with Litter Prevention and Recycling at 740-681-4423 with any electronic recycling questions.

For those unable to attend this event, a drug drop-off box for prescription drugs is available at the Pickerington Police Department located at 1311 Refugee Rd. Needles and liquids are not permitted for disposal.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday, April 29 as we continue to rid Pickerington and Violet Township of unused medications.

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Always More to Learn

By Assistant Fire Chief Jim Paxton

Education can become a portal for discovery.

Education allows the student to travel to a destination or through time. You may visit various cultures, climates and the marvels of the world, and yet never leave the classroom. Even the classroom can be subject to perspective and vision, based upon the person, place and topic.

Education is the backbone to human growth. It provides for the enhancement of moral, spiritual and cultural values.

Education allows us to be inspired by philosophers, scientists, activists, educators, leaders, creators and artists.

Through education, we develop acceptance and tolerance. Fortunately, I stumbled across an online article titled “Importance of Education/17 Reasons Why Education is Important” by Sanjay Tripathi (2014). The article defines education as “the systematic process of gaining knowledge and skills through study and instructions. Education may be obtained in various forms.”

Though I have never finished my college degree, which I deeply regret, I am a huge proponent of education. My wife

and I have advocated, nudged and encouraged both of our children to achieve a college education. While I feel a college degree is important, I do not believe that a diploma is the only measuring device for education and/or intelligence.

Life and occupational experiences are valued assets. Curiosity can drive one to a wealth of knowledge and capabilities.

The Fire Service is deeply rooted in traditions and customs. Much can be learned from the experiences of the veterans of the profession, whether paid or volunteer. However, in this rapidly changing world, I firmly believe that education will be the foundation for the continued evolution of the Fire Service.

As a profession, we have to keep abreast of the technological advancements in the world around us. The Fire Service has had to change the tools and techniques required for auto extrication in response to the assembly and components of modern vehicles.

Contemporary building construction has affected how we fight structure fires.

Computerization of communications, mapping and data analysis has improved emergency response.

Advanced training, adjuncts and tools have increased survivability rates of the patients we may encounter on a daily basis. Improvements in health, fitness, personal protective clothing and SCBAs have made a safer working environment for fire and EMS personnel. These enhancements are just the tip of the iceberg of what has already changed and what potentially lies ahead. It simultaneously can be exciting and overwhelming.

Research and scientific advancements are also teaching us that our profession is inherently dangerous in ways we didn’t realize as young and eager recruits. The cancer rate for both active duty and retired firefighters is alarmingly and disproportionately high. Documented cases of PTSD and suicide are on the rise. These issues have always existed, but better documentation and research techniques have brought them to the forefront of the Fire Service community and legislative leaders.

Hopefully, the thirst for both education and knowledge come from a well that never runs dry. Both can only be limited by our desire and capacity to learn.

Take a drive past our new Fire Station 591 project to see our progress from a foggy Presidents Day to now!

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www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Pavement Maintenance

Violet Township’s New Perspective

By Greg Butcher, PE, MPA, Violet Township Engineer A local government’s inventory of capital assets represents its most significant investment of resources.

Like any portfolio, these assets need to be actively managed to ensure that the most value is received from this considerable investment. In Township government, our most significant investment is our road network.

Across the state of Ohio, funding for township road maintenance comes mainly from state fuel taxes and vehicle license fees. Unfortunately, over the past two decades, those funding sources have remained relatively stagnant in contrast to the increasing cost of maintaining our streets.

In 2016, for the first time ever, Violet Township voters were asked to consider a road levy to fund township road maintenance for our 106-mile (oneway) road network. The issue passed, resulting in a dedicated funding source of $770,000 per year for the next five years. This additional funding represents an approximate threefold increase over recent years.

Violet Township realized at the onset of this five-year program that it was vital to capture an initial inventory of our road system (our capital assets). The magnitude of this inventory represented a daunting task, considering there are

Got Potholes?

gree they should be prioritized within our plan.

Beginning in 2017, Violet Township will embark on year one of its five-year plan.

In order to capitalize on the economies of a larger Township paving project, and realizing the City of Pickerington has a similar-sized project, we have partnered with the City and are bidding our respective scopes of work as one project. Work has been scheduled to occur over the summer months.

Violet Township recognizes the importance of its infrastructure. We appreciate the confidence demonstrated by the majority of voters who supported the road levy. We also embrace the accountability of utilizing the increased funding to its greatest extent possible.

more than 800 road sections within Violet Township.

In order to accomplish this, we contracted with a pavement management company to provide an unbiased, independent evaluation of every street within the township’s jurisdiction. The study’s focus was to provide a Pavement Condition Rating or Index for each street. Based on the pavement assessment, the Township could then develop a program to identify which roads will require maintenance and to what de-

It is that time of year when potholes are appearing with the freeze/thaw cycles.

Violet Township can help! If you see a pothole, please report it at: pothole@violet.oh.us Provide us with as much location detail as possible, and this will enable potholes to be filled as quickly as possible.

Thank you and please share!

www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

How to Reach Us Violet Township Administrative Offices 12970 Rustic Dr. Pickerington, OH 43147 614-575-5556 www.violet.oh.us Violet Township Fire Stations Phone 614-837-4123 Fire Chief: Michael Little #592: 8700 Refugee Rd. #591: 21 Lockville Rd. #593: 2365 Taylor Park Dr. (behind hhgregg) Violet Township Service Center Phone: 614-382-5979 490 Center St. Pickerington, OH 43147 13

faces

By Amanda Etchison

A Good Egg

Photo by Jeffrey S. Hall Photography

Biological lab worker turned physics teacher emphasizes unconventional experiments

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N

ormally, teachers forbid students from throwing food at school, but Doug Forrest makes an exception for the sake of science.

In the fall, the Pickerington High School North physics teacher can be found with his class out by the football stadium, walking under the bleachers as his students try to drop eggs on his head.

“If they have done their calculations correctly, and with a bit of luck, they can hit me,” says Forrest, 49. “I get asked every year, ‘Aren’t you going to wear a helmet?’ or ‘Aren’t you going to wear a hat?’ Well, that’s no fun.”

But how does it feel to be hit by an egg hurtling through the air?

“Does it hurt? Yeah, it kind of hurts if you get hit, but that’s OK,” Forrest says.

Forrest’s hands-on approach to teaching has become a hallmark of his classes, but he says his goal as an educator extends beyond students learning scientific concepts.

“One of the things that I say at the beginning of the year is (to) tell students if the

most important thing that they get out of my class is the physics, I probably have done a bad job,” he says. “I really want them to get out being curious learners, being good questioners and being able to evaluate the work that they do and the work that other people do.”

This natural curiosity is what initially inspired Forrest’s personal interest in science, which led him to The Ohio State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in molecular genetics in 1990.

After working in a molecular biology research lab at the University of Cincinnati for several years, Forrest says, he discovered his passion for teaching while instructing incoming graduate students. So he decided to get his teaching license.

In 1994, Forrest began teaching in the Pickerington Local School District, but continued to work part-time in a food microbiology laboratory for 20 years.

“Whenever you hear things like, ‘There’s a recall on so-and-so because of a salmonella www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Photos courtesy of Doug Forrest

infection,’ that was kind of the type of testing that we did,” he says. “I think that really gave me pretty good insight into how science works.”

Forrest is grateful to have experienced firsthand the practical application of science in business and industry, and hopes to give students similar opportunities through the experiments they conduct throughout the year.

One the most memorable outings, he says, is the annual trip to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Forrest’s AP Physics class visits the track in Lexington to collect data on the cars and races.

The students also get the chance to interview drivers and members of the racing teams to see how physics is used in the sport, which is an aspect of the trip that especially interested North senior Carmen Moesle.

“You don’t think about physics watching the cars go around the track, but when you talk to the racers, they know so much,” says Moesle, 17.

As a student in AP Physics, Moesle says she appreciates Forrest’s passion for teaching challenging subject matter.

“His class is tough, but the hands-on experiments really help with learning the concepts,” she says. “He’s a great teacher.

You can tell that he really cares.”

Outside of the classroom, Moesle says Forrest’s enthusiasm has inspired many students to take their love of science and share it with others through an extracurricular group called Team Physics. The team, which usually comprises about 20 high school students, visits middle and elementary schools in the district to perform scientific demonstrations throughout the year.

As the president of Team Physics, Moesle assists Forrest and the rest of the team in designing performances that correspond to the science curriculum covered in classes. She says the goal of the program is to make experimentation accessible through www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Above: AP Physics students collect data at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Other photos: Students in Doug Forrest’s Team Physics demonstrate their work at Tussing Elementary School.

skits and demonstrations, such as having a student lie down on a bed of nails to illustrate the concepts of force and pressure.

Forrest says Team Physics has been a rewarding experience for both the high school members and their younger audiences since the program’s inception in 1999.

“One of the things that’s great is when the high school students … come up and say, ‘I had a kid hug me,’” he says. “The high school students really have to work hard to make sure they understand how to get a concept across at a level that’s appropriate for a first-grader or second-grader. That’s really challenging to do.”

Though he lives in Reynoldsburg, Forrest has spent his entire teaching career in Pickerington, and he says the connections he has made with students and teachers have made him feel at home.

“We have a fantastic population of students. … They are definitely willing to pursue various types of questions when there may not be a clear path to the answer,” Forrest says. “Science isn’t just about facts; it’s really a process, and if we can get students to be curious about the world around them, that is by far the best thing we can do as educators.”

For more information about Team Physics, visit pickteamphysics.weebly.com.

Amanda Etchison is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS www.pickeringtonmagazine.com • Team Physics member Lauren Conley • Former Team Physics member Ryan Kronk 15

Growing Ever Brighter Tyler’s Light continues to expand efforts to fight youth drug addiction

By Garth Bishop

F

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Above: Wayne Campbell speaks at the 2016 Tyler’s Light 5K. Left and above left: Students participate in a Drug Free Clubs of America rally in Chillicothe.

on support groups, rehabilitation facilities and recognizing signs of addiction.

“Resources are really important because people don’t know where to turn,” says Wayne Campbell, president of Tyler’s Light and Tyler’s father.

The organization is also working on resource cards full of information that can be handed out. It has already put together bookmarks with facts on addiction and encouragement for those who are concerned about their friends and loved ones to speak up.

Tyler’s Light has been running a support group for family members of addicts in Pickerington for years, and recently added one in Lancaster to better accommodate residents in the southern parts of Fairfield County. Family members of drug addicts often feel alone in their problems, and the support groups allow them to interact with others in the same situation, Campbell says.

“It’s a great resource for parents or a spouse of someone with a substance abuse issue,” he says. “At the time that you find

out (about a loved one’s substance problems), you think you are the only one if your community who has a loved one with an addiction.”

The Pickerington support group meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Peace United Methodist Church, 235 Diley Rd. The Lancaster support group meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Lancaster City Council Chambers, 111 S. Broad St. Tyler’s Light also helps coordinate a grief support group at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the OhioHealth Pickerington Medical Campus, 1010 Refugee Rd. An OhioHealth psychologist facilitates the discussion.

“It is specifically for parents who have lost a child to an accidental overdose,” Campbell says.

As with the general addiction support groups, a key component of the grief group meetings is to help attendees overcome the social stigma associated with addiction and understand that it’s a biological condition, not a choice, for the addict.

“They’re in the same boat (as support group participants),” Campbell says.

“There is that stigma associated with addiction, and a lot of parents, after losing a child, will withdraw.”

And Campbell has continued with one of the central elements of Tyler’s Light’s outreach: speaking engagements to groups, particularly at high schools. He’s hit 250 schools in 10 states thus far, for a total of approximately 135,000 students. www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Photos courtesy of Tyler’s Light

ive TV specials. Five annual 5K fundraisers. Two hundred fifty schools visited, more than 130,000 students reached.

Two million-plus website hits. Countless awards and recognitions.

The mission of Tyler’s Light is about reaching individuals, not reaching numerical goals. But that doesn’t mean the numbers aren’t impressive.

The Pickerington nonprofit was formed in 2011 following the death of 2007 Pickerington High School North graduate Tyler Campbell from a heroin overdose. It picked up steam in early 2012 when 2010 Pickerington High School Central graduate Marin Riggs died the same way.

The purpose of Tyler’s Light: to help people recognize signs of drug abuse and addiction in their friends and loved ones, and to provide the resources necessary to help them deal with those problems, as well as promote the importance of a drugfree lifestyle. And it has made significant gains in the years since its inception.

In recent years, the organization has also been featured in documentaries and TV shows focused on opiate addiction, particularly among athletes. Addiction among athletes is an area of particular interest for Tyler’s Light, as its namesake was a star football player whose heroin habit was born out of a prescription painkiller dependency that followed an onfield injury.

Programs that have featured Tyler’s Light over the last few years include 60 Minutes (twice), HBO Real Sports, BTN’s The Journey and a DIRECTV documentary titled Locker Room Addiction.

One of the organization’s biggest assets it its website, www.tylerslight.com, which recently topped 2 million hits. As common a problem as addiction has become, many people simply don’t know where to turn when it affects someone they care about, and the Tyler’s Light website offers a plethora of resources, including videos, hotline numbers and information

Some of the elements of those presentations have been overhauled lately: statistics updated, messages refined and new twists added, including a video that mimics a popular video game called Crossy Road. But one central element remains: the importance of speaking up.

Studies show that teenagers, Campbell says, have less ability to foresee negative consequences than do adults. A given teenager is less likely to think something bad might happen to him or her – but certainly has the capacity to recognize risks in another person’s life. And if a young person is developing a drug problem, his or her friends will be the first to notice.

“The parent will be the last one to know,” Campbell says.

Another part of this outreach to young people comes through Drug Free Clubs of America, a national endeavor that not only encourages students to sign pledges that they will not use drugs, but organizes drug testing to hold them accountable. There are chapters at both Pickerington high schools, and it’s radiated from there to high schools in the Ross County, Southwest Licking and Circleville school districts.

Tyler’s Light’s in-school efforts are more important than ever now, says Campbell. A Kaiser Family Foundation recently ranked Ohio No. 1 in the U.S. for accidental overdose deaths.

“This is not a school problem, it’s a community problem,” he says. “But the schools have a captive audience of our youth.”

In addition to the donation link on its website, Tyler’s Light raises money through a handful of local fundraisers. A golf outing is held over the summer, and the sixth annual Tyler’s Light 5K is slated for May 6 at Toll Gate Middle School.

The nonprofit often works to provide resources to other organizations. For example, it recently worked with Solstice Sleep Products to provide 50 sets of mattresses and box springs to a Piketon rehabilitation facility run by New Beginnings Outreach Ministries.

Tiffany Ruckman, Manager 614.759.1522

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Garth Bishop is managing editor.

Feedback welcome at gbishop@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS www.pickeringtonmagazine.com • More on Drug Free Clubs of America • Overcoming opioid addiction • Photos from 2016 Tyler’s Light 5K • The rise of heroin in affluent areas • Former U.S. Rep’s anti-addiction efforts www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

614.433.0822 | www.marburnacademy.org 17

in focus

Photos courtesy of Pickerington Local Schools

By Amanda Etchison

Technically Speaking

Chromebooks, iPads and virtual reality headsets enhance educational experiences in Pickerington

W

hen Brian Seymour, director of instructional technology for Pickerington Local Schools, found himself in a classroom listening to a Tussing Elementary School fourth-grade class talk about oceans, he was surprised to find that a majority of the students had never personally seen the subject of their lesson.

“I went into their classroom and asked them, ‘How many of you have ever been to the ocean?’ One kid out of 26 kids raised their hand,” Seymour says. “So, how can

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you have a discussion and be productive with this lack of experience?”

Because driving to the coast for a field trip was not a feasible solution, Seymour went for the next best thing: a set of virtual reality goggles.

Using one of the district’s four VR kits, the students spent a half hour snorkeling, scuba diving and descending into the ocean’s depths in a shark cage. After the students emerged from their digital dip into the sea, Seymour

says, the difference in their engagement was incredible.

“The writing level and the discussion level went dramatically up because, now, those kids had that experience,” he says.

This use of technology is an example of Pickerington schools’ “tradigital” approach to learning, which, says Seymour, merges “the best practices of a traditional classroom with the best teaching practices of a digital classroom.”

“It is not necessarily about the technology, but it’s about the change in instruction www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

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that the technology allows us to do,” he says. “The kids are getting what they need to be successful, and that really should be the goal of education right now.”

One way the district is trying to meet this goal is through the One2One model of device distribution.

As the name implies, the technology plan aims to provide one device for every student enrolled in the district. Elementary school students will have access to carts of iPads in each of their teachers’ classrooms, while each fifth- through 12th-grader will receive a Chromebook that he or she can bring back and forth from school to home.

Seymour says full implementation of the plan, which means providing oneto-one device availability for the district’s approximately 10,500 students, will take four years – a shorter time period than the original estimate of six years.

“It will be about 90 percent of the school district come August of next year,” he says.

The initiative is set to cost approximately $1.35 million per year with the expectation that costs will eventually be consistently around $1 million per year, Seymour says. Funding comes from the district’s technology budget, which was previously used for technology leases with companies such as Apple.

Kyle Kesselring, a fifth-grade language arts teacher, has been working to incorporate students’ Chromebooks into his classroom at Diley Middle School.

“I think I’ve been to the copy machine four times all year,” Kesselring says. “I am probably 99 percent digital in my class right now.”

From using Google Docs to remotely work on group projects to engaging in class with exercises tailored to suit individual learning needs, Kesselring’s students use technology to further their educational experiences.

“They have all the information of the world at their fingertips whenever they need it,” Kesselring says. “We just need to teach them what to do with it, how to find it and where to go with it from there.”

Seymour says the One2One program also encourages students to learn life skills. Teachers can use monitoring software to ensure the students remain on task, but it is up to students to bring Chromebooks that are in working order to school each day.

“It is giving kids those kinds of responsibilities. You know, taking care of it, making sure it is in good shape, making

sure that it is somewhat clean,” he says.

“Making sure that it doesn’t get broken, doesn’t get damaged.”

Students are required to charge their Chromebooks at home and are not allowed to use chargers or power cords while at school.

“Very rarely do you have a kid come without their Chromebook charged,” Kesselring says. “Would you expect that from a 10-year-old?”

Seymour says the district’s One2One plan incorporates technology as an additional resource in the classroom rather than a replacement.

“Our technology plan is written with educational goals. ... It is not written with, ‘Oh, you’re going to learn how to use Microsoft Word,’” he says. “Our goal is, ‘What skills do we need to teach kids?’

And that’s really where we went with it.”

Kesselring says he sees the use of technology as the logical next step in preparing students for life in an increasingly digital environment.

“This becomes a tool, but it does not replace them communicating with each other. … It is just the next step,” he says.

“It is okay for kids to be one-to-one. This is what is coming, this is their world and we need to get them ready for it.”

Amanda Etchison is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS www.pickeringtonmagazine.com • Watch Dog Dads in Pickerington schools • Hands-only CPR in schools • Virtual reality in sports medicine 20

www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Arts Day & GOVERNOR’S

AWA RDS

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MAY 17

FOR THE ARTS

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Award Artist: Janice Lessman-Moss Image: Janice Lessman-Moss, selected works from Projected Path, ©10/16, silk, linen, cotton, digital jacquard, hand woven, painted warp.

student spotlight Sponsored by Pickerington Eyecare

Story and photos by Valerie Mauger Student Spotlight features a student from a different area high school in every issue.

Strike Force Central soccer star also brings dedication to the bowling alley

The crowd may have followed Federer from the soccer field; she has played for Central’s soccer team her entire high school career. She earned her first varsity letter for the sport in her final season this past fall.

It certainly wasn’t her first varsity letter. She has also received two for her success on the bowling team.

Bowling and soccer are two very different sports, of course, but it’s not just the physical playing of the game that differs vastly, Federer says; the mental game is just as important, and mental preparation

T

wo years ago, Molly Federer had only a vague understanding that bowling was a sport.

A senior at Pickerington High School Central, Federer stumbled into the sport when she was asked to fill a spot during her sophomore year.

“I never thought that bowling could be serious in high school,” she says.

Her first impression of the team: “They’re really loud.”

Federer describes the team’s many chants, which are commonly led by the bowlers themselves. In fact, her teammates are not used to having huge crowds, despite the fact that most of them have been bowling since they were children.

After two years with the team, though, Federer has brought an audience to the lanes.

“I get a lot of people to come out and look at the bowling team, which is kind of cool,” she says. “I always have a crowd.”

22

www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE EYE CARE IN CENTRAL OH for one sport is not like mental preparation for the other.

“In bowling, you have to completely clear your head,” she says. “You just really have to focus, and I did not have that mental state during soccer season.”

One of the more difficult mental matches this bowling season was against Pickerington High School North. Having won against its rival for the past two years, Central’s team suffered defeat this season.

“My sophomore and junior years, we beat them by like 100 pins, but they got really good somehow,” Federer says.

Losing a match doesn’t really get Federer down, however. She has big plans for the future, and they don’t necessarily include bowling or soccer.

Her sights are set on attending Ohio University this fall, where she hopes to study psychology. But she isn’t choosing psychology merely because the subject interests her.

“I just want to help people,” she says.

Service is incredibly important to Federer, as shown by her dedication to many organizations, both at school and through her church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. She has been a part of the church youth group’s leadership team since seventh grade. The team organizes community service events, such as food and shoe drives for those in need.

Federer is also a part of a leadership team at Central called Sunny Side Up. At the end of the day, after going to bowling practice and volunteering for her many leadership and service teams, she still has to make time to study.

Valerie Mauger is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

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By Zachary Konno

Ride of your Life

24

Pickerington’s Bridgett White follows her equestrian dreams at the University of South Carolina

to be held right here in central Ohio in the fall – and winning a point for her team in RELATED READS her first meet for the Gamecocks.

“That was huge for me because, here, www.pickeringtonmagazine.com you’re no longer riding for yourself. You’re • Horseback riding for fitness riding for your team,” White says.

• Equine events around central Ohio Zachary Konno is a contributing • Otterbein University equine therapy writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@ • Former equestrian champion Kaylee cityscenemediagroup.com.

Adamek www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Photo courtesy of David Beckham Photography

W

hat do you do as a parent if your daughter loves playing with the stuffed animal horses you buy her?

Do you buy her more stuffed animals?

Do you take her to a petting zoo or farm to be able to touch a real one?

The obvious answer – at least for Bridgett White’s parents, Dave and Vicki – was to buy their daughter her own horse at the age of 6.

“I was so excited and fell in love even more,” says White. “I started taking lessons, and from then on, I just kept growing with (the) sport and taking it more and more seriously.”

The training seems to have paid off, as White signed a National Letter of Intent in 2015 to join the University of South Carolina’s equestrian team. She is now in her second year, specializing in reining for the Gamecocks.

White attended Pickerington High School Central, where she was a member of the student council, involved in the Key Club and voted homecoming queen in 2014. Her activities in school, though, coupled with horse shows and training, left little time for a social life.

“I was always gone on the weekends for horse shows, or I was riding during the summer when all of my friends wanted to get together,” White says.

“Thankfully, I always had very supportive friends regarding my sport. Most of them played sports also, so they understood the commitment.”

When having to decide between schools to attend to further her riding career, White had to choose between South Carolina, the University of Georgia and Baylor University. White says South Carolina was always near the top of her list because of its status as the top program in the nation, and her inclination toward the university was only confirmed on her visit.

“I met the team and coaches and they made me feel like I was already a part of the team. It was a comfortable fit for me,” White says. “The girls on the team were so nice and had such a strong bond. I wanted to be a part of it all.”

Among White’s proudest accomplishments are winning Reserve Champion in her class at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, the largest single-breed horse show in the world – which happens

Discover the Dream

Presented by

on the table

By Sarah Davis

Springtime Snacktime Sweet treats and mobile munchies draw patrons to Pickerington fundraisers Chocolate Hop

Food Truck Frenzy

The following month, Pickerington hosts the third annual Food Truck Frenzy, benefiting the PCMA Food Pantry of Pickerington.

The event is slated for June 4 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.

Last year, residents showed incredible support for the fundraiser, generating almost $20,000 in just six hours. Despite the rain, crowds formed to try a bite from

RECIPE

Hawaiian Salted Caramel with Almond Latte

(Courtesy of Food Truck Frenzy supporter Little Red Coffee Van) Ingredients 3 shots Cubano espresso 2 Tbsp. almond powder 2 oz. Hawaiian salted caramel syrup 6 oz. steamed milk Instructions Combine ingredients in a 12-oz. coffee cup and serve.

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the many food trucks, including Aloha Streatery, Butch’s Italian Café, Dimsum Luck, Fun’l Frenzy, Por’Ketta, Schmidt’s Sausage Truck, Street Thyme and Trucking Delicious.

“While the kids play, make crafts or get their faces painted, adults can eat great food and enjoy performances from local talent,” says PCMA Director of Community Relations and Development Barbara Meek.

“We really want to make the Food Truck Frenzy an event for the entire family, and we’ve learned a lot in the last two years to make this something community members can look forward to.”

Prior to the inception of the Food Truck Frenzy in 2015, the food pantry was relying on the Plaza of Lights as its main fundraising event.

“We were finding that our sole fundraiser wasn’t getting us through the end of the year, so we began looking into other opportunities to find funding,” Meek says.

“Fortunately, it has done that for us, as well as raised awareness of hunger in the community.”

Besides the food, event highlights include a children’s area featuring inflatables and a life-size foosball game; crafts and activities such as balloon art and face painting; and a variety of musical performances, including a show by singer-songwriter and local favorite Chris Logsdon.

Sarah Davis is a contributing writer.

Feedback welcome at gbishop@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS www.pickeringtonmagazine.com • Food pantry’s summer feeding program • More on Fun’l Frenzy • More on the Chocolate Hop • Food pantry volunteer Dick Sloan • Beckham’s prom fashion show www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Photos courtesy of Jason Diehl and PCMA Food Pantry of Pickerington

Mini candy bars, fudge, brownies, chocolate-covered Oreos – you name it, one of the 19 different stops on the Chocolate Hop likely has it.

Olde Pickerington Village businesses come together to host the seventh annual Chocolate Hop on May 5.

Not only does the event give residents a chance to indulge in an assortment of chocolate treats, it also brings awareness to what local businesses have to offer. Each will highlight its day-to-day services alongside its once-a-year tasty treat.

This year will feature live music in the gazebo and include returning stops such as the much-anticipated chocolate fondue at David Beckham Photography, which Peggy Portier, the event’s chairwoman, says “is always a hit.”

This year’s Chocolate Hop is the first major one-time event of the new Pickerington Village Association. The organization formerly known as the Olde Pickerington Village Business AssociaEach participant’s $5 donation – to obtain a map and be elition was relaunched March 20 with a renewed focus on serving the gible for treats – benefits the Pickerington-Violet Township Hiscommunity and building awareness of Olde Pickerington Village. torical Society.

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Around Pickerington Want your snapshots to appear in print? Send your high-resolution photos to pickeringtonmag@gmail.com along with your name and a caption!

Mad Hatter Tea Party

Photos courtesy of Pickerington Public Library

Celebration of Excellence Photos courtesy of Pickerington Local Schools

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bookmarks

By Colleen C. Bauman, Community Relations Coordinator, Pickerington Public Library

Learn at your library!

2017 Self Reliance Series April 5: Fermentation for Health with Glass Rooster Cannery April 10: Growing Simple with Old World Garden Farms April 20: Foxes in Folklore with Ironwood Wolves This is a program for all ages. Foxes are featured in art, fairy tales and stories time and time again. Here we discuss different tales and cover basic facts on red foxes, the most recognized fox species. The staff of Ironwood Wolves will introduce you to an ambassador fox and share some amazing facts about these wonderful creatures.

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April 26: What’s This Worth? with Apple Tree Auction Center April 29: Meet Joe the Coupon Guy®!

New Books 200 Skills Every Fashion Designer Must Have

By Aisling McKeefry Learn the essential skills to build a solid foundation in concepts, techniques and behaviors as a designer. Think commercially, develop ideas, work with modern fabrics, cut patterns, price garments and prepare a portfolio. This book is full of illustrations to help the budding fashionista.

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Learn how sound waves can destroy solid matter (when you scale the Wall).

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Doctor Who: Whographica

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