July 7, 2011
Pickerington Hills
Grant to pay for subdivision curb ramps By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers The city of Pickerington will use a $32,000 Community Development Block Grant to install curb ramps this year in the Pickerington Hills subdivision. Last year, Pickerington officials received word that a project to install curb ramps in one of the city’s older neighborhoods would be funded entirely with state grant money.
The project will include the installation of curb ramps for easier access to sidewalks for those who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and other mobility devices at five intersections in the Pickerington Hills subdivision. Money for the grants originally comes from the federal government. In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Development administers the state’s CDBG program by allocating funding to each of the state’s 88 counties.
From there, county officials identify nonprofit community action agencies to distribute the grants to, based on proposals for specific improvement projects. In Pickerington’s case, the funding will be used to install curb ramps at the following intersections in the neighborhood, located southeast of Pickerington City Hall: • Pickerington Hills Drive and Sycamore Drive.
• Pickerington Hills Drive and Morningview Avenue. • Pickerington Hills Drive and Hilltop Drive. • Sycamore Drive and Hilltop Drive. • Hilltop Drive and Hilltop Place. “These are ramps that make sidewalks accessible from the street,” said Greg Bachman, Pickerington city engineer. Municipalities throughout the U.S. were required to install curb ramps at most intersections after the enactment
of the Americans with Disabilities Act by Congress in 1990. Bachman said Pickerington already complies with the ADA, but curb ramps were not required in subdivisions built prior to the legislation’s passage. “This will enable the city to add ADA ramps to one of the older subdivisions in the city that was built before ADA ramps were required,” he said. See CURB RAMPS, page A2
City adds FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVITIES rain barrels at two facilities By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Hoping to lead by example, the city of Pickerington last week installed rain barrels at two public facilities. Taking a cue from the Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District, Pickerington installed rain barrels on June 22 at City Hall and the offices at 51 E. Columbus St., which houses Building, Engineering and Development Services departments. The plastic barrels — one at each facility — are what proponents call an easy step toward environmentalism, or “going green.” The approximately 60-gallon containers connect to building downspouts to catch rain runoff from rooftops that might otherwise contribute to waterway pollution by flowing from roofs and parking lots directly into nearby streams and rivers. According to city officials, the barrels also serve as sources of free, non-chlorinated water for watering plants. The water is absorbed by the plants or is naturally filtered as it works its way into the ground. “It’s to reduce the amount of stormwater that runs off from roofs, it helps (satisfy) the EPA and you can use it for watering plants,” Pickerington city engineer Greg Bachman said. “It’s good for the environment and it’s good for around your house.” Pickerington purchased its two rain barrels from the Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District for approximately $60 each following a local workshop the agency conducted on May 14. The move comes after the Pickerington Public Library last summer installed rain barrels to help water the community gardens on its grounds that are meant to grow vegetables and fruits to benefit the PCMA Food Pantry of Pickerington.
Photos by Tim Revell/ThisWeek
(Above) The Pickerington and Violet Township Fourth of July parade began its procession July 4 on West Columbus Street. (Below) Violet Township firefighter Steve Wernert shakes hands with people in the crowd. (Left) Louis Hawrysz of Chicago falls off the mechanical bull. Louis and his parents, Don and Nicole Hawrysz, were visiting his grandmother, Tina Biafore, in Pickerington. (Below left) Employees of Fairfield National Bank march a giant American flag down Hill Road North during the parade. Visit ThisWeekNews.com for a slideshow of Fourth of July photos.
See RAIN BARRELS, page A7
Township dog park now open By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Golf outing established in memory of Barr
After more than two years of planning and work, the first public dog park in Fairfield County opened last weekend in Violet Township. On July 1, Violet Township officials opened the gates to Friends of the Violet Township Dog Park at the corner of Pickerington and Stemen roads. It’s been a long time coming. Plans were initiated after a group of local dog enthusiasts approached Violet Township trustees with a proposal to raise half the funds needed for the project, and in October 2008, formed a nonprofit foundation to begin accepting donations.
By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
See DOG PARK, page A2
Violet Township firefighters this fall will host the first of what they hope will be an annual golf outing to remember a fallen comrade and help area students further their educations. When former Violet Township Assistant Fire Chief Doug Barr died suddenly Feb. 27 from an unexpected illness, it left a void still felt within the department and the community. A leader in the department, Barr also was actively involved in everything from outreach programs at area schools to volunteer work with the American Red Cross of Fairfield County and the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce.
Although it’s unlikely he’ll soon be forgotten, his colleagues in Local 3558 of the International Association of Fire Fighters are planning the first Douglas Barr Memorial Golf Outing Sept. 16 at Homestead Golf Course in Groveport. It’s designed to honor Barr and raise money to annually give at least one $1,000 Douglas Barr Memorial Scholarship to a Fairfield County student. “We came together and decided we wanted to do something,” said Brett Bowen, a Violet Township firefighter and president of Local 3558. “Doug was very involved in education, so we figured the best way to honor him would be to name a scholarship after him. “Initially, it will be a $1,000-a-year scholar-
ship for a (graduating) senior in Fairfield County. All schools will be included, public and private.” Barr, who was 51 at time of his death, was a former teacher and member of the Fairfield Union Board of Education. He entered the fire service in 1978 as a member of the Pleasantville (Pleasant-Walnut Township) Fire Department. In 1990, he was hired by the Violet Township Fire Department, was promoted to lieutenant in 1996 and became assistant chief in 2009, serving under Chief John Eisel. In preparation for the golf outing, local firefighters are seeking players and sponsors, as well See GOLF OUTING, page A2
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