July 24, 2011
WAC hears about township’s JEDZ plan By CARLA SMITH ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Officials from Prairie Township attended the July 20 meeting of the Westland Area Commission, where they made a pitch for the fall ballot issue aimed at fixing the township’s budget woes. Commission members had plenty of questions after hearing their presentation. Township administrator Tracy Hatmaker and trustee Steve Kennedy ex-
plained why the township will be putting a JEDZ (Joint Economic Development Zone) issue on the November ballot. “Prairie Township is facing deep cuts,” Hatmaker said, as the state significantly reduces Local Government Fund allocation. “Since 2007 the general fund revenue as a whole has dropped 26 percent from then to the present,” he said. “That is a significant reduction in revenue.” Hatmaker told the commission that
the township started its budgeting process by passing a preliminary 2012 budget based on current fiscal conditions. In order not to spend more than the township takes in, he said, drastic reductions were made. Those reductions include cutting $50,000 from the zoning department; cutting the road maintenance program in half; cutting $17,000 in administrative costs; eliminating the senior center; and reducing the contract with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department
by 20 percent. While the township has explored opportunities of initiating a JEDD (Joint Economic Development District), there is another version of the JEDD that the township will pursue for the fall ballot called a JEDZ (Joint Economic Development Zone). The main difference between the two is that businesses petition into a JEDD, while residents can put a JEDZ up for a See WAC HEARS, page A2
A closer look The main difference between the two is that businesses petition into a JEDD, while residents can put a JEDZ up for a vote, Hatmaker said. With the residents voting on a JEDZ, the township has discovered a way to collect a 2-percent income tax on businesses.
SWCS expects work to reduce energy costs
FAIR FUN
By TOM SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Eric George/ThisWeek
The midway rides light up the night sky at the 2011 Franklin County Fair on July 16. For a slideshow from the fair, visit ThisWeekNews.com.
Run, crawl to kick off Dublin Irish Festival By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The Dub Crawl and IGS Energy/DIF 5K will kick off the 24th annual Dublin Irish Festival on Aug. 4. The three-day Dublin Irish Festival runs from Aug. 5 to 7 at Coffman Park. “The Dub Crawl on Thursday, Aug. 4, gets the festival under way,” said Mary Jo DiSalvo, community-relations specialist. “There’s lots going on in Historic Dublin. … At the awards ceremony that takes place after the race, awards will be handed out by R.J. Umberger of the Columbus Blue Jackets.” Registration for the race is $30 before July 31 and $35 on or after July 31 for adults. For youth ages 18 and under, registration is $25. Registration for the race includes a ticket to the Dublin Irish Festival. DiSalvo said many people already have registered.
“We had 900 (runners) last year,” she said. “We expect more this year, and we have room for more.” The 5K will start at 7 p.m. in Historic Dublin, and the route will take runners south. Registration for the race may be completed online at irishfestrace.com or in person at Columbus Running Co., 6465 Perimeter Drive; Columbus Running Co., 50 N. State St., Westerville; and Columbus Running Co., 1250 Hill Road, Pickerington. Race packets can be picked up on advance at the Columbus Running Co. locations listed above before noon Aug. 4. Packets also may be picked up prior to the race at 5:30 p.m. in Historic Dublin. The Dub Crawl will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Aug. 4. “All the casual dining, sweets and retailers (in Historic Dublin) will be open with specials,” Di Salvo said. “People can experience the Dublin Irish Festival and get a taste of what’s coming.” Live Celtic music will be included. From 5:30 to 6:45
p.m. the Kells will play at Ha’penny Irish Bridge Imports, 75 S. High St.; Two2Many will play from 7:45 to 9 p.m. at the Dublin Village Tavern, 27 S. High St.; Brigid’s Cross will perform at the Brazenhead, 56 N. High St., from 8 to 11 p.m.; and from 6:30 to 7 p.m., Capital City Pipe and Drum will play in BriHi Square, with the Dublin Community Band to follow from 7:45 to 9 p.m. Festivalgoers also will notice crews setting up for the festival, starting around Coffman Park. DiSalvo said the activity inspires some of the more than 1,300 people who volunteer at the event. “When that stuff starts going up, we get calls from people saying they want to volunteer,” she said. “The sight and sound of it taking shape is exciting.” Dublin Irish Festival stout, brewed specifically for See FESTIVAL, page A3
ThisWeek account executive Karl Durst to retire By SARAH SOLE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
After 35 years of greeting his clients with a smile, Grove City resident Karl Durst is retiring. An account executive at The Grove City Record for five years, Durst also worked for The Columbus Dispatch. Throughout his career in the print newspaper advertising industry, Durst has had a wide variety of clients, working with everyone from funeral directors to clothing stores, cultivating longterm business relationships. “It’s been a wonderful 35-year career,” Durst said. Durst knew in high school and college that he was a people person. “I could never sit at a desk and be happy in life,” he said. At age 21, he started his career at the
Zanesville Times Recorder in 1976. In 1981 he moved to the Worthington News, and in 1985 he started at The Dispatch, his goal since college. He worked on the Karl Durst Neighbor News, a tabloid precursor to ThisWeek Community Newspapers, and in 1987, he was elevated to a regular position on the retail floor at the Dispatch. “That was my goal and I got it,” Durst said. From 1976 to 2002, ads were developed on a glossy piece of paper. Durst communicated with customers face-toface and via mail and phone. “That was the only way to do it. There was no other way,” he said. In 2002, Durst started learning to send emails to clients. Eventually, ads started to be gen-
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I hope to be able to do that (volunteer) for as long as I have breath in my life.
KARL DURST Side account exectuive
erated in PDF format and were sent electronically. “I feel really good about how I’ve been able to master this,” Durst said. Despite technological advances, some things remained the same, such as daily interaction with clients. “I think that’s been a part of my success,” Durst said, emphasizing the need to be sincere and enthusiastic. “You have to go in with a smile,” he said. Durst rearranged his priorities after
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having a mild heart attack in May 2010. Since then, he has lost 40 pounds and has been able to keep it off through diet and exercise. While for many years he focused on work, he’s now devoting time to family and volunteerism. “I’m very blessed spiritually, financially and physically,” he said. Despite his retirement, Durst plans to volunteer every weekday. He said he will volunteer for Meals On Wheels and for the American Red Cross as a “blood donor courier,” transporting donated blood to the Red Cross headquarters in downtown Columbus. “I’m looking forward to the future,” he said. Durst said this will be his way of giving back to the community. “I hope to be able to do that for as long as I have breath in my life,” he said.
South-Western City Schools has embarked on three energyconservation projects that are expected to save the district about $533,000 per year when completed. The bulk of the annual savings, $434,000, is expected to come from reduced electricity consumption following lighting and air conditioning upgrades, district spokesperson Sandy Nekoloff said July 15. Boiler replacements are expected to save the district about $59,000 in natural gas costs. The projects also are expected to reduce annual maintenance costs by $40,000, Nekoloff said. The projects will cost about $2.56 million. The district will use money from $6.5 million in unvoted qualified school construction bonds provided through the Ohio School Facilities Commission. Electrical Service Professional Inc. submitted the low bid, $1.48 million, for various interior lighting upgrades in the district. The only other bid was from Dernier Electric, at $1.63 million. Muetzel Plumbing was the lowest of three bidders to replace boilers at Buckeye Woods and Darby Woods elementary schools and Grove City and Westland high schools. Muetzel bid $982,000 on the project. Farber Mechanical Contractors bid $990,000 while TP Mechanical bid $1.1 million. The third contract, to replace boilers at Franklin Heights High School and Brookpark, Finland and Norton middle schools, was awarded to Farber. That company had the low bid of $658,000, compared to $778,000 from TP. The school board approved the contracts July 11. Board member Randy Reisling asked how long these projects would take. Mark Waller, the district’s property services director, told the board the work on electrical upgrades should start in a couple of weeks and be completed by Nov. 1. Work on the boiler replacements could start in a week or so and be done by Sept. 1. Waller said after the meeting See SWCS, page A3
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