West Chester Community Report Spring/Summer 2023

N D ERS

1823

IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY!

June 1 & 2: Founders Day Weekend Kick-off with Takeover & Food Truck Rally

West Chester is planning a weekend party to mark its 200th birthday. The first weekend of June will combine some of the community’s favorite events with new offerings to mark this momentous year.

Founders Day Weekend events are free and open to all and will be celebrated the weekend of June 1-4.

“We’re pulling out all the stops to celebrate our past, present and future in this bicentennial year,” said Township Administrator Larry D. Burks. “Our focus is on community and celebrating this place we call home.”

West Chester Township was founded on June 2, 1823 as Union Township. A bicentennial planning committee of local volunteers has been working since summer 2022 to assemble a variety of celebrations to mark this landmark year.

The party kicks off Thursday, June 1, with a Bicentennial Takeover presented by First Financial Bank on The Square. The Remains will launch the 2023 Takeover season with a free concert from 6 to 9 p.m. (See full schedule on page 15).

There will be food, beer and soft drinks available for purchase. Sorry, but alcohol cannot be brought into the event.

West Chester is partnering with the Union Centre Boulevard Merchant Association (UCBMA)for the big birthday event on Friday, June 2.

The UCBMA will host its annual Food Truck Rally from 11:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. featuring 40 specialty food trucks worthy of lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and dessert. The Food Truck Rally began in 2013 and remains a staple of summer plans for the community.

The day-long event celebrates community with participation by local non-profit organizations and benefitting the West Chester-Union Township Historical Society.

Alongside your food truck feast, a full musical line-up will be available.

West Chester Township provides the grand finale for the Food Truck Rally birthday celebration on June 2 with a performance by Blessid Union of Souls beginning @ 8:30 p.m. followed by a special drone show birthday greeting.

A custom choreographed drone show by Sky Elements will cap off the night in the skies above The Square @ Union Centre.

To get involved in Food Truck Rally, visit www.UCBMA.org

June 4:VOA Museum Community Day

The Voice of America Bethany Station played a critical role in the United States’ communication efforts and was a lifeline for sharing cultural events and news in countries with little access to either. Now, this place of such importance is preserved as The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting.

Groundbreaking for the VOA Bethany Station was June 3, 1943; and as part of West Chester’s bicentennial celebration the Museum will host Community Days on Sunday, June 4, 2023 as part of Founders Day Weekend.

The Museum will be open for tours from 1 to 4 p.m. and the front lawn will be open for family kite-flying, yard games and picnicking.

“Every resident of West Chester should make time sometime this summer to visit the VOA Museum,” said Barbara Wilson, West Chester spokeswoman. There will be special music performances and demonstrations throughout the day.

Visit voamuseum.org for more information about the Museum.

DRONE LIGHT SHOW FINALE ON JUNE 2ND

CELEBRATE JUNE 1-4

June 3: Founders Day in Olde West Chester

Founders Walk: A New Tradition

Founders Day weekend celebrations continue on Saturday; June 3, in one the community’s first business districts. The Merchants of Olde West Chester will roll out the red carpet for the first Olde West Chester Founders Day Walk.

From 2 to 6 p.m., a stroll along Cincinnati-Dayton Road in Olde West Chester will take guests on a “scavenger hunt” of family-friendly activities.

The day-long activities in Olde West Chester include:

• A beer garden at the VFW Post 7696 featuring Grainworks 200 Jubilee beer brewed in honor of West Chester’s bicentennial.

• Kite-building at Scientific Mayhem

• Cookie Decorating by Cookies by Design at West Chester Family Dentistry

• An arcade and art space at The Boys and Girls Club

We st Chester History Center

Founders Day weekend will mark the official grand opening of the West Chester History Center. Don’t miss this stop on the Founders Walk trolley (there will be no general parking at the Center).

The Township turned the property over the West Chester – Union Township Historical Society in 2018 to become a center for local history. Through the tireless efforts of the historical society volunteers and financial donors, the History Center will be open for the community.

During the grand opening celebration from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, the public will be invited to view community exhibits focused on the 1800s, as well as outdoor displays from the time period.

Firefighters Chili Cook-off

West Chester and Liberty Township firefighters will face off as part of Founders Day events in an epic chili cook-off at West Chester Fire Headquarters. Regardless which department comes out on top, the real winners will be our neighbors in the community.

C3 Caring Collaborative Empty Bowls benefits from the chili cookoff.

The firehouse on CincinnatiDayton Road will be open to guests during the June 3rd Founders Walk activities with some chili sampling available and tours of the truck.

The West Chester Fire Department celebrates 60 years of service in 2023. Follow the details of Founders Day weekend @ westchesteroh.org

A trolley will be available in Olde West Chester on Saturday from 2-6 p.m.

SUMMER BREAK FUN

West Chester Park Programming Focuses on Nature and the Environment

Keehner, Beckett, the Port Union Conservation Corridor and MetroParks Voice of America parks offer unlimited potential for creative fun for young people of the community. Whether hiking a wooded trail, playing on a playground or open field, or identifying waterfowl on a pond, the parks are a great backdrop to family stay-cations.

West Chester Township offers two youth programs that focus attention on nature and the environment with Keehner Park as the classroom. Both programs take place on select Wednesdays and are free. Nature Basket is available to preschoolers and their adult companions and WOLF is for young people ages 5 to 12.

Preschoolers gather monthly for Nature Basket on the Keehner Park Amphitheater stage, 7211 Barret Road, for storytime, a seasonal lesson about nature and a craft making activity (adult help required). Nature Basket starts at 10:30 a.m. with a different theme each month, excluding July. In November, families learn about aspects of pioneer life at the Cabin in the Clearing, a real life 1830s log cabin relocated to and reconditioned at the park.

The biweekly WOLF (World of Land, Forest and Friends) Program for kids ages 5-12 starts mid-summer. WOLF meets at the Amphitheater twice per day, morning and afternoon, one Wednesday a week for six consecutive weeks (12 meetings) while the Nature Basket program takes a pause. Programs cover a different topic each week and often feature a special presentation by a representative of a community organization or partner agency related to our environment.

There is no charge associated with township nature

programs for children. Kindly RSVP to reserve your child’s seat.

Call 513-759-7312 or email LGroff@WestChesterOH.org and give the names of children attending, the name of the adult companion and a contact number or email.

SCHEDULES

Wednesday, May 3 – Nature Basket

Wednesday, June 7 - Nature Basket

Wednesdays, June 21 – July 26 – WOLF Program (10:30 –11:30 am and repeats 1:00 – 2:00 pm each Wednesday)

Wednesday, August 9 - Nature Basket

Wednesday, September 13 - Nature Basket

Wednesday, October 18 - Nature Basket

Wednesday, November 15 - Nature Basket

Miss Mary’s Love of Parks is Her Legacy

West Chester nature programming for local children is one part of the legacy of beloved West Chester Parks Director and Naturalist Mary Raffel.

Remembered affectionately as “Miss Mary,” Mary Hamen Raffel began her career in West Chester parks & recreation in 1988 and continued to work until her death in 2008. Miss Mary was a devoted naturalist and educator who left a lasting legacy in West Chester as a champion of the environment during her 20-year career.

Many in the community have fond memories of Miss Mary, some now sending their own children today to the

programs she started. Many of the programs she started like Armchair Program, The Great Pumpkin Fest, Nature Basket and the WOLF (World of Land, Forest and Friends) Program continue to bring joy to residents of all ages to this very day.

Miss Mary was also known for rescuing injured wildlife in the community, supporting Eagle Scout projects in the parks and working with Lakota teachers and students to create outdoor classrooms. Mary led efforts to preserve The Cabin in the Clearing at Keehner Park, which was dedicated in her memory after her passing December 27, 2008.

Nature Basket 2022

TELLING WEST CHESTER'S STORIES

Continuing the Work of Local Historian Virginia Shewalter

Family stories are passed along from one generation to the next through stories shared. Capturing a community’s history requires all who have been a part of building community.

Virginia Shewalter was West Chester’s best-known community story teller, but she wasn’t the first. Virginia, author of “A History of Union Township, Butler County, Ohio” gathered her information from shared stories and from histories of the area published years before.

Born July 14, 1916, Virginia Shewalter grew up in Gano and graduated from Union Township High School. Virginia served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and the Women’s Army Corps for three years during World War II, rising to the rank of Captain, and later returned to teach English at Lakota High School.

Her book, “The History of Union Township, Butler County, Ohio,” was published posthumously in 1979, chronicling our community's beginnings. She compiled the book in celebration of our country’s bicentennial celebration in 1976.

Her inspiring life story and service to our nation is the subject of a “Local History” feature by the MidPointe Library System. The library collaborated with West Chester-Union Township Historical Society to present the “Virginia Shewalter Letters Collection,” an archive of letters sent home by Capt. Shewalter during her military service.

Today, the West Chester-Union Township Historical Society, MidPointe Library System and West Chester Township are working together to gather video stories from the community that pick up where Virginia left off.

Please subscribe to the digital Community Report or visit the Storyteller Playlist at www.westchesteroh.org to learn more. New storyteller videos will be released throughout the year. If you know of someone who has stories to share, please contact Barbara Wilson at bwilson@westchesteroh.org

Time Capsule

What will we leave behind to tell our story to future West Chester residents? A bicentennial time capsule will be assembled throughout the year to be buried sometime this fall.

Members of the volunteer bicentennial planning committee seek advice about what should be included in the time capsule. What items can we leave behind that reflect our community as it is today? Please share your ideas by filling in the form found at the QR code, or www. westchesteroh.org/200.

There is already one community time capsule buried in Keehner Park. It was buried in celebration of our nation’s bicentennial, but we’ll have to wait until 2076 to see what was left behind in that vault.

SUMMER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Saturday, May 6 – Opening Day at The Market (Plant Your Garden Day) – Celebrate gardening, special promotions and giveaways

May 11, 2009 – UC West Chester Hospital opens

May 12, 1873 – Charles and Jane Gano Plat Gano Village

Saturday, May 13 – Bicentennial Beer Launch – The Grainworks Taproom launches West Chester 200 Jubilee beer in honor of West Chester’s bicentennial

Sunday, May 14 – Kite Flying and Tours at VOA Museum (second Sunday of every month)

May 24, 1960 – The Circus comes to town at PYO Fairgrounds

Monday, May 29 – West Chester Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony – 10 a.m. through Olde West Chester to Brookside Cemetery

July 1, 1970 – Lakota School District adopts its new name

July 1, 1903 – Casper Bedacht named first mail carrier in the community

Sunday, July 2 – West Chester Fourth of July Fireworks – launched from the VOA Museum – 10 p.m.

July 5, 1957 – Liberty-Union School District formed

Saturday, July 22 – Dog Daze at The Market –9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – MidPointe Library Parking Lot

July 28, 1963 – Community breaks ground for first fire station

Friday July 28 – Storytime in the Park – 10 a.m., Keehner Park stage – free storytime with MidPointe Library

JUNE

Thursday, June 1 – Takeover #1 of the Season – The Remains – 6-9 p.m. on The Square (full schedule on page 15)

Friday, June 2 – Bicentennial Founders Day Event: Blessid Union of Souls & Drone Show – 8:15 p.m. – The Square

Saturday, June 3 – Olde West Chester Founders Walk – 2-6 p.m.

Saturday, June 3 – Grand Opening of the West Chester History Center on Station Road – 2-6 p.m.

June 1, 1963 – Union Township (West Chester) Fire Department founded

June 2, 1823 – Union Township officially separated from Liberty Township to become its own community

Saturday, June 3 – Founders Day at The Market (Just Farmin’) – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – MidPointe Library Parking Lot

Saturday, June 3 – Keehner Park Concert & Ice Cream Social -7-9 p.m. (full schedule on page 15)

Saturday, June 3 – VOA Community Days – 1-4 p.m. at VOA Museum

June 4, 2022 – Lakota West Girls Softball State Champions

AUGUST

Stay tuned for Touch-A-Truck dates

August 3, 1993 – West Chester incorporation vote rejected for third time

August 8, 1989 – West Chester incorporation vote rejected for send time

August 22, 2007 – The Square @ Union Centre opens

Saturday, Aug. 26 – Back to School at The Market – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – MidPointe Library Parking Lot

WEST CHESTER POLICE

Keeping West Chester Residents Safe at Every Age

summer with registration through Lakota Schools.

Safety Village is made possible through several community partners including 3 Little Halos. Building a place where young children would be engaged in learning important safety lessons has been a mission for the Butler family of 3 Little Halos since the loss of their three grandchildren in a West Chester fire.

The week-long safety village programs will be offered starting in May and continuing through August.

The program is meant to be fun and engaging while covering topics like pedestrian and bike safety, fire safety, Stranger Danger, proper school bus behavior and more; all while campers traverse a mini village in pedal cars.

The West Chester Police Department’s work extends beyond regular patrol, investigating crime and responding to incidents. The officers of the Police Department are committed to providing residents with the information and training they need to be safe and aware.

The Police Department offers several education programs for residents of all age groups. This spring will bring back a popular class for high school seniors.

“The SAFE classes for high school seniors are designed to prepare young people for their move to college campuses across the country,” said Police Sgt. Michael Bruce. “The classes provide important self-defense strategies and other practical, critical-thinking tactics that will help keep them safe.”

Self-defense and Awareness through Fundamental Education (S.A.F.E.) was created as a result of requests from parents and with input from faculty of Lakota Local Schools. Classes were halted during COVID. Sessions include guided discussion on topics relevant to a high shcool senior who will be heading off to college for the first time, with the majority of time spent in rigorous self-defense training. There is a focus on rape prevention and awareness, personal protection and selfawareness.

Registration for SAFE sessions will begin in May.

More than 450 pre-K children participated in last summer’s inaugural Safety Village and the opportunity will be available again this

Safety Village is sponsored by Lakota Local School, 3 Little Halos, Northern Cincinnati Foundation, West Chester Police Department and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

The West Chester Fire Department will step up during sessions to share important information about home fire safety.

Registration for Safety Village will be offered through Lakota.

WEST CHESTER FIRE & EMS

Building Toward a Fulltime Department for Improved Service

Early community fire departments were all volunteer and West Chester was no exception. The volunteer Union Township Fire Department grew with the community to include both fulltime and part-time crews.

Now, as the Department marks its 60th anniversary the move is being made to reduce reliance on part-time crews and hire more fulltime/career professionals.

“We are not the same community or Fire Department that we were 60 years ago or even just 10 years ago,” said Fire Chief Rick Prinz. “This community is now the largest populated Township in Ohio and it is the economic engine that drives Southwest Ohio. West Chester has nearly achieved build out and our neighborhoods are becoming more and more dense, even going vertical in many cases.”

Maintaining a consistent team of part-time firefighters has become a challenge and has affected the Department’s ability to adequately staff all five stations, and the impact on morale of staff who work an abundance of mandatory overtime. The Fire Department topped $1.4 million in overtime expenses in 2022.

The Department completes nearly 4,000 business fire inspections each year, and our call volume since 2012 has increased 51%.

As part of the 2023 Operational Budget, the Board of Trustees approved adding nine new career firefighters; and reducing the complement of part-time firefighters from 47 to 20.

Happy 60th Anniversary West Chester Township Fire Department!

Founded in 1963, the Fire Department was organized about 140 years after the establishment of Union Township. The Fire Department predates the Police Department by four years. West Chester Fire & EMS began as a volunteer fire department at a time when our community’s population was about 10,000 people. Previously, fire service was provided by the City of Mason, Fairfield Township and Liberty Township. Trustees ordered the first 50 badges for firefighters and purchased a Sutphen fire truck for $8,000 in June 1963. On July 28, 1963, ground was broken on the community's first fire station near the southwest corner of what’s today Cincinnati-Dayton Road and West Chester Road.

The first volunteer firefighters officially enlisted October 6, 1963.

About 200 members of the community braved freezing temperatures to celebrate the grand opening of Fire Station No. 1 with a dedication ceremony December 15, 1963. The first firehouse consisted of two bays along with one small meeting

“West Chester has continued to attract great candidates for full-time positions. They come to West Chester for career opportunities, training, leadership and to be a part of a department well-loved by the community served,” Prinz said. “The biggest motivator has been our willingness to hire EMTs, paying them at a paramedic rate and sending them to Paramedic training at the Department’s expense.”

room and a kitchen. The project was bid at a cost of $6,000. James Detherage, who previously served as a full-time Union Township police officer and volunteer firefighter, became the first full-time member of the Fire Department when Trustees hired him as Fire Chief effective May 1, 1977. Chief Detherage introduced paramedic service in 1982 and led the Fire Department through decades of change and growth until 2007. There were several remodels and updates of that original firehouse and nearly 44 years after it opened, it was decommissioned September 10, 2007, the structure razed and a new Fire Headquarters rebuilt on the same site, opening with a dedication ceremony in late 2009. The 35,500 square foot HQ features a training room/emergency operations area, a training tower and mezzanine, six bays, administrative offices, a kitchen and living space, and an exercise room.

In the Department’s 60-year history, there have been only three full-time fire chiefs – Jim Detherage, Tony Goller and Rick Prinz.

VILLAGES OF WEST CHESTER

West Chester Township is a community made up of villages that are a part of our earliest history and neighborhoods that have come to define West Chester as a “place where families grow…”.

Activity in the main villages of West Chester actually predates the official establishment of Union Township, which occurred June 2, 1823.

These village names continue to exist on maps and even some signage due to the fact that West Chester remains a township and neither the entirety, nor parts of, the community have been incorporated as a city.

The villages sprang up in the early 19th century, forming city centers out of and in between vast swaths of farmland covering much of Union Township in the 1800s and early 1900s. Each village developed its own charm and character.

PISGAH

The village of Pisgah wasn’t officially platted until 1924, but was active long before then. Pisgah is located east of Olde West Chester along what’s today Cincinnati-Columbus Road (Route 42). In the 1800s, this road was used as a buffalo trail, a military route and a turnpike. In 1812, William Belch bought farmland – initially owned by two of the areas earliest settlers, John Van Hise and Isaac Paxton – where he kept a hotel or stagecoach stop called the Belch House for about two decades.

PORT UNION

In 1859, Port Union became an official village when it was platted by William W. Elliott on or about March 5, 1859. The area was first called “McMaken’s Bridge” for Joseph McMaken, who is considered the first pioneer of Union Township. Joseph McMaken built his log cabin home and moved to the area of what’s today the confluence of Rialto, West Chester and Beckett roads in December 1795. Starting in 1826, the Miami and Erie Canal was built through this southwest corner of Union Township.

TYLERSVILLE

In 1842, Daniel Pocock platted Tylersville on 400 acres of his farm property. The village of Tylersville is located northwest of (Olde) West Chester. Naming is credited to John Sullivan, who chose it as an homage to President John Tyler. In the late 19th century and into the early 1900s, inhabitants also knew this area by the nickname “Pug” or “Pug Muncy.” Legend has it that an African American gentleman by the name of Pug Muncy lived in a log cabin there sometime in the 1800s.

(OLDE) WEST CHESTER

In 1817, Hezekiah Smith, a Baptist minister, acquired 64 acres of land and platted the Town of Mechanicsburgh in the area known today as Olde West Chester. On October 2, 1826, the name changed to West Chester to match that of our community’s first Post Office, established just east of the town two years earlier. (Olde) West Chester is the first and oldest village of Union Township, home of the first church and many of the first businesses outside of the agriculture industry.

MAUD

Richard Maud platted the village of Maud on April 29, 1873, inspired by the opening of the Dayton Shortline Railroad the fall prior. Maud is located northeast of (Olde) West Chester, near the intersection of what’s today Tylersville and Cincinnati-Dayton roads. Maud was first called “Shoemaker,” for reasons unknown. Maud developed into a residential and railway community, with its own train depot, “the grand station,” and a roundhouse.

HIDDEN WEST CHESTER: GANO

Gano was formed just 13 days after Maud was recorded at the Butler County Courthouse. Husband and wife Charles L. and Jane Gano platted the village on May 12, 1873. Gano is located about 2 miles due south of (Olde) West Chester. The Ganos came to Union Township around 1861 and lived in a home they inherited on farmland, initially owned by the pioneering Montanye family, in the southeastern portion of Union Township. When the Dayton Short Line Railroad was built, the Ganos bought an additional 100 acres of land October 25, 1872 for the purpose of developing a railway town. Gano was modeled after the nearby suburb of Glendale, Ohio –settled in 1855 – where Jane’s family was from and where Charles Gano once made his home. Gano had its own train depot in the early days, like its sister village Maud to the north. The railroad bridge at the entrance/exit of the Gano neighborhood today was constructed in 1911, at the same time the railroad tracks were shifted east to their present location.

...WHERE BUSINESSES PROSPER

West Chester’s Claim as the Economic Engine of the Cincinnati-Dayton Metroplex

The West Chester advantage has arguably remained constant for 200 years – location and access.

Growth of our local economy is rooted in West Chester Township’s ideal location along major arteries of travel between Cincinnati and Dayton.

If combined, the Cincinnati-Dayton Metro Area accounts for a population of 3.07 million people, enough to rank our market the 19th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States. That’s larger than the Denver, St. Louis, Baltimore, Orlando and Charlotte metro areas.

Beginning in 1950, Union Township experienced incredible growth with population nearly doubling every decade for a period of 40 years, culminating in the remarkable commercial and residential boom of the 1990s. By the turn of the 21st century, about 55,000 residents called West Chester home.

Thankfully, development throughout those pivotal years was carefully guided by the intentional planning, stewardship and foresight of visionary civic leaders and elected officials.

On May 17, 1988, the West Chester (Union Township) Board of Trustees agreed to take control of planning and zoning by voting in favor of a resolution establishing township zoning under provisions of the Ohio Revised Code. Previously residents defaulted to the Butler County Zoning Resolution.

And today, of the 3,653 businesses in West Chester, 5.3 percent (192) are considered corporate headquarters. And of the 58,852 employees in West Chester, 21 percent (12,333) are company headquarter employees.

West Chester has the highest assessed valuation in the Greater Cincinnati region (behind the City of Cincinnati) at $2,450,558,050.

Volunteer Guided by a Mission for Community

Making an impact. Through the years many residents of West Chester have been instrumental in leading the community forward and making it a place where families grow and businesses prosper.

Larry Brueshaber brought his family here in the 1970s and a chance encounter with an early trustee of the community – John Boehner – set him on a path to be a part of the vision. Larry volunteered with the Township’s first citizen Vision Committee in the early 90s.

“Many of the things we talked about for the community

Since the opening of the Union Centre Boulevard interchange in 1997, West Chester has reaped $3.9 billion in new investment, more than 46 million square feet in new construction, and nearly 46,000 new jobs.

More than $82.2 million has been invested in major infrastructure improvements throughout the township in the 25 years since the opening of the Union Centre Boulevard interchange.

It is the evolution from suburban community to vital, diverse economic engine that has allowed West Chester to continue to serve residents and businesses with exceptional public safety and roads services, as well as amenities like parks, a library and great community events.

Aside from generation of traditional property taxes, newer development within the Township’s Tax Increment Financing Districts and Joint Economic Development District generate additional revenue that supports public safety, roads/infrastructure and Township amenities.

have come true,” Larry says. “West Chester really is a miracle.”

Larry went on to serve on the Township’s Community Improvement Corporation which later became the West Chester Development Council. He remains as that group’s volunteer chairman 25 years later.

The West Chester Development Council (WCDC) serves as an advisory group focused on economic development. They are funded by corporate stakeholders in the community and work closely with site selectors considering West Chester for future investment.

Learn more about the WCDC at westchesterdevelopment. com. See a full interview with Larry on West Chester’s Storyteller Playlist.

A SPARK FOR SMALL BUSINESS

First Round of Grants Awarded to 18 Local Small Businesses

West Chester was founded by strong-willed entrepreneurs who farmed the land and sought opportunities to determine their own destiny; the SPARK Grant celebrates that same spirit today and nearly 20 locally-owned businesses were awarded grants at the start of our community’s bicentennial year.

The West Chester Board of Trustees launched a small business revitalization grant program in late 2022 to encourage investment in exterior improvements in our business corridors. The first awards were announced in March 2023.

The Spark Grant is for owners or tenants to make improvements at the front door of their business, enhancing the business specifically, as well as the aesthetic of the neighborhood. West Chester will partner financially with these entrepreneur applicants to make visible, impactful change invigorating their business and small business corridors across the Township.

Nearly 30 applications were submitted for consideration and 18 will receive some funding to move forward with their projects. The applications were scored based upon the aesthetic benefit of the project to the larger neighborhood, the potential economic impact of the project and if the project represented a targeted area of needed improvement in the Township.

“So many great projects were submitted, but those selected rose the top in terms of the larger impact they might have in an area of the Township that could benefit from aesthetic improvement,” said Economic Development Manager Katy Kanelopouos. “The goal is to give a jumpstart that will inspire other property owners to make improvements.”

A total of $114,081.00 will be awarded as reimbursement once specified projects are complete and meet the commitment made in the applications. Applicants have six months to complete their projects. The top-scoring applicants will receive 100% of funding sought, up to $10,000.00. Others will receive 75% of funding sought.

“We can’t wait to see how these small investments help to initiate change in our older business corridors,” said Katy. “A small ripple of change can really bring on a wave of investment where it’s needed most.

Recipients:

• Animal Hospital of West Chester

• Saxon Financial

• Salon BelAire

• Timberview Office Park

• Kaycie Land Investment/Scott’s Awards/Carpetile

• LuLu Sweets Boutique

• The Pickle Lodge

• Raton Salon

• Bunnell Electric

• Premier Shooting and Training

• Arrow Brothers/Further Financial

• BTC Investments

• Entertrainment Junction

• Golden Day Boutique

• Kingsgate Insurance

• Welling & Company

• Xquisite Cutz

• Fath Regal Properties

SUMMER ROADWORK

New Roundabout, Paving and Stormwater Improvements on Summer To-Do List

The list of infrastructure projects this summer is long and although nobody likes navigating the construction zones, the end result is improved roadways, safer traffic flow and better water management.

West Chester Township will work closely with the Butler County Engineer’s Office to invest millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements.

The Board of Trustees committed a $6.6 million investment from the America Rescue Plan in muchneeded improvements to the Township’s storm water systems during the next couple years. An approved use of these funds, West Chester’s maturing storm water system has been a topic of budgetary concern for several years and ARPA provides an opportunity to address the issue to some extent.

Nearly $4.5 million will address about 4.4 miles of storm pipe throughout the Township using several different techniques.

An additional $4 million will be invested in paving about 10.5 miles of roadway within the Township; and $1.9 million for 6.25 miles of curb replacement and repair.

“Our infrastructure program this year is an aggressive one taking advantage of federal ARPA fund as well as county and township resources,” said Arun Hindupur, director of Community Services.

Several larger projects taking place during the summer months include;

• Adding dedicated left turn lanes and center turn lane on Tylersville Road from Lakota Springs Drive to Lakota Hills Drive. This project is to be completed while maintaining traffic, except for five days when the road will be closed. Stay tuned for dates.

• Constructing a new roundabout at the Tylersville Road intersection with Beckett Road at the Lakota West Freshman Building. This project will take place during the summer months with intentions to complete before the start of school.

“With so much work planned throughout the summer, we ask motorists be especially cautious when driving through construction areas,” Arun said. “Men and women on road crews put themselves at risk. Please consider them when on the road.”

Track roadway projects at www.westchesteroh.org, by subscribing to the digital Community Report and learn about when work might take place in your neighborhood through Nexdoor.com.

Grant Supports Tylersville Trail

An Ohio Department of Natural Resources Clean Ohio Trails grant will make it possible to develop a new 0.79-mile paved trail linking an existing trail along Butler Warren Road at Voice of America MetroPark and to the City of Mason’s paved trail network.

A $441,639 grant was awarded to MetroParks of Butler County for the project which will start construction in Summer 2024.

The new path will connect MetroParks VOA Park through the front lawn of the VOA Museum property to meet with an existing path at the VOA retail center.

Intersection @ Tylersville Rd & Beckett Rd

This is year 15 for Thursday night concerts on The Square.

The Takeover on The Square @ Union Centre presented by First Financial Bank is a series of free, high-energy concerts every Thursday night from June 1 to August 24. The concerts are 6 to 9 p.m. at the clocktower, 9285 Centre Pointe Drive.

Make it a date night or a gathering of friends and co-workers with different dinner and drink options each week. Beverage sales at The Takeover benefit community non-profits. Outside alcohol is not permitted.

June 1 – The Remains

June 8 – DV8

June 15 – Abe’s Lincoln

June 22 – Soul Pocket

June 29 – Naked Karate

Girls

July 6 – Thunderstruck with Classic Rock Experience

July 13 – Michelle Robinson Band

July 20 – Lt. Dan’s New Legs

July 27 – Pandora Effect

Aug. 3 – Dancing Queen

Aug. 17 – 90 Proof Twang

Aug. 24 – The Whammies

2023

Summer concert isn’t complete without the Keehner Park concert series which was first introduced to the community in 1997. Free concerts and performances 7 to 9 p.m. on select Saturdays at the Keehner Park Amphitheater, 7211 Barret Road.

June 3 – West Chester Symphony Orchestra

June 10 – New Horizons

June 17 – Miami U. Steel

Drum Band

June 24 – UC Community Band

July 8 – River’s Edge Brass Band

July 15 – Monday Night

Big Band

July 29 – Cincinnati

Shakespeare in the Park

August 19 – Penthouse

Dogs

August 26 – Blue Stone

Ivory Mon. Sept. 4 – West

Township Contacts

Mark Welch Trustee

Ann Becker Chair

Bruce Jones

Larry D. Burks

Lee Wong Vice-Chair