dec_2017

April 2017
December 2017
Bringing about a vibrant community where people lead fulfilling lives and make meaningful contributions.
“The best part of everyday is when I get to walk
through these doors,” said 20-Year-Old Adam Meyers of
Pleasantville while taking a break from his shift at COSI in
Columbus. “I love it here.”
Meyers is four months into a 10-month internship at Columbus’
Center of Science and Industry in a program
called STEP, short for Secondary Transition Employment
Program. The program, initiated and implemented by
COSI, is designed for transition-aged students who have
visual impairment. Similar to ProjectSEARCH, students
work internships three days a week at COSI, rotating
throughout various departments such as Guest Services,
Animal Care, Janitorial, Atomic Café and Floor Faculty.
The students also take classes and live residentially on
the campus of The Ohio State School for the Blind in
dorms. Under the direction of Katie King, Meyers and his
fellow students live on campus Sunday through Friday,
which is adjacent to the COSI campus in downtown Columbus, and participate in classes and internships throughout
the week.
“It’s kinda like living on a college campus,” Meyers said. “I like it. I’m fairly independent and I am close to work.”
King said that Meyers in not only an excellent student, but a perfect fit for the program.
“This program is designed for a kid like Adam,” she said. “He takes initiative and is very mature. He responds well
to the environment in COSI and is great worker.”
To date, Meyers said his favorite COSI exhibits are the new dinosaur exhibition and the HONDA cars experience.
He enjoys the opportunity to interact Pam Whiteley with the hundreds of kids and their families who visit COSI daily and he values
any time he can get with King.
“She is the very best teacher you can have,” he said. “I’m learning a lot from her.”
Those who have ventured into COSI are familiar with the loud excitement that radiates throughout the building
but this vibrant ambiance is not intimidating to Meyers.
“I was shocked by how big this place is but the noise doesn’t bother me,” he said. “It has taken me a while to
navigate the elevators and it’s easy to get lost in here if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Meyers prides himself on not only being a diligent worker, but an effective co-worker as well.
“I come to work ready every single day,” he said. “And I try to be a good mentor for people I work with and for
the kids that come in here.”
While he would love for his time at COSI to never end, Meyers is making plans to return to Fairfield County after
graduation and obtain employment with Fairfield Union School District. While he is excited for the future, he’s enjoying
every part of his COSI/STEP experience.
“It’s going to be really hard to walk out of here for the last time,” he said. “It’s a great experience.”
Inclusion is very important to COSI. Recently, COSI has been working with experts from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Autism
Society Central Ohio, and other community focus groups to develop video tutorials which will allow our guests affected by
Autism or other sensory sensitivity the opportunity to see exhibits and learn more about COSI before visiting. A Calming Room is
available and most exhibitions are accessible with mobility devices. Call 614. 228. COSI.

House Bill Includes Levy
Wording Changes, Forbids
Levels in Special Elections
by Eric Hiner, OACB
Trust. It’s a pretty simple word. Whether
used as a noun or a verb, trust plays a
role in just about everything we do.
At the county board level, trust is something
we talk about frequently. We want
the people we support, as well as their
families, to trust us. We certainly want the community to
trust us to be good stewards. Our employees must trust in
the Fairfield DD mission. And our management team not
only needs to be able to trust our employees, but must be
trustworthy in turn.
But trust is a tricky thing. It’s been said it takes years to
earn someone’s trust and only minutes to lose it. So how
do we not only foster a trustworthy environment at the
county board, but maintain it? I think the answer lies in
transparency and honesty.
I recently read that to be honest with another person,
we must first know ourselves—our intentions. I’d like to think
Fairfield DD is pretty clear on this. We will recite our mission
statement to anyone who will listen and I believe we live
that mission every day to the best of our abilities. Our actions
must always match our words.
Another element of trust is being open to feedback.
Let’s face it—this can be a tough one. Often times we are
more receptive to feedback from the community than
from those we know more intimately. I’d like for our team
to always be willing to not only hear feedback and to act
accordingly, but to take the initiative to give feedback as
well. It’s the simplest form of communication and often
the toughest to achieve.
And then there is transparency. In a field where discretion
is of utmost importance, the fact remains that the
county board is a public entity. This not only means we
should be transparent with the public—it demands it. At
Fairfield DD we are taking steps all the time to invite the
public to share with us—whether discreetly or in a more
public forum. And now we are going out into the community
to personally extend that invitation. [See article on
next page.] We are closely connected with other public
agencies, civic groups, businesses and government officials.
But I implore all of our employees to make the same
invitation to the people and families we support. Every interaction
should be an opportunity for open, honest, twoway
discussion.
And then there is leadership. As the superintendent of
Fairfield DD, I want you to know that my door is always
open, my inbox is always available, my phone is with me
at all times. I strive to be accessible, even at my busiest
times. It’s your trust in me and this organization that will
continue to make Fairfield DD successful. Happy Holidays!
John Pekar, Superintendent
The Ohio House is considering a bill that would
change how county boards of DD are required
to describe annual tax rates in ballot language.
Under HB 342 (sponsored by Rep. Derek Merrin –
Fulton and Lucas counties), all levyfunded
government entities would be required to
explain millage in a way that would increase the
perceived cost of levies to voters by requiring all
levy ballot language to express annual tax rates in
dollars and cents per $100,000 of valuation as opposed
to dollars and cents per $100 of valuation
(the current statutory requirement).
This would effectively increase the “sticker price”
of a levy by inflating the numbers used to demonstrate
tax rates to the public. Under current law, a
one-mill levy can be explained on local ballots as
costing voters “ten cents ($0.10) for each one hundred
dollars of valuation.” HB 342 would require
that same rate to be expressed as “$100 per
$100,000 of valuation.”
After reviewing the bill with members of the
county board business manager leadership team,
OACB believes this change would harm public
support for levy ballot issues by misleading voters
into overestimating levy costs. The bill arbitrarily requires
all figures in example levy calculations to be
multiplied by 1,000, giving voters the mistaken impression
of a higher tax rate. Furthermore, the taxable
valuation of most Ohio homes is substantially
lower than $100,000, meaning most property owners
would not pay as much as the inflated levy calculation
would suggest.
HB 342 would also require all board of DD levies
to be filed in primary or general elections. This
would effectively prohibit county boards of DD
from going to the ballot in special August elections,
which is permitted under current statute.
Boards must maintain the flexibility to file levy issues
based on the financial needs of the agency and
the people and communities they serve. While
special election levies are uncommon, OACB cannot
support any legislation that takes financial
planning tools away from county boards.
OACB is communicating with other statewide
associations and members of the business manager
leadership team to coordinate opposition to the
current version of HB 342 and will provide updates
to members in future versions of the PolicyBrief.
Members with questions about this topic should
contact Rick Black (rblack@oacbdd.org) at 614-
431-0616.

Art & Clay Receives Firefly Award
Art & Clay on Main was recently honored with the Firefly
Award from the Adult, Family and Children First Council of
Fairfield County for providing support to families in an outreach
initiative.
The Firefly Award was created to recognize those who
have worked alongside the Adult, Family and Children First
Council to create energy and light by their collaborative
work. These award winners are able to provide just what is
needed at just the right time. Art & Clay on Main has partnered
with the Council for many years providing families an
opportunity to bond outside of their home while creating
lasting memories.
…We’re with the Band
Some very talented members of the Forest
Rose Staff are inviting you and your family to a
holiday concert by the Lancaster Community
Band, 2 pm on Dec. 17 at Sixth Avenue United
Methodist Church in Lancaster.
The band includes Forest Rose music therapist
Emily Plassman on trombone, physical therapist
John Wagner on baritone horn, teacher
substitute Karen Wagner on glockenspiel (as
well as cymbals, bass drum
and slapstick), former Forest
Rose nurse Deb Hatch
on flute, and former educational
aide Matt Haban
on clarinet (as well as flute
and baritone horn). This
group practices together 1.5 hours a week.
Come and support their efforts and help them
drum up some holiday cheer!
Celebration Scheduled
The 10th Annual Celebration of Possibilities will
take place on Thursday March 15, 2018 at Crossroads
Event Center.
The theme is Prepare to Be Amazed and we
hope that is exactly what you will do! For sponsorship
information of tickets, contact Gaynor at
740-652-7220.
OACB Conference Focuses on Trust
The Ohio Association of County Boards hosted the 34th Annual Statewide Convention Nov. 29—Dec. 1
and this year the central theme revolved around trust— where to find it, how to build it, and how to keep it.
The convention launched with a keynote speaker, Rohit Bhargava, who is the founder of the Non-Obvious
Company and has spent more than 15 years leading digital and innovation strategy for global brands at
Leo Barnett Advertising and Ogilvy Marketing.
“At an early age I learned something that has proved important throughout my career,” he said. “Always
be the most likeable person in the room.”
Bhargava stressed that in order to gain the trust of the public
or an individual, a person should focus on five principles:
~ Embrace the cold, hard truth
~ Tell good stories
~ Engage unexpectedly
~ Bring simplicity
~ Remember that timing is everything
Bhargava gave multiple examples of how blindly we all often trust, but also
examples of how what truly matters to people is connectability, kindness, be
approachable and being brutally honest. He also emphasized that building
trust in an increasingly skeptical world will require county boards to reinforce
their reputation of being authentic and trustworthy partners.
Trust is Earned When Actions Meet Words...

Local Student Gets Sneak Peek into Career Possibilities
Shane Messina of Innerphase Video explains digital editing to student
Heather Holland and Employment Planner Michelle Glenn.
explaining everything from video editing and
the use of green screens, to online productions
and camerawork.
“It’s really cool to get to show a young student
like Heather all the new things that are
happening in the industry and all that is possible
to create,” he said. “I wish I’d had an opportunity
like that when I was her age. I had a
great time showing and explaining things to
her.”
Following her visit to IVP, Glenn took Holland
to Fairfield Medical Center to spend some
time in the Marketing Department.
As the largest employer in the county, FMC
relies heavily on a talented team of marketing
professionals that not only produce all
printed materials and logos used in-house,
but that also publishes a high-quality magazine
quarterly that reaches 70,000 homes, as
Devon Marshall and Samantha Hendren of Fairfield Medical Center show
Holland their latest television commercial.
Local Ohio University Freshman Heather Holland
doesn’t know exactly what she wants to
pursue after college, but she has a much better
idea thanks to the insight and time given by
two local business partners of Fairfield DD.
Holland, along with Fairfield DD Job Fusion
Employment Planner Michelle Glenn, spent a
recent Tuesday morning finding out about the
career possibilities existing for students with an
interest in digital media.
“I’m still taking my first-year courses but I am
interested in [digital marketing],” Holland said.
“I like working on the computer and thinking of
new ideas.”
Her first stop was at Innerphase Video Production
in Lancaster where Project Manager
Shane Messina spent a great deal of time with
Holland—giving a full tour of the studios and
well as the launch of FMC’s new television
commercials that are airing across central
Ohio.
Graphic designers Devon Marshall and Samantha
Hendren gave Holland a tour of the
department and explained to her the process
of readying a magazine for print. Holland was
also able to get a private viewing of the latest
television commercial and met the other members
of the staff.
“This was a greets experience for Heather,”
Glenn said. “We really appreciated everyone’s
enthusiasm in sharing their work. Heather told
me on the way home that she would definitely
like to look into a marketing internship after seeing
the possibilities that exist.”
Thank you to all the marketing professionals
that shared their time with Heather!

Thinking Outside of the Cubicle
Janie Heston and Jessica O’Rielley spend
time talking with the volunteers at First United
Methodist Church Free Lunch Ministry.
What do the people in our community truly
know about Fairfield DD? Do they understand
the ways we support people with developmental
disabilities? Have they ever
had a question but were afraid to ask? Are
they familiar with our person-centered approach?
If they ever had a concern, would
they know how to reach us?
These are just some of the questions a new outreach group at Fairfield
DD is attempting to answer by stepping away from our computers
and heading out into the community.
The group, called Side by Side, is being spearheaded by both the
Community Relations and Community Connections departments
while working closely with Quality Assurance in an attempt to communicate
with Fairfield County.
“We want our community to know we are not simply a county
agency that ‘takes care’ of people with disabilities and their families,”
said Temple Montanez, Director of Community Relations. “We are an agency that is here to serve the
entire county population, in whatever capacity is needed.”
The group hopes that by re-introducing Fairfield DD and bringing the community up-to-speed on the way
people with disabilities are supported today that myths will be dispelled, questions will be answered and
stronger relations with the public will be formed.
“Like it or not, there are members of the community who think that Fairfield DD supports people with disabilities
in the same way that people were supported 25 years ago,” Montanez said. “We owe it to those
community members to tell them about person-centered planning, employment navigation, adaptive
technology, provider relations and helping every person we support to find their personal genius. Being
good stewards includes keeping the community up to date and being available to answer their questions.”
Launched just last month, the group began its venture by spending time with the dozens of volunteers at
First United Methodist Church’s Free Lunch Ministry. After an introduction, employees from the SSA department,
Marketing and Community Relations opened the conversation up for questions.
“It was pretty cool to hear the questions they had,” said Janie Heston, SSA. “It made us realize how valuable
our resources are. Someone had a question about getting literacy support for a gentleman who frequents
the lunch program. While this man isn’t being supported by Fairfield DD, we were still able to give the
volunteer names and places of people who could help simply because, as a county agency, we are
aware of all the other programs and agencies in the county because we work closely with all those agencies.”
While the Side by Side group is still in its infancy, the possibilities for connecting with the community are infinite.
“The employees we take with us out into the community may change according to the group or business
we are visiting,” Montanez said. “But we are excited. We have so much to share and so many great stories
to tell. We want to be accessible, transparent and inclusive; and we want our community to know we are
here to support everyone.”
If you’d like to be part of Side by Side, or if you know of a community organization or business who would
benefit from a visit, contact Temple Montanez at 740.652.7220.
Lending a Hand ~
A huge holiday THANK YOU to Fairfield DD’s April Wagner for using her community resources to
help a family in need this season. Two local children, ages 5 and 7, submitted a Christmas wish
list to the Salvation Army that had an unusual request. At the top of their list—a twin bed for
each of them. When April Wagner heard the children wanted beds for Christmas, she immediately contacted
CrossroadsTV Church because she had heard of their Bed Brigade ministry. Within hours, she had secured
two twin beds, including frames, to be delivered to the children before Christmas. Best of all, because the
beds were donated, these kiddos will awake on December 25th to presents too! Thank you April for your
quick-thinking and assistance!

Santa in the Park will take place the evenings
of Dec. 6, 7, 8 & 9. Accessible night
is Dec. 6. Gates open at 5:30. Reservations
needed for accessible parking lot.
‘Twas the month before the annual Santa in
the Park hosted by Lancaster Parks and Recreation
and a group of holiday enthusiasts was assembled
around a table at the local IHOP trying to figure
out the logistics of making the event more accessible.
The event, held each at Alley Park in Lancaster,
had never been orchestrated as accessible for several
reasons:
~ The lodge is over 1/4-mile from the parking lot
~ The number of people attending require the
parking to be moved to a field across the road from the
park
~ The lane up to the lodge is small and can only accommodate
one-way traffic
~ Guests come in such large numbers that they enter
the building on the top floor but exit down the stairs
and out the lower level.
~ The weather can be unpredictable and might require
guests to walk a long distance through cold or precipi
tation.
But when Lancaster Parks Superintendent Mike Tharp learned that, with the help of Fairfield DD
and a host of volunteers, the event could be altered to accommodate everyone in the community, including
those with mobility needs or sensory issues, he was determined to make it work.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Tharp said. “It doesn’t matter if by customizing the event we only have
10 more guests. It’s the right thing to do and we will make it happen.”
The result—Santa in the Park added another night to the traditionally three-night event. This
year, on Wednesday December 6, people needing mobility assistance can call ahead and make a reservation
to for one of two performances. They will be able to drive right up to the entrance of the
lodge and depart their vehicle. Then the vehicle will be granted a space in the lot adjacent to the
lodge during the performance so that they can exit quickly and conveniently. In addition, the
Wednesday night performance, which features a visit with Santa and his elves inside their busy
workshop, will be sensory friendly, with adjusted sound and lighting and a slightly shorten skit.
“Originally when we started looking at making the adjustments we were thinking it would allow
for more children with disabilities to see the performance,” Tharp said. “As we began working on it, it
became clear that this would open the event up to even more people—grandparents or parents with
mobility issues, people sensitive to weather or long walks, just anybody who found the event difficult
to get to in the past. It’s really exciting.”
To tackle the problem with the one-lane road, Tharp and Fairfield DD found a group of volunteers
who will direct traffic from the park entrance to the lodge and who will be on-hand to assist anyone
who needs it. As for the traffic flow inside the lodge, guests that evening will assemble in smaller
groups and will enter and exit the building from the main floor, avoiding any stairs.
“The response from the public has been awesome,” Tharp said. “We are so excited to be able to do
this.”
In addition to the visit with Santa, Alley Park will be adorned with nearly 1 million lights, a true
holiday experience. People taking advantage of the pull-up parking are required to make reservations
in advance so park staff and volunteers can manage traffic flow effectively. Because this is an
inclusive event, people not needing accommodations are welcomed as well. Parking for these patrons
will be in the lot across the road as usual.
For more information about Santa in the Park or to make a reservation, call the Park office at 740-
687-6651. Gates open at 5:30 pm and two performance times are offered 6 and 7 pm. Special thanks
to Janie Heston and Julie Bruckelmeyer for assisting with this event!

Water and phone holder.
$20 seeandbesafe.com
Non-slip board.
$45 seeandbesafe.com
Adjustable flatware
$10 maddok.com
Protective tee $27
rdadaptiveapparel.com
Exclusion tee $18
cafepress.com
Emotion Balls $50
funandfunction.com
Marble Maze $14
funandfunction.com
For Kathy Clouse, the holiday season reminds her of a special gift her father
would give to the women in the family each year. Usually, the women in the family
did the dishes after a family gathering. Here is her memory.
Christmas was a little different, because we never did that. That was a holiday
that we never stayed at the table and then cleaned the dishes. Dad always did
that at Christmas. He'd see that everybody was done, and when we were about
to clear the table, Dad would say, "Stop, don't touch anything, I'll clean the dishes
and everything else." Even if one of us said that we'd be happy to help out, he
showed his appreciation, "Thank you, but I insist on doing the clean-up, don't touch
anything." If the following year I said, "I'll be glad to help you out, Dad," he would
say, "Honey, I appreciate it, but don't worry about anything, I'll take care of all of
it." Mom told me that doing all the dishes around Christmas time was always a
Christmas present to us, so I had a little insight into Dad's insistence.
~ Kathy Clouse, PRO Receptionist

795 College Avenue
Lancaster, OH 43130
Contact Us
Temple Custer Montanez, Editor
www.FairfieldDD.com
Administration ...................................................... 740-652-7220
Superintendent ..................................................... 740-652-7220
Services and Supports ......................................... 740-652-7220
Family Support Services ....................................... 740-652-7220
Department of Quality .......................................... 740-652-7235
Forest Rose School .............................................. 740-652-7225
Early Intervention/Birth to 3 ............................... 740-652-7225
Opportunity Center ............................................... 740-652-7230
Art & Clay on Main/Square 7 Coffeehouse ......... 740-653-1755
JobFusion ................................ 614-835-2700 or 740-652-7235
Transportation ...................................................... 740-652-7228
Pickerington Regional Office .. 614-835-2700 or 740-652-7235
Volunteer Opportunities ....................................... 740-652-7220
Our Mission
To bring about a vibrant community
where people lead fulfilling lives and
make meaningful contributions.
Superintendent
Board Members:
Mark Weedy, President
Theresa Nixon, VP
Linda Barber, Sec.
John R. Pekar
Robert Competti
Sharon Scruggs
Sharon Murphy
Elizabeth Burwell