Westside Messenger - January 12th, 2020

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PAGE 6 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - January 12, 2020 Club meeting - Lions Club The Grove City Lions Club meets at 6:45 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 2213 White Road. Community Focus Hiking to help the environment www.columbusmessenger.com WE NEED YOU! From changing a light bulb to shoveling snow, we need volunteers who would be willing to give a little time to an older member of our westside community. For more information call Barbara Camfield 614-276-8224 ex 5028 By Kristy Zurbrick Madison Editor Since its introduction 47 years ago, the Metro Parks Winter Hike Series has morphed into a massive event. Thousands of people now show up for the hikes which take place in January and February at 13 of the system’s 19 parks. Participants are treated to guided and self-guided hikes, hot chocolate and soup, and the fellowship of like-minded winter adventurers. But with all that good stuff comes lots of discarded bowls, spoon and cups, and carbon emissions from cars carrying those adventurers to and from the parks. While Metro Parks is thrilled that so many people have latched onto the hike series, they also want to be good stewards of the environment. “We’re happy to provide the experience, but we also don’t want to make a mess of this world,” said Jill Snyder, assistant manager of education and interpretation. To that end, Metro Parks started a few years ago to encourage participants to carpool to the hikes and bring their own reusable mugs and bowls. Hikers also can earn commemorative mugs by donating five cans of food, five personal hygiene items, or $5 to the Mid Ohio Food Bank. This year, the park system is ramping up its conservation efforts even more. “We’re really trying to reduce waste from the event,” Snyder said. To do that, Metro Parks is using compostable bowls and utensils where possible in place of styrofoam and plastic. They have partnered with The Compost Exchange, which will compost refuse and food waste from the hikes, as well as educate hikers about composting. In addition to the mugs hikers can earn with food bank donations, the Friends of the Metro Parks are selling reusable bowls and spoons. “We hope to divert a whole lot of trash from the landfill,” Snyder said. Metro Parks staffers plan to track just how much waste they divert. “If we hit certain goals, we’re going to save the turtles—not sea turtles, but our own Ohio turtles,” Snyder said. The idea is to provide better habitat and resources for protection of turtles, especially box turtles, whose numbers are declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation. (Turtles are getting hit on roads, including those within the parks, that bisect their living areas.) Additionally, a new nature center planned for Blacklick Woods Metro Park in Reynoldsburg will include an educational component on turtles. So, what do turtles have to do with waste reduction? “Sometimes, it’s hard to get people excited about trash... This way, we’re saying that if we can get everyone on board with our conservation efforts, we as a Metro Park district will give back to protecting the environment,” Snyder said. This year’s motto for the Winter Hike Series is “Hike to a Greener Place.” For more information, go to metroparks.net. Schedule The 47th Annual Winter Hike Series, presented by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, runs Jan. 4 - Feb. 22. Anyone who completes at least seven hikes receives an embroidered patch. Anyone who completes all 13 hikes and is a paying member of the Friends of the Metro Parks receives a walking stick and/or a medallion for the stick. Friends membership is $10 per year. This year’s medallion pays tribute to the Scioto Audubon Photo courtesy of John Nixon/Metro Parks A pair of hikers make their way along a trail at Prairie Oaks Metro Park during last year’s Winter Hike Series. Metro Park. Dates, times, places and distances for each of this year’s remaining hikes are as follows: Jan. 12—2 p.m., Prairie Oaks in West Jefferson, 1, 3 or 5 miles, pets welcome; Jan. 18—10 a.m., Scioto Audubon, downtown Columbus, 1 or 2 miles, pets welcome; Jan. 25—10 a.m., Clear Creek in Rockbridge, 1, 3 or 5 miles; Jan. 26—2 p.m., Inniswood in Westerville, 2 miles; Feb. 1—10 a.m., Blendon Woods in northeast Columbus, 2 or 4 miles; Feb. 2—2 p.m., Scioto Grove in Grove City, 1 or 2 miles, pets welcome; Feb. 8—10 a.m., Highbanks in Lewis Center, 2.5 or 5 miles; Feb. 9—2 p.m., Glacier Ridge in Plain City, 2 miles, pets welcome; Feb. 15—10 a.m., Three Creeks in Groveport, 1, 3 or 5.6 miles, pets welcome; Feb. 16—2 p.m., Slate Run in Canal Winchester, 2.5 or 5 miles; and Feb. 22—10 a.m., Battelle Darby Creek in Galloway, 2, 4 or 6 miles, pets welcome. Hikes are free. No registration is required.
www.columbusmessenger.com Part-timers receive pay raise in Prairie By Amanda Ensinger Staff Writer Part-time employees in Prairie Township will see a pay increase in 2020. The action was approved by the Prairie Township board of trustees at a recent meeting. The trustees increased the part-time pay scale for the road, cemetery and park department from $13 an hour starting out, $14 an hour after the first year and $15 an hour after the second year to $14 an hour starting out, $15 an hour after the first year and $16 an hour after the second year. All full-time, non-union employees and non-union, part-time permanent employees also received a pay raise in 2020 after some discussion among the board. While the trustees disputed the amount of the increase, they settled on a 3 percent increase for the year. “I have seen anything from no raise to a few percentages,” said trustee Stephen Kennedy. “I would recommend giving them 2.5 percent.” However, the majority of the board wanted to give the employees a 3 percent raise. The board also agreed to increase minimum wage for part-time employees from $8.55 an hour to $8.70 an hour to go with the Ohio minimum wage increase in 2020. In related news, the township will begin advertising for a front desk coordinator position at the community center. “The position will pay between $13.46 and $23.07 an hour,” said Prairie Township Community Center Interim Director Michael Pollack. “The annual salary will be between $28,000 and $48,000 a year.” The front desk coordinator will be responsible for various duties, including managing social media, coordinating printed materials and running the front desk of the community center. In other news, the trustees approved spending up to $12,500 on cameras for the township hall. Township officials would like to add cameras to the meeting room, hallway and all three entries to the building. “Basically, there will be cameras everywhere but in the restrooms,” said Rob Peters, township administrator. “We had a security incident where a person entered the building where staff was. We also have had a hit and skip, so this is needed.” community events Produce giveaway at YMCA The Hilltop YMCA hosts a fresh produce giveaway the third Wednesday of each month from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2879 Valleyview Drive in Columbus. For more information, call the YMCA at 614-276- 8224. A salute to service The Hilltop Historical Society would like to thank long-time Hilltop resident Monty Chase as he honors the Navy Wreath he has placed at Camp Chase Cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America in December. Thanks to the efforts of the John Hoover Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for supporting the group with wreaths. Thanks to Refuge Ministries for their support in putting out the flags and to the many other volunteers who came out in the rain. About 250 wreaths were placed throughout the cemetery. This was just one small part of Wreaths Across America, an effort that places more than two million wreaths at cemeteries across the country. westside Westgate United Methodist Church 61 S. Powell Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43204 westgateumc@sbcglobal.net 9:00 a.m. Worship Service 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 am Wednesday Bible Study “Doing GOD’S work on the WESTSIDE” Parkview United Methodist Church 344 S. Algonquin Columbus OH 43204 614-274-8431 pvumc1@att.net Sunday School - 9:15am Worship - 10:15am Wednesday Bible Study - 6:30pm WESTGATE BAPTIST CHURCH 4234 Clime Road North, Columbus, OH 43228 614-279-6395 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship Services 6:30 PM Sunday Evening 7:00 PM Wednesday Bible Study FOOD GIVEAWAY Every 4th Sunday of Month 3-5 PM January 12, 2020 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - PAGE 7 Be a Part of Our Local Worship Guide Our Worship Guide is geared toward celebrating faith and helping readers connect with religious resources in our community. Make sure these readers know how you can help with a presence in this very special section distributed to more than 25,000 households in the Westside area. Contact us today to secure your spot in our Worship Guide. 614.272.5422 • kathy@columbusmessenger.com CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH 225 Schoolhouse Lane Columbus, OH 43228 614-878-7800 Pastor David Kane concordiacolumbus@gmail.com WEST BROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST 3361 W. Broad St. 9:30 AM Sunday Bible Study 10:30 AM Worship Service 3:30 PM Worship Service 7:30 PM Wednesday Bible Study www.westbroadchurch.com Please visit the Westside Church of your choice. List your Worship Services here. For info. call 614-272-5422
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Westside Messenger - January 12th, 2020

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