Southwest Messenger - April 5th, 2020

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PAGE 4 - SOUTHWEST MESSENGER - April 5, 2020 Since many families are confined to their homes due to the coronavirus, the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society is reaching out to the youth in the community to write about their experiences. All entries will be included in a random drawing and three entries will be drawn to receive $50 each. “We’re looking for written experiences about how everyday life has changed,” said Steve Jackson, president of the historical society. “Children and youth are encouraged to sit down at their computer or with pen-in-hand and describe this new way of life.” “It’s important to record for future generations what it is like to face a potential health threat, the inability to experience actual face time with friends, loss of sporting activities and challenges of learning online,” said Jim Hale, a member of the Grove City Call Center The city of Grove City opened a call center in response to helping residents and business owners with coronavirus (COVID- 19) questions and concerns. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Members of the public can call the line at 614-277-3560 society. “Those are just a few topics. Be creative. The society encourages seniors to submit their experiences. “We would like to know what high school seniors are thinking about graduation, the senior prom and other missed high school activities,” said Hale. Parents are encouraged to help the younger crowd put their thoughts and concerns in writing. This is a historic time; one that will be remembered for years to come and we need to record how the young people of 2020 will be remembered, Hale said. “Younger children can participate with their parent’s help,” Jackson said. “There are no age restrictions and we will be accepting comments from the youngest child to college age students who live in the with questions or concerns. Call center workers are ready to provide resources or put residents in touch with the help they may need. The services and resources will be modified as the needs change. If you are interested in volunteering or helping those in need, please leave a message with your name, email and phone number at 614-277-3561. www.columbusmessenger.com Community Focus Historical society to host writing contest for students OH License #20692 Protect Your Home & Family URGENT First 12 Callers Receive 2 Years FREE Monitoring with the purchase of Alarm System at builders cost. 3 Year Agreement Think Safe, Feel Safe, Be Safe. A LERT LARMS Inc. Serving Greater Columbus Since 1986 Bus: 614-870-1088 | Cell: 614-783-2707 | Fax: 614-870-1198 Andy Andrews II, President, 40 Years Experience www.alertalarmsofohio.com | andyatalertalarmsinc@yahoo.com around the southwest Photo courtesy of Kristi Barshney Chalk Your Walk With students out of school, parents and children have to get creative. Many have been taking part in sidewalk art projects. The city has taken notice and started Chalk Your Walk Grove City. This encourages children to draw inspiring art or write uplifting words on the sidewalk or driveway and to share those images with the city via social media. Above, Gregory (left) and Eli Barshney draw their message of unity. South-Western City Schools District or Southwest Franklin County.” All of the information will be compiled into a single historic record as part of the Young Historians of Southwest Franklin County project. All information submitted will become the property of the society and will be available for public viewing. Everyone who submits a story will be entered into a drawing where three $50 prizes will be awarded. The drawing will be held May 31. All entries should include the name of the student, email and mailing address. The preferred method of receiving information is by email, addressed to grovecityhistory@gmail.com. Stories can be mailed to Young Historians, 3378-B Park St., Grove City, Ohio 43123. Blood drive at Kingston Center The American Red Cross Blood Drive meets in the Kingston Center, 3226 Kingston Ave., from 1-7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-448-3543 or visit the American Red Cross Blood Drive website. Messenger photo by Andrea Cordle Someone used the Chalk Your Walk Grove City idea to write a message of thanks in front of the Grove City police building on Park Street.
www.columbusmessenger.com April 5, 2020 -SOUTHWEST MESSENGER - PAGE 5 Opinion Page So many possibilities with a community park in the Town Center I was reading the Southwest Messenger article (March 8 edition) entitled, “GC Streetscape Program Grows.” The essence of it was that the city was going to expand the street program that annually places some 100 of those beautiful hanging flower planters we see along the Town Center area. The plan, to cost $95,000 annually, will add 400 new planters (along with banners) to include areas along Stringtown Road, 665, and further up and down along Broadway. It was quoted, “this helps to keep a positive community identity.” My first reaction was thinking those are some mighty expensive flowers. Then I concluded, anything to improve the mood for drivers as they pass along the Stringtown Road traffic mess or enhances the community image in some of the sections north or south of Town Center on Broadway can’t hurt. The article turned my thoughts to a different, but related, issue one that could also provide a ‘positive community identity.’ There’s been an incredible amount of focus directed to the future of the Beulah Park area. It’s been presented as an opportunity we might never see again, so let’s do it right. Development is now well under way. Hopes are high the vision will come together and blend with a revitalization of the Town Center into an overall positive future of our rapidly-growing Grove City. Many residents feel there’s a similar potential opportunity waiting in the wings. Local resident Gregg Smurthwaite presented a petition with 600 supporting signatures to city council as 2019 wound down. It called for a community park to be built on the razed and now vacant old library site. Council adopted the recommendation designating it to be a public gathering place and set plans in motion for the necessary scoping, feasibility and community input phases. While it’s been overshadowed by the massive Beulah Park project, it’s still very much alive and we’ll be hearing more about it in the coming weeks. An outside firm has been preparing various options for consideration and should be providing feedback soon. I’m excited thinking about the farreaching potential there. I know there are those who want projects to be revenue generating or self-sustaining, to generate taxes to support more growth. I’m thinking this might be a time to step back and take a break from our relentless growth and seize this opportunity. If done right, it could support more quality growth downstream. You must spend money to make money. I see this as an investment into the future with our payback the opportunity to establish a unique signature statement for Grove City and Town Center, one that can provide many tangible and intangible positive results to support the future while also preserving and enhancing our cherished small town allure and past. My vision is ambitious, yet realistic. I see a serene, green oasis on that cleared library lot, a place that draws people to the Town Center and gives them a reason to want to stay for more than a passing-bymoment as they amble just a few steps over to the Town Center and back. Yes, the Beulah Park project incorporates a new green space and park, but it’s too far away for many, despite the connector path they plan. This could become an integral part of Town Center proper…forever. I’m hoping the final scope will also include that rarely used field on the east side of Arbutus Avenue. Let it finally use its potential as an asset instead of being left idle. Then, close that small north-south section of Arbutus and convert it to a pedestrian promenade. My college did that. They made a busy University Place vehicle-free, converting it to pedestrian use. The chancellor noted, “The strategy was simple. If you sustain and honor a beautiful heritage, while embracing innovation, the result can be triumphant. That walkway is not simply a celebration of the future, it offers a new interaction in the heart of the campus near the iconic landmarks that help to identify this University.” The project was part of a campus framework input effort, much as Grove City periodically solicits resident input and charts its course for the future. You’d now have the old library site, encompassing Park Street on the north, Civic Place on the south, First Street to the west, and across the converted Arbutus Avenue walkway to include that field to the east. Now you’ve got an area to make a statement with. I’d develop and then manage that statement working with a diverse collaboration of the great talent this community has proven it has. At the least, the committee would include some open minded personnel from city government, parks and recreation, Town Center and resident volunteers. So, what would the statement be? I have my ideas, but I’d defer to the vision of the committee. I envision the promenade, with nice seat benches, lined with those pretty flower planters and lights. On one side of the promenade some serene walking paths with pretty landscaping, bushes, flowers, dwarf trees, maybe a decorative fountain. The other side of the promenade could be used for events. I’m sure a proactive and creative committee could easily come up with many new activities that might draw Guest Column Dave Burton visitors, who would then frequent the Town Center too. I’d like to see the George Edge Music Park, along with most of its traditional activities, moved over there. I always enjoy the Summer Sizzle Concert Series, especially the opening Memorial Day, ‘Salute to Americas Finest’ with our own Grove City Community Winds performing. But its current location doesn’t do that or other events justice. It’s too cramped, noise from passing vehicles, often hot with no shade, and truck fumes that can be overpowering. I can picture an opening of the park, a fun formal dedication event with media coverage on the nighttime news, a statement and picture to include at the front of our public relations brochures to support our quality growth, etc. Thoughts go back to my summer session forestry classes, far up in the Adirondacks, in 1970. For the resources management class, the camp bus took us out into the forest and dropped each of us off at his/her own unique assigned setting of undeveloped forested acres. We were then tasked with writing a term paper describing what we’d do with the few acres we were assigned. My setting didn’t present many options, make that none. If only I had the potential of those fields by the old library! I recall that famous movie, “Field of Dreams.” They insisted it couldn’t be done. But a few persevered. “Build it and they will come.” It was and they did. Dave Burton is a guest columnist for the Columbus Messenger Newspapers. He lives in Grove City.
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