Canal Winchester - August 22nd, 2021

Messenger 

Canal Winchester 

August 22-September 4, 2021 www.columbusmessenger.com Vol. XLII, No. 14 

Fresh Baked Pies! 

The “Original” Smith 

Farm Market Bakery! 

100 Winchester Cemetery 

(614) 524-1183 

www.heavenlytreatsohio.com 

Celebrating 15 Years in Business! 

Masks an option in CW 

Schools’ classrooms 

Messenger photos 

by Linda Dillman 

Bridging 

the gap 

Suspended in mid-air, 

(above) a new McGill 

Park bridge - one of two 

installed recently - waits 

for workers below as they 

prepare the coordinated 

process of swinging the 

bridge into place over a 

gorge. Both bridges are 

part of a trail project featuring 

a 10-foot-wide asphalt 

path. McGill Park is 

located along Lithopolis- 

Winchester Road on the 

southeast edge of Canal 

Winchester near Walnut 

Creek. The bridge sits approximately 

18 feet above 

a gorge in the park. 

A Capital City crane 

picked up the one-piece 

structure from a transport 

vehicle and under 

the watchful eye of workers 

(left) manning guide 

lines, gently lowered the 

multi-ton bridge into its 

new home in McGill Park. 

By Linda Dillman 

Staff Writer 

While several central Ohio school districts 

mandate masks for all students or 

those currently ineligible to get vaccinated 

against COVID-19, Canal Winchester parents 

still have the choice to send their children 

to school with or without masks. 

The only exception is on school transportation, 

where masks are required by the 

CDC for public and private school buses. 

Arguments for and against masks in 

schools dominated the Aug. 16 Canal Winchester 

Board of Education meeting with 

speakers lining up on both sides of the issue. 

However, when it came down to a final vote 

to continue with a plan recommending, but 

not mandating masks, or require masks for 

pre-K through eighth grade, the vote was 4- 

1, with board member Monika Talley as the 

lone dissenter. 

“As a parent, I’m going to send my children 

to school with a mask,” Talley said. 

“Masking is the best preventative we have for 

younger children. I would like to know that 

I’m doing the most I can do to protect others, 

to protect the children. We can do better.” 

Board member Jon Metzler, who admitted 

he was strongly in favor of masks, said 

both sides of the issue make strong arguments, 

but he felt it was important to give 

families the option regarding masks. 

Contending the lack of metrics and ambivalence 

across the state and nation regarding 

a defined line when to mandate 

masks was one of the primary reasons board 

member Matt Krueger supports the current 

policy. 

“I think they’re (parents) informed 

enough that what fits their family,” said 

Roger L. Weaver 

Dustin J. Weaver 

Attorneys at Law 

(614) 834-1750 

Office 

(614) 834-9480 

facsimile 

“A name you know, Experience you can trust” 

www.weaver-law.com 

25 E. Waterloo St. 

Canal Winchester, 

Ohio 43110 

Krueger. “It’s something they should have 

the option, not me. Right now, there is no 

metric. We’re making a decision and we 

don’t even know where the line is. That’s my 

frustration. They want us five board members 

to make a decision for the district, but 

yet no one’s given us any metrics or line to 

step on or not step on.” 

Krueger said, as a father, if his children 

were in elementary school, he would send 

them to class with a mask, but he would not 

impose what he would do on another family. 

He also wanted to know what the district 

planned to do if they required masks and 

students refused. 

Superintendent James Sotlar said it was 

not a dress code issue, but a health issue, 

and, while there are choices, such as detention 

or sending a child home, he questioned 

whether those options were the best response. 

“Do we punish them for something their 

parents don’t want them to do?” asked Sotlar. 

“We always have layers before we get to 

the actual consequences and try to do that 

up front. We are currently operating under 

it (mask wearing) is strongly recommended, 

but not required that students wear masks. 

We are not telling people not to wear masks, 

but there is no mask mandate out there 

right now in the state of Ohio.” 

Prior to the board’s discussion, parents 

shared their opinions, including an elementary 

school mother advocating for masks 

who has a second grader and a three-yearold 

who was the first child in Franklin 

County to contract Multisystem Inflammatory 

Syndrome after an asymptomatic case 

of COVID-19. 

See MASKS, page 9

PAGE 2 - MESSENGER - August 22, 2021 

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It’s time for the Zucchinifest! 


Staff Writer 

The Labor Day weekend is fast approaching and 

with it brings the annual Obetz Zucchinifest, a more 

than three-decade long event that has its beginnings 

as a Labor Day celebration. 

Starting Sept. 3 when the festival opens at 5 p.m. 

and running through Labor Day when the annual 

event ends at 6 p.m., are four days filled with free 

admission to nationally known entertainment, a circus, 

fun, thrills, and plenty of edible zucchini-related 

delights. 

Why name a festival in honor of a humble–and prolific–squash? 

Obetz Mayor Angela Kirk is glad you 

asked. 

“In the grand tradition of Ohio fairs and festivals– 

like the Pumpkin Show and Tomato Festival–Obetz 

selected a vegetable commonly grown in the area to 

celebrate the harvest at the end of summer,” said Kirk. 

“The Zucchinifest acts primarily as a homecoming for 

local residents, but also affords an opportunity to show 

off our community to surrounding suburbs. Our guests 

now travel from many parts of Ohio and the surrounding 

states.” 

Evolving over time as both Obetz and the festival 

grew, the earliest events were held in a small downtown 

park with a handful of stands, a small stage, and 

a few rides. As interest grew, the Zucchinifest was 

moved to Memorial Park and later to its current location 

at Fortress Obetz. 

According to Kirk, the early festival attendance was 

measured in dozens of people and now the counts are 

in the hundreds of thousands. 

“The early entertainment focused on local bands, 

which is still an important part of today’s 

Zucchinifest,” said Kirk. “However, as the festival has 

grown, the entertainment has kept pace and now 

includes several national acts.” 

For the 2021 event, on Sept. 3 the festival runs from 

5-11 p.m. A car show will be held from 6-8 p.m., Hott 

Messenger photo by Pat Donahue 

A bird’s eye view of a past Obetz Zucchinifest. 

Lucy takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. followed by Winger 

at 9 p.m. On Sept. 4, festival hours are 11 a.m. to 11 

p.m. Phoenix Rising is the opening act at 8:30 p.m. for 

Ezra Ray Hart. 

On Sept. 5, the Zucchinifest runs from 11 a.m. to 11 

a.m. with a parade at 1 p.m., North to Nashville at 7 

p.m., and Big and Rich at 8:30 p.m. Labor Day hours 

are noon to 6 p.m. The Cincinnati Circus is performing 

from noon to 5 p.m., the Columbus Zoo will be at the 

festival from 1-2 p.m. and pro wrestling takes the stage 

from 1-4 p.m. 

The Miss and Little Miss Zucchinifest pageant 

takes place on Sept. 2 in the Fortress Obetz courtyard. 

“There is always something fun to see at the 

Zucchinifest,” said Kirk. “From the ever-changing 

entertainment acts, the kid’s day activities, car shows, 

beauty pageants–there is something for everyone. 

The Zucchini Festival is not just an end of summer festival. 

It is for many a tradition that is shared generation 

after generation. That is what makes it so special 

to so many, including myself.” 

Health literacy grant to fight COVID-19 

Franklin County Public Health, in collaboration 

with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Columbus 

Public Health, was awarded a two-year federally-funded 

$3.99 million health literacy grant from the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services. 

The primary goal of the project is to reduce 

Franklin County COVID-related health disparities 

and improve health outcomes among racial and ethnic 

minorities, through planning and implementation of a 

community health literacy plan. 

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic many of our 

residents have not had the opportunity to receive public 

health information in a way that is most helpful to 

protect themselves and their loved ones.” said Joe 

Mazzola, Franklin County Health Commissioner. 

“This grant gives us the opportunity to expand our 

health literacy efforts to reduce COVID-related disparities 

within racial and ethnic minority populations and 

other vulnerable communities.” 

The plan will be developed through a collaborative 

process with nearly 20 committed community-based 

organization and health partners, including public 

health, community health centers, hospitals, and 

social service and community health worker organizations 

serving racial and ethnic minorities and New 

Americans. 

“Working with our partners to build a health literate 

community–one that equitably enables individuals 

to find, understand, and use health information 

and services–is a vital step in ensuring everyone, 

especially those most vulnerable, can use understandable, 

meaningful information to guide their COVIDrelated 

health decisions and protect their own and 

their loved ones’ health. Down the road, this valuable 

work can be applied to other health issues too.” said 

Dr. Mary Ann Abrams, pediatrician at Nationwide 

Children’s Hospital. 

The diverse partners will work together to enhance 

existing and future community COVID-19 messaging 

to strengthen people’s ability to find, understand, and 

use information and services to help them make the 

best health-related decisions for themselves and others. 

“Providing accurate and timely information on 

COVID-19 is important, especially for communities 

most at risk of serious illness, hospitalization and 

death,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Columbus Health 

Commissioner. “Together, we will work to address 

some of the disparities that exist so that we can protect 

and improve the health outcomes of black and brown 

communities.” 

Organizational health literacy expertise will be fostered 

using a train-the trainer model, creating a sustainable 

infrastructure supported by tailored health 

literacy knowledge and skills development and supporting 

resources. The work will start immediately.


MORPC updates Transportation Public Participation Plan 

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning 

Commission has updated its Public 

Participation Plan, which lays out how 

MORPC — as the federally designated metropolitan 

planning organization for the 

Columbus urbanized area — reaches out to 

members of the public for their input 

throughout the transportation planning 

process. A draft of the plan is now available 

for review and comment by the public. 

“The Public Participation Plan is 

designed to provide the public opportunity 

to participate in, review, and comment on 

the formulation of transportation policies 

and plans, such as the Metropolitan 

Transportation Plan, Transportation 

Improvement Program and other transportation 

programs,” said Thea Ewing, 

MORPC Director of Transportation & 

Infrastructure Development. 

As an MPO, MORPC conducts a continuing, 

cooperative, and comprehensive 

transportation planning process. The 

transportation planning area for the 

MORPC MPO includes Delaware and 

Franklin counties; Bloom and Violet townships 

in Fairfield County; New Albany, 

Pataskala and Etna Township in Licking 

County; and Jerome Township in Union 

County. 

MORPC’s plan includes a structured 

committee process, a project-specific 

process, and a public outreach and information 

dissemination effort tailored to 

meet specific needs. 

“The updated Public Participation Plan 

includes changes to ensure that we are taking 

advantage of new technology options 

and reaching many segments of the population 

for their feedback,” said Níel Jurist, 

MORPC Director of Communications & 

Engagement. 

This process provides a set of procedures 

to be consistently and comprehensively 

applied to incorporate the public’s involvement, 

including the planning and development 

of the Central Ohio Transit Authority 

(COTA) and Delaware County Transit programs 

and projects. The public participation 

process satisfies Section 5307 public 

involvement requirements for the Program 

of Projects. 

The draft 2021 Public Participation 

Plan can be viewed here. Comments on the 

draft plan are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 25, 

2021, to Bevan Schneck, MORPC Sr. 

Public Affairs Coordinator, via email to 

bschneck@morpc.org or in writing to 111 

Liberty Street, Suite 100, Columbus, OH, 

43215. 

The updated Public Participation Plan 

will be considered for adoption by 

MORPC’s transportation committees at 

their September meetings. The plan will 

then be reviewed by the Ohio Department 

of Transportation, Federal Highway 

Administration, and Federal Transit 

Administration to ensure that full and 

open access is provided by MORPC, COTA, 

and Delaware County Transit in the decision-making 

process. 

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning 

Commission (MORPC) is Central Ohio’s 

regional council with more than 70 members 

comprised of counties, cities, villages, 

townships, and regional organizations. We 

take pride in bringing communities of all 

sizes and interests together to collaborate 

on best practices and plan for the future of 

our growing region. 

August 22, 2021 - MESSENGER - PAGE 3 

Lithopolis Honeyfest 

The Lithopolis Honeyfest will be held 

Sept. 10 from 3-7 p.m. and Sept. 11 from 

10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown Lithopolis. 

The event features bee beards, beekeepers, 

art, music, honey bake-off, Ohio Honey 

Show, honey extracting, hive inspection, 

junior beekeeping, American Honey 

Princess, food trucks, photo contest, 

honey, and honey tasting. Admission is 

free. Visit lithopolishoneyfest.com. 

EMMANUEL LUTHERAN 

CHURCH 

80 E. Markison Ave., Columbus, OH 43207 

elclife.org 

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 

8:30 am & 11:00 am 

BIBLE CLASS 

Adult and Youth (K-5) 

9:45 am 

*11:00 service includes a radio broadcast 

in our parking lot on FM 87.9 

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 19,000 households in the South area. 

Contact us today to secure your spot in our Worship Guide. 

614.272.5422 • kathy@columbusmessenger.com 

Messenger 

South 

Please visit the 

South/Canal Winchester 

Church of your choice. 

List your Worship 

Services here. 

For info. call 614-272-5422


Letters policy 

The Messenger welcomes letters to the 

editor. Letters cannot be libelous. Letters that 

do not have a signature, address, and telephone 

number, or are signed with a pseudonym, 

will be rejected. PLEASE BE BRIEF 

AND TO THE POINT. The Messenger 

reserves the right to edit or refuse publication 

of any letter for any reason. Opinions 

expressed in the letters are not necessarily 

the views of the Messenger. 

Mail letters to: Messenger, 3500 Sullivant 

Avenue, Columbus, OH 43204; or email eastside@columbusmessenger.com. 

eastside 

Messenger 

(Distribution: 16,822) 

Rick Palsgrove................................South Editor 

eastside@ columbusmessenger.com 

Published every other Sunday by 

The Columbus Messenger Co. 

3500 Sullivant Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43204-1887 

(614) 272-5422 

Keep tabs on the news in Canal 

Winchester and Hamilton Twp. 

Look for South Messenger on 

Become a fan! 

Puzzling 

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column 

Remembering school days 

I attended Hamilton Local Schools from kindergarten through 

my senior year. 

My father, mother and my 4-year-old self moved into Hamilton 

Meadows soon after the first prefabricated house was erected in 

1960. The construction laden landscape was a battlefield for kids 

playing war in utility line trenches and a wonderful place to conduct 

impromptu games of hide-and-seek. 

Two years later, it was time to get down to reading, writing and 

arithmetic and join my fellow warriors in school. We attended 

kindergarten at a local church parish hall where the school district 

contracted to hold classes. 

Horrors of horrors, I walked to school! As a 6-year-old! 

Unaccompanied! And my journey was not within eyesight of the 

building! I had to cross one street, the high school parking lot, a 

field between the high school and elementary building and close to 

Rathmell Road for a short jaunt before reaching the parish hall. 

There were a lot of kids around the same age and we would 

never want to be seen with our parents walking alongside us. 

Besides, if an adult was nearby, they would not let us throw 

apples to the pigs living in a pasture next to the parish hall. Talk 

about taking away our fun…and a few apple treats for the pigs 

and piglets. 

As an adult, I would buy fresh produce from the same farmer 

who raised the pigs. I eventually fessed up to him about the 

apples. He laughed and told me he was always well aware of what 

we were doing. 

There were no fancy pint-size graduation ceremonies for our 

kindergarten class, just a smile from a teacher along with the 

dreaded mustard yellow cardstock hand-notated report card. 

Maybe I talked more than I should and fraternized with others 

a little too much, but those skills helped me a lot as I grew older. 

The next school year, I had a somewhat shorter walk to the elementary 

building, albeit still within shouting distance of the 

Walnut Hill parish hall and those pigs. 

Hamilton Central Elementary had a gym! It had a real cafeteria 

and classrooms with doors and desks and, at least to my 6- 

year-old self, the most wonderful invention of all of kiddom, a 

playground with swings, a slide and an actual bone busting, kneeskinning 

foot-powered merry-go-round! 

This brick 1950s era building was to be my educational home 

for the next six years where I learned to love Edgar Allen Poe and 

hate Spanish rice. I can also look back over the years to fifth grade 

where my unexpected career as a journalist started by writing a 

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Messenger Word Search 

ACROSTIC 

ANAGRAM 

ANSWER 

CIPHER 

CLUES 

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CRYPTIC 

DEDUCTION 

GAME 

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HINTS 

JIGSAW 

JUMBLE 

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TRIVIA 

Thanksgiving play 

that was performed by 

my class. 

As we entered our 

sixth-grade year, fear crept in…it was the 

last year we would enjoy the unbridled fun of 

recess. Once we made the journey across the 

band practice field and a parking lot to the 

high school building, the fun times were 

over, or so we thought. 

Even though seventh grade was considered 

by the school district as junior high, 

there was no designated part of the building 

that indicated where the dividing line was 

between ankle biters and soon to be graduates…except 

for our lockers. 

Seventh and eighth grade lockers–three 

to a person, please–were located in the older 

part of the “campus” in a beautiful brick 

building constructed in 1939. It was connected 

to the “new” building constructed in 1963 

which was “oh so modern.” 

Puzzle solution on page 10. 


Places 

Linda 

Dillman 

Lockbourne Air Force Base was in full swing at the time and the 

total student population approached 4,000. Yes, we had to share 

lockers; yes, the hallways and classrooms were crowded; and yes, I 

felt like I was a lost cog in a very big wheel, but I made it. 

I participated in so many clubs and activities, the yearbook 

staff had to cut out a few of them in order to have room for the list 

under my senior picture in 1974. And yes, I took a lot of goodnatured 

kidding when the yearbook was printed. 

Because of activity at the base, our school sometimes felt like a 

revolving door of friendships. 

There were students of active-duty parents who moved in and 

away with regularity. There were students who put down roots 

after their parents retired and stayed in the community. Then 

there were kids like me whose parents anchored their families to 

the bedrock of Hamilton Meadows, Southern Pines, Obetz, 

Lockbourne and Shadeville. 

It was a little house on Service Drive where I grew up, within 

short walking distance of the high school from which I graduated 

nearly 50 years ago. 

And it was a house two miles away from my family homestead 

where I, my husband and our two daughters put down our own 

roots three decades ago after a military sojourn that took us 

around the country and across the ocean to Japan. 

It’s good to be back. 

Linda Dillman is a Messenger staff writer. 

Local candidates file for election 

These local candidates were certified by the Franklin County 

Board of Elections to be placed on the Nov. 2 election ballot: 

Madison Township trustee (vote for two): Debbie Miller, John 

Pritchard, Katherine Chipps, John Kershner. 

Obetz village council (vote for four): Mike Kimbler, Bonnie Wiley, 

Todd Gibbs, Robert Cramer, Guiles Richardson. (Jimmy Love filed 

but was not certified by the board of elections.) 

Hamilton Township board of education (vote for three): Amber 

Clark, David Schutte, Jeff Sewell, Mary Isaac, Hillary Thompson, 

Damon Batchelder. 

Hamilton Township trustee (vote for two): Chris Hann, Todd 

Blackstone. 

Lockbourne village council: Bobbi Crouse, Tony Grandstaff. 

Canal Winchester city council (vote for four): Brandon Hord, 

Chuck Carpenter, Laurie Amick, Patrick Shea, Chloe Green, 

Ashley Ward, Jill Amos. 

Canal Winchester board of education (vote for three): Monika 

Talley, Vangela Barnes. (Dave George, Maria Stewart, and Mike 

Yonnotti filed but were not certified by the board of elections.)


Red Cross needs 

volunteer drivers 

The American Red Cross needs transportation 

specialists to deliver blood. 

These volunteer drivers will either pick 

up blood products from the Red Cross processing 

facility at 995 E. Broad Street and 

deliver the boxes to area hospitals and/or 

pick up blood from drive locations around 

central Ohio and deliver it to Broad Street. 

Transportation specialists help ensure 

that blood products are available when and 

where they are needed for hospital use 

such as for trauma victims, surgery 

patients, those receiving cancer and sickle 

cell treatment among other serious medical 

conditions. 

The American Red Cross is experiencing 

a severe blood shortage as the number of 

trauma cases, organ transplants and elective 

surgeries rise — and deplete the 

nation’s blood inventory. 

“The donation of the blood is the first 

step in the process,” said Wendy 

Yarbrough, regional donor services executive. 

“Once the blood is collected, we need 

to ensure it gets to its intended destination 

quickly and safely. That’s why volunteer 

transportation specialists are so crucial to 

this lifesaving process.” 

No special transportation license is 

needed for this position. Volunteers will 

drive Red Cross cars or standard mini 

vans. To be eligible, prospective volunteers 

must have a valid driver’s license, three 

years driving experience and a safe driving 

record. Transportation specialists must be 

able to lift 45 pounds. 

More than 90 percent of the Red Cross 

workforce is made up of volunteers. 

To learn more about becoming a Red 

Cross transportation specialist go to 

www.redcross.org/deliver. To learn more 

about other Red Cross volunteer opportunities, 

visit www.redcross.org/volunteer. 

Sound the Alarm 

American Red Cross volunteers will 

Sound the Alarm in Columbus as part of a 

national effort to educate 100,000 people 

about home fire safety in high-risk neighborhoods 

this spring. 

Columbus area residents are encouraged 

to call 844-207-4509 to request a virtual 

education appointment and referral to 

partner agency for installation of free 

smoke alarms. Visit SoundTheAlarm.org 

and pledge to prepare against home fires. 

This work is possible thanks to donations 

from Red Cross’ regional partners: American 

Electric Power Foundation, Columbia Gas of 

Ohio, Dayton Power & Light Foundation, 

Duke Energ, and NetJets. 

Sound the Alarm is part of the larger 

Home Fire Campaign. Since launching the 

campaign in 2014, the Red Cross has 

helped save 864 lives across the country by 

helping families create escape plans and 

installing free smoke alarms. This work is 

made possible with Red Cross’ partners, 

who have helped make more than 900,000 

households safer in at-risk communities. 

August 22, 2021 - MESSENGER - PAGE 5



LARGEST FISH MARKET IN COLUMBUS! 

NOW OPEN! 

Frank’s Fish Market 2, 2410 Hilliard-Rome Road, has the best selection of tasty seafood in town. 

“I put my heart and soul in this new location,” said owner Frank Gonzalez. “Everything from the 

cutting table to the cooler is brand new.” 

Frank’s Fish Market 2 also has fresh produce, an exquisite wine collection, and seafood choices 

like no other. 

“Whatever you’re looking for in seafood, it’s here,” said Gonzalez. 

Frank’s Fish Market 2 will not be a restaurant. It will be strictly a retail store. 

Frank Gonzalez has been a wholesale seafood distributor for 43 years, serving stores and restaurants 

in Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, and locations in Kentucky. 

When it comes to Frank’s Fish Market: 

“If it swims, he sells it!” (in season) 

•Oysters Chesapeake Bay 

•Assorted Beef Steaks 

•Frozen Lobster Tails 

•King Crab Legs 

•Faroe Island Salmon 

•Sea Scallops 

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•Chilean Seabass Fillets 

•Halibut Fillets 

•Snow Crab Clusters 

•Orange Roughy 

•Smoked Salmon 

•Live Lobsters via Special Order Only! 

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Warehouses considered at Hill and Basil Western roads 


Staff Writer 

Canal Winchester residents opposing the 

growth of warehouses have another pair of 

potential targets to add to their list with an 

Oct. 6 public hearing set for rezoning of land 

along Hill Road and Basil Western Road 

near Meijer. 

On Aug. 9, Canal Winchester’s Planning 

and Zoning Commission voted against approval 

of a request by applicant Doug Swain 

with Opus Development Company and 

owner Weiser Development Co. to rezone 

the 51-acre site from exceptional use to limited 

manufacturing. 

The property is located in Fairfield 

County. A draft proposal includes one 

542,685 square-foot warehouse and a second 

187,310 square-foot building. 

Many of the same concerns expressed in 

opposition to previous pre-annexation and 

Madison Township 

Police statistics 

July crime statistics from the Madison 

Township Police: 9 accidents with injuries, 

4 assaults, 1 burglary, 4 burglaries in 

progress, 30 domestic complaints, 1 drunk, 

1 fight, 9 fireworks complaints, 8 hit skip accidents, 

9 juvenile complaints, 13 

larceny/theft, 2 missing persons, 37 parking 

violations, 2 person with gun, 17 property 

damage accidents, 6 shots fired in area, 2 

stabbing/cutting, 3 stolen vehicles, 7 suspicious 

cars, 37 suspicious persons, 19 suspicious 

persons/vehicles, 1 theft in progress, 7 

threats or harassment, 76 traffic stops, and 

4 vandalism. 

economic development agreements for a 

similar NorthPoint project at the intersection 

of Bixby Road, Rager Road, and U.S. 

Route 33–up for second readings at the 

Aug. 16 Canal Winchester City Council 

meeting–were shared by residents. 

“They build warehouses, lease them, sell 

them and then run out of town like rabbits,” 

said Bixby Road farm owner Michael Barr. 

“There’s no investment in the community. I 

understand growth, but to rush into more 

warehouses is premature. There’s going to 

be a traffic jam down U.S. 33 like you’ve 

never seen before. This property can be developed 

in other ways besides warehouses.” 

Busey Road property owner Angie Halstead 

said it is important for council to understand 

how the Opus development could 

impact residential quality of life and appealed 

to council to consider different options. 

Vangela Barnes, vice chairperson of the 

Ice cream social 

The Canal Winchester Area Historical 

Society will hold its annual Ice Cream Social 

on Sept. 4 from 1-3 p.m. at the historical 

complex located at the corner of North High 

and West Oak streets in Canal Winchester. 

Music in the Park 

The city of Canal Winchester’s free summer 

concert series, Music in the Park, will 

be held Aug. 27 from 6-9 p.m. at Stradley 

Place, 36 S. High St. in downtown Canal 

Winchester. 

The event features live entertainment 

and family-friendly activities. 

Barber Museum 

The National Barber Museum in Canal 

Winchester is located at 135 Franklin St. 

(behind the former CW High School building). 

The museum, housed in approximately 

5,000 square feet, showcases art, artifacts, 

and memorabilia from decades of the barbering 

profession. 

Call (614) 837-8400. 

Greater Southeast Area Commission, urged 

council to think about the future and the 

families that live north and south of U.S. 

Route 33. 

“We want to bring people to the community,” 

said Barnes, who noted housing must 

also be available for workers, along with a 

better variety of businesses, restaurants 

and technology. “We need to think about us. 

That’s what brings better paying jobs to the 

community. Think about what you are doing 

and how you are going to do it.” 

Janice Goodwin alleged her property values 

declined because of warehouse development 

and the increase in pollution, as well 

as noise and truck traffic that is negatively 

impacting life on her 180-year-old homestead. 

While not speaking in support of the rezoning, 

resident Jim Bohnlein said the city 

did not actively solicit the landowners to sell 

their property to developers. He said owners 

are entitled to sell their property, as are 

all owners, whether it is a home in a subdivision 

or farm land. 

“Nobody can say ‘you can’t sell your 

house,’” said Bohnlein. “They don’t have to 

sell it to us, to OPUS. They can sell it to 

whomever they please. If you’re not going to 

get a warehouse approved by Canal Winchester, 

you’ll get it approved by Columbus.” 

Other news 

•A public meeting to discuss the city’s 

comprehensive plan will be held at 6 p.m. on 

Aug. 30, prior to a Committee of the Whole 

session at 7 p.m. While council currently 

plans to conduct the meetings at Town Hall, 

10 N. High St., where seating is limited to 

35 individuals, the city is looking into overflow 

space to accommodate a larger audience. 

•Council approved appointing Jeff 

Dieringer as the new clerk of council. 

Special Olympics 

The mission of Special Olympics Ohio 

and its Groveport and Canal Winchester 

Special Olympics chapter is to provide year 

round sports training and competition in a 

variety of Olympic type sports for intellectually 

disabled individuals. Contact local coordinators 

Penny and Cassandra Hilty at 

groveportspecialolympics@gmail.com or at 

(614) 395-8992 or 395-6640. 

Our Pictorial Past by Rick Palsgrove 

Holiday royalty 

Photo courtesy of the CW Area Historical Society 

Pictured here is the “Queen’s Float” from the Canal Winchester Sesquicentennial 

Celebration Parade held on Labor Day in 1978.



CW’s Hometown Day celebration set for Sept. 4 

Traditional Labor Day 

weekend festival hopes 

to return next year 


Staff Writer 

Labor Day is always a cause for celebration 

in Canal Winchester, but with COVID- 

19 concerns still on the mind of festival 

organizers, the annual three-day festival 

shifts this year to a smaller, single day, endof-summer 

special occasion on Sept. 4. 

Hometown Day features music, midway 

food, children’s inflatables, and the introduction 

of the Canal Winchester Queen and 

her court at noon on a main stage in the 

Stradley Park greenspace, followed by a 

Lemonade Social from 12:30-2:30 p.m. in 

the historic Interurban Station. 

The celebration kicks off at 10:30 a.m. 

with a parade that will follow the traditional 

Labor Day parade route. 

The Canal Winchester Steel Band plays 

from 12:30-2:30 p.m. in the Stradley Park 

gazebo, followed by Franke and Ranke featuring 

Frank Harrison, Sr. from 4:30-6:30 

p.m. 

Mr. E entertains children at the main 

stage from 2:30-4:40 p.m. and The Usual 

Suspects and Repeat Offenders wind up 

Hometown Day from 7-10 p.m. The weekly 

Farmer’s Market takes place at the historical 

complex at North High and Oak streets 

from 9 a.m. to noon where an old-fashioned 

ice cream social will be held from 1-3 p.m. 

Entertainment includes an art wall and 

face painting from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the 

Stradley greenspace and Joy Unspeakable, 

a living statue, performs throughout the festival 

from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Why the one-day event? Mayor Mike 

Ebert said the idea was in the back of the of 

the minds of the Labor Day Festival Committee 

as far back as January, when COVID 

issues were not improving and seemed to be 

getting worse. 

“The annual Labor Day Festival draws 

between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors over the 

three-day weekend, with kids rides, a car 

show, beer tent and nearly continuous stage 

entertainment, all of which bring people in 

close proximity with each other,” said Ebert. 

“That is something we wanted to avoid as 

we do not want the festival to potentially become 

a super spreader of COVID to our community. 

We thought limiting the number of 

days and events within a festival would help 

curb that.” 

In addition to not wanting to be the cause 

of a pandemic outbreak, Ebert said availability 

of entertainment also played a big 

part in the decision. He said that most 

“We wanted to do something 

for our hometown, hence the 

name Hometown Day, just to 

give people a fun activity away 

from home.” 

- Mayor Mike Ebert 

widely known musicians were not committing 

to anything in the first four months of 

the year for 2021 concerts. 

Those who did were demanding a 50 percent 

non-refundable deposit, money the 

Labor Day committee did not think was a 

smart move and making it less affordable 

for future festivals. 

“Additionally, several musicians we were 

considering for 2021 had canceled concerts 

in 2020 at various locations and they decided 

to fulfill 2020 commitments this year, 

making it even more difficult to get the entertainers 

we were looking for,” said Ebert. 

“After a lot of discussion and heartbreak for 

us as organizers, it became apparent what 

we had to do–once again cancel the 100th 

Labor Day Festival, the one festival we have 

all been working so hard towards for the 

last several years. It is as disheartening to 

us as organizers as it is to those who come 

to enjoy our festivals, yet we still receive 

criticism for making the right call.” 

In opting for a single day event, the 

Labor Day Committee felt it had to do something 

in Canal Winchester for residents, 

even it was a smaller gathering. 

“We wanted to do something for our 

hometown, hence the name Hometown Day, 

just to give people a fun activity away from 

home,” said Ebert. 

According to Ebert, as small as the event 

is, it still requires a great deal of money and 

planning–from street closures, obtaining 

food vendors, parade participants, entertainment, 

to kid’s activities and much more. 

He said food vendors often shy away from 

one-day events for multi-day events where 

they can make more money. 

“We decided to not charge any vendor for 

space for this event, in order to get them 

here for our attendees,” Ebert said. “The 

committee will be losing out on several thousand 

dollars by doing this, but we wanted to 

make it enjoyable for those looking for some 

of their favorite Labor Day foods. In response 

to this, most, if not all of our Labor 

Day committee members have pitched in financially 

with donations to help make up 

for the loss of vendor fees. It’s not always 

about the work we do to make events happen, 

but the things we go above and beyond 

on that are often unspoken, and we do it 

every year.” 

Eviction support 

The Franklin County Commissioners approved 

two contracts to support families facing 

eviction due to the ongoing pandemic. 

The Franklin County Municipal Court 

recently said that it would not enforce a new 

CDC eviction moratorium, and many families 

are in danger of losing their homes due 

to the pandemic and economy. The new supports 

include $624,000 in additional funding 

to the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and 

$550,000 for Community Mediation Services 

of Central Ohio. 

“The effects of this pandemic will be felt 

for many years to come,” said board of commissioners 

president Kevin Boyce. “It would 

be a grave mistake to allow families who 

lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic 

also lose their homes, and would only prolong 

our community’s recovery.” 

The commissioners have long supported 

the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and this 

contract adds to the county’s annual funding 

amount. The additional money will 

allow Legal Aid to hire three new full-time 

attorneys to work with families that are 

struggling to pay the rent. These new 

lawyers can assure that our residents’ legal 

rights are protected, represent them in the 

court system, and negotiate with lawyers 

and landlords. As many as 1,500 low-income 

families are expected to be helped with this 

new funding over the coming year. 

“Many of our neighbors are living on the 

edge, hurt by the pandemic through no fault 

of their own. We want to help every struggling 

tenant to work out a way to pay their 

rent so that they can stay in their homes 

and so that their landlords are also made 

whole,” said commissioner John O’Grady 

Community Mediation Services of Central 

Ohio (CMS) is also a long-time partner 

which the commissioners annually fund in 

order to provide tenant/landlord mediation 

and other eviction prevention services. The 

increased funding will allow CMS to serve 

an additional 600 families. Since beginning 

to work with Franklin County eviction 

clients, CMS has seen that 90 percent are 

able to avoid eviction or successfully relocate 

to alternate stable housing. 

“There are many families who are barely 

surviving this pandemic, some being only 

one flat tire away from being unhoused,” 

said commissioner Erica Crawley. “With 

that, we know that families and especially 

children are unable to thrive and do well in 

school without a safe and stable place to 

live. We are pleased to be able to answer the 

call to help our neighbors find ways to stay 

in their homes with legal representation 

and mediation services.” 

Each year, the commissioners allocate 

about $23.5 million to affordable housing 

and other housing supports. During the 

pandemic, they’ve increased that investment 

by more than $8 million to help vulnerable 

families stay in their homes, and 

resources are still available via the commissioners’ 

Emergency Rental Assistance Program 

and the Impact Hope Fund.


Canal Winchester 

Library Branch 

The Canal Winchester Branch of the 

Columbus Metropolitan Library, 115 

Franklin St., is located in the rear portion 

of the former school at 100 Washington St. 

For information visit www.columbuslibrary.org 

or call 614-645-2275. 

Wagnalls Memorial Library 

Wagnalls Memorial Library is located at 

150 E. Columbus St., Lithopolis. 

For information call (614) 837-4765 or 

visit www.wagnalls.org. 

MASKS 

Continued from page 1 

The three-year-old experienced a yearlong 

litany of testing, treatment, blood 

draws, ultrasounds, CAT scans and MRIs. 

Parent Tom Harker said he strongly disapproved 

of the current policy and acknowledged 

that a universal mask policy would 

make things easier for everyone. 

“I feel like we’ve been given the choice to 

potentially send our child to an unsafe environment,” 

said Harker. “My family is 

looking to enroll in an online program this 

year which really hurts all of us. We want 

our kid to go back to (public) school. I just 

don’t see how it’s a good choice right now. I 

know there are many concerned parents. I 

know you’re doing your best, but I think the 

current choice is misguided.” 

Eastland-Fairfield opens 

engineering tech center 

Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical 

Schools opened its newest building, the Engineering 

Technologies Center, on the Eastland 

Career Center campus in Groveport, 

4465 S. Hamilton Road, on Aug. 18. 

According to Ryan Gasser, Eastland- 

Fairfield coordinator of communications and 

marketing, “Eastland-Fairfield is continuing 

its commitment to providing students 

with opportunities and resources to prepare 

for their futures. This building represents 

the latest commitment from EFCTS to provide 

those resources to students in the preengineering, 

welding and aviation 

programs. This building also will serve as 

the future home of Eastland-Fairfield’s 

Mechatronics program, a multidisciplinary 

field of engineering that includes a combination 

of mechanical engineering, 

electric/electronic engineering, control engineering, 

and computer engineering.” 

Census population data 

According to the 2020 United States Census, 

since 2010, the population of the city of 

Canal Winchester grew 28 percent to 9,107; 

the city of Groveport has grew 12 percent to 

6,009; and the village of Obetz grew 21 percent 

to 5,489, which means Obetz has surpassed 

the 5,000 population threshhold to 

reach city status. 

9/11 Remembrance 

A remembrance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks 

on the United States will be observed 

on the 20th anniversary of the attacks on 

Sept. 11 at Motts Military Museum, 5075 S. 

Hamilton Road, Groveport, at 8:45 a.m. 

Third Thursday 

The city of Groveport will host Third 

Thursday, a summer festival series featuring 

music, food trucks, vendors, and more. 

The last Third Thursday will take place on 

Sept. 16 with the “Fall Kickoff!” with hay 

rides, photo backdrop, and free mini-pumpkins. 

Third Thursday hours are 5-7:30 p.m. 

at Cruiser Park, 4677 Bixby Road. For information 

contact jreeves@groveport.org. 

GriefShare group 

Groveport United Methodist Church, 512 

Main St., will sponsor a GriefShare group 

starting Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. Register online at 

https://www.griefshare.org/leaderzone/my/g 

roups/136866. For information contact 

groveportgriefsharegroup@gmail.com or call 

614-836-5968. 

Farmers Market 

The Groveport Farmers’ Market will be 

held on Tuesdays through Sept. 14 from 4- 

7 p.m. at Groveport Madison Middle School 

Central, 751 Main St. 


Southeast Library 

The Southeast Branch of the Columbus 

Metropolitan Library is located at 3980 S. 

Hamilton Road, Groveport. For information 

visit 

For information visit www.columbuslibrary.org 

or call 614-645-2275. 

CW Farmers Market 

The Canal Winchester Farmers’ Market 

will operate on Saturdays through Sept. 25 

from 9 a.m. to noon. For information visit 

www.thecwfm.com. 

Moses-Mouser Eye Care 

Dr. Joshua Morris is an Optometrist who grew 

up in Bellville, Ohio. He completed his undergraduate 

degree at the University of Akron, where 

he graduated magna cum laude with honors. 

Dr. Morris attended The Ohio State University 

College of Optometry and graduated cum laude 

with honors to receive his Doctor of Optometry Degree in May 2019. After 

completing his studies, he was awarded the “Primary Vision Care Clinical 

Excellence Award”, in 2019. 

Dr. Morris is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Ohio 

Optometric Association, and The Ohio State Alumni Association. He is 

excited to practice full scope optometry, diagnosing and treating a variety 

of ocular disorders and diseases in patients of all ages, but has a special 

interest in contact lenses and ocular disease. 

On a personal note, Dr. Morris and his wife Tess, enjoy spending time with 

their family, friends, and their Bernese Mountain dog Maverick, cheering 

on The Ohio State Buckeyes, trying new foods, and exploring Columbus 

breweries. 

Q: What are floaters and what causes them? 

A: Floaters are small dark shapes that move across your vision. They can appear 

as dots, threads, squiggly lines, or even like cobwebs. Most floaters are caused 

by normal changes in the eye. As you age, small strands of vitreous (gel-like fluid 

that fills your eye) can clump together and cast a shadow on your retina (the 

light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). Those shadows appear as floaters 

that drift across your vision. You may notice floaters more when you look at a 

bright background, like a computer screen or a blue sky. 

Q: How often should someone with new 

floaters get an eye exam? 

A: Someone experiencing new floaters, a large increase in the number of floaters, 

or flashing lights should see an eye care professional immediately. Sometimes 

floaters have a more serious cause, including: infection, injury, inflammation, 

bleeding, retinal tear or retinal detachment. 

Someone with a few stable floaters should see an eye care professional at least 

once a year for a comprehensive dilated eye exam. 

Schedule your comprehensive eye exam 

today with Dr. Morris 

1600 Gateway Circle, Grove City, OH 43123 614-963-3820


entertainment 


“Free Guy” humorous and visually appealing 

Puzzle solution 

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Get out in front of 

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Theatrical adaptations of video games 

rarely give supporting characters more 

than a passing glance. Much like the medium 

they are pulling content from, they use 

the secondary players to serve at the whim 

of the leads and to be as disposable as necessary 

(e.g., be harmed, maimed, or killed) 

in order to advance the plot — should there 

be one, that is. But the latest theatrical 

adaptation of a video game turns that common 

practice on its head, asking the question 

as to what would happen if that throwaway 

character took the reins. The result is 

one of the most original and enjoyable 

movies to ever come out of this genre. 

In “Free Guy,” Ryan Reynolds stars as 

the not-so-free Guy, a non-player character 

in an extremely violent open-world shooter 

game called “Free City.” Within the confines 

of this game, which is loosely based 

on the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise, Guy 

and his fellow non-player characters are 

unaware of their artificial reality, happily 

going about their day while humans in the 

real world don avatars (or skins) to cause 

mayhem on their streets so they can level 

up to acquire bigger and better weapons 

and skills. 

Because of the way the NPC’s are 

coded, they do not question that random 

punch to their face, they do not ask why 

someone held up their bank, and they do 

not demand accountability for all of the 

horrible things they see taking place. But 

that passive worldview begins to change, 

however, when Guy has a random 

encounter with a mysterious woman. 

While walking to work with his friend 

Buddy (Lil Rel Howery) and expressing 

their desire for a heist free day at the 

bank, Guy overhears a woman humming a 

Mariah Carey tune. Having never heard 

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another person singing this song before, 

Guy strikes up a conversation with her but 

is puzzled by her strange behavior. He 

chalks it up to her being “one of the sunglasses 

people,” but what he does not know 

is that this MolotovGirl (Jodie Comer) is a 

real person who donned an avatar to get 

inside the game. 

Thinking that this encounter was just a 

random glitch in the matrix, MolotovGirl 

(aka Millie) pays Guy little mind and sets 

off to plumb the depths of the game 

because its founder stole her software code. 

But what she does not, could not know, was 

that this was a transformative experience 

for the lovelorn Guy. 

Feeling that there is now “something 

more” out there, Guy decides that he will 

change his routine for the day. He will 

order a different coffee, he will tell a different 

joke, and he will definitely stand up 

when his bank is robbed. 

During the latter action, Guy snatches 

the sunglasses off of the robber’s face and 

discovers the world that humans see while 

playing in front of their screens. There are 

suggestions for how many points can be 

acquired from pushing someone in front of 

a car, lighting them on fire, stealing a kitten, 

or robbing a bank. 

Wanting to know what is going on with 

this new world, Guy seeks out MolotovGirl 

and requests her help. In turn, he says he 

can help her with her mission but she 

rebuffs his assistance as he is on the lowest 

level imaginable. When he asks what he 

can do to earn points without hurting people, 

she jokingly suggests that he try nice 

things and see what happens. 

Taking it to heart, Guy stops bank 

heists, returns stolen money, and helps 

that elderly lady find her kittens. His 

efforts do not go unnoticed by the playing 

public as he is soon referred to as “Blue 

Shirt Guy.” He even gains the attention of 

popular vloggers who wonder whether the 

game itself has been hacked. 

While the public is buzzing about the 

non-playable character gone rogue (in the 

kind way), behind-the-scenes drama is taking 

place at the real-life headquarters of 

Soonami, the makers of “Free City” and its 

soon-to-be released sequel. Much of it 

revolves around the lawsuit between Millie 

The Reel Deal 

and “Free City” developer 

Antwon (Taika 

Waititi, leaning heavily 

into tech bro stereotypes) 

and the possible 

stealing of data. 

Though not as visually 

interesting as what is 

happening in the artificial 

world, it is still 

engaging due to the 

actors involved. 

Dedra 

Cordle 

Back in the artificial world, Guy continues 

to help people not just to score points to 

“level up” to MolotovGirl but because he 

feels it is the right thing to do. He doesn’t 

know that his actions are causing real life 

players to second guess their fondness for 

video game violence, or their penchant to 

discard background players. He also 

doesn’t know that outside forces are willing 

to do anything, including reboot the system 

and destroy the life-giving servers, in order 

to stop his quest to change the world as he 

knows it. 

Video games, and even its theatrical 

adaptations, are often thought of as cold, 

even heartless at times, forms of entertainment 

but “Free Guy” is loaded with 

warmth amongst its non-stop jokes and 

visual gags. Though it does point out the 

casual violence of some of the more popular 

open-shooter games, it doesn’t get too 

preachy about the message. Instead, it 

focuses on doing what you can to do good in 

the world. 

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much 

from “Free Guy” (I thought the trailers 

made it look terrible) but I was surprised 

by how enjoyable it actually was. 

Humorous and visually appealing, it mixes 

up the best of video game playing alongside 

the best of romantic comedies. It’s a 

strange mashup to be sure, but the acting, 

directing and script all worked seamlessly 

together to create an original and endearingly 

fun flick. 

Grade: B 

Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer 

and columnist. 

Columbus Library culture passes 

Columbus Metropolitan Library offers 

its cardholders free admission to select 

central Ohio cultural institutions. 

The Culture Pass Program enables 

CML customers to borrow passes just as 

they would a book - using their library 

card. This onetime pass, which must be 

checked out in person, grants customers 

limited free access to institutions that 

would otherwise charge admission fees. 

The culture pass program offers each 

participating institution the opportunity to 

select which specific CML locations will 

offer their passes based on the neighborhoods 

and communities associated with 

their outreach, diversity and inclusion 

goals. Culture passes cannot be reserved, 

however customers can check their availability 

at columbuslibrary.org by typing 

“culture pass” into the catalog search bar. 

Each participating organization offers 

their passes to CML and its customers for 

free. Visit columbuslibrary.org for information.


Celebrating canal history 


Communities up and down the length of 

the old Ohio and Erie Canal are getting 

ready to celebrate their canal history and the 

creation of the new driving trail that highlights 

that heritage. 

The Scenic Scioto Heritage Trail, Inc., and 

its partner communities recently announced 

the development of the new Ohio and Erie 

Canal Southern Descent Heritage Trail from 

Buckeye Lake to Portsmouth. 

Groveport will hold its kickoff event, 

Groveport Canal Day: Celebrating Our 

Heritage Along the Southern Descent Trail, 

for the trail on Sept. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. in 

Heritage Park, 551 Wirt Road. It will include 

refreshments and possibly acoustic music 

entertainment. 

Heritage Park will serve as the starting 

point for people to venture out to view other 

canal sites in town including the Sharp’s 

Landing building across from the Groveport 

Cemetery; a canal mural inside KidSpace, 630 Wirt 

Road; the Groveport Heritage Museum in Town Hall, 

648 Main St.; Lock 22 in Groveport Park; canal channel 

remnants in Blacklick Park, and more. 

Visitors may walk to the sites or use a shuttle to 

Lock 22 provided by the city of Groveport. 

The village of Lockbourne’s kickoff event is Sept. 25 

from 2-6 p.m. at Locke Meadow Park, 154 Commerce 

St., which could include guided hikes along the 

Magnolia Trail, a talk on the history of the Ohio & Erie 

Canal and Lockbourne’s significance during the canal 

days, activities and games for the children, chili cook 

off, and possibly a live band. 

The 114 mile driving trail of the The Ohio & Erie 

Canal Southern Descent Historic District begins at the 

southern edge of Buckeye Lake in Fairfield County. It 

includes Bibler lock 8 in Baltimore; locks 11, 12, and 

13 in Lockville; lock 22 in Groveport; locks 26, 27, 29, 

and 30 in and near Lockbourne; and remnants of the 

Columbus Feeder just west of Lockbourne in Franklin 

County. 

In Pickaway County the trail includes Canal Park 

Messenger photo by Rick Palsgrove 

Ohio and Erie Canal lock 22 is located in Groveport Park, 7370 

Groveport Road. 

pets of the week 

in Circleville. 

In Scioto County the trail continues south through 

Rushtown at lock 48 and lock 50 in West Portsmouth 

and ends at lock 55, west of downtown Portsmouth at 

the Ohio River. 

All of these canal locks, with the exception of lock 

55, are listed in the National Register of Historic 

Places. 

Work to list lock 55 is underway. 

The locks’ function was to raise and lower water levels 

for canal boats to meet the changing level of terrain. 

Residents and visitors can learn the story of this 

important transportation route as they follow the driving 

trail. Creation of the trail, which will be launched 

this fall, is being funded by the Canal Society of Ohio 

and Ohio Humanities grants. 

For information about the Ohio and Erie Canal 

Southern Descent Heritage Trail, contact project director 

Cathy Nelson at cathyd.nelson@gmail.com or visit 

seeohiofirst.org. 

Remy is a sweet, 7-year-old girl. 

She loves to run around and 

explore. She is active and outgoing 

and would benefit from a family with 

a similar lifestyle. You will love her 

goofy nature. Remy is a little uncomfortable 

with other dogs and would 

need to meet any furry friends 

before adoption. Adopt her from the 

Franklin County Dog Shelter. 

FYI: franklincountydogs.com 

Honey Bear, 8, makes a fantastic 

furry friend. He is great around 

other dogs, but sometimes he 

needs a little time to warm up to 

them. He struggled with shyness 

when he first arrived, but Honey 

Bear has graduated from the Shy 

Dog Program. He likes to explore, 

he comes when called and he is 

fond of attention. Honey Bear is up 

for adoption at the county shelter. 

FYI: franklincountydogs.com 

Claus is a 6-month-old boy who is 

currently in foster care as he is a bit 

cautious when at the adoption center. 

He gets comfortable once he 

gets to know you. His coat is super 

soft and he has a sweet purr when 

you pick him up. Give him a chance. 

Claus is up for adoption through 

Colony Cats. 

FYI: colonycats.org 

Arco has a nice and easy going personality. 

He gets along well with 

other dogs but is not great around 

cats. Arco knows his basic commands 

and is up to date on all vaccines. 

He is 75 pounds of love and 

about 7 years old. Arco is up for 

adoption through Friends for Life 

Animal Haven. 

FYI: fflah.org


column 


The old days of gritty gridirons 

The first thing you notice is the dirt and 

the mud. 

Recently I have been indulging my nostalgia 

and watching videos of old NFL 

games from the 1960s on YouTube. 

Back in those days, most NFL teams 

shared stadiums with Major League 

Baseball teams, which meant that, at least 

early in the football season, the dirt infield 

of the baseball diamond was part of the 

football field. 

It is striking to see those often muddy 

fields when compared to the rather pristine, 

clean look of the modern synthetic 

turf fields of today’s football-only stadiums. 

It is fun to see the players of yesteryear 

get dirty and to see their athleticism on 

display in dealing with less than ideal footing. 

(A favorite memory is of Cleveland 

Browns running back Leroy Kelly gracefully 

stepping around defenders in the muck. 

Commentators of the day often said Kelly 

ran best when the field was its worst.) 

As kids back then, we identified with 

the pros as we splashed around playing 

football in our own muddy backyards or 

vacant lots. 

Editor’s Notebook 

Because these old 

stadiums accommodated 

football and 

baseball, there were 

places where the 

walls to the stands 

were very close to the 

end zones while 

there were vast 

expanses from the 

sidelines to the 

stands in some stadiums. 

Then there were 

the goal posts. In the 

1960s the goal posts 

Rick 

Palsgrove 

were situated on the goal line, as opposed 

to today where they are at the back of the 

end zone. The old posts were supported by 

two pillars where today they have just one. 

So, in the old days, players were twice as 

likely to inadvertently run into the goal 

posts during a play. 

A fun aspect of the old goal posts is that, 

unlike today where the goal posts are all 

the same yellowish-greenish color, the old 

posts were different colors depending on 

which stadium you were in and some were 

even striped! 

As the football season wore on and the 

baseball season ended back then, some stadium 

crews would put sod on the dirt 

infields. 

But as December rolled around, the 

entire football field in many of these old 

stadiums became mostly dirt any way as 

the weather, as well as the wear and tear 

of playing on the fields, churned up most of 

the grass so that the fields were primarily 

dirt or mud with patches of grass. 

Another aspect I enjoy seeing of the old 

stadiums is how so many of them were 

unique in their designs and layouts. 

Today’s stadiums all sort of look like the 

same oval or box shape and are not instantly 

recognizable. 

The old stadiums were a variety of 

shapes and sizes. 

When turning on the TV to watch the 

games in the 1960s you could tell what stadium 

it was before the announcer said anything. 

It is fun to see the players of 

yesteryear get dirty and to see 

their athleticism on display in 

dealing with less than ideal footing. 

A favorite memory is of 

Cleveland Browns running back 

Leroy Kelly gracefully stepping 

around defenders in the muck. 

Commentators of the day often 

said Kelly ran best when the field 

was its worst. 

Modern stadiums give off the appearance 

of 21st century technological influences 

while the historic stadiums reflected 

the industrial manufacturing nature of 

their cities in the mid-20th century. 

A case of cold computers and sleek 

videos vs. fiery steel and brawny rust so to 

speak. 

Rick Palsgrove is editor of the Groveport 

Messenger. 

CLASSIFIED ADS 

Deadlines: Groveport and West editions, Wednesdays at 5 p.m., • South/Canal Winchester, Grove City, Madison editions, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. 

All editions by phone, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. • Service Directory, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. 

xInformation 

Marriages break down 

because of incompatible 

personalities. 

If you and your marital partner are 

having trouble, come in and get your 

Personality and IQ checked as this 

may be the reason for your disputes. 

The Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 

1266 Dublin Road 

Columbus, OH 43215 

Information 

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CLASSIFIED ADS 

Deadlines: Groveport and West editions, Wednesdays at 5 p.m., • South/Canal Winchester, Grove City, Madison editions, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. 

All editions by phone, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. • Service Directory, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. 

xEmployment 

Canal Winchester Local Schools is 

looking for substitutes in the following 

areas: 

Teachers, Nurses, Secretaries, 

Custodians, Classroom Aides, 

Bus Drivers, and Bus Aides. 

For more information, please contact 

Pam Sayre at psayre@cwls.us or 

614-832-0484 


WANTED 

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS 

The South-Western City School 

District is currently hiring drivers 

for the 2021-2022 school year 

WE WILL TRAIN 

Positions are available for substitute 

school bus drivers that can develop into 

regular positions with benefits. Interested 

individuals should submit an application 

at www.swcsd.us and follow the employment 

link. Applicants should have an 

excellent driving record and must submit 

to a drug, alcohol, and background 

screening. A high school diploma or 

equivalent is required. 

EOE 

BE YOUR OWN BOSS! 

INDEPENDENT 

CONTRACTORS 

WANTED 

If you have a reliable car and would like to 

earn extra money, then why not deliver? 

• Deliver 1 or 2 days a week 

• Flexible delivery hours 

• Work close to home - often in or 

near your neighborhood 

CONTACT US 

1-888-837-4342 

www.thebag.com 

• Deliver 7 days a week 

• Delivery before dawn 

• Work close to home - often in or 

near your neighborhood 

CONTACT US 

614-461-8585 

www.dispatch.com/delivery 

DON’T 

BE 

LEFT OUT! 

Deadline Is 

Tuesdays by 

5pm 

For Following 

Mondays Paper 

614-272-5422 


ATTENTION SENIORS: 

The average funeral cost 

is $9000+ Don’t leave 

your family to pay your 

debts. State Approved, 

Final Expense Life 

Insurance Plans are now 

avaiilable as low as $25 a 

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home shipping for 

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insulin pumps, catheters & 

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Donate your car to kids. 

Your donation helps fund 

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Fast free pickup - running 

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maximum tax donation - 

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Long Distance moving. 

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take the stress out of 

moving! Speak to a 

relocation specialist! Call: 

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New authors wanted! 

Page Publishing will help 

self-publish your book. 

Free author submission 

kit! Limited offer! 866- 

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Employment 

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IMPORTANT 

NOTICE 

The following states: CA, 

CT, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, 

LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, 

NE, NC, NH, OH, OK, 

SC, SD, TX, VT and WA 

requires seller of certain 

business opportunities to 

register with each state 

before selling. Call to 

verify lawful registration 

before you buy. 

Are you limited by your 

past experience? Find 

out. BUY AND READ 

Dianetics The Modern 

Science of Mental Health 

by L. Ron Hubbard. $25. 

Call 614-221-5024 or 

come to 1266 Dublin 

Road, Columbus, Ohio 

HOME HEALTH AIDES 

$13.00-$20.00 per hour 

Choose your Schedule and Clients, 

Benefits Available: Pay Advances, 

Quarterly Bonuses, Paid Vacation, 

401K w/matching, Medical/Dental/Legal 

One year experience working for an employer 

in caregiver role is preferred. 

To apply, please visit v-angels.com 

or text/call “career” to 

614-80-ANGEL (802-6435) 

PART-TIME 

DELIVERY PERSON 

NEEDED 

Looking for delivery person to 

deliver our 

South Messenger Newspaper 

to store locations 2 times per 

month. Approx. 2 hour delivery time. 

GREAT PAY - GREAT HOURS 

CONTACT: DOUG HENRY 

doughenry@ 

columbusmessenger.com



xEmployment 

BETTY’S 

Elderly Care 

Has Openings for 

Part-Time Caregiver 

Working With the Elderly 

Transportation, Experience 

& References Required. Drug Test. 

Good Wages. 

Call: 614-777-5850 

FREE 

TRAINING 

+ 

$1000 SIGN-ON BONUS 

Kroger Pharmacy Warehouse 

2nd and 3rd Shift 

Positions Available 

Scan for more details and 

link to apply: 


EARN EXTRA 

$$$ $$$ 

MONEY 

The Advertising Department at the 

Columbus Messenger Newspapers 

is seeking a Salesperson. 

No Experience Necessary. 

Base salary plus commissions, auto allowance. 

Seniors welcome to apply. 

Please send your resume or call: 

Doug Henry, Advertising Manager 

Columbus Messenger Newspapers 

3500 Sullivant Ave. 

Columbus, Ohio 43204 

614-272-5422 

or 

e-mail to doughenry@columbusmessenger.com 


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Employment 


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READER 

ADVISORY 

The National Trade Association 

we belong to has 

purchased the following 

classifieds. Determining 

the value of their service 

or product is advised by 

this publication. In order 

to avoid misunderstandings, 

some advertisers do 

not offer “employment” 

but rather supply the 

readers with manuals, directories 

and other materials 

designed to help 

their clients establish mail 

order selling and other 

businesses at home. Under 

NO circumstance 

should you send any 

money in advance or give 

the client your checking, 

license ID or credit card 

numbers. Also beware of 

ads that claim to guarantee 

loans regardless of 

credit and note that if a 

credit repair company 

does business only over 

the phone it’s illegal to request 

any money before 

delivering its service. All 

funds are based in US 

dollars. Toll Free numbers 

may or may not 

reach Canada. Please 

check with the Better 

Business Bureau 614- 

486-6336 or the Ohio Attorney 

General’s Consumer 

Protection Section 

614-466-4986 for more 

information on the company 

you are seeking to 

do business with. 

xAdult Care 

Windsong is committed to providing 

high quality, loving care, and affordable 

home care services to our clients. With our 

assistance, clients can lead 

dignified and independent lives in the 

comfort of their own home. 

Individual needs are carefully assessed, 

understood, and met through the selective 

assignment of quality, trustworthy and 

compassionate service-oriented personnel. 

Give us a call today for a free in-home 

assessment or visit our website at 

www.windsongseniorcare.com 

614-820-5000 

Adult Care


xCome & Get it! 


xClassified Services 

COME AND GET IT 

Deadlines are Tuesdays by 5 pm. 

Call For Publication Schedule 614-272-5422 

Need to Get Rid of Something Fast - Advertise It Here For FREE! 

FREE Garden Straw for gardens or bedding. Call for appointment for pickup. 

Circle S Farms, 9015 London-Groveport Road, Grove City, 43123 

Grove City - 614-878-7980 

. Come and Get It! is a bi-weekly column that offers readers an opportunity to pass 

along surplus building materials, furniture, electronic equipment, crafts, supplies, 

appliances, plants or household goods to anybody who will come and get them - as 

long as they’re FREE. NO PETS! Just send us a brief note describing what you want to 

get rid of, along with your name, address and phone number. Nonprofit organizations 

are welcome to submit requests for donations of items. 

Send information to The Columbus Messenger, Attention: Come and Get It, 3500 

Sullivant Ave., Columbus, OH43204. Deadline is Tuesdays by 5 pm for following 

Mondays publication. Messenger Newspapers is not responsible for any 

complications that may occur. Please contact us when items are gone. 272-5422 

Come & Get It! 

xFocus on Rentals 

Miller 

Commons 

100 Miller Avenue, Ashville 

Ages 55+ 

Income limits apply 

Covered parking - Appliances 

No stairs or steps throughout. 

Now Open! 

Reserve your spot today. 

614-813-8966 

INFORMATION 

Rentals 

INFORMATION 

WHAT IS THE SOURCE 

OF 

IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR? 

Find out BUY AND READ 

Dianetics The Modern 

Science of Mental Health 

by L. Ron Hubbard - $25 

Call (614)401-0664 Or come to 

1266 Dublin Road, Columbus,Ohio 

MOTORCYCLE 

HONDA 2002 VT 600 M/C 

$2,000. 614-406-3021 

HELP WANTED 

OFFICE needs an organized 

fulltime person who can 

multitask in our shop office. 

Assist customers, phone, 

purchasing, billing, etc. 

QuickBooks exp. a plus. 

Send resume with pay history 

to: cewa@att.net or fax to 

614-294-3731 or mail to: 

Columbus Electrical Works 

1854 S. High St., 

Columbus, OH 43207 

Lincensed Barber Needed 

Full or part time. located in 

Great Southern Shopping 

Center. Call Cindy for 

more info 614-239-1976 

PETS 

HOMING PIGEONS 

$5.00 ea. 614-662-8655 

WANT TO BUY 

BUYING VINYL RECORDS. 

LPs and 45s - 1950-80s 

Rock, Pop, Jazz, Soul. 

614-831-0383 

We Buy Cars & Trucks 

$300-$3000.614-308-2626 

We Buy Junk Cars & 

Trucks. Highest Prices 

Paid. 614-395-8775 

WANTS TO Purchase 

minerals and other oil & 

gas interests. Send details 

to: P.O. Box 13557, 

Denver, CO 80201 

WE BUY JUNK CARS 

Call anytime 614-774-6797 

VACATION RENTALS 

Englewood, Florida 

Palm Manor Resort 

Within minutes of white 

sand Gulf beaches, 

world famous Tarpon 

fishing, golf courses, restaurants/shopping, 

Bush 

Gardens. 2 BR 2 BA 

condos with all ammenities, 

weekly/monthly, visit 

www.palmmanor.com 

or call 1-800-848-8141 

AIR CONDITIONING 

AIR CONDITIONING 

Complete System 

Clean & Check 

$49.95 

Free Electronic Leak Testing 

All Makes • All Models 

45 Yrs. Exp. • Senior Discount 

614-351-9025 

BLACKTOP 

SANTIAGO’S 

Sealcoating & Services LLC 

Quality Materials Used 

SUMMER IS HERE! 

Driveway Seal & Repair! 

Top Seal Cracks! 

Residential & Commercial 

Mulching, Edging & Clean-ups 

“Ask for whatever you need.” 

BBB Accredited-Fully Insured 

Call or text for Free Est. 

614-649-1200 

AGM OHIO 

ROOFING & 

SEALCOATING 

Free Estimates 

Cell 614-512-1699 

CLEANING 

Looking for Mrs. Clean? 

For excellent cleaning serv 

at reas. rates w/great refs, 

dependable. 10% Senior 

Disc. Free Est. Gwen 

614-226-5229 

INFORMATION 

8/29 A 

CARPET CLEANING 

9/12 

A/M 

CARPET CLEANING 

Any 5 areas ONLY $75 

Home Powerwash $99-$200 

614-805-1084 

Specializing in Pet Odors 

NEED 

SOMETHING 

DONE 

THIS 

SUMMER? 

CHECK OUT 

OUR 

CLASSIFIED 

SERVICES! 

FOR 

ADVERTISING 

INFORMATION 

CALL 

(614) 272-5422 

THE 

COLUMBUS 

MESSENGER 

CONCRETE 

www.hastingsnsons.com 

Driveways & Extensions 

Patio & Walkways, 

Porches & Steps, 

Garage/Basement Floors 

Hot Tub/Shed Pads, 

Stamped/colored concrete 

Sealing of new & 

existing concrete. 

FREE ESTIMATES 

Contact Adam 

614-756-1754 

hastingsandsons. 

columbus@gmail.com 

AJ’s Concrete, 

Masonry 

Good Work - Fair Prices 

Block Foundations 

Driveways • Sidewalks 

Epoxy/Overlay Floors 

Bonded-Ins. • Free Ests. 

614-419-9932 

EDDIE MOORE 

CONSTRUCTION 

Quality Concrete Work 

Lt. Hauling & Room Add., 

Block Work & Excavation 

Stamp Patios, 

Bsmt. Wall Restoration 

35 Yrs Exp - Lic & Ins. 

Free Ests. 614-871-3834 

Buckeye City 

Concrete & Excavating 

* Concrete * Foundations 

* Waterlines * Drains 

*Catch Basins 

614-749-2167 

buckeyecityconcreteand 

excavating@yahoo.com 

GUTTERS 

Bates & Sons 

GUTTER CLEANING 

5 ★ Google Reviews 

614-586-3417 

INFORMATION 

ONLY 

$50.00 

For This Ad In Our 

South & Groveport 

For Info Call 

272-5422 

HAULING 

DEAN’S HAULING 

614-276-1958 

HOME 

IMPROVEMENTS 

C&JHandyman 

Services LLC 

Minor Plumbing 

& Electric 

Install Hot Water Tanks, 

Dishwashers & Disposals 

Also Fencing & 

Interior/Exterior Painting 

Free Est. ~ 18 Yrs. Exp. 

CDC/EPA Approved Guidelines 

614-284-2100 

8/29 A 

8/29 A/M 

7/18 A 

HOME 

IMPROVEMENTS 

KLAUSMAN HOME 

IMPROVEMENT 

Siding-Windows- 

Doors-Roofing-Soffit- 

Fascia-Gutters-Trim 

Earn FREE Seamless 

Gutters with Siding Over 

1000 Sq. Ft. 

FREE Shutters with 

Soffit & Trim 

EPA Certified 

Member of BBB 

Financing Available 

Over 20 yrs exp. • Free Est. 

Licensed-Bonded-Insured 

Owner & Operator 

James 614-419-7500 

SINCE 1973 

Phil Bolon Contr. 

Windows & Siding 

Decks, Kitchens, Baths 

Room Additions, 

Flooring, Roofing 

Bsmt Waterproofing 

Deal With Small Non-Pressure Co. 

47 Yrs. Exp. - Refs. Avail. 

Lic.-Bond-Ins. 

Free Est. - Financing Avail. 

Member BBB Of Cent. OH 

O.C.I.E.B. ID #24273 

614-419-3977 

or 614-863-9912 

HOME 

MAINTENANCE 

JOE’S HOME MAINT. 

Home Repairs, Roofing, 

Siding, Gutters, Soffits, 

Misc. Int. Repairs 

Int. Painting 

Call Joe 614-778-1460 

37 Years Exp. 

HOME 

REMODELING 

Handyman Remodeling 

Over 35 yrs exp. 

Larry 614-376-7006 

LAWN CARE 

Lawnmasters and 

Landscaping 

Give us a call for your 

yards that need mowing, 

Spring clean-up, weed 

control, paver patios, etc. 

Free Estimates 

614-378-1237 

LET US MAINTAIN 

YOUR LAWN & GARDEN 

FOR YOU 

Summer, Spring, 

Winter or Fall 

WE DO IT ALL!!!! 

Lawn Cuts, Edging, 

Trees & Shrubs, Garden, 

Mulching, Hauling, 

Garden Pond & 

Home Maint. 

Free Ests. Low Rates 

$20 & Up 

Kevin - 614-905-3117 

Classified Services 

8/29 

A/M 

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We do it all! Fences, decks, 

home repairs, more Just ask! 

220-465-2602-local # 

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PEST 

CONTROL 

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TORCO® 

TERMINATES 

TERMITES 

Locally Owned & Operated. Any Pest. Anytime. 

$ 

50 00 OFF Service 

Expires July 11, 2021 

Free Termite Inspection 

LAWN CARE 

The Lawn Barber 

Cut, Trim, Blow away 

Hedge Trimming, Edging 

Garden Tilling 

614-935-1466 

MOVING 

Aaron Allen 

Moving 

Local Moving since 1956 

Bonded and Insured 

614-299-6683 

614-263-0649 

Celebrating 

over 60 yrs 

in business 

PAINTING 

A Job Well Done Again 

A lic. General Contractor 

Some Skilled Services 

Incl: Painting • Stucco, 

Repair•Carpentry•Exterior 

Drainage & Home Maint. 

Call Today! 614-235-1819 

PLUMBING 

All About Drains & Plumb. 

Will snake any sm drain 

$145. 614-778-2584 

ALL IN ONE 

PLUMBING LLC 

“One Call Does It All” 

$25 OFF LABOR 

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With This Ad 

A 

614-801-1508 

All Major Credit Cards Accepted 

CHRIS’ 

PLUMBING 

“Plumbing & Drain Professional 

That You Can Count On” 

24 Hrs., 7 Days/Week 

No Overtime Charges 

24 Yrs. Exp. in Plumbing & 

Drain Cleaning Field 

Call For A Free Phone Estimate 

$100.00 For Any Small Drain 

614-622-4482 

30% OFF with AD 

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9/12 A 

PEST 

CONTROL 

PLASTERING 

DRYW 

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PLASTER 

9/12 

A&M 

REPAIR 

Textured Ceilings 

614-551-6963 

Residential/Commercial 

BIA 

POWERWASHING 

MDB POWERWASH 

We Specialize In Decks. 

Clean, stain, reseal, 

revitalize any deck. 

Quality work at fair prices. 

Guarantee All Work 3 Yrs. 

25 Yrs Exp. Free Est. 

614-327-9425 

Bates & Sons 

Soft Wash & Powerwash 

5 ★ Google Reviews 

614-586-3417 

MRS. POWERWASH 

Any house wash $149+tax 

Single deck $69+tax 

2 Tier deck $99+tax 

Best Wash in Town 

Over 45,000 washes 

Ashley 614-771-3892 

ROOFING 

Robinson roofing & repairs 

30 yrs. exp. Lifetime Cols. 

resident. Lic./bonded/Ins. 

Reas rates. Member of 

BBB. Dennis Robinson 

614-330-3087, 732-3100 

SEWING MACHINE 

REPAIR 

REPAIR all makes 24 hr. 

service. Clean, oil, adjust 

in your home. $49.95 all 

work gtd. 614-890-5296 

TREE SERVICES 

BURNS TREE SERVICE 

Trimming, Removal & 

Stump Grinding. 

614-584-2164 

Brewer & Sons Tree Service 

• Tree Removal 

• Tree Trimming 8/29 

A&M 

• Stump Grinding 

• Bucket Truck Services 

Best Prices • Same Day Service 

614-878-2568 

8/1 A 

8/29 A&M



Comments sought on proposed water/sewer rate hike 


Staff Writer 

Aqua Ohio is asking the Public Utilities 

Commission of Ohio to consider a water and 

sewer rate increase and Madison Township 

wants residents to know they have opportunities 

to voice their opinion regarding the 

request. 

According to Madison Township Administrator 

Susan Brobst, the PUCO collects 

comments on each case it hears and will be 

hearing the Aqua Ohio case later this year. 

“All calls (texts, email, etc.) are transcribed 

and put into the case record,” said 

Brobst. 

Earlier this year, the township received 

notice from Aqua Ohio regarding a request 

to increase water and sewer rates. If the request 

is approved by the PUCO, it could go 

into effect as early as the first quarter of 

2022. 

According to the Ohio Public Utilities 

Commission of Ohio, on Feb. 6, 2019, the 

PUCO approved a 3.66 percent system improvement 

charge for Aqua Ohio following 

a 2018 application. 

The company also requested a 3.5 percent 

improvement charge for households in 

its servicing area in 2020. 

Ohio law allows PUCO-regulated water 

and wastewater companies to establish a 

system improvement charge based upon 

capital improvements and infrastructure replacements 

it made since its last received 

PUCO authority to increase rates. 

Residents can send their thoughts, petitions, 

letters, and concerns to the PUCO directly 

by emailing 

ContactThePUCO@puco.ohio.gov and 

should always include the case number, 

which can be found at 

dis.puc.state.oh.us/?fbclid=IwAR20f8rwWB 

6skR9m2BZTa_uVURLW68trsUG-ouRs- 

Fav_Q3HlYQoo9tMaUeE. 

For help with the process, visit 

puco.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/puco/help-center/contact-us. 

Brobst reported on negotiations by the 

Ohio Attorney General regarding the OneOhio 

special opioid settlement with three 

pharmaceutical companies. 

“The amount the township will receive is 

unknown,” said Brobst, who added the settlement 

is a multi-year option. “Once we receive 

more information, we’ll have more 

board discussion. 

Trustee Michele Reynolds said the township 

needs to opt-in to be part of the settlement. 

“Attorney General David Yost sued these 

companies and the settlement is going back 

to the communities,” said Reynolds. 

Rental assistance 

The Franklin County commissioners 

voted to approve contracts worth $2.5 million 

with Impact Community Action and the 

Community Shelter Board to provide immediate 

rental and utility assistance for 

Franklin County families that are struggling 

in the pandemic economy. 

The funding is part of $13 million approved 

for Franklin County by Congress at 

the end of 2020, and should support nearly 

800 individuals or families who have been 

hurt by the pandemic and are having trouble 

paying their rent or utility bills. 

“People all over the country have been 

struggling for almost a year, not only with 

Get out in front of 

the 2021 Election 

COVID-19, but with the economic effects of 

the pandemic,” said board of commissioners 

president, Kevin Boyce. “It feels like we’ve 

been dealing with this for a long time, but 

the long-term economic effects of this crisis 

are just getting started, and it’s vital that 

we get assistance into the hands of the people 

who need it while their troubles are still 

manageable.” 

The two partner agencies will administer 

the programs separately, but are both expected 

to begin taking applications almost 

immediately. Eligibility will be based on income 

and applicants must be able to demonstrate 

that their income level has been 

harmed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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The assistance is expected to also aid landlords. 

“Residents throughout Franklin County 

really need this assistance and we’re working 

with trusted community partners to 

help our neighbors in need,” said commissioner 

Marilyn Brown. “We remain committed 

to helping residents stay safe through 

this pandemic, and that starts with everyone 

having a safe place to call home.” 

In addition to the direct support for 

renters, Impact Community Action will be 

heading a coalition of 16 partner organizations 

to take on the eviction crisis in general. 

Both Impact Community Action and 

the Community Shelter Board are long-time 

partners of the board of commissioners. 

Their work and previous federal assistance 

for rent and utilities helped to keep the 

number of evictions in central Ohio at relatively 

low levels throughout 2020. Unemployment 

remains high, however, and 

SNAP food assistance applications and 

Medicaid caseloads are up. Without additional 

support, many Franklin County families 

will be without a roof over their heads, 

which has secondary effects such as making 

it tougher to keep a job or attend school regularly. 

“Franklin County families are struggling, 

through no fault of their own, to meet 

the basic household needs of rent, food, and 

utilities. This immediate dispersal of funds 

is meant to help stabilize families in the 

short-term so that they will be able to get 

themselves back on track for the long-run,” 

said commissioner John O’Grady. 

The commissioners and their staff will be 

working over the next two months to finalize 

plans for the rest of this $10.5 million in 

federal funding. 

To apply for rental or utility assistance 

or for more information, residents may visit 

Apply.ImpactHopeFund.org or call 614-274- 

7000 to reach the Community Shelter 

Board. 

Mental health assistance 

Franklin County has launched a new online 

tool to connect residents and families 

with national and local resources to address 

their mental and emotional health challenges. 

The website, FranklinCountyOhio.CredibleMind.com, 

allows residents to take a 

self-paced approach to learn about more 

than 200 different emotional and mental 

health topics and find mental health 

providers in Franklin County. 

“The pandemic and economic downturn 

have had a major toll on people’s mental 

and emotional well-being,” said Joy Bivens, 

deputy franklin county administrator for 

health and human services. “This platform 

allows us to meet people where they are. It’s 

judgement-free, it’s evidence-based and it’s 

easy to use — whether you’re just looking for 

some mindfulness exercises to cope with 

stress or searching for a mental health 

provider.” 

The website was funded by the board of 

commissioners and supports the work of the 

Rise Together Blueprint to Reduce Poverty 

in Franklin County by increasing access to 

mental health services. It was developed in 

collaboration with county health and 

human services agencies, including the Department 

of Job and Family Services (JFS), 

and the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health 

Board of Franklin County (ADAMH). 

“Additional support for well-being is welcomed 

right now. Easily accessible, quality 

support tools help to bury the stigma 

around asking for help. It is up to all of us 

to help change the perception that asking 

for help is a sign of weakness. Taking care 

of our mental health makes us stronger,” 

said Erika Clark Jones, CEO for ADAMH. 

The website offers more than a dozen different 

self-assessments to help visitors get 

a better idea of their mental health profile. 

After completing the assessment, visitors 

are referred to a variety of resources — articles, 

videos, podcasts and more — all tailored 

based off their results. All the resources are 

vetted by experts and all the assessment 

tools are confidential. 

The site provides direct links to 

ADAMH’s network of more than 30 local behavioral 

health providers. Residents can 

also get information about obtaining Medicaid, 

which covers mental health and addiction 

treatment, through JFS as well as 

resources from other health and human 

services agencies like Office on Aging, Child 

Support Enforcement and Justice Policy 

and Programs. 

Visit FranklinCountyOhio.Credible- 

Mind.com to learn more.

Canal Winchester - August 22nd, 2021

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