Pickerington Magazine

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Columbus, Ohio Permit No. 4697 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

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April/May 2012

Transcript of Pickerington Magazine

Page 1: Pickerington Magazine

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDColumbus, OhioPermit No. 4697

www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Page 2: Pickerington Magazine

Having the right doctor for you is a great thing. Having the right doctor in a location that’s convenient – that’s even better. With access to the expertise and resources of one of the region’s top health systems, you have the best of all worlds. It’s the quality care you can count on, right here for you.

Diley Ridge7901 Diley Rd., Suite 200

614-835-3838

K ev I n F Ra n K , M D

n a n cy G Ra eSS e R, D O

e DWa R D L a n e , M D

W I L L I a M M c D O n a L D, D O

D O n n a Pa R S L ey, D O

a n G e L a S M I t H , D Onew patients welcome. Most insurance accepted.

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tHe RIGHt DOctORS,RIGHt HeRe.

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» adolescent care » Diabetes » Geriatrics » Men’s Health

» newborn & Pediatrics » Sports Medicine» Women’s Health

We are pleased to welcome Dr. William McDonaldto our practice.

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Calendar

News and Information from the City of Pickerington

News and Information from Violet Township

faces Reign of Choir Central’s long-tenured vocal music director still going strong

in focus Electronic Exhibition

PLSD Art Scene showcases students’ work in online gallery

on the table Feel the HeatInferno Gourmet Burgers rocks its way into Pickerington

bookmarks Educational ReadsRecommendations from the Pickerington Public Library

inside April/May 2012

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The Publisher welcomes contributions in the form of manuscripts, drawings, photographs or story ideas to consider for possible publication. Enclose a SASE with each submission or email [email protected]. Publisher does not assume responsibility for loss or damage.

The appearance of advertising in Pickerington Magazine does not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s product or service by the City of Pickerington.

Pickerington Magazine is published in June, August, October, December, February and April. Subscriptions are free for households within the city limits of Pickerington, Ohio. For advertising information or bulk purchases, email Molly Pensyl at [email protected].

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. Pickerington Magazine is a registered trademark of The Publishing Group Ltd. Printed in the U.S.A.

The Publishing Group Ltd. also publishes:

CityScene Magazinewww.CitySceneColumbus.com

Dublin Life Magazinewww.DublinLifeMagazine.com

Westerville Magazinewww.WestervilleMagazine.com

Tri-Village Magazinewww.TriVillageMagazine.com

Healthy New Albany Magazinewww.HealthyNewAlbanyMagazine.com

pickeringtonMagazine

781 Northwest Blvd., Suite 202Columbus, Ohio 43212

614-572-1240 • Fax 614-572-1241www.cityscenecolumbus.com

Chief Executive Officer

President/Publisher

Chief Creative Officer

Creative Director

Editor

Contributing Editors

Contributing Writers

Advertising Director

Advertising Sales

Sales Associate

Controller

614-572-1240

Charles L. Stein

Kathleen K. Gill

Dave Prosser

Christa Smothers

Garth Bishop

Lisa Aurand Duane St. Clair

Carly Kohake Brenda Layman

Molly Pensyl

Gianna Barrett Julie Camp

Pam Henricks

Sadie Bauer

Lynn Leitch

Circulation:

www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Courtney Young, MDFamily Practice

Tarun Mehra, MDInternal Medicine

Welcoming New Patients

Diley Ridge Medical Office Building7901 Diley Road, Suite 120Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

Call (614) 829-6138 to schedule an appointment.

ArtisticNeedlework

DeservesProtectiveFraming

Hunters Run Center)

1698 Hill Rd. NorthRt. 256

614-868-5554www.artframe.us

(Near Barnes & Noble

We Frame Needle Art!Cross Stitch Needlepoint QuiltLace Sampler Crochet Knit

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community calendar Mark your calendar for these community events

APRIL 2012April 2-7Olde Village Food DriveOlde Pickerington Village, 30 W. Columbus St., 614-834-9720The Olde Pickerington Village Busi-ness Association will collect food and monetary donations to help restock the shelves of the PCMA Food Pantry of Pickerington.

April 3-26Storytime with Miss Karen10 a.m., Barnes & Noble, 1738 Hill Rd. N., www.barnesandnoble.comChildren can enjoy stories, crafts and coloring at this event each Tuesday and Thursday.

April 6-7Star Family Circus7 p.m. Friday, 4 and 7 p.m. Satur-day, Fairfield County Fairgrounds, 157 E. Fair Ave., 941-735-1345

Join the Star family for a night of fantastic feats, including balancing acts, acrobatics and animal shows.

April 7Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society Museum Reopening10 a.m.-3 p.m., 15 E. Columbus St., www.pickeringtonhistoricalso-ciety.comThe museum will reopen to the public for the 2012 season.

April 7Breakfast with the Bunny9-11 a.m., Pickerington Central High School, 300 Opportunity Way, www.ci.pickerington.oh.usBreakfast, games, crafts and photo opportunities are all part of this an-nual Easter celebration. Tickets must be purchased at the Pickerington

Recreation Department, 100 Lock-ville Rd., by April 5. Proceeds benefit Nationwide Children’s Hospital TWIG #165.

April 14Violet Township Women’s League Style Show11 a.m., Berwick Manor House, 3250 Refugee Rd., Columbus, www.vtwl.jigsy.comThis annual luncheon and style show raises money for scholarships for Pickerington graduates. Fashions are provided by Fashion Bug and will be modeled by Women’s League members.

April 21Fairfield County Spring Llama Show10 a.m.-4 p.m., Fairfield County Fairgrounds, 157 E. Fair Ave., 740-536-9385

See more than 100 llamas compete for conformation in this unique event, also featuring obstacles and showmanship class.

April 21Walk for Multiple Sclerosis9 a.m., Fairfield County Fair-grounds, 157 E. Fair Ave., www.fairfieldcountyfair.comThe National MS Society’s annual walk raises awareness and money to fight multiple sclerosis. Registration for the three-mile walk opens at 8 a.m.

April 26-29Spring Book SalePickerington Public Library, 201 Opportunity Way, www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

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MAY 2012May 4Olde Village Chocolate Hop6-8:30 p.m., Olde Pickerington Village, 30 W. Columbus St.Enjoy chocolate treats from partici-pating members of the Olde Picker-ington Village Business Association.

May 4-13Pickerington Community Theatre presents You Can’t Take It with YouPickerington Community Theatre, 575 Diley Rd., www.pickerington-communitytheatre.orgSee the Pulitzer Prize-winning com-edy about a rich man who falls for a woman from an eccentric family.

May 11Cliff Cody: Solo Acoustic Show9 p.m., Chances R, 1160 Hill Rd. N., www.cliffcody.comEnjoy the country tunes of this up-and-coming artist at Chances R.

May 17Discover the Dream

6 p.m., Columbus Zoo and Aquar-ium, 4850 W. Powell Rd., Powell, www.stjude.org/discoverthedreamSupport St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at this event celebrating the hos-pital’s 50th anniversary, featuring food, cocktails and a silent auction, and hosted by Jack Hanna. Tickets are $150 each or $2,000 for a table of 10.

May 18-19Whiskers Animal Welfare Yard Sale9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Fairfield County Fairgrounds, 157 E. Fair Ave., 740-215-8324Shop for hidden treasures while help-ing animals in the community.

May 19Julianna’s Wish Car Show1-5 p.m., ReMax parking lot, 10400 Blacklick Eastern Rd., www.juliannaswish.orgBring the family for an afternoon of great food, exciting entertainment and cool cars to raise awareness

for Prader-Willi Syndrome. The sixth annual event will include the third annual talent competition with cash prizes.

May 19Bark for Life2-6 p.m., Fairfield County Fair-grounds, 157 E. Fair Ave., www.fairfieldcountyfair.comThis non-competitive walking event for dogs and their owners raises money for the American Cancer Society.

May 20Pickerington Kidz FestivalNoon-4 p.m., Olde Pickerington Village, 30 W. Columbus St., www.pickeringtonkidz.comEnjoy free games, activities, give-aways and music as well as food vendors at the sixth annual Pickering-ton Kidz Festival.

May 26Sweet Street

Olde Pickerington Village, 30 W. Columbus St, www.pickeringtonchamber.com.Enjoy sample-sized desserts from area restaurants along West Colum-bus Street. This event is sponsored by the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce.

May 22Not Your Mother’s Library Book Club7 p.m., Pickerington Public Library, 201 Opportunity Way, www.pickeringtonlibrary.orgThe special book club, open to teens and adults who love to read, will discuss Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff.

May 28Memorial Day Parade10 a.m., Fairfield County Fair-grounds, 157 E. Fair Ave., 740-653-3041Celebrate Memorial Day and honor America’s veterans at this annual parade.

community calendar

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PICKERINGTON NEWS & INFORMAT ION FROM THE C ITY OF P ICKER INGTON

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I N S I D E

For the past 37 years, the small building at 46 E. Columbus St. has been an anchor business in the Olde Village District.

“A vibrant city embraces businesses successful enough to maintain visibility and business success for a long time,” Development Services Director Joe Henderson explained.

For the first 29 of those years, the building in question was known as M’Lee’s Diner, owned and operated by Mary Smith. She opened it in 1975 because, she said, “There was no place to eat in the area.”

Now it is the Olde Village Diner, and the current owner, working on his eighth year, is Angelo Agga-nis, 72. He previously owned two doughnut shops in Lancaster for years, before selling the properties and retiring in 1995.

“My problem was that I couldn’t just sit around in retirement,” Agganis explained.

An incident with his wife, Genny, spurred him to action.

“One day I was doing nothing,” he said. “She told me to cut the grass. I said, ‘I cut it yesterday.’ She said, ‘Cut it again.’”

Born in Sparta, Greece, Agganis, one of nine children, immigrated to Montreal, Canada in 1959,

then to America 10 years later.So, thoroughly bored in retirement, he ate

breakfast one morning at M’Lee’s and asked Mary Smith if she’d sell the restaurant to him.

The deal basically was transacted that afternoon.Under Agganis, the diner serves a varied menu

with some Greek food, with cabbage rolls and eight soups, prepared daily by Genny Agganis, among its daily fare. It features a Special, different every day and visible on a sandwich board in front of the restaurant.

Opposite the front door on the kitchen wall is a large picture of Harry Agganis, Boston Red Sox first baseman in the early 1950s.

“He was my father’s first cousin, known as the ‘Golden Greek.’ Tragically, he died of a pulmonary embolism during the 1955 season. He was only 25,” Agganis said.

The dining area holds 62 people at different-sized tables, booths and a small counter. Breakfast is particularly popular, especially on weekends.

“We have a great location and very loyal cus-tomers. A high percentage of those are senior citi-zens,” Agganis said.

What are his future plans?“My health is good. I love the business. I cer-

tainly don’t want to retire again,” he laughed.Two city officials underlined the importance of a

continuing business in the historical district.“The Olde Village Diner is an appreciated testa-

ment to the fact that a business in the Olde Village can flourish for years and years,” City Manager Bill Vance offered.

“A diner is a jewel in the community where peo-ple know each other, where they go to feel com-fortable. The food, the staff and the hometown at-mosphere all contribute to a dining experience you don’t get anywhere else. We’re fortunate to have the Olde Village Diner in our community,” Mayor Lee Gray added.

Agganis and his wife, Pickerington residents for 15 years, have three daughters and a son, and 12 grandchildren.

Anchor Business: Olde Village Diner

Mayor Lee A. Gray has created a new Facebook page to encourage citizens to post questions, comments and suggestions.

“The City of Pickerington page serves as an informational site, in addi-tion to Pickerington.net. But Facebook provides us greater opportunities for interaction, and that is valuable to us,” said the Mayor’s Executive Assistant, Tammy Sawyer.

Plans are to also include City Council updates, service and safety infor-mation, community calendar events, and photos of city leaders, community events and businesses.

“One of our goals is to build an even stronger connection to the citizens we serve. Social media sites like Facebook provide us a unique opportunity to do that,” Gray explained.

To generate some excitement for the new page, a prize is being awarded for every 100 “Likes” it receives. A random drawing is held for a prize or gift card donated by a Pickerington business.

“If you are a City of Pickerington fan, you are entered to win. The first winner took home a prize package from Rule3,” Sawyer said.

“Like” PickeringtonPotential passholders for the 2012 swimming season have until the end

of business on April 30 to apply for an Early Bird discount at the Pickerington Community Pool.

The discounts involve a $15 savings for individual and family passes, in both resident and non-resident status.

The pool will open on May 26 and will be open on non-school days until the first full day, June 7. It will then be open from noon until 8 p.m. every day through Sept. 3.

Informational fliers and registration forms were included in the city’s water billing for March. They are also available at www.pickerington.net.

Registration can occur in person at the Recreation Department, by mail or after hours in the city’s night deposit box. Checks should be made payable to “The City of Pickerington.” The city also accepts MasterCard and Visa.

Information on the Tigersharks Swim Team is also posted online. Registra-tion for swimming lessons will begin May 1 for Season Passholders.

Call 614-833-2211 for more information.

Pool Primer

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News and information from the City of Pickerington

citydirectoryPickerington City Hall, 100 Lockville Rd.(All numbers prefixed with the 614 area code)

Building Regulations Department ..........................833-2221

City Council ............................837-3974

City Manager ..........................837-3974

Development Department ........833-2204

Engineering Department .........833-2221

Finance Department ................837-3974

Human Resources ...................837-3974

Income Tax Division .................837-4116

Mayor’s Office (Lee A. Gray) ...........................837-3974

Mayor’s Court .........................837-3974

Parks and Recreation ..............833-2211

Police Department ...................575-6911

Service Department

Streets ...................................833-2292

Utility Billing ............................833-2289

Utility Maintenance ..................833-2292

Water Plant .............................833-2290

Waste Water Plant ...................837-6490

State Rt. 256 from I-70 to Refugee Road will un-dergo a major transformation to help it handle daily traffic, which usually approaches 35,000 vehicles.

The construction will be the result of a $5 million grant awarded to Pickerington by the Ohio Depart-ment of Transportation.

“Relieving congestion will not only create a new level of safety, but it will also help business devel-opment throughout the corridor,” City Engineer Greg Bachman said.

The upgrade is needed. For years, the stretch of Rt. 256 has been listed by ODOT as one of the 100 most crash-prone non-freeway corridors in Ohio. Most of that has been due to congestion, Bachman said.

The extensive project will actually cost $5.5 mil-lion. The $500,000 not covered by ODOT will be supplemented by the city’s general fund.

Plans call for myriad changes going north. An ad-ditional lane of traffic will be installed at the north-

bound Rt. 256 approach to state Rt. 204, providing three through lanes and one left turn lane for that ap-proach. Past Rt. 204, the pattern will see four lanes accepting four lanes at the I-70 eastbound ramp.

“At any given time, the area will have the capability to handle up to 50 percent more traffic,” Bachman explained. He added that two sets of overhead signs will alert motorists of upcoming traffic patterns well before the interstate.

Southbound lanes will increase in front of the Mar-cus Cinemas, creating three through lanes all of the way from I-70 to Refugee Road.

Plans now call for work to begin in early 2015. The work should be completed in nine months.

“During construction, we will keep two through lanes open in the direction of peak travel. That is, northbound in the morning, and southbound in the evening. We ask motorists to use alternate routes as much as possible until work is completed.” Bachman said.

Stay Informed: Rt. 256 Project

Several plots remain unclaimed in the Pickerington Community Gardens for the 2012 growing season.

Five new plot areas were added this year, bringing the garden total to 67.

Those gardeners who rented last summer had until March 2 to renew, either in last year’s area or in a new location.

New renters began to register on March 5.Fifty-five of the gardens measure 20’ by 15’. The

rental cost is $20 for a resident and $25 for a non-resident. Twelve 40’ by 15’ lots were available when registration began. The cost is $40 for residents and $50 for non-residents.

Those interested in claiming one of the remaining gardens should contact the Recreation Department at 614-833-2211.

The gardens are located on Route 256, on the east side of the city.

Tammy Sawyer has jumped from an airplane, been to Times Square on New Year’s Eve and seen the world’s biggest hamburger.

The new Executive Assistant to the Pickerington Mayor has a Life List, a compilation of 40 unique experiences she wants to accomplish. She hesitates to call it a “bucket list” due to the tragic implications of that terminology.

“I’m always adding to it,” she said. “After achieving something, I replace it with something else.” Other recent items that she’s checked off are seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and learning to speak Italian.

Sawyer’s work for the city entails handling all communication for Mayor Lee A. Gray; scheduling, developing and maintaining a mayoral budget; supervising the Facebook site; and doing the City’s event calendar. A media communication background has prepared her for the job.

Her most recent employment before her current position was as a news pro-

ducer for WBNS-10TV here in Columbus. Before that, she held similar positions in Raleigh, N.C. and in Pittsburgh. “In those positions, I learned a lot about local government and the importance of communicating with the public,” she said.

She was raised in Moundsville, W.Va., where she was a schoolmate of coun-try music star Brad Paisley. She graduated from John Marshall High School in Moundsville, then from Capital University, where she was recruited to play tennis.

She and her husband, Chris, are the parents of two – Mason, 11, and Emma, 6.

Chris is a high school teacher and a football coach at Bishop Hartley High School, which adds another dimension to Tammy’s life.

“I absolutely love the sport,” she enthused, “I also love the way Chris has influenced the lives of those he’s coached. I love Friday nights in the fall.”

With myriad interests and experiences, she doesn’t hesitate when asked about the most memorable.

“Becoming a parent completely changed my life. It changed my faith and my perspective on everything. I am first and foremost a family person. I have loved my jobs, but they have never defined who I am.”

Mayor’s Executive Assistant, City of Pickerington cityprofile: Tammy Sawyer

Plan Your Plot

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News and Information From

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has been scheduled for Satur-day, April 28 from 9 a.m. to noon.

The Fairfield Soil and Water Conserva-tion District — in cooperation with Violet Township, Fairfield County Sheriff’s office, and Lancaster-Fairfield County Recycling & Litter Prevention — will be participating in the event. The collection site will be the Violet Township Service Center located at 490 N. Center St. in Pickerington, which is at the corner of Stemen Road and Cen-ter Street.

This national event marks an ongo-ing effort to rid the nation’s medicine cabinets of potentially dangerous drugs, particularly controlled substances. Until recently, unused drugs and/or expired medications were commonly discarded in the trash (landfill) or flushed down the

sink or toilet – leading to potential chemi-cal contamination of ground water and/or wastewater treatment plants and causing harm to aquatic life and the human water supply.

Prescription pills, capsules, liquids, creams, gels, ointments, patches, sup-positories, powders, syringes and IVs will be collected. No aerosols or inhalers will be accepted. Please black out the name or remove the label before bringing con-tainers to the disposal site. If disposable items are of unknown origin, they may be dropped off with no questions asked. Call the Fairfield SWCD office at 740-653-8154 with any prescription drug ques-tions.

Electronics will also be accepted at this event. The following items may be dropped off at no cost: computers, laptops, print-ers, cables, mouses, keyboards, discs,

electronic clocks, VCR and DVD play-ers, radios, and cell phones. Computer monitors will be accepted at no additional cost if they are included as part of an en-tire computer system. However, there will be a $3 disposal fee for computer monitors that are brought in without a processor or tower. Televisions will be accepted at the event at a cost of $1 per diagonal inch. Call Patty Bratton with Litter Prevention and Recycling at 740-681-4423 with any questions about electronics. Only cash or checks will be accepted as payment of disposal fees.

There will also be document shredding offered at this event. Participants wishing to shred documents are asked to observe a limit of five (5) 10” by 15” by 24” (legal-size) boxes per car. Document shredding provided courtesy of Diley Ridge Medical Center.

Violet Township

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Drug and Electronics Collection and Document Shredding Set for April 28

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Violet Township Administrative Offices 12970 Rustic Dr.

Pickerington, OH 43147 614-575-5556 www.violet.oh.us

Violet Township Fire StationsPhone 614-837-4123Fire Chief: John Eisel

#592: 8700 Refugee Rd.#591: 21 Lockville Rd.

#593: 2365 Taylor Park Dr. (behind hhgregg)

Violet Township Service CenterPhone: 614-382-5979

490 Center St.Pickerington, OH 43147

How to Reach Us

Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District to Host Rain Barrel Workshop

News and information from Violet Township

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The Fairfield Soil and Water Con-servation District will be offering a rain barrel workshop on Saturday, May 19 at 9 a.m. The workshop will take place at the Violet Township Service Center, 490 N. Center St.

The discussion will include the benefits of capturing rainwater, while preventing flooding and pollu-tion downstream. Participants in the workshop will receive a terracotta-colored EarthMinded RainStation 45-gallon capacity rain barrel. The cost of the workshop, including the rain barrel, will be $65. One addi-tional rain barrel per household may be purchased at a cost of $65.

The workshop will also cover ba-

sic lawn care and flower bed main-tenance. Items covered will be an explanation of the numbers on the bag of fertilizer for appropriate feed-ing of the lawn and flowers for best results and how to do soil testing to determine the type of fertilizer needed.

Space and chairs are limited. At-tendees are encouraged to bring a chair. To obtain a registration form, please visit our website at www.fairfieldswcd.org, send an email to [email protected] or call the Fairfield Soil and Water Conser-vation District at 740-653-8154 for more information.

Have you wondered how decisions affecting zon-ing and property development are made? Or want-ed to be able to play a more active role in the future of Violet Township?

This may be your opportunity. The Violet Township Board of Trustees is seeking candidates for appointment for five-year terms as alternate members on the Violet Township Board of Zoning Appeals and the Zoning Commission.

Candidates must be residents of the unincorporated area of Violet Township and be available to meet once a month.

Residents interested in these positions are encouraged to send a letter of interest including any qualifications to the attention of the Violet Township Zoning Inspector, 12970 Rustic Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147.

Progress Begins with YOU!

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TORNADO SAFETYFrom the Violet Township Fire Department

www.violet.oh.us

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Watch: A Tornado Watch is issued to alert people to the

possibility of tornado development in your area.

Warning: A Tornado Warning is issued when a tornado has

actually been sighted or is indicated by radar.

Tornado Watch & Warning – Do You Know the

Difference?

Myth: Areas near rivers, lakes, moun-tains and big cities are safe from torna-does.

Fact: No place is safe from tornadoes.

Myth: The low pressure of a tornado causes buildings to “explode” as the tornado passes over.

Fact: Violent winds and debris slamming into buildings causes the most structural damage.

Myth: Windows should be opened before a tornado approaches to equalize pressure and minimize damage.

Fact: Opening windows allows damag-ing winds to enter the structure. Leave the windows alone; instead, immediately go to a safe place.

Myth: Tornadoes are always visible from a great distance.

Fact: Tornadoes can be hidden in heavy rainfall or nearby low-hanging clouds.

Tornado Facts and Myths

In a home: A basement provides the greatest safety. Seek shelter under stur-dy furniture if possible. In homes without basements, take cover in the center part of the house, on the lowest floor, in a small room such as a closet or bathroom, or un-der sturdy furniture. Keep away from win-dows.

In a mobile home: The home should be evacuated and shelter taken in a pre-arranged shelter. If there is no shelter near-by, leave the trailer and lie flat in a ditch or ravine. Protect your head by placing your arms over it. Do not take shelter under the home.

Driving a vehicle: Get out of the vehicle and take shelter in a nearby ditch or ravine. Do not get under the vehicle. Lie flat and put your arms over your head.

At school or at work: Follow advanced plans to move into interior hallways or small rooms on the lowest floor. Avoid areas with glass and wide, free-span roofs. Schools, factories and office buildings should des-ignate someone to look out for severe weather and initiate an alarm.

In open country: Lie in a gully, ditch or low spot in the ground and hold onto something on the ground, if possible. Do not seek shelter in damaged buildings.

Where Should I Take Shelter?

Our local tornado sirens are designed to alert you to emergency situations when you are outside. But what about when you are inside your snug, airtight house, or if a siren fails to sound?Chief John Eisel urges all citizens to have

at least one Weather Alert radio inside their homes and businesses so they can be im-mediately alerted to weather emergencies. These radios are available for purchase at our Refugee Road location and at most major electronics retailers.

Be Prepared!Receive an alert over your

phone if severe weather is in your area! Sign up for Alert

Fairfield County at:www.fairfieldema.com/alerts/index.html

Get a Weather Alert Radio

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S

faces By Garth Bishop

Singers come and singers go, but at Pickerington High School Central, the man in front of the singers is an institu-tion.

John Long, director of vocal music at Central, has been conducting student singers in Pickerington for 38 years and is still very much enjoying his work.

In addition to serving as vocal music director, Long is chairman of Central’s music department. He and his wife, Cynthia, live in Pickerington. They have four children, all grown, and two grand-children.

Long grew up in Columbus, graduat-ing from Eastmoor High School under choir director William Griffin, who in-

spired him to go into vocal music. He attended Capital University as an un-dergraduate, then earned his master’s degree in music education from The Ohio State University.

When he started out teaching in Pickerington in the early 1970s, Long oversaw vocal music for all students grades six and up. After that, he di-rected all of the district’s high school students until Pickerington High School North opened in 2003.

Now, Long oversees Central’s four choral groups: the symphonic choir, the freshman and sophomore choir, the chorale, and the men’s group.

In his time at Central, Long has sent

a multitude of students to state and na-tional competitions, as well as the Ohio Music Education Association All State Choir, the Singing Buckeyes Harmony Camp and the All Ohio State Fair Youth Choir. He has served on the advisory board of the latter and received a Dis-tinguished Service Award for it in 2011.

He has seen multiple generations of students come through his music pro-gram, their interests piqued by chorale performances at elementary schools – or their parents’ own experiences in choir.

Long credits his lengthy tenure in Pickerington to the city’s growth, start-ing out very rural and eventually evolv-ing into the community we know today.

Central’s long-tenured vocal music director still going strong

Reign of Choir

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Enthusiastic students and supportive parents made the decision to stay even easier.

“Whenever I even thought, ‘Maybe it’s time to move on,’ Pickerington kind of changed,” he says.

But he has never considered giving up his career of choice, even after re-tirement became an option.

“I had somebody ask me a year or two ago (at a choir concert), ‘Why don’t you retire?’ because most teachers can retire at 30 or 35 years,” Long says. “Af-ter the show, I went up to the person, pointed right to my chorale and said, ‘That’s the reason I still do what I do.’”

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Jong Long, director of vocal music at Pickerington High School Central, conducts a practice with the

girls in one of his student choirs.

Page 14: Pickerington Magazine

14 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Long’s longtime commitment to mu-sic and education is being recognized this year, as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra has announced him the win-ner of its 2012 Music Educator Award for secondary education. Three awards are given each year – elementary, sec-ondary and community education – to music teachers who are dedicated to music and help promote greater under-standing of music education.

Long will receive the award at a brunch April 1 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Columbus, and will then be recognized in a presentation prior to a performance by the symphony at the Southern Theatre. He will also receive a $2,500 grant to be spent at his dis-cretion on a wide variety of music edu-cation endeavors; past recipients have spent the money on things such as guest instructors, computer software and instrument repair.

Though grateful for the award, Long insists he cannot take all the credit for it.

“I couldn’t do this just by myself,” he says. “I have great kids, supportive par-ents and a supportive administration.”

In addition to his work with student choirs, Long has, for the past 33 years, served as music director for the Colum-

bus Swiss Singers’ Helvetia Maenne-rchor and Edelweiss Damenchor. The group sings in six different languages, and Long often organizes events that let his high school students bond with the Swiss Singers, for whom the aver-age age is 75. Such collaborations are always very popular for the students.

“The kids are always wanting me to yodel for them,” says Long.

He also coached cross country and track in Pickerington for 30 years.

With almost 40 years of experience teaching music and a lifetime of mu-sic appreciation, Long has an expan-sive list of favorite songs, but his No. 1 choice is The Awakening by Joseph M. Martin. The song tells the story of a man who dreams of a world with no music; in the end, he awakens and re-alizes it is important to let music live.

“It concerns me when I hear about so many schools … eliminating their tra-ditional music programs,” says Long. “With music, you can get right to the heart and the soul of a young person.”

Garth Bishop is editor of Pickering-ton Magazine. Feedback welcome at [email protected].

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“It concerns me when I hear about so many schools … eliminating their traditional music

programs. With music, you can get right to the heart and the soul of a young person.”

Page 15: Pickerington Magazine

15www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

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Page 16: Pickerington Magazine

16 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

in focus By Brenda Layman

IInterested in taking a peek at the hard work of Pickerington’s student artists? Look no farther than PLSD Art Scene.

The Pickerington Local School Dis-trict is making groundbreaking use of social media through the “We Are Pick-erington” Facebook page, which in-cludes PLSD Art Scene, an online gal-lery where students can showcase their work. The page is the first of its kind, making high school students’ work ac-cessible to the public as well as to other students and to colleges to which the students apply. Art, visual art and tech-nology programs at both high schools are featured on the site.

PLSD Art Scene is not only for those taking a specific course. All Pickering-ton teachers involved in the arts may submit their students’ work.

The program was kicked off in Octo-ber by district Director of Communica-tions Lee Cole. Since then, it has lent important support to the district’s art programs, says Bert Chappelear, an art teacher at Pickerington High School North.

“It allows our students to have access to the work of other students they might not ever see. It allows our community to see how our students are perform-ing. It makes it easier for colleges and art schools to see where a student’s work is going at this time and transfer information to the student, like an online portfolio,” Chappelear says. “The pro-gram also provides a lot of encourage-ment for the students, teaching them to meet deadlines and guidelines.”

Electronic Exhibition

PLSD Art Scene showcases students’ work in online gallery

By Haseeb Farooqui, Central Senior – Photograph

Page 17: Pickerington Magazine

17www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Electronic Exhibition

Participation in art programs is asso-ciated with learning gains in many ar-eas. The National Arts Education Public Awareness program is a partnership between Americans for the Arts and the Ad Council. According to the organiza-tion’s website, www.americansforth-earts.org, “Kids who are involved in the arts are:

• Four times more likely to be rec-ognized for academic achieve-ment

• Three times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools

• Four times more likely to partici-pate in a math and science fair

• Three times more likely to win an award for school attendance

The district’s art program dispels the myth that art is just a hobby, says Cole.

It builds on relationships between artistic expression and core subjects such as language arts, math and science. Students trans-form things they have been learning since kindergarten into design, and they learn about making design work with their pieces.

“You need to know chem-istry to understand how dif-ferent paints interact with paper and their relation-

ships with each other,” Cole says. “Oils do not mix the same way as tempera paints or watercolor. In photography, understanding angles and lighting can make or break a photo. Composition is storytelling – it is language arts. The math concepts of ratio, perspective and engineering are critical concepts in the visual and industrial arts; that is STEM.”

Artwork on the page is rotated month-ly. Between the two high schools, five or six student artists are featured each month. In February alone, there were 43 images on the site, encompassing oil painting, tempera painting, charcoal and graphite drawing, mixed media, and photography. A brief explanation of the assignment accompanies each image.

Work from Dan Yeager’s photography and integrated technology students at

Pickerington High School Central was posted on the site, along with pieces from students of Craig Huffman and Matt Young at Central and images created by student artists in North’s advance studio art class. There are plans to make PLSD Art Scene multi-disciplinary — adding animation, Web productions and performance art such as theater.

“We want to create a kind of ‘Gallery Hop’ experience online,” says Cole.

Top Left: By Carley Morrison, North Senior – Photograph

Left: By Rachel Karn, Central Senior – Illustration

Bottom Right: By Sebastian Inboden, North Senior – Drawing

By Haseeb Farooqui, Central Senior – Photograph

Page 18: Pickerington Magazine

18 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

Central Ohio, and especially Colum-bus, has a thriving arts community, with Columbus College of Art and Design, OSU Urban Arts Space, the Columbus Cultural Arts Center and active arts cen-ters in many surrounding suburbs. PLSD Art Scene provides a way for students to begin engaging with that artistic com-munity.

It introduces students to the rigors of creative careers, where attention to de-tail in execution, meeting deadlines and following guidelines are important. The program also provides the pride of ac-complishment that comes with seeing

artwork showcased in a public forum.This is only the beginning of PLSD Art

Scene, Chappelear says.“A couple of our students have com-

municated with CCAD,” he says. “We expect that it will grow as we reach out to other colleges and let them know.”

Pickerington art teachers and stu-dents invite the community to visit PLSD Art Scene on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/zG8qvg. Visitors will enjoy viewing the images, but they will also be struck by the thoughtful compositions and the impressive quality of execution the stu-dents have achieved. Art is sometimes

overlooked when it comes to high school curriculum, but this sampling leaves no doubt that in Pickerington schools, art serves as a means of integrating and expressing learning.

With this new program, PLSD illus-trates that it is at the leading edge of secondary education in the arts. That’s something the entire community can ap-preciate.

Pickerington resident Brenda Layman is a contributing writer. Feedback wel-come at [email protected].

By Ashley Hull, North Senior – Painting

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Page 19: Pickerington Magazine

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Page 20: Pickerington Magazine

20 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

A

on the table By Carly Kohake

Inferno Gourmet Burgers rocks its way into Pickerington

Feel the HeatA newcomer to Pickerington’s dining

options is serving up a burger that rocks a little harder than most.

Medina-based Inferno Gourmet Burgers opened its Pickerington location, 10503 Blacklick Eastern Rd., in February. The new eatery, which took over the location previously occupied by Graffiti Burger, is the company’s first shot at branching out beyond Medina.

Founder Sean Brauser’s reputation pre-cedes him in central Ohio – he’s also the man behind Romeo’s Pizza, which has nine Columbus-area locations in opera-tion, including one at 80 W. Church St. in Pickerington.

Inferno’s menu sports 12 signature burgers, most named after U.S. cities. They include the Austin Burger, which has chili, sour cream and Tillamook cheddar cheese; the New York Burger, which is topped with pepperoni, pizza sauce and provolone and mozzarella chees-es; and the titular Infer-no Burger, which offers chopped Applewood bacon, sautéed onions, American cheese and a fried egg.

Each offers options that customers will find unique,

says Patty Steen, Inferno’s marketing director.“Our burgers are fire-grilled with fresh

ground meat that is never frozen,” says Steen. “In addition to our burgers, we have beer-battered fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and salads. There are also gourmet hot dogs that are deep-fried and awe-some milkshakes.”

If none of the specialty burgers covers all your bases, Inferno has a “build your own” option.

“Customers can choose their meat (An-gus beef, chicken, barbecue pork or veg-gie), a fresh baked bun or an Inferno pret-zel roll. And then they choose the type of cheese they want for the ‘build your own’ option,” Steen says. “The veggie bar al-lows customers to top burgers with fresh toppings and sauces, or they can choose premium toppings for additional charge.”

The specially blended and assembled burgers are not the only things that can draw a crowd to Inferno, she says.

“It’s a high-energy envi-ronment you can go to af-ter work with your friends or with your family,” says Steen. “We have TVs that play rock videos all day long.”

Specialty milkshakes on the Inferno menu range

from the Campfire Milkshake – featuring chocolate ice cream, marshmallow fluff and graham cracker crust – to the PB&B Milkshake, which comes with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and fresh bananas.

Beer, wine and cocktails such as the In-ferno Margarita and Key Lime Pie Martini round out the Inferno menu, but the burg-ers are the rock stars here.

“It’s going to be simply the best burger (customers) have tasted,” says Steen.

Carly Kohake is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pub groupltd.com.

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Page 21: Pickerington Magazine

21www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

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Urgent care should be expert care. So always call your child’s doctor first and remember we’re here when you need us. For directions, hours and location-specific information, visit NationwideChildrens.org/UrgentCare.

Page 22: Pickerington Magazine

22 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

No matter what your age, as women we think about our bodies and how to constantly improve them. Men too, I’m sure, but women’s bodies change more with pregnancy and childbirth and therefore need more attention. Women are multi-taskers. We are the queens of multi-

tasking. We eat a sandwich at our desks so we can check our email at the same time. We catch up on voice mail while we drive our kids to practice. We cook din-ner while we help our kids with homework and have a load of laundry going as well. Women often forget to take care of themselves while

caring for others and our homes. Women need to re-evaluate our necessity to stay in shape, physically and emotion-ally, so we can manage all of our jobs, inside and outside of the home. It may seem like an indulgence to spend an hour or two at the gym when there are so many things on our plates. But there is a perfect solution.

Gardening.With gardening you can increase your strength, your flexibility,

and your endurance. Gardening helps cleanse your mind of the days tasks while helping you get more fit physically.With every new exercise routine some caution should be taken

so as to not get hurt. Here are some tips to help you through your new program.

1. Start slow. If it’s an effort to get off the couch then you shouldn’t go all out on your first day in the yard. Even 10 minutes in the yard is better than nothing.

2. Stretch first. Touch your toes a couple of times (okay, I can’t do that one without bending my knees a lot), reach for the sky, twist your body side to side, do a couple of squats. Basically think of this as your ‘warm up.’

3. Lift carefully. Always use your legs to help lift heavy bags of mulch or soil. Wheelbarrows and dollies are our friends. So are teenage boys that need to get away from the X-Box. It doesn’t hurt to enlist the help of family members. You can always strike up a conversation about school. Again....multi-tasking.

4. Breathe deeply. All that fresh air is yours for the taking. Breathe it in to help calm your mind while you are getting your body in shape. The sweet smell of lav-ender or rosemary can change your mood from grumpy to great with just a few sniffs.

5. Rest every 30 minutes. That doesn’t mean you can eat a candy bar or down a full strength pop. Sit on that pretty garden bench and admire your handiwork or contemplate your next task while you have a cool glass of water.

When you’re preparing dinner with the vegetables you plant-ed, weeded, watered, and fertilized, you will be multi-tasking again by nourishing the inside of your body with something that helped you nourish the outside of your body.

Best,

Bee Fisher KocherBee Fisher Kocher and her very handy husband, Brian,own Fisher’s Gardens in Olde Reynoldsburg. Bee gets plenty of exercise taking care of two kids, a husband, two dogs, a home, a business, while tending a 12’x20’ vegetable garden at home.

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Gardening + Women = Exercise

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Planting flowers = 250 calories

Weeding = 250 calories

Raking leaves = 300 calories

Trimming shrubs = 300 calories

Putting away tools (walking) = 200 calories

Stacking wood = 340 calories

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bookmarks By Colleen Pospishil, Pickerington Public Library Community Services Coordinator

In this issue, Pickerington Magazine salutes education – and no discussion about education in the Pickerington community is complete without the Pickerington Public Library!

Fire Bubbles and Explod-ing Toothpaste: More Un-forgettable Experiments That Make Science FunBy Steve Spangler

Push the limits of your in-ner mad scientist! These science experiments fizz, bubble, pop, smoke, erupt, move, change temperature and sometimes produce unexpected results. Out of the clear blue, you’ll make a new discovery, and that’s an amazing feeling!

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When darkness reigns and the full moon glows … Take a tour through the ages of monsters with the most amazing camouflage capa-bilities – they hide among us! This encyclopedia cov-ers 140,000 years of legend, mythology and fact.

Math for Grownups By Laura Laing

Ever wish you had paid more attention in math class? Here you get an adult re-fresher with real-life examples that you will understand and be able to use. From figuring out sales tax and converting calories into cardio time to resizing recipes and helping your kids with their fraction homework, math will stop being scary and start being useful.

Decoding Gardening Ad-vice: The Science Behind the 100 Most Common RecommendationsBy Jeff Gillman and Meleah Maynard

How many of your prized plants have fallen victim to bad advice? This good-humored, evidence-based book offers the definitive gar-dening dos and don’ts and the reasons why in clear, straightforward answers that you have been looking for.

The Urban Biking Handbook By Charles Haine

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Get the Most From Your Digital Camera (Third Edition) By Simon Joinson

The digital camera opens up new creative worlds that can turn any-one from a snapper into a photog-rapher. With no film to waste and a screen to check your results, you have no excuse not to start taking better pictures! Understand how to use all those modes and menus to get the best possible picture every time, too.

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Page 23: Pickerington Magazine

23www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

No matter what your age, as women we think about our bodies and how to constantly improve them. Men too, I’m sure, but women’s bodies change more with pregnancy and childbirth and therefore need more attention. Women are multi-taskers. We are the queens of multi-

tasking. We eat a sandwich at our desks so we can check our email at the same time. We catch up on voice mail while we drive our kids to practice. We cook din-ner while we help our kids with homework and have a load of laundry going as well. Women often forget to take care of themselves while

caring for others and our homes. Women need to re-evaluate our necessity to stay in shape, physically and emotion-ally, so we can manage all of our jobs, inside and outside of the home. It may seem like an indulgence to spend an hour or two at the gym when there are so many things on our plates. But there is a perfect solution.

Gardening.With gardening you can increase your strength, your flexibility,

and your endurance. Gardening helps cleanse your mind of the days tasks while helping you get more fit physically.With every new exercise routine some caution should be taken

so as to not get hurt. Here are some tips to help you through your new program.

1. Start slow. If it’s an effort to get off the couch then you shouldn’t go all out on your first day in the yard. Even 10 minutes in the yard is better than nothing.

2. Stretch first. Touch your toes a couple of times (okay, I can’t do that one without bending my knees a lot), reach for the sky, twist your body side to side, do a couple of squats. Basically think of this as your ‘warm up.’

3. Lift carefully. Always use your legs to help lift heavy bags of mulch or soil. Wheelbarrows and dollies are our friends. So are teenage boys that need to get away from the X-Box. It doesn’t hurt to enlist the help of family members. You can always strike up a conversation about school. Again....multi-tasking.

4. Breathe deeply. All that fresh air is yours for the taking. Breathe it in to help calm your mind while you are getting your body in shape. The sweet smell of lav-ender or rosemary can change your mood from grumpy to great with just a few sniffs.

5. Rest every 30 minutes. That doesn’t mean you can eat a candy bar or down a full strength pop. Sit on that pretty garden bench and admire your handiwork or contemplate your next task while you have a cool glass of water.

When you’re preparing dinner with the vegetables you plant-ed, weeded, watered, and fertilized, you will be multi-tasking again by nourishing the inside of your body with something that helped you nourish the outside of your body.

Best,

Bee Fisher KocherBee Fisher Kocher and her very handy husband, Brian,own Fisher’s Gardens in Olde Reynoldsburg. Bee gets plenty of exercise taking care of two kids, a husband, two dogs, a home, a business, while tending a 12’x20’ vegetable garden at home.

(614) 861-57001540 Truro Ave

Reynoldsburg, OHfishersgardens.com

Gardening + Women = Exercise

Calories Burned Per HourCultivating/Digging/Planting Trees = 300 calories

Planting flowers = 250 calories

Weeding = 250 calories

Raking leaves = 300 calories

Trimming shrubs = 300 calories

Putting away tools (walking) = 200 calories

Stacking wood = 340 calories

$5 OFF YOUR PURCHASE OF

$30 OR MORE!Expires May 31, 2012

Fisher’sGardensFor The Very Best In Gardening

Page 24: Pickerington Magazine

24 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com

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