Mayor Michael B. Coleman, City Council President Andrew J. Ginther and City Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian will serve as co-chairs of a committee to place a voted bond package on the Nov. 5 ballot. In preparation, the committee has scheduled four community meetings to discuss the city’s proposed five-year Capital Improvements Program and gather input from residents about infrastructure needs in their neighborhoods.

“Columbus has emerged as the best city for jobs in the entire Midwest because we never stopped investing in our infrastructure, even during tough times,” Mayor Coleman said. “We were able to do that because our voters have always supported our bond packages, allowing us to maximize our capital dollars. We will need voter support again this year in order to continue our  tremendous momentum.”

The meetings are scheduled for:

-          June 4 at Marion Franklin Community Center, 2801 Lockbourne Rd.

-          June 5 at Whetstone Community Center, 3923 N. High St.

-          June 11 at Barnett Community Center, 1184 Barnett Rd.

-          June 13 at Westgate Shelterhouse, 3271 Wicklow Rd.
Each meeting will last from 6 to 8 pm and will feature members of CityCouncil and representatives from city departments.

“The proposed bond package will not only allow the city to continue our investment in neighborhoods and improve delivery of city services, it saves taxpayer dollars and drives economic development that creates jobs,” Council President Ginther said. “By issuing bonds, we lower the cost of infrastructure improvements, allowing us to do more with less, all without raising taxes.”

A voted bond package allows the city to make the best use of existing resources to build and maintain infrastructure, facilities and equipment. Approval of the bond package would not result in a tax increase. Rather it would allow the city to maximize its resources by financing neighborhood projects at lower interest rates. The City of Columbus is the largest city in the United States to earn AAA credit ratings from all three major rating agencies. That rating, combined with voter approval, increases investor confidence, thus allowing the city to finance more projects with fewer dollars and no new taxes.

“Columbus voters have demonstrated their keen understanding of the financial savings in granting their approval to the city’s bond package requests,” Auditor Dorrian said. “Columbus voters have approved every bond package the city has put before them for nearly three decades now and continue to benefit from their prudent approvals. I encourage our Columbus voters to join us, once again, in giving the city the tools to meet its infrastructure needs in a cost efficient manner.”

The last Columbus bond package was approved by city voters in November of 2008.

To request grant guidelines and a grant application, email alex@alexandra477.com

About The Short North Foundation

Founded in 2000, the Short North Foundation serves to advance the creative spirit, diversity, and vitality of the Short North Neighborhoods and Short North Arts District. It maintains partnerships with the Friends of Goodale Park, Harrison West Society, Italian Village Commission, Italian Village Society, Short North Alliance, Short North Civic Association, and the Victorian Village Commission. Since its inception, the Short North Foundation has worked with neighborhood civic organizations to help fund Short North area bench restorations, neighborhood sign programs, bicycle bollards, the Community Campaign for Creating Encounters in Urban Art and History, the Short North Parking Initiative, the Short North Pocket Parks Campaign, and the Short North District Roundtables. Visit shortnorthfoundation.org for more information.

Click image for larger view

This year’s participating performing arts groups include a diverse cross section of central Ohio’s arts organizations.

Scheduled 2013 performances include:

May 31 – Opera Columbus, concert performance of La Bohème

June 7 – One Way Gospel Singers, Gospel & Country

June 14 – (Flag Day) RMT Presents, Songs of America, Americana

June 21 – Franklin Xpress, Classic Rock

June 28 – Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus, Choral

July 5 – NO CONCERT

July 12 – Ohio Dance

July 19 – Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra Pops, Classical

July 26 – Alliance of Greater Central Ohio, Barbershop Harmony

August 2 – Ladies of Longford, Celtic

August 9 – Grassahol Band, Bluegrass

August 16 – Big Iron, Country, Bluegrass, Gospel

August 23 – The Smoking Guns, Blues, Country, Rock

August 30 – Steve Ball, Music of the Civil War

Summer Fridays at the Statehouse will take place Fridays, May 31 through August 30 (absent July 5). The program will run between noon and 1 p.m. The series gives the downtown community and visitors the opportunity to enjoy the majestic Statehouse grounds while some of Columbus’ best arts groups perform. There is no better place, downtown, to enjoy your lunch this summer!

Visitors are encouraged to bring their lunch – there are a number of downtown restaurants located on Capitol Square. Also, CSRAB will be taking non-perishable food donations for Operation Feed through June 14.

Performances will be canceled in the event of inclement weather. Up to the minute performance information about Summer Fridays at the Statehouse will be posted on the front page of the Ohio Statehouse website at www.ohiostatehouse.org. Summer Fridays at the Statehouse audience members are encouraged to visit the Statehouse website each morning of the scheduled performances to retrieve last minute performance information.

photo via Eric Albrecht – Columbus Dispatch

In light of the growing food truck industry and ongoing conversations with stakeholders, the City of Columbus is creating a Mobile Food Vendor Pilot Program that will address some of the current issues with food trucks.  The pilot program allows licensed mobile food vendors to legally sell from designated over-sized parking metered spots and designated unmetered spots on the street.  Two of the designated unmetered spots will be within Harrison West, yet to be determined.  These designated spots will be marked on a first come, first serve basis and open to the general public.  The pilot program will run from June 1-Dec 31, 2013.

Designated over-sized parking spots will be marked with a silver star (image on right) on the meter pole or marked on the pavement. The list below is a sample of metered locations that have been selected for the pilot program in the Harrison West/Victorian Village area. The city is still evaluating additional locations and will have a complete list of approved locations by May 18. The city will be working with community leaders in Harrison West, Near East, Campus and Clintonville to add additional locations.

 
For more information on the program, you can visit the City’s website: http://publicsafety.columbus.gov/content.aspx?id=59091

* Photo via Columbus Dispatch

Third Ave. Road Closure

West Third Avenue will close to through traffic between Olentangy River Road and Edgehill Road beginning Monday, May 13 at 7 a.m. as the widening and reconstruction project there continues. The project includes the widening and reconstruction of West Third Avenue, the widening of Edgehill Road, new sidewalks and shared-use paths, sewer and lighting upgrades and other improvements. A detour using West Fifth Avenue will be posted. This closure is expected to remain in place through late July, weather permitting. Edgehill Road traffic will be maintained.

In March, we posted a detailed story about the impending closure: http://harrisonwest.org/more-road-improvements-coming-to-3rd-avenue-this-spring/

For additional details from the City of Columbus, please see:

publicservice.columbus.gov

Stephanie Landes

Stephanie Marie Landes was born on December 25, Christmas day. Her middle name Marie is a tribute to Mary. She is a very recent resident of the neighborhood having moved into Thurber Gate Apartments only 2 months ago. She loves her apartment as it is close to work (Stephanie has worked at Bubbles, The Tea and Juice Company in the North Market since High School). It is also close to her dual colleges: Columbus State Community College and OSU and her parent’s  home in German Village.

Stephanie was born and raised in Columbus and grew up in Upper Arlington. She began her education at Kent State University. This spring she will receive her associate’s degree in graphic design and next year hopes to have her bachelor’s degree in advertising from OSU (2014).

Currently, she is a full time student who also does as much freelance design as possible in what little free time she has to help improve her portfolio. Other spare moments are spent with friends and trying out as many new restaurants as she can.

She lives with her best furry friend, Davey. The Dachshund/Miniature Doberman Pincher mix is a former shelter dog who was a birthday gift from her best human friend last year and she adores his company.

Her favorite hangout in Harrison West is Katalina’s Café Corner, but she also frequents Curio, Bar 23, Club 185 and anywhere on Park Street. If she’s kickin’ it in the neighborhood you’ll find her at Harrison’s on Third.

Vehicles that are not moved to allow street sweepers to work in the area will be impounded and towed at the owner’s expense. The purpose of sweeping streets is to remove dirt, litter and debris from curbs to prevent the materials from being washed by rain into storm sewers. Litter and debris washed into storm sewers subsequently is carried to our waterways. Contact the city of Columbus 311 Customer Service Center at 311 or 645-3111 or online at www.311.columbus.gov for general information about street sweeping in Columbus.

At least two streets in Harrison West dead end at the Olentangy River, and those two streets remain temptations for illegal dumpers. This spring, neighbors have reported grass clippings illegally dumped at the end of Bradley Street, and just this weekend, someone dumped a load of dirt and yard debris at the end of West Second Avenue. Both of these areas are being managed by Columbus Recreation and Parks and by the Harrison West Society Parks and Green Space Committee, who have spent many hours removing invasive species and planting new, native plants there to control erosion. All of their work, as well as the health of the river and riverbank, is jeopardized by this illegal dumping.

In these photos, you can see that the dumpers dislodged a warning sign (the red diamond), piled dirt along a neighbor’s fence, left dirt and debris on top of the guardrail, and raised the ground level behind the guardrail by several feet. The orange flags indicate where new spice bushes were installed just two weeks ago to replace invasive honeysuckle that was removed last fall; you can see how the criminal dumpers nearly trampled the spice bush.

It’s easy to think, “Oh well, it’s just plant material. It’s biodegradable. It’s not like I’m dumping tires or trash,” but without knowing what is being done in the area to rescue it from decades of neglect, you could easily trample or bury new plantings. Native species struggling to regain a foothold can be buried under debris and killed, even if it’s biodegradable debris. And much of that material will wash down into the Olentangy River, taking lawn chemicals and fertilizers with it and potentially damaging the river’s ecosystem. Besides, the city provides free yard waste recycling (yes, you have to buy bags, but Home Depot is selling five bags for just $1.88), and dumping makes our neighborhood look trashy.

The Harrison West Society Parks and Green Space Committee would like you remind you that dumping yard waste or trash in public spaces is a crime that can earn you a hefty fine. You can learn the proper way to dispose of your yard waste from the Website of the Columbus Department of Public Service. If you see someone dumping yard waste or trash in the neighborhood, call Nail a Dumper at (614) 871-5322 or snap a photo with some identifying features—a license plate number, a face, etc.—and send it to the Parks and Green Space Committee.

Be good neighbors and keep Harrison West beautiful. Don’t dump your trash for someone else to have to clean up later.