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Mason Matters August / September 2013

Inside This Issue: 2 3 4 5 5 7 8

Recreation Construction News EAB, Lab Soil Testing Lindner Center of HOPE Western Row Interchange Safe City Award Around Mason

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Tech Center Helps Mason Grow Digital/IT and BioHealth Sectors

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KPG, HipaaX, Cloud Take Off, and Riverbend Worldwide.

“The Mason Tech Center is a unique alternative to a traditional startup incubator,” says Sue Oswalt, Vice President of Operations and Member Services at ConnXus. “By bringing together public and private resources, the City of Mason is building a location and community that is a great fit for a company like ours. We were excited to be the first startup company in the Mason Tech Center.”

“The message we want the public to understand is there is a critical mass of IT innovation right here in Mason, Ohio. The purpose of the Go Live event is to share with current and prospective clients this unique opportunity for tech entrepreneurs,” said Steven Osborne, President of Top Gun Sales Performance. “We’re unlike any other space designed for startup companies because we offer specialized technology on top of sales and software training. The feedback we’re getting is very strong.”

The success of the Mason Tech Center is another demonstration of the City of Mason’s unprecedented momentum in economic development since 2011. Other announcements within the past two years include Seapine Software opening a $7 million technical center along the I-71 corridor and StoreFlix, Assurex Health, Rhinestahl, and Intelligrated announcing headquarter moves or expansions in Mason. In all, over $135 million in investment and over 1,700 additional new jobs have been announced.

Parks Foundation Donation

achel Kopfler, President of the Mason Parks Foundation, presented a check to Mayor David F. Nichols for the city’s parks scholarship fund. The $2,000 donation will go toward helping individuals with special needs, including financial and other needs, enjoy membership at Mason Community Center in exchange for volunteer hours. The Mason Parks Foundation is also raising funds for Common Ground, a playground for people of all abilities. For information about Community Center scholarships, please call Mason Community Center at 513.229.8555.

For information about Common Ground or the Parks Foundation, including how to donate, please visit www.masonparksfoundation.org. www.imaginemason.org

Mason Matters

he City of Mason and Top Gun Sales Performance held a Go Live event in May to celebrate the opening of the Mason Tech Center. The Tech Center is the innovative class A office space created through a partnership between the City of Mason and Top Gun Sales Performance. The goal is to provide entrepreneurial space and resources for new tech companies to grow and get to market more quickly.

Located at 5155 Financial Way in the heart of Mason, the Tech Center features advanced technology and a data center tailored to the complex needs of biotechnology and digital/IT companies.

“We are extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time through innovative business partnerships, like the one we have with Top Gun,” said City of Mason Mayor David F. Nichols. “Because we understand the needs of business owners, we are tuned in to the requirements of these young growth companies and have built our Tech Center around supportive services most crucial to getting young companies to market quickly.”

Through an innovative partnership with Top Gun Sales Performance, these growth companies can access energizing office space at belowmarket rates and tap into a network of peer companies and resources which can propel them further, faster. The opening of the tech center is a benchmark development in Mason’s strategic growth as it develops digital/IT and biohealth industry clusters along the I-71 tech corridor.

Companies that have signed lease agreements include ConnXus,

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From the City Manager Dear Mason Resident, I am happy to announce, on behalf of Mason City Council, that property taxes you pay to the city in 2014 should be less than you pay this year.

Last year, voters approved a unique funding solution for Mason’s safety, fire, and EMS services. The new amendment to the city’s charter allows for a continuous real estate tax levy of up to 5 mills and a slight income tax change.

The property tax provision of the charter amendment takes effect in tax year 2013, collected in 2014. The amendment requires City Council to determine the rate in mid-year for the following year’s collections. Council has set the rate for 2013 at 4.4 mills, less than the maximum allowed and less than the current voted rate of 5 mills.

Eric Hansen, You may recall that last year, the city received a SAFER grant to help the city transition to a full-time fire department.

City Manager The amount received from the grant is equivalent to about .6 mills. The flexibility to set the millage each year allowed Council to reduce the property tax millage by an equivalent amount for tax year 2013.

The new funding system defined in the charter amendment eliminates the dependence on property tax levies for funding safety, fire, and EMS services and provides a long-term funding solution. By incorporating an income tax, it also more evenly distributes the cost of the services across the users of the services, many of whom are business employees.

If you have any questions about how safety services are being funded, I invite you to call me at 513.229.8500 or call Fire Chief John Moore at 513.229.8540.

We appreciate your calls, visits and e-mails to Mason Municipal Center to discuss what is going on in the city. I encourage you to call 513.229.8500 or stop in any time during business hours if you need information or assistance.

Mason Matters is published by the City of Mason.

For information about this publication, or if you are a Mason resident and do not receive this newsletter, either through OurTown magazine or mailed separately with the CenterPoint program guide, please contact the City of Mason at 513.229.8510.

City Of Mason Contact Information

6000 Mason-Montgomery Road Mason, Ohio 45040 Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Monday – Friday

513.229.8500 www.imaginemason.org Main Number 513.229.8500

Tax Office 513.229.8535

City Hotlines 513.229.8502

Utility Customer Service 513.229.8533

Administration 513.229.8510 Community Center 513.229.8555 Emergency 9.1.1 Engineering & Building 513.229.8520 Finance 513.229.8530 Fire Department Administration 513.229.8540 Parks & Recreation 513.229.8555 Police Department Administration 513.229.8560 Public Utilities 513.229.8570

Mason Matters

Public Works 513.229.8580

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Congratulations to The Beach Waterpark

ice Mayor Victor Kidd helped the City of Mason celebrate the reopening of The Beach Waterpark, an Adventure Landing Park, at the beginning of the summer swim season. The Beach originally opened in June 1985 and closed before the 2012 season got underway. Adventure Holdings, LLC, purchased the park in July of 2012 and invested just over $5 million on renovations and additions for the 2013 season. The reopening of the park solidifies Mason as a recreation destination for the region. Cutting the ribbon are (from left) Warren County Administrator David Gully, City of Mason Vice Mayor Victor Kidd, Representative Peter Beck (Ohio House District 54), Hank Woodburn (Owner of Adventure Holdings, LLC), and Ralph Vilardo, Jr., General Manager of the Mason park. For park information, visit www.thebeachwaterpark.com

August / September 2013

Utility Billing Questions Greater Cincinnati Water Works 513.591.7700 Utility Service Questions: Sewer Service and Emergencies 513.229.8570 (nights, holidays & weekends, emergencies only)

513.925.2525 Stormwater 513.229.8570 Waste Collection and Recycling 513.229.8533 Water Service and Emergencies Greater Cincinnati Water Works 513.591.7700

AVP Returns to Mason

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he AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour will bring professional volleyball back to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason. The AVP Cincinnati Open will bring sixteen 2-player men’s teams and sixteen 2-player women’s teams to Mason on Labor Day weekend, August 30 to September 2, 2013. Eight Olympic competitors are expected to appear. Professional volleyball was last played in Mason for five years beginning in 2005. For ticket information, visit www.AVP.com.

Mason Claims Two Fire Safety Poster Contest Winners

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ason Fire Department is proud to announce that it had two winners in this year’s State of Ohio Fire Safety Poster Contest. Luna Brenner and Grace Bagadiong were among 12 statewide finalists. Their posters will appear in the “Fire Safety Calendar” that is distributed by the State of Ohio Fire Prevention Bureau.

Every year, Mason Intermediate School art teacher Maggie Moschell presents a lesson in graphic design to her fourth grade students.

They use their newly acquired skills to create fire safety posters. All posters are then sent to the City of Mason Fire Department, where the firefighters select 10 to 15 posters out of more than 800 entries. The firefighters then select one of those as an overall winner.

This year, there was a tie for two winners, so both posters were submitted to the State of Ohio Fire Marshal’s office for the statewide competition.

The students who created the 14 winning posters in Mason were invited to attend the annual pizza party at the city’s Fire Station 52 on Cedar Village Drive. The semifinalists were: Lisa Isozumi, Anna Huang, Maddy Wolfe, Zoe Blakeman, Nolan McCormick, Anthony Johnson, Lauren Statzer, Claire Schanne, Tiya Yempati, Vedha Rastogi, Emi Tao, and Ria Narang.

“Every year my students look forward to this assignment because of the thrill of possibly being chosen to have pizza with the men and women who keep our community safe at the risk of their own lives. Firefighters and EMT’s are our heroes,” said Ms. Moschell.

“Through this project, the students are acting as ambassadors for the fire department by getting the message of fire safety out to others. This makes our community a safer place to live,” added Mason’s Deputy Chief Joe Hoying.

by Luna Brenner

by Grace Bagadiong

Construction News

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everal city projects are underway in Mason.

Here’s why you’ll see heavy construction equipment in several areas of the city.

Mason-Montgomery Road and Bethany Road Roundabout

Street Light Replacement

The city provides nighttime illumination of public streets with street lights located within the public right-of-way. Some of these lights no longer work reliably and need to be replaced. This year, the city’s replacement

program is focusing on the old street lights on Bay Meadows Drive, Lind Place, Shay Lane, and Majken Place. The old lights are aluminum poles with acorn fixtures. The new street lights will match the units installed on Mason-Montgomery and Tylersville Roads.

In downtown Mason, a test phase of the LED street light replacements is installed. If the test is successful, the remainder of the downtown street lights may be replaced by the end of the year.

Storm and Sanitary Sewer Projects

This summer, the Mason Public Utilities Department will continue rehabilitating the sanitary sewers around the Olympia Fields

subdivision. A process called slip lining will add 40 to 50 years to the life of sewer lines on Windward Drive, Tradewind Drive, Windsong Court, Southwind Drive, Sheffield Drive, Stratford Place, Cambridge Drive, and Essex Drive.

Slip lining involves sliding a new flexible lining inside old sewer pipe and hardening it with hot water. It is one of the least disruptive methods of keeping the city’s sanitary sewers in good condition and working properly.

As you drive through the city, please use extra care when you pass through areas where construction is taking place. Your patience is appreciated. www.imaginemason.org

Mason Matters

On Monday, April 22, Mason City Council approved a contract with Ford Development Corporation for construction of the Bethany Road Roundabout. There is a significant amount of underground and utility work involved in the project before the roundabout starts to take shape. Duke Energy first relocated overhead electric lines before telephone and cable lines were relocated.

About 2,500 feet of sanitary sewer main extension was included with the project (now underway) in addition to the relocation of several water lines and sanitary force mains, and replacement of a culvert. Traffic will be maintained on the east and south legs of the intersection during construction. Later, the west leg will need to be closed for a culvert replacement and the north leg will be closed for undercutting and utility work. These closures will not happen at the same time and advance notice will be given prior to each closure. This project is scheduled to be completed by June 1, 2014.

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Emerald Ash Borer Update

ince 2007, the City of Mason has treated selected ash trees in an effort to address the growing threat of the emerald ash borer.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an insect from Asia that attacks all varieties of native North American ash trees, regardless of the tree’s health. Once an EAB infestation occurs, it kills the tree in three to five years. The insect, which is a dark metallic green and about half an inch long, is believed to have arrived in the United States in shipping pallets or cargo from eastern Asia approximately ten years before it was discovered here. It was first identified in the Detroit, Michigan, area in July 2002.

Since then, it has spread across the midwest to states bordering the Mississippi on the west, to Canada and New England, and as far south as Tennessee. In Mason, the effects are becoming more apparent.

In 2007, the city began an annual pesticide treatment program for 1,500 right-of-way ash trees and selected ash trees in the park system.

The city also arranged for residents to receive discounted pesticide treatments through the city’s contractor, Davey Tree Company. In 2011, the city began treating ash trees at The Golf Center at Kings Island as well. While the treatments are known to be less than 100% effective, they are being used to give the city more time to react to the EAB. The city’s Public Works staff began to see significant signs of EAB infestations within the city corporation limits in 2011. Last year,

These ash trees along Mason-Montgomery Road are showing signs of the emerald ash borer.

Actual size: about 1/2"

Soil Testing for Homeowners

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Mason Matters

simple soil test is an easy tool to help you care for your yard and environment wisely. Here are eight ways you could benefit from the test.

1. Not all soil is the same. Your soil can be different from your neighbor’s soil, which

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more than 40 ash trees in the right-of-way were affected, and more are expected to be affected in the coming years. A 2004 tree inventory identified over 1,400 ash trees in the city’s right-of-way. Several thousand ash trees also exist as part of the city’s park system and many more ash trees exist on private property. Because of the EAB, the city stopped planting ash trees in the right-of-way in 2004. Developers have also been asked to discontinue the use of ash trees in landscape plans.

Dead and dying ash trees on private property, including the adjacent rightof-way, are the responsibility of the homeowner. Homeowners may choose to continue to treat healthy trees, but it’s time to prepare a removal strategy for trees that are already infested. It is best to promptly remove a dead tree to avoid the potential hazard of falling limbs causing damage.

Limbs of cut trees (no more than 4 inches in diameter and cut to 12-foot lengths) may be set out for city brush chipping. Because the chips stay in the area, they won’t lead to the spread of the insect.

If you decide to replace a tree, particularly if you plan to place it in the right-of-way, please check the city’s Street Tree Ordinance (available at www.imaginemason.org/citygovernment/engineering-planning.cfm) and with your homeowner association before purchasing your new tree.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Forestry Archive, Bugwood.org

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means that what makes his lawn green may not work for yours.

2. Have a better lawn or garden. With the results of your soil test in hand, you will know exactly what your grass and plants need to grow strong and healthy.

3. Soil tests are inexpensive. A professional test costs around $15, and you don’t need to test your soil more than once every 2 to 3 years.

4. Help control pests.

Soil testing is an effective way to control weeds, insects and disease without pesticides. Many of these pests are the result of nutrient imbalances or other problems in the soil.

5. Correctly fix the problems. Do you have a bare spot that nothing will grow in, or wonder why

your tomatoes have yellow leaves? A soil test will help you know how to fix the problem.

6. Soil testing saves time. You will know how often and what fertilizer to use.

7. Soil testing saves money. Knowing the right fertilizer to use—and how much— means less money spent on fertilizers you don’t need.

8. Protect against water pollution.

Fertilizers can harm local streams, ponds, lakes, and rivers. Less fertilizer runs off your lawn and into area waterways when you use just what your plants need, and that’s good for all of us.

Soil test kits can be obtained from the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District office at 320 Silver Street in Lebanon.

Kits are $15 each (exact cash or check only) and include instructions, lab fees, and packaging for sending your sample to the lab.

(Postage is not included.) You’ll have the results in about two weeks. Please call ahead to 513.695.1337 to inquire about picking up a kit. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Lindner Center of HOPE to Celebrate Fifth Anniversary

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ive years ago this August, a center designed to focus on the mental health needs of Greater Cincinnati and beyond opened its doors. In celebration of its anniversary and five years of community support, Lindner Center of HOPE is partnering with the City of Mason to add monthly educational talks for the community.

Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason was created to offer quality, comprehensive mental health services to address varying levels of severity of illness and an extensive list of diagnoses, including complex mental illness, for individuals of all ages. Lindner Center of HOPE hired expert clinical staff, some of whom are regionally, nationally, and even internationally known for their specialization in complex mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, anxiety, OCD, and co-occurring disorders.

Since Lindner Center of HOPE opened in 2008, it has made a positive impact on mental healthcare in Greater Cincinnati and across the country. A joint venture partnership between The Lindner Family Foundation and UC Health, the center has served over 20,000 patients from 48 states and foreign countries.

Over 4,000 people have been taken care of on the inpatient units and over 500 people have received diagnostic and short-term residential services on the Sibcy House unit. The Research Institute at Lindner Center of HOPE

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has received more than 30 grants totaling over $2.5 million. These accomplishments highlight the tremendous contributions of this facility in just five years. The center and its clinicians have received numerous accolades and report clinically significant improvement for patients in outcomes data.

In celebration of this milestone anniversary year, Lindner Center of HOPE has partnered with the City of Mason to offer a special educational speakers series to members of the public. “Evening with the Experts: Mental Health and Wellness” will be a series of discussions presented by Lindner Center of HOPE clinicians. It will take place one Wednesday evening each month at Mason Community Center, beginning in August and lasting over the next year. Details about the first two events are in the August-September CenterPoint program guide. You can also check www.imaginemason.org or www.lindnercenterofhope.org for specifics.

Lindner Center of HOPE’s mission includes

education about mental health issues, while the City of Mason’s mission includes facilitating wellness.

Lindner Center of HOPE provides excellent, patient-centered, scientificallyadvanced care for individuals suffering with mental illness. A state-of-the-science mental health center and charter member of the National Network of Depression Centers, the center provides psychiatric hospitalization and partial hospitalization for individuals age 12 years and older, outpatient services for all ages, diagnostic and short-term residential services for adults, intensive outpatient programs for substance abuse and cooccurring disorders for adults, and research.

The center is enhanced by its partnership with UC Health. Together, Lindner Center of HOPE and UC Health offer a true system of mental health care in the Greater Cincinnati area and across the country. The center is also affiliated with the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.

Will Western Row Road Become a Full Interchange?

Several alternatives for adding the two missing legs of the interchange have been proposed. The City of Mason has worked with representatives from the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI), Warren County, Warren County Transportation Improvement District (TID), Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Deerfield Township, and businesses in the area to study the alternatives and keep plans for a full interchange moving forward in a multi-stage, multi-year approval process.

After a July 2013 public hearing, the Transportation Review Advisory Council plans an August review of the plans.

The proposed improvements to the I‐71/ Western Row Road partial interchange include converting it to a full interchange, adding intersection improvements, and adding auxiliary lanes on I‐71. The city has been actively involved in the planning process, including representation on the Warren County TID and working with local agencies and businesses. The city has committed $3.6 million to the project, expected to cost about $31.7 million in total.

The I-71/Western Row improvements will enhance transportation access, mobility, and efficiency in the interchange area, address congestion and safety problems in the area and on adjacent interchanges, and support local businesses and future economic development.

Mason Matters

o doubt you have noticed that you can’t get on I-71 at Western Row Road to go north, nor can you exit I-71 at Western Row if you are traveling south. With only two of the four possible exits completed, this is known as a partial interchange.

The Western Row Road partial interchange was completed about 40 years ago to serve Kings Island and help eliminate interstate backups at the State Route 741/Kings Mills Road interchange. Since the 1990s, the surrounding area has experienced explosive growth, with the population nearly tripling.

Global corporations and high-tech offices have also grown in the area, making the partial interchange the heart of a high-tech hub.

The existing partial interchange currently serves the headquarters of some of the largest Fortune 500 and 1000 employers in the region, such as Procter and Gamble’s Mason Business Center, Luxottica’s North American headquarters, and the global headquarters for Cintas. Over 700 acres of land adjacent to the interchange remain available for attracting new office and industrial development.

www.imaginemason.org

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Citizens Train for Search and Rescue

rey skies covered Pine Hill Lakes Park one Saturday in May as the City of Mason Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Montgomery CERT team, and the Loveland DART teams assembled to search the park for victims in a mock disaster exercise.

The exercise was part of their Search and Rescue (SAR) training. Participants were told that a school bus had crashed at the entrance to the park. Adam Martin, Drew Davidson, Dan Romine, Chris Niehaus, and Ryan Stephens, all members of the Mason Law Enforcement Police Explorer Post #2083, had volunteered as the victims of the crash. The SAR team members were advised that the five victims had wandered into the park.

Training for the event was provided by Tri-State Rescue (TSSAR), a 501c3 nonprofit volunteer search and rescue organization covering Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.

Training began with classroom instruction.

That afternoon, the teams tested the techniques they had just learned by searching the fields, streams, and woods of Pine Hill Lakes Park.

The scouts played their parts perfectly as they hid in the park for hours waiting

for CERT members to locate, triage, and provide onsite medical treatment. The park was divided into six search zones. Teams had to look for clues that would lead them to the missing students. Early on in the first search, one team kept finding marshmallows in odd places in the park. Although it didn’t make sense to them at the time, they decided to radio the information to Incident Command.

Immediately after the report, they learned that the students had just returned from a field trip to the marshmallow factory. The information helped the team narrow their search and they quickly found three of the students.

Due to recent rains, one team requested information as to whether the accident took place during or after the rain. Since the rain had already stopped, these team members had an additional piece of information for their search. Only evidence found after the rain would be crucial for them in narrowing down the location of the students. The remaining two students were discovered and treated. After two search events, where all five students were found both times, the exercise was officially closed. A debrief of members took place at the end to determine how the next event could be made better.

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This was the first time Montgomery’s CERT and the City of Mason CERT programs partnered for training. The Loveland DART team has assisted the Mason CERT team as victims in previous disaster drills. Approximately 50 people participated in this event, including representatives from the Mason Police and Fire Departments.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Mason CERT program, please visit www.imaginemason.org or www.masoncert.org for an application or visit Mason Fire Station 51 at 4420 Mason-Montgomery Road.

If you have questions about the program, please contact Mason Fire Administration at 513.229.8540. Students who are interested in learning more about the Explorer Post are invited to call Mason Police Administration at 513.229.8560.

Commander Looker Honored

ayor David F. Nichols presented John Looker, Commander of American Legion Post 194 for the past six years and member of the post since 1970, with a mayor’s proclamation in appreciation of his years of service to the country, the community, and the American Legion. Mr. Looker, a Purple Heart veteran, is involved in the American Legion Ohio oratorical contest for high school students, the annual Mason Memorial Day parade, the Mason Veterans Memorial, helping veterans in need of transportation, and the American Legion’s contributions to community organizations. He also arranged for the donation of the large United States flag that now hangs in the atrium of Mason Municipal Center.

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You’ve Called 9-1-1…Now What?

Mason Matters

hat do you do after you’ve called for help in an emergency? This is possibly one of the scariest questions facing anyone who has already called 9-1-1 for help.

The good news is that you recognized that there is an emergency and that it needs more help than you can provide on your own. Apprehension and dread are common feelings after the call because now it is just you and the emergency. The distant sound of sirens is encouraging, but it seems they are not approaching quickly enough. Seconds feel like minutes and minutes feel like hours.

To help, the City of Mason Fire Department has developed a “What to Do until Help Arrives” program to introduce you to the realities of an

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August / September 2013

emergency and what you can do to prevent it from becoming worse. This modular 2 ½ hour program begins by teaching you the importance of a prompt and thorough call to 9-1-1. It discusses the hows and whys of making that life- or property-saving call for help, and stresses the critical importance of time in this equation. You’ll learn how to recognize common medical and traumatic incidents and how to perform initial treatments for the types of incidents anyone could be faced with at their home, work, or while out and about.

The modular nature of this program allows it to be presented in a single day or in three parts over the course of three days. This allows greater flexibility for groups who would like to fit the program into their schedule.

The City of Mason Fire Department is

pleased to make this program available at no charge to Mason residents. Presentations are held monthly at Mason Fire Station 51 on Mason-Montgomery Road. For scheduling information, or if you would like to schedule the program for your homeowner association, club, church, or business meeting, please call Mason Fire Department Administration at 513.229.8540. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Lt. Governor Visits Mason

hio Lt. Governor Mary Taylor visited with business leaders in the city in late May to discuss issues affecting business development and job growth in the state.

Attending the meeting were (from left) Vice Mayor Victor Kidd; David Nangle, President and CEO of The Harris Products Group; Steve Mombach (front), Vice President Ambulatory Services and Seniors Health at TriHealth; Bharat Saini, Founder and CTO at Hipaax; Lt. Governor Taylor; Steven J Osborne, President of TopGun Sales Performance; Mayor David F. Nichols; Tracy Berry, Director of Human Resources for the Armor Group; Greg Scheid, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Kings Island; Dieter Moeller, President & CEO of Rhinestahl; Russell Walker, President of L-3 Communications – Cincinnati Electronics; Thomas Stokes; Lynn Oswald, Executive Vice President of Lindner Center of Hope; and Don Wright, Executive Vice President & COO of Assurex Health.

At lower right, Mayor Nichols (left) and Vice Mayor Kidd listen as Lt. Gov. Taylor answers a question.

Keep it Down!

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n an effort to be a safe driver and to be courteous to other drivers and citizens in the area, the Mason Police Department advises drivers to keep the volume down. Your car stereo can be a great source of information and entertainment, but it can also be a safety hazard and an annoyance.

There are several reasons to keep the volume down. The safety of the driver and the public is first and foremost. A loud stereo can be a distraction— and not only to the driver of the vehicle with the loud stereo. It can jeopardize other drivers and pedestrians in the area whose attention is diverted

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because of the annoyance. A high volume can also keep a driver from hearing important sounds such as an oncoming emergency vehicle.

The City of Mason has an ordinance regulating the volume of car radios. The ordinance specifies that the radio cannot be at such a volume as to be heard from 50 feet away. You could be cited by police if you don’t keep the volume at a reasonable level.

Drive safely and be courteous by keeping the volume down.

Mason a Top Safe City crime are one in 70 in Mason and 1 in 30 in Ohio. Your chances of becoming a victim of violent crime in Mason are even less—one in 3,104 compared to the statewide chances of 1 in 325.

Mason City Manager Eric Hansen attributed the ranking to residents and to the city’s safety departments.

“Our police and fire departments receive a great deal of support from our residents,” he noted. “I believe our officers’ and firefighers’ attitude of service, education, excellence, and community policing go hand in hand with our residents in making this a safe community,” he added. www.imaginemason.org

Mason Matters

ason was named one of America’s top 100 safest cities with 25,000 or more residents.

NeighborhoodScout.com placed Mason on the list for 2013 along with only four other cities in Ohio. The web site is owned by Location, Inc., a geographic research and data mining company that specializes in location analysis, demographic, and school data information products and decision-making tools.

Using mathematical algorithms and municipal crime statistics from the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department, NeighborhoodScout.com found that your chances of becoming a victim of property

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Mason

Heritage & Bicycle Festival Moves to New Date and Location Third Annual Patriot Fair: Rediscovering American Treasures

presented by Mason Community Center

Saturday Shop Local Come to the Saturday showing of Shop Local at Mason Community Center! Local vendors will offer health and wellness products, jewelry, kitchen items, personal care items, and more from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 14, 2013. The public is invited.

Local vendors and home sales representatives are invited to apply for a table at the event by filling out the application and dropping it off or mailing it to City of Mason attn. Sheri Collins, 6000 Mason-Montgomery Road, Mason OH 45040. Please do not drop off applications at Mason Community Center. For afterhours drop-off, please use the overnight drop box on the circular drive at Mason Municipal Center. Applications can be found at www.imaginemason.org/things-to-do.

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See history come to life at the third annual Patriot Fair on Saturday, September 28. From 9 to 5 p.m., you’ll meet presidents, first ladies, founding fathers, Civil War leaders, African and Native Americans, artisans, traders, and entertainers. You will also have the rare opportunity to celebrate a special tribute to soldiers representing every American war. See Abraham Lincoln, John Adams, Ulysses S. Grant, Patrick Henry, the Tuskegee Airmen, Benjamin Franklin, and a very special guest from Colonial Williamsburg.

This year’s theme is Rediscovering American Treasures— treasures lost, buried under the ashes of forgotten history.

There’s a need to uncover the rock that hides those treasures so that everyone, once again, may discover the secrets that made America great. Kids of all ages can come to the rescue as they participate in the American Treasure Hunt. With treasure bag in hand and following clues, they will find that rock and along the way, collect their own “nuggets of gold.”

Bring the family to the Patriot Fair at Mason Municipal Center on September 28. With the cooperation of teachers, the American Spirit Education Alliance has been able to offer extra credit programs for attending students. The American Spirit Education Alliance is a non-profit, 501c3 organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation for America’s heritage.

For event information, please visit www.aseaohio.com.

The weather may be a little cooler for the annual Mason Heritage & Bicycle Festival this year. Traditionally held downtown in August, this year the festival will be on Saturday, September 14. The location has also changed. It will be held on the Mason Community Campus, which encompasses Mason Community Center, Mason Municipal Center, Mason High School, Pine Hill Lakes Park, and Corwin M. Nixon Park. Anticipated events include a parade, the 20th annual Little Miss Heritage Pageant, the Mason Idol contest, a bicycle decorating contest, food, shopping, entertainment, and fun. Look for more information in local papers and at www.festivalsofmason.com.

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Police Awards Presented

Mason Matters

ayor David F. Nichols assisted the Mason Police Department in presenting departmental awards at a City Council meeting. The Civilian Certificate of Merit was awarded to Darryl Davis for calling 9-1-1 and assisting EMS in transporting a young man experiencing a medical emergency at Pine Hill Lakes Park. The officers shown at right with Police Chief Ron Ferrell (left) and Mayor Nichols (right) were awarded the Medal of Commendation. Officer Shawn Ayers (second from left) and Officer Sean McCormick received the award for their response to an active breaking and entering at a local business. Officer Ayers also received a Medal of Valor for continuing to pursue the suspect and assisting with the apprehension even though he was in severe pain from an injury he suffered during the pursuit.

Mason Police Officer Andrew Herrlinger received the Lifesaving Award for his quick response in saving the life of a child by clearing the child’s blocked airway. This action also earned him the American Legion’s 4th District Lifesaver Award. Officer of the Year and the Award of Merit went to Lieutenant Mikel Carter, who retired in May with 24 years of service. Lt. Carter was instrumental in establishing the Warren County Tactical Response Team, Mason Police Honor Guard, and Citizens’ Police Academy. He also organized the annual police memorial and awards programs.

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August / September 2013