Pickerington October/November 2022

Peggy Portier

pickerington magazine

1335 Dublin Rd., Ste. 101C Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-572-1240 • Fax 614-572-1241 www.cityscenecolumbus.com

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Gianna Barrett

Jamie Armistead

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Gary Hoffman

Tyler Kirkendall

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Claire McLean

Lauren Serge

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Dan Nase

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volume 15, number 1 october/november 2022

Calendar

6 News and Information from the City of Pickerington

News and Information from Violet Township

News and Information from Pickerington Schools

16 faces

Past, Peggy and Future

Longtime Pickerington resident maintains city’s historical roots

18 in focus

Adult Advising

Comprehensive curriculum and mentorship combine in Adulting 101

20 A Season for All

Pickerington Community Theatre’s 2023 season lineup has something for all ages

22 Fur Has a Face

Foxes take the runway to bring awareness to animal cruelty

24 student spotlight

Fine Art Finalist

Pickerington North student’s art places among top 25 pieces in the state

on the table

Tea,

and

Top Homes Sold

fall

bookmarks

Recommended reads from Pickerington Public Library

On the cover: Peggy Portier, president of the Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society photo courtesy of Peggy Portier

pickerington community calendar october/november 2022

Oct. 1

Crafty Saturday: Burlap Pumpkins

12:30-2 p.m., Digital Classroom, Sycamore Plaza Library, 7861 Refugee Rd. www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Get in the fall spirit by creating the perfect centerpiece with no-sew burlap pumpkins.

Oct. 4

Family Stressed, Family Blessed

6-7 p.m., Meeting Room A, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way

www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Learn the art of effective communication with your children with Gladys Adochim, Certified John Maxwell Speaker.

Oct. 7-16

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The Wigwam Theater, 10190 BlacklickEastern Rd.

www.pickeringtoncommunitytheatre.org

Pickerington Community Theatre presents an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents as they vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Ages 13 and up. Tickets seniors 55+ and children under 12 $17, adults $19.

Oct. 8, Nov. 12

Adaptive Stories and Play

11a.m.-noon, Meeting Room A, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way

www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

A literacy class adapted for children with disabilities.

Oct. 9

Stories from the Grave

2-4 p.m., Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society Museum, 15 E. Columbus St. www.pickhistory.org

An afternoon of spooky Halloween stories and popcorn. Free admission.

Oct. 11, Nov. 8

Stitching in the Stacks

6:30-8 p.m., Large Conference Room, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way

www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Trick or Treat, Oct. 31

Enjoy the company of both beginner and experienced crafters in a monthly gettogether.

Oct. 15

Family Dance Party

10-11 a.m., Digital Classroom, Sycamore Plaza Library, 7861 Refugee Rd. www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

A dance party full of singing, stories and happiness.

Oct. 16

Open House—Violet Township Fire Dept.

1 – 3 p.m., Station 591, 21 Lockville Rd. Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.

Oct. 18

PPL Book Club

7-8 p.m., Meeting Room A, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Come out for library’s largest book club.

Oct. 22

Haunted Village

6-8 p.m., Olde Pickerington Village www.ci.pickerington.oh.us

A festive night of ghost tours, trick or treating, story-telling and hayrides through the Olde Pickerington Village.

Oct. 27

Bug Lab with Dr. Insecta

10:30-11:30 a.m., Atrium, Meeting Room A, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way

www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Discover insects that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago.

Oct. 31

Tots Trick or Treat

1:30-2:30 p.m., Pickerington City Hall www.ci.pickerington.oh.us

Stroll through Pickerington City Hall to receive goodies from staff dressed in costumes. For children 2-5 years old.

Photo courtesy of Pickerington Library Staff

Oct. 31

Community Trick or Treat

6-8 p.m., throughout Pickerington www.ci.pickerington.oh.us

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commis sion set the unified “Trick or Treat” night. Grab your costume, bag and Halloween spirit.

Nov. 1

Music Trivia

7 p.m., Cardo’s Pizza & Tavern, 7897 Refugee Rd. www.cardospizzaandtavern.com

Music Trivia Tuesday every Tues day night with D.J. Ric Knight.

Nov. 8

Financial LiteracyHoliday Hacks

5:30-7 p.m., Sycamore Plaza Library, 7861 Refugee Rd. www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Learn finance tips and tricks with Traci Bakenhaster, founder & CEO of Design & Renew Career and Finance Coaching.

All events are subject to change. Visit websites for additional information.

Nov. 11, 16

Homeschool Connect – Three Little Pigs STEM

1-2 p.m., Meeting Room A, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Fun and educational classes for children in grades K-5 who learn at home.

Nov. 16

Teen Studio – Super Smash Bros. Tournament

4-5 p.m., Atrium, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Join fellow gamers for a competitive tournament with amazing prizes. Ages 12 and up.

Nov. 25 – Dec. 22

Violet Township Annual Toy Drive

Nov. 9

Teen Video-Gaming

3:30-5:30 p.m., Sycamore Plaza Library, 7861 Refugee Rd. www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Relax and unwind with video games and new friends.

Monday Makers – Embossed Holiday Cards, Nov. 28

www.violet.oh.us

Annual toy drive for those in need in the community.

Nov. 28

Monday Makers – Embossed Holiday Cards

6-8 p.m., Atrium, Pickerington Main Library, 201 Opportunity Way www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

Learn to use embossing powder to make festive holiday cards.

Submit Your Event

For the most recent information on events and hours, visit www.pickeringtonlibrary.org

One of PIckerington’s Haunted Houses

PICKERINGTON

NEWS & INFORMATION

FROM THE CITY OF PICKERINGTON

City Launches Community Calendar

Did you know that on any given day there are more than 100 events or activities happening in Pickerington? It’s true, but the problem is where to find them all. The City of Pickerington has come up with a solution.

Several months ago the City partnered with Yodel Community Connections to create a Community Calen dar that hosts every event on one, easy-to-use website.

Yodel uses sophisticated technology to showcase the events of Pickerington schools, churches, youth sports leagues, nonprofits, restaurants, businesses, etc. Community Calendar users can favorite the schedules that interest them and add events to their personal calendar(s) with one click. Once a person favorites a schedule, they will receive sugges tions of similar events related to their interests.

The Yodel site is free for businesses and organizations to post their events and it’s also free to users.

Pickerington was the first city in Central Ohio to implement the calendar.

“When Yodel approached us with the concept, I liked it right away. I grew up in Pickerington and although the city has changed in many ways, I think it still very much feels like a

Sidewalks Added

Work is under way on the City’s Safe Routes to School sidewalk project. The new sidewalk was made possible by a $400,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation and is located along West Columbus Street and Long Road, between Hill Road and Poplar Street. It will connect to other sidewalk sections allowing Pickerington Local School District students to walk safely to and from school.

small town. The concept of a one-stop-shop digital com munity calendar was prob ably overdue and I think what Yodel has created will help to keep Pickerington people in Pickerington. We want our people attending events here, shopping here, dining here. They just needed a place to find all that Pickerington has to offer,” says Mayor Lee Gray..

Local engagement is what builds communities, makes connections, and attracts people to live and work in a community. Yodel’s mission is to help cities like Pickerington grow and become more vibrant by help ing people know about and get engaged in these local opportunities.

The link to the full Pickerington Com munity Calendar is https://www.yodel. today/mytown or you can simply scan the QR code on this page.

Upcoming events

October

27 – Haunted Village, 6-8 p.m.

Olde Village Pickerington

31 – Tots Trick-or-Treat, 1:30-2:30 p.m., City Hall

31 – Community Trick-or-Treat. 6-8 p.m.

For more information, visit www.pickerington.net

Photos courtesy of City of Pickerington

Police Beat

Congratulations to the newest members of the Pick erington Police Department. Pictured L-R are Officers Craig Carey, Joe Jacobson and Ryan Debolt. Welcome aboard!

The Pickerington Police Department is very proud to announce the graduation of Sgt Chad Wallace from the FBI National Academy. The FBI National Academy is a professional course of study for U.S. and international law enforcement managers, nominated by their agency heads because of demonstrated leadership qualities. The 10-week program provides coursework in intelligence theory, ter rorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication, and forensic science. It serves to improve the administration of justice in police departments and agencies at home and abroad and to raise law enforcement standards, knowledge, and cooperation worldwide. The National Academy is recognized as the leading school for law enforcement leaders. The selection process to get into the FBI NA is very strin gent. In fact, only 0.5% of all law enforcement officers in the United States are selected to attend this course.

Sgt. Wallace is the 7th member of the Pickerington Police Depart ment to graduate from the Academy, and he joins Chief Cheney and Commander Annis as current department graduates.

Great job Sgt. Wallace!

Happy retirement to Sgt. David Silvernail after 29 years of devoted service to the City of Pickerington. Sgt. Silvernail served as a patrol officer, field training officer, detective, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant and administrative sergeant. His per formance in those positions was nothing short of outstanding and he will definitely be missed.

Police Promotions

Jim Gallagher and Jan Carter are the two newest sergeants at the Pickerington Police Department. Sgt. Gallagher is a 14-year veteran of the department and has previ ously served as the K9 officer. Sgt. Carter has been with PPD for seven years and is the first female officer in the department’s history to achieve the rank sergeant. Congratula tions!

News and Information From Violet Township Open House Is Back!

The best laid plans sometimes go awry as we found out in 2021 after planning to hold our Annual Open House. This year, 2022, is different. WE ARE DEFINITELY BACK THIS TIME!

The Violet Township Fire Department will be hosting our annual Open House on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 1-3 p.m. at Station 591 located at 21 Lockville Road, Pickerington OH 43147. The theme for this year is “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.” It is important that you develop a home escape plan and practice it regularly with all members of your household. We will provide information about that as well as these opportunities:

A Fire Safety House which permits children to escape from a NON-HAZARDOUS, smoke-filled environment. This allows them to learn how to get out of their home in case of fire.

• Demonstrations on how to crawl under smoke.

• Fire extinguisher inspection and/or servicing.

• Kids can dress up in fire gear and get a picture taken.

• Take a turn using a real fire hose to spray water.

There will be a host of fun, kid-friendly educational activities for the entire family. Please come and join us for this commu nity event. We look forward to welcoming everybody back after missing the past two years.

Photo courtesy of Violet Township

Violet Township Annual Toy Drive

The Violet Township Annual Toy Drive will kick off Nov. 25, 2022 and run through Dec. 22, 2022. The Fire Department, along with IAFF Local 3558, will be collecting new, unwrapped toys as well as gift cards and monetary donations. All toys and donations will help to provide Christmas gifts for those in need throughout our community. More details will follow as the event gets closer. Each year is bigger than the last due to the generous support from our community. We truly appreciate all you do for this event every year!

How to Reach Us

Violet Township Administrative Offices

10190 Blacklick-Eastern Rd., Pickerington, OH 43147 614-575-5556 www.violet.oh.us

Violet Township Fire Stations

Phone 614-837-4123

Fire Chief: Michael Little

#592: 8700 Refugee Rd. #591: 21 Lockville Rd. #593: 2365 Taylor Park Dr.

Violet Township Service Center

Phone: 614-382-5979

490 Center St. Pickerington, OH 43147

USGS LoCAS Gauge on Sycamore Creek

You may be interested in the newly installed Blacklick Creek River Gauge and the Sycamore Creek LoCAS Gauge!

You can now follow the United States Geological Service’s (USGS) LoCAS (Low Cost Alert System) Gauge on Sycamore Creek in Violet Township. The Fairfield Soil and Water Conser vation District has coordinated and worked in collaboration with ODOT, City of Pickerington, Violet Township and Fairfield County in hopes that we can gain new knowledge on stream re sponse to storm events in this rapidly developing area. The Fairfield County Park District and Coyote Run State Nature Preserve will also begin looking at stream health with macroinvertebrates in the stream in the years ahead. To follow the gauge, search for “USGS 395245082435800 Sycamore Creek below Pickerington OH”.

To learn more about the Sycamore Creek search for the “Sycamore Creek Report-Walnut Creek Watershed” on Facebook.

To follow local rainfall in the same areas, we now have multiple volunteer rain gauge monitors in the watershed as in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network at www.cocorahs.org.

Search for the “USGS National Water Dashboard” to also monitor the Fairfield

County Utilities’ Standard Gauge on Blacklick Creek on their interactive map.

The Fairfield Soil and Water Conser vation District has linked them to their webpage under “Watershed Resources” at fairfieldswcd.org.

Our annual Fire Department Open House will be held Sunday, Oct. 16 from 1-3 p.m. at Fire Station 591, located at 21 Lockville Rd.

News

PLSD Is “Knowing Thy Impact” Like Never Before

By Alesia Gillison, Chief Academic Officer/Assistant Superintende nt

At Pickerington Schools, the beginning of the school year looked different by design, and the results of our new initiatives have been suc cessful. This is attributed to our ex cellent staff, students and families!

Our collective theme for the school year is Knowing Thy Impact, which highlights our team’s positive impact on our students, families and community. The first teachers that children experience are parents and family members, and by building strong partnerships with families, we will work to bring our Plan for Prog ress’ three pillars — Academic Excel lence, Efficient Operations, Modern Facilities — to fruition. This year, we are committed to continuing to work together through all relationships:

• Relationships with students,

• Relationships with parents,

• Relationships with the community,

• Relationships with colleagues.

Knowing Thy Impact on Staff and Students

Just before classes began, we intentionally welcomed staff back with a Convocation that focused on honoring them for their commitment to students and families. And, things began differently for our students as well with our first staggered start to the school year. The initiative intentionality allowed students to get acclimated to their school routines and meet their teachers, counselors, administrators, and new classmates. The staggered start schedule allowed students to ease into their school year and begin building relationship foundations. The responses from

students, staff and families have been positive, and the staggered start is something we intend to continue at the beginning of the next school year.

Knowing Thy Impact on Students, Staff, and Families

We also opened this school year with three new district goals that will continue to move us from good to GREAT!

By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, a minimum of 80 per cent of Pickerington students will meet typical growth as measured by the iReady Reading and Math diag nostics. This is an average yearly increase of eight percentage points over the next three years. *Typical Growth is the average annual growth of students at each grade and place ment level. iREADY Reading (K-12) and iREADY Math (K-8).

By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, a minimum of 80 percent of Pickerington students will dem onstrate proficiency on the English Language Arts and Math Ohio State Tests (OSTs). This is an average yearly increase of eight percentage points over the next three years.

By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, a minimum of 80 per cent of Pickerington students will indicate a sense of belonging on the Panorama survey. This is an aver age yearly increase of eight percent age points each year over the next three years. *Panorama is a survey provided to Pickerington students grades 3-12 twice a year to measure student perceptions of their class room experience.

Knowing Thy Impact on Students, Staff, Families and the Community Engaging the entire Pickerington community is also a key component of achieving our goals for the year. The Pickerington Family and Com munity Day Festival was the first of many community engagement events that will be held during the year. Other planned events include the Night of Engagement in December, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in Janu ary, our annual CommUNITY Fair in April, and the Night of ExcELLence in May. Keep watching our social media channels and district website for de tails on these events throughout the school year.

Capturing the Joy of Learning

Our team snapped pictures from each school during the first week of classes for the 2022-23 school year and we are delighted to share these pictures with you. Please scan the QR code or visit https://tinyurl.com/CapturingJoy to view the pictures, grouped by school. We will continue to add pictures to these folders throughout the school year for you to view and download, if you’d like.

By CFO/Treasurer Ryan Jenkins

As home values appreciate in the district, tax rates are reduced so that the aggregate tax collections for the school do not increase. The following graphic shows an assumed 24 per

cent increase in district taxable value, and the impact on three different homes. The graphic is showing ONLY taxes calculated for the district.

As the chart shows, three different homes appreciate at three different rates — Home A at 15 percent, Home

B at 20 percent, and Home C at 30 percent. The taxes calculated for these homes in 2022 are shown at the bottom of the chart.

Although home values are increas ing, the calculated taxes are not in creasing by the same amount. In fact, Home A’s tax bill would fall by 1.37 percent; Home B’s tax bill would only increase 2.91 percent; and Home C’s tax bill would increase 11.49 percent even though Home C’s value increased by 30 percent. That’s because the tax rate falls from 34.769 mills (or $1,217 annu ally per $100,000 of market value) to 29.784 mills (or $1,042 annually per $100,000 of market value). So, while market values increase by 24 percent, tax rates will fall by 14.4 percent

Pickerington Schools Residential Effective Levy Rates

Levy

1976 Current Expense Voted

1977 Current Expense Voted

1980 Current Expense Voted

1985 Current Expense Voted

2007 Current Expense Voted

2000 Current Expense Voted

2003 Current Expense Voted

4.500000 0.00%

2.871197 2.321781 -19.1354%

0.957066 0.773927 -19.1354%

0.974758 0.788234 -19.1354%

2.965009 2.397642 -19.1354%

3.763381 3.043242 -19.1354%

1.794623 1.451214 -19.1354%

5.463077 4.417694 -19.1354%

2011 Current Expense Voted 5.500000 4.139719 3.347566 -19.1354%

1997 Classroom Facility Voted 0.500000 0.300820 0.243257 -19.1354%

Bond Retirement ($59.9MM) 2.200000 2.200000 1.700000 -22.73%

Bond Retirement (Series 2006) 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.00%

Bond Retirement (Series 2016) 4.800000 4.800000 3.300000 -31.25%

Bond Retirement (Series 2023) 2.800000 0.000000 1.500000 N/A

Total Effective Millage 82.50 34.729650 29.784556 -14.24%

What does this mean for the Pickerington Schools 2.80 mill bond issue that is on the November 8, 2022 ballot? Even though the levy is a new levy, the existing millage for aggregate bond collections, even if the bond issue passes, is fore casted to fall by ½ a mill. This will make the new levy ‘feel’ like or be similar to a renewal in that tax rates won’t increase while the community continues its commitment.

For more bond issue info, scan the QR code.

Pickerington Family & Community

More than 1,000 students, staff and families attended the first ever Pickerington Family and Community Festival on Sept. 17th. The event, presented by Pickerington Schools, ran from 3-6 p.m.in Pickerington High School Central’s parking lot. View pictures and more event details by scanning the QR code or visiting https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/news/fam-fest.

Pickerington Schools Makes Building Offer Seeking to Reduce Overcrowding Concerns

The Pickerington Schools Board of Education approved a Purchase & Sale Agreement (PSA) at its August 8, 2022 regular meeting. The PSA is a contrac tual offer for the district to purchase the property located at 13430 Yar mouth Rd. NW in Pickerington.

The property is currently owned by West Fairfield OH, LLC, and was most recently leased to the Ohio Center for Occupational Safety and Health (OCOSH). OCOSH was a division of the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compen sation. The district offered $3 million for the purchase of the property.

Ryan Jenkins, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer for the district said, “The PSA is just like when a private individual writes a contract to pur chase a home. The PSA is the legal offer to buy the property.”

Jenkins also noted that the PSA creates a 90-day window to conduct due diligence, which involves items like title searches, environmental testing, and other inspections to en sure the property meets the intended needs and is safe for district use. He projects the district will close on the facility sometime in mid-November. “That is assuming the due diligence doesn’t turn up any ‘deal-breakers,’ which we are not anticipating,” Jen kins said.

“Purchasing the property allows the district to accelerate its facility plan as a part of its Plan for Prog ress,” said Dr. Chris Briggs, Super intendent. “We will be able to reno

vate the building to hold preschool classes, and this will dramatically increase the space available in el ementary schools. There are cur rently about 15 classrooms across 4 elementary schools that are used for preschool instruction.”

Briggs also mentioned that the facility may be used for other func tions like professional development meetings for the Academic Services Department or other adult learning and development.

As part of its Plan for Progress (more info can be found at https:// www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/p4p), the district will ask voters to approve an $89.930 million bond issue at the November 8, 2022 general election to:

• Build a new junior high school that can house up to 1,300 stu dents.

• Renovate all of Ridgeview Junior High to convert it to a building holding separate Kindergarten through fourth grade elemen tary students and fifth and sixth grade middle school students, which will be made possible with the pur chase of the Yarmouth property. This will create an eighth el ementary school that will house about 450 students, and a fourth middle school that will house about 450 students.

• Add 24 additional classrooms at

Pickerington Central High School housing up to 650 students, upgrade the cafeteria expand ing capacity by 200 additional students, and install secure entryways.

• Add 18 additional classrooms to Pickerington High School North housing up to 470 additional students, and install secure entryways.

• Renovate and upgrade multiple elementary schools to accom modate growth, making room for up to 375 additional students.

Vanessa Niekamp, Board Presi dent, said, “We project the purchase of the building on Yarmouth Rd. may allow us to create up to 20 additional classrooms for preschool students who are currently enrolled at Pick erington, Sycamore Creek, Tussing and Violet Elementaries. This is much needed space at these el ementary schools. But perhaps more importantly, we will now not have to renovate Heritage Elementary into a preschool learning center, which will allow us to renovate Ridgeview Junior High into an eighth elementary school and a fourth middle school.”

To read the full article about the bond issue and property purchase, scan the QR code or visit https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/ news/yarmouth-purchase/.

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A CityScene Media Group publication • www.CitySceneColumbus.com

faces

By Tyler Kirkendall

Past, Peggyand Future

Longtime Pickerington resident maintains city’s historical roots

Though she isn’t originally from Pickerington, after decades of active involvement in the community, Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society President Peggy Portier can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Portier moved to Pickerington from Noble County in the winter of 1988 when her husband, Ralph, was hired to be one of five new police officers after the 1990 census declared Pick erington a city.

Ralph was in public service his whole adult life, and ulti mately rose to chief of police in Groveport in 2009. Portier says after he took the job, they never considered leaving Pickerington.

“I am from southeast Ohio, but this is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere,” Portier says, “so this to me is home.”

Since moving here, Portier has immersed herself in Picker ington’s history and culture, striving to ensure that while the city continues to grow, it stays in touch with its past.

Over the course of 50 years, Ralph served Pickerington in many ways, working for the police, emergency medical services and the fire department. He died in 2021, and is remembered for always putting others first and being a great teacher and role model to those around him.

Ralph participated in Pickerington-Violet Township Histori cal Society events by roleplaying Andrew Carnegie, an important figure in Pickerington’s development.

“He used to say that he was “voluntold” that he was going to do it,” Portier says.

Even during his busiest moments as police chief of Grove port, Ralph still participated in Pickerington community events.

Ralph was battling cancer, but stayed on the force as long as he could before retiring in April 2021. At the end of the summer, Peggy and Ralph were approached about being grand marshals in Pickerington’s Labor Day parade.

“I was speechless,” she says. “It was never even something I considered a possibility and it was a real honor to be recognized by the community.”

Still fighting cancer, Ralph and Peggy proudly marched.

After his death, Portier was faced with the decision to re main in Pickerington or return home to Noble County. But it

Portier stays involved in Pickerington connecting its history with its bright future.

Portier with her dad, Jim Robinson, in Washington during an Honor Flight in 2019.

Photos courtesy of Peggy Portier

took her almost no time to decide. She has planted her roots deeply in Pickerington and is committed to maintaining its his tory and using it to inform the city’s future.

“A good bit of our township is still not developed, it’s still farming,” Portier says. “That’s an important thing for people to understand, that we grew up this area on farming and we need to honor that and to preserve some of that land.”

The list of civic organizations Portier is involved with is a long one: Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society, Active Transportation Subcommittee of the Fairfield County Regional Planning Commission, Fairfield Heritage Trail Asso ciation, Fairfield County Visitors and Convention Bureau, Pick erington Village Association, as well as her local civic association for her neighborhood.

She now proudly serves as president of the PickeringtonViolet Township Historical Society, and is always prepared to launch into a story about Pickerington’s past.

Peggy’s Pickerington

Founded in 1811, Pickerington was hardly on the map be fore transportation networks started to put the small town on travelers’ radars.

“We were just a little town of about 300 people out in the middle of nowhere,” Portier says. “Then the railroad came and the interstate highway, and that really brought people to Pickerington.”

The first train arrived in Pickerington in 1879. Trains bring ing freight and passengers continued to encourage growth in the town until its railroad depot was no longer needed in 1958 due to the passage of the Interstate Highway Act of 1956.

Though that kicked off decades of immense growth in Pick erington, something that still rings true is its ability to maintain a small-town feel without being too far removed from metropoli tan happenings.

She hopes that Pickerington residents don’t forget their agri cultural roots, and works with the builders association to ensure that new builds don’t get in the way of residents’ ability to enjoy locally grown produce as they have for more than 200 years.

Portier also works with the Pickerington Farmers’ Market to connect local growers with consumers who want the freshest crops grown on hometown soil.

Accessibility is also an important issue to Portier: she works with the trail association to create and maintain multi-use path ways, allowing residents to bike and walk around Pickerington and enjoy their community without a car.

Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Portier receives the Tri-County Realtors Humanitarian Award.

Ralph acted as Andrew Carnegie at historical society events with Portier.

Portier receives a donation from Sam’s Club for the 2008 Violet Township Bicentennial Celebration with township trustee Terry Dunlap.

By Claire Miller

Adult Advising

Comprehensive curriculum and mentorship combine in Adulting 101

Every year, when 23,000 children age out of foster care in the U.S., 20 per cent of them instantly become home less. Within two years, a quarter of experi ence incarceration. Only half of those young adults find employment by age 24, and less than 3 percent will earn a college degree be fore age 26.

The numbers are staggering, but Adulting 101, a program from the local nonprofit Raising the Next Generation, aims to change them.

Adulting 101, an after-school pro gram for students in foster care and at-risk high school seniors, begins in January and runs throughout the school year, summer and through December at Pickerington Local Schools.

Adulting 101 was created by Raising the Next Generation founder and Picker ington native Traci Bakenhaster.

Bakenhaster originally planned to become a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, but plans changed when she got married, and again when she became a single mom. She moved back to Pickerington and took on three jobs as a full-time student. Inspired

by her own experiences after high school, Bakenhaster created the curriculum for Adulting 101 over about a two-year period.

Throughout the course of the yearlong Adulting 101 class, students meet between two and three times a week for two hours at a time. Each class is open to any Pickerington student in high school for a fee. Students in foster care will re ceive scholarships to waive the cost of the program.

The class is particularly important, Bakenhaster says, for students who may not have a strong support system at home.

“Becoming an adult is tough enough,” she says, “let alone without the support of a family system when they reach the age of 18.”

Bakenhaster references the “stagger ing and sad” statistics of youth in foster care that age out of the system.

Bakenhaster has partnered with the Pickerington Local School District, which she says has given the program its full support.

Adulting 101 tackles a different theme every month, covering topics including

self-awareness, career exploration and readiness, college progress and prepara tion that includes field trips, professional ism, finances, health and nutrition, house maintenance, sex education, being safe online and many facets of mental health.

The program also brings in repre sentation from each branch of the U.S. military to talk with students and covers ACT preparation. On field trips, Adulting 101 students explore various industries and fun events, exposing them to poten tial careers.

Finally, an integral component of the program – mentorship – run by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fairfield County, is included.

“The mentorship component adds a layer of support, to have a supportive adult in their corner to show them what’s possible for them,” Bakenhaster says.

“Mentorship is critical to positive youth development,” Jolyn Pugh, execu tive director of BBBS of Fairfield County, says. “Mentoring provides meaningful connections and exposure to new oppor tunities and experiences. We believe that

Traci Bakenhaster (left) stands with students who participated in a recent car maintenance workshop, which will be part of the Adulting 101 curriculum.

Photo courtesy of Traci Bakenhaster

More Avenues for Support

A few of the many mentorship programs in the central Ohio area:

All THAT (Teens Hopeful About Tomorrow)

4117 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus (614) 745-0007 all-that.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fairfield County

625 Garfield Ave., Lancaster (740) 687-9477 www.bbbs-fairfieldoh.org

Brown Girls Mentoring

Beatty Recreational Center

247 North Ohio Ave., Columbus (614) 364-6242 browngirlsmentoring.org

CHLOE (Community, Health, Life Skills, Op portunities & Education)

Whitehall Church of the Nazarene 739 S. Yearling Rd., Columbus (614) 477-1426 chloeinc.org

College & High School Aspiring Mothers Partnership for Success Program (CHAMPS)

84 N. Seventeenth St., Columbus (614) 247-8258 odi.osu.edu/champs

Columbus Urban League (CUL) 788 Mount Vernon Ave., Columbus (614) 257-6300 cul.org

Community for New Direction (CND)

Administrative Office 2323 W. Fifth Ave., Ste. 160, Columbus (614) 272-1464 cndcolumbus.org

Eryn PiNK (614) 285-7465 erynpink.com

Image Character Etiquette (ICE) (614) 604-3859 icementors.org

LASER (Latinx Space for Enrichment Research) Mentoring Program odi.osu.edu/laser-digital-hub

Rise Sister Rise Network

P.O. Box 09110, Columbus, Ohio 43209 (614) 231-3543 blackgirlrising.net

TriVillage Mentor League

3600 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington (614) 255-7942 tvml.org

two.fifty.four

254 Agler Rd., Gahanna (614) 414-2326

positive relationships with adults are perhaps the single most important ingredient in promoting positive youth development.”

One of the main challenges for Adulting 101 has been funding and buy-in, Bak enhaster says. Following completion of the course’s first year, Bakenhaster will be able to quantify its impact and begin to apply for grants and expand funding outreach.

Pre- and post-course surveys will track the students’ progress in several areas.

Still, Bakenhaster says, many partners are involved, including The Ohio State Uni versity College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences and Ohio University Lancaster. Many community members are also eager to help.

Bakenhaster already has plans for the future. She hopes to expand Adulting 101 and offer it at a new school each year. A result of her hard work, many adults who experienced foster care have reached out to Bakenhaster to share their stories and en couragement.

“We’re doing something that’s changing lives and people are coming out of the woodwork to offer help,” Bakenhaster says.

Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Homestead-Village.com

A Season for All

Pickerington Community Theatre’s 2023 season lineup has something for all ages

By Lauren Serge

Pickerington

Community Theatre re turns this fall with a host of produc tions, each featuring a different genre and exploring a unique theme. The dynamic season is sure to entertain audiences across any age group.

The theater, which has been in opera tion since 2006, is all volunteer-run and strives to pique the curiosity of all central Ohio creatives. It holds four productions every year, one per season, each appealing to audiences in a different way.

For its 2022 season, the theater put on Arsenic and Old Lace in the spring and Guys and Dolls in the summer. To round out the season, the theater presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Oct. 7-9 and Oct. 14-16, and Disney Fro zen Jr. Dec. 2-11, both at the Wigwam Event Center.

In August, the theater announced its upcoming 2023 season. To drum up excitement for the big reveal, the theater encouraged guests to guess what produc tions the 2023 lineup would include, and offered free tickets to lucky winners who guessed correctly. For the announcement, the theater held a reveal at Sycamore Creek Park, which doubled as the Board of Director elections. The event was open for anyone to attend and livestreamed on the theater’s social media platforms. After the lineup was announced, guests were in vited on stage to read segments of scripts for the upcoming season.

From March 17-26, the theater will present American playwright Larry Shue’s comedy The Foreigner. The full Broadway musical version of Beauty and the Beast follows July 14-23. Oct. 6-15, the theater will bring School of Rock to the stage. Final ly, the season will conclude with a holiday

performance of Every Christmas Story Ever Told Dec. 1-10.

Selecting productions for each season is no easy task. To ensure the season is en tertaining to a wide range of ages and in terests, Chris Gallaugher, president of the Pickerington Community Theatre, along side colleagues there, narrow down a long list of submissions to four.

“We want to have something that’s for a more adult audience, we want to have a show that’s for all ages,” Gallaugher says.

“We want to make sure that we’re doing something that touches all aspects of the theater community. We want a good solid mix for entertainment purposes and for involvement purposes.”

Gallaugher, who directed the 2022 spring production Guys and Dolls, will also direct the Beauty and the Beast per formance in July 2023. Directing the Dis ney musical and watching all of the many

Photos courtesy of Chris Gallaugher

moving parts come together to form a pro duction is what he looks forward to most in the upcoming season.

“As a director, you tend to be a ring master,” he says. “Fortunately, I have a lot of help. … We’ve got people to work very hard on the costuming and choreography and the sets, which will be another chal lenge for the Beast. It’s just an extraordi nary amount of people, extraordinary amount of work, to make it feel legitimate and to make it something that we can be proud of.”

With its diverse array of performanc es, Gallaugher says the audience can ex pect an enjoyable viewing experience, no matter which show they choose to attend in the 2023 season.

“You get a lot of different types of en tertainment, so I think our slate for next year is going to be a little bit of some thing for everybody,” Gallaugher says. “It’s something that I think will appeal to a very wide range, even for people who aren’t theater people.”

Lauren Serge is an editorial assistant for CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

Fur Has a Face

Foxes take the runway to bring awareness to animal cruelty

By Claire McLean

Ashared passion, and a plat form on which to express it, has the power to bring people together. This rings true for Pickerington-based fashion design er Marchell Lavon, whose unique show premieres at the Wigwam Event Center this October.

Lavon has always been inter ested in fabrics and fashion, which led her to launch her first runway show in 2008 in Franklin Park. Since then, she has worked with ac cessory company Charming Char lie’s, and has traveled around the country to showcase her work. Af ter her own fashion business began to grow, she returned to Columbus to work locally. Upon her return, she put on several local shows with other producers and companies.

But Lavon isn’t a typical design er, and uses fashion to uplift causes she believes in.

“I’ve always just been different,” Lavon says. “As I got older, I discov ered what that little quirk was about me, and just blossomed from there.”

Titled Fur has a Face, Lavon’s 2022 show is a partnership with Walking Wild Rescue, a Newarkbased nonprofit that provides a safe haven for captive-bred foxes and wolf dogs. The sanctuary was founded in 2020 with a mission to put an end to the fur business. Currently, it houses more than 100 rescue animals, most of which were born and raised in fur farms or bred for the pet industry. The sanctuary provides animals with constant ac

Models Alyssa Atherly, Cameron Edinger and Destiny Callahan

Photo by Donald Sgontz

performance, multiple vendors, a cash bar, food trucks, a raffle and more.

As a Pickerington resident creating and showcasing art in Pickerington, La von’s show will be a uniquely local ex perience.

“I’m local, I live here in Pickering ton, and we’re using the actual local event venue here,” Lavon says. “It’s really beautiful. It’s kind of hidden and it’s kind of like a cabin, woodsy environment so it’s perfect for the foxes and it’s perfect for that whole ideal – that theme.”

Claire McLean is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

cess to both indoor and outdoor spaces where they’re able to play and relax. It always accepts foxes that need rehoming as well.

This unique partnership was born when one of Lavon’s models passed along her name to Walking Wild Rescue at a networking event. Walking Wild Rescue had been considering bringing in a de signer to shed light on the controversy surrounding fur in the fashion world. In November 2021, the sanctuary reached out to Lavon. Since then, they have been working together to create a runway show that not only showcases Lavon’s unique style, but also educates the public about harm inflicted by the fur industry.

“I have two dogs, I love animals,” La von says. “I work with fur, but not real fur. So, (Walking Wild Rescue’s) vision and my vision definitely matched up and it was kind of a beautiful fit.”

During Fur has a Face, live foxes will strike a pose on the runway, and the morning of the show, guests with meet and greet tickets will be able to learn intimately about the organization and hold one of the foxes. A portion of the show’s proceeds will also benefit Walking Wild Rescue. In addition to the meet and greet, guests can also enjoy a live band

The show will be held at Nov. 6 at the Wigwam Event Center from 6-9 p.m. More information about the event can be found at www.mllavon.com.

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Photo by Donald Sgontz

student spotlight By Tyler Kirkendall

Fine Art Finalist

Pickerington North student’s art places among top 25 pieces in the state

sees and I said, ‘That would be funny,’ and went from there.”

Hands stems from Peck’s fascination with our most used appendage.

“I think hands are really beautiful,” she says. “I think they tell a story that words can’t.”

The Youth Art Exhibition also con nects post-secondary schools with pro spective students. Colleges often reward students who finish in the top 25 with scholarships or opportunities to partici pate in summer programs.

Following the April exhibition, Peck received two scholarship offers to take summer classes at different universities. She chose to take a figure drawing class at Ohio University in the summer and had her tuition fees covered.

Afterhundreds of works of art were submitted by Pickerington area art ists to the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, Pickerington North High School student Sophia Peck couldn’t have imagined that her work would be chosen as one of 25 recipients of the Governor’s Award of Excellence.

On top of the hundreds of works from Peck’s region, she had to compete with thousands more from the other 14 regions in the state. The exhibition, held in April, took place when Sophia was a sophomore. With no expectations, Peck didn’t submit her pieces, Food POV and Hands, until the submission deadline day.

“It was just a casual submission I wasn’t expecting to get in,” Peck says. “Then I did … and I was just blown away.”

The Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhi bition is an annual event open to all 1,112 public and private high schools in Ohio. It’s chartered by the Ohio Department of Education, and strives to highlight excep tional student work in visual arts.

Both Food POV and Hands were select ed to be part of the showcase.

Peck says Food POV was a bit of an accident: She was given an assignment to recreate an image of a mouth, but then added her own flair on top of it.

“I did this weird perspective of my chapped lips,” she says. “Then it kind of looked like the point of view of what food

Peck says she previously hadn’t really considered attending college, but her experi ence at OU may have changed that.

“I didn’t even think I would really want to go to college,” she says. “I just had it for a week and I had loads of fun so I think it’s definitely something I’d be inter ested in.”

She’s sure now, more than ever, that she wants to pursue a career in visual art.

“People ask you, ‘What do you like to do, what are your hob bies?’” she says. “And it’s always been art and I think it will always be art.”

Peck’s mother, Ai mee, has always been her biggest supporter. It was at Aimee’s en couragement that Peck submitted her work to the Youth Exhibition.

“My mom encour ages me to really get my name out there and to

Sophia Peck stands outside the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition in downtown Columbus.

Photo courtesy of Sophia Peck

Peck’s depiction of her mother, Aimee, whom she says is always encouraging.

Peck’s award-winning Hands, which she made with colored pencil.

Peck’s award-winning Food POV, which was made with acrylic paint.

make it as an artist,” Peck says. “I feel like a lot of artists’ parents are like, ‘Oh, well, that’s not a real job.’ But my mom isn’t like that at all. She encouraged me.”

Peck is passionate about visual art and the impact it can have on arts patrons.

“I think it’s just awesome to have people all looking at the same thing but thinking something different,” she says, “and someone made that, and I just want to be that. I want to make that ex perience for people.”

Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at tkirkendall@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

By Claire Miller

A Good Afternoon

Tea, spice and everything nice for fall

Afternoon tea is more than a mid day break; it’s an experience. The quiet clinking of teacups and stirring of spoons, the aroma of tea and baked goods in a relaxing atmosphere and the calm, coziness of being with friends.

But you don’t have to travel to England to enjoy teatime. As owner of Posh Teatime Co., Ella Williams is an expert on curating the perfect afternoon tea experience.

“Afternoon tea is an opportunity to gather and build interpersonal rela tionships and have an in-person experi ence,” she says.

Williams says the key to the perfect cup of tea is all in the brewing process.

RECIPE

Upside-Down Spice Plum Cake

Serves: 4-8, Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

Lemon & Thyme Syrup

Topping

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Juice of 1 ½ lemons

• ¼ cup butter salted or unsalted, melted

• ½ cup dark brown sugar

• 4-5 fresh plums, thinly sliced

• 6-8 sprigs of thyme, washed

Spiced Cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

• ¾ cup sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Set aside a few sprigs of thyme to decorate the cake.

Finely chop or bruise remaining thyme in a mortar and pestle.

Place brown sugar and juice in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the base thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Place crushed thyme and butter into syrup and infuse for five minutes, keeping at a simmer.

Grease cake pans with butter and pour the lemon thyme syrup into one 9-inch cake pan or divide among two 6-inch cake pans, ensuring that it covers the bottom of the pan.

Arrange the thinly sliced plums over the bottom of the pan.

Beat butter and sugar in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and medium sized bowl until creamy.

Add eggs one at a time until combined.

Stir in pure vanilla extract and room temperature sour cream. Beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Gradually add the flour mix to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture by hand to prevent over beating.

Spoon batter into the pan and spread evenly over the plums, being careful not to move the slices.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the middle of the cake and comes out clean.

Place the cake on a wire rack to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife along the side of the pan to help the cake release.

Place your serving plate over the cake pan and invert cake onto the plate. Decorate with the reserved sprigs of thyme. Serve cake warm or at room temperature. Whipped cream recommended.

26 www.pickeringtonmagazine.com Photos courtesy of Ella Williams

She recommends using cold spring or purified water and loose-leaf tea strained through a tea strainer.

Another important element is to use quality accouterments. For ex ample, Williams uses organic honey and makes sugar cubes from scratch. When it comes to afternoon tea, those little details make a big difference.

Prior to starting her business, Williams hosted afternoon tea parties with friends at her home. A seasoned tea maker, hostess and expert in eti quette, her friends soon began to en courage her to turn her tea parties into a business. So, in April 2021, Williams opened Posh Teatime Co. as a mobile teatime caterer. As her business grows, she’s begun the search for a brick and mortar location.

Williams offers complimentary et iquette lessons at Huckleberry House and tea education on her blog.

At home, try Williams’ upsidedown spice plum cake, the perfect pairing to any cup of tea.

Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Top homes sold in Pickerington

In July 2022, Pickerington home prices were up 10.2 percent compared to last year, selling for a median price of $390K. On average, homes in Pickerington sell after 36 days on the market, equal to last year. There were 97 homes sold in July this year, down from 107 last year.

Franklin County auditors’ offices.

793 Littleton Dr.

4 beds 2.5 baths $689,990 Sol on 7/11/22

816 Kelburn Ln.

4 beds 3.5 baths $635,000 Sold on 7/18/22

108 Egret Ct.

4 beds 2.5 baths $622,244 Sold on 7/14/22

205 Partridge Ct.

4 beds 2.5 baths $599,990 Sold on 7/19/22

112 Lone Elk Ct.

3 beds 3.5 baths $585,000 Sold on 8/8/22

718 Bretforton St.

4 beds 3 baths $545,000 Sold on 7/2/22

183 Kohler St.

4 beds 2.5 baths $511,734 Sold on 7/14/22

249 Crestview Ct. 4 beds 2.5 baths $507,810 Sold on 7/26/22

260 Fox Glen Dr. East 4 beds 2.5 baths $501,000 Sold on 7/5/22

151 Leasure Dr. 4 beds 3.5 baths $500,500 Sold on 8/15/22

103 Carr Ct. 4 beds 3.5 baths $500,000 Sold on 7/26/22

11894 Springcreek Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $497,000 Sold on 7/7/22

Samuel Cooper DBA Sam Cooper Team

what’s your style?

Sam Cooper (614) 561-3201 sam.cooper@herrealtors.com

Sam Cooper (614) 561-3201

sam.cooper@herrealtors.com

8533 Nightstar Ct. | $369,900 | Outstanding two-story home on cul de sac lot with big fenced in backyard, covered front porch, formal dining room, family room with hardwood flooring and fireplace, remodeled kitchen with Corian counters, stainless steel appliances, finished lower-level with bathroom, owners bedroom with walk-in closet, powder room and full bath, large bedrooms upstairs, new carpeting, high end windows with custom blinds

SAM COOPER – HER REALTORS/HOWARD HANNA

9418 Timberbank Cir | $584,900 | Two Story Home in ‘’Glenshire ‘’ Subdivision on large lot, fenced in backyard with inground pool & covered back porch, newer roof, formal dining room, 1st floor home office, hardwood floors, great room with fireplace, florida room, granite kitchen with island, owner’s bedroom with two walk in closets & full bath, upstairs bedrooms w/ walk in closet(s), big finished basement.

SAM COOPER – HER REALTORS/HOWARD HANNA

Full Metal Panic! Collector’s Edition 1

by Shouji Gatou, illustrator Shikidouji

Sagara Sousuke isn’t your typical high school student. He reads mili tary enthusiast magazines; he responds to questions with “affirmative;” he brings grenades to school in his bag. Though ev eryone at school takes him for a hopeless military geek, Chidori Kaname thinks there might be something more to him. When their plane is hijacked in the middle of a field trip, Kaname’s in stincts will prove correct: Sousuke is an elite, mech-piloting mercenary... and he’s here to protect her! – publisher

Unravel by Sharon Jennings

A girl slowly real izes that life with her father is not as it should be. When Rebecca asks about their family, he tells her that they are all dead. Rebecca, whose voice is precise and slightly formal, finds kinship in characters from literature. Slowly, memories surface: Recollections of a bunny and a fascina tion with Audrey Hepburn lead her to ask questions that Joe will not answer. It is Rebecca’s initiative that ultimately leads to the resolution of this absorbing tale. This short novel deals with family dysfunc tion through the eyes of a young person through a central mystery that gradually unfurls. – Kirkus Reviews

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

Johnson gleefully takes a stab at the slasher movie trope by send ing her teen detective on a cold case at a sum mer camp. This satisfying standalone mystery will delight fans of teen hor ror flicks and true-crime

New temporary

Pickerington Public Library

documentaries, as well as those who pre fer their mysteries wrapped up after one volume. Here’s hoping this highly enter taining volume isn’t the last we hear from Stevie Bell. — Horn Book Magazine

Queer Ducks by Eliot Schrefer

This delightfully educational teennonfiction explores precisely what it promises on the cover (and more!).

Explanations of research into queer animal sexuality are punctuated by interviews with scientists in the field today who share resources and model what it looks like to pursue a career in science. – library staff

How to Catch a Class Pet by Alice Walstead and Andy Elkerton

The class pets escaped from their cages and are running loose in your school! Join the fun and find out if you have what it takes to catch these riotous pets on their wild field trip! – li brary staff

Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome by Kat Zhang

Amy Wu would love to wel come the new stu dent in her class, but Lin has just come from China and does not speak much English. With the help of her family, Amy tries to work out a way to bridge the language gap. – library staff

Rosie and the Pre-loved Dress by Leanne Hatch

Rosie finds the most beautiful yel low dress thrifting with her mother and she knows it is meant for her! There is a

name on the tag – Mila. What magical things did Mila do in the dress? This book shares all the joy and wonder of find ing just the perfect piece of recycled clothing. –publisher

Let’s Make a Contract by Jill C. Dardig

For families that have children strug gling with behavior challenges, contracting is a simple yet power ful way to change that behavior in a positive way. Includes beauti fully illustrated stories to read together with your child and provides a four-part process that includes clear expectations, positive feedback and a sense of accomplishment for the child. Sample contracting forms and supportive materials are supplied. – publisher

Smells Like Tween Spirit – a novel

by Laurie Gelman

Whether you are a “mat mom” or “baseball mom” this laugh out loud book encompasses the whole messy family experience with a middle school stu dent that plays sports. – library staff

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Out o the York shire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book’s content after eat ing it. Devon is part of the Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. She realizes that life doesn’t always come with happy endings. This is her story. – publisher

Sycamore Plaza – 7861 Refugee Rd. | 614-837-4383

Main – 201 Opportunity Way | 614-837-4104

Sunday 1-5 p.m.

Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. | Friday & Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday 1-5 p.m. | Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. | Friday & Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Hours are subject to change due to health concerns

Submitted by Colleen Bauman, Community Engagement Manager at the Pickerington Public Librarybookmarks

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE

BEST

You deserve the very best healthcare. And you can count on Mount Carmel to provide exactly that. That’s why U.S. News & World Report has recognized the exceptional care Mount Carmel provides in its 2021–22 ranking of U.S. hospitals. Mount Carmel New Albany received high-performing ratings in back surgery (spinal fusion), hip fracture, hip replacement and knee replacement procedures.