Westerville Magazine March/April 2017

Medicine

Woman Live theater troupe founder Kristie Koehler Vuocolo

www.westervillemagazine.com

Boosting Education Year of Leadership Sustainable Living

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Location

Our beautiful campus is conveniently located in Westerville, just off the I-270 outerbelt or I-71.

Scholarships Available

Proud participant in the Post 9/11 Yellow Ribbon program

Otterbein University

118 Towers Hall, 1 South Grove Street Westerville, OH 43081

REGISTER TODAY

otterbein.edu/InfoSession or call 614.823.1344 #Otterbein

Summer term classes begin May 8, 2017

Š OhioHealth Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. 96798-FY16-139-2-8001. 01/16.

OhioHealth Westerville Medical Campus

More expert care than you expected, closer than you ever imagined.

+ A variety of healthcare services, conveniently in one place, including physical therapy, imaging, mammography and lab services + Our team of expert physicians include primary care, heart and vascular, neurology, orthopedics, foot and ankle, sports medicine and more + 24/7 emergency care as well as the latest treatments in our outpatient surgery center

Find a physician at OhioHealth.com/Westerville

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Garth Bishop Managing Editor Hannah Bealer Editor Amanda DePerro Assistant Editor Jenny Wise Contributing Editor Sarah Davis Contributing Writers Amanda Etchison Lydia Freudenberg Ann Poirier Chris Woodley Valerie Mauger Editorial Assistant

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4 March/April 2017

www.westervillemagazine.com

Inside 09

MARCH/APRIL 2017 VOL. 16 NO. 4

06 community calendar 09 city reporter

CityReporter News and Information from the City of Westerville

News and Information from the City of Westerville

15 faces

Acting Up The mind behind Westerville’s new live theater troupe

18 in focus

18

Know. Understand. Care.

‘Higher’ Education Lead Higher Initiative offers underserved groups access to high-level courses

20 Follow the Leader

Community for Life

Westerville’s Year of Leadership honors community contributions

(614) 888-7492

www.wesleyglen.com 5155 North High Street • Columbus, Ohio 43214 Affiliated with Methodist ElderCare Services |

22 Take it Easel

Westerville Education Foundation auctions local art to fund teacher grants

24 Around Westerville 26 living

From Cramped to Colossal Closet expansion leads to renovated bathroom and more

28 on the table

26

The Environment-Minded Professor

Otterbein’s Paul Wendel lives the

sustainable lifestyle in Westerville

30 bookmarks

Find Westerville Magazine on Facebook Read more online at WestervilleMagazine.com www.westervillemagazine.com

Recommendations from the Westerville Public Library

On the Cover: Kristie Koehler Vuocolo Photo by Wes Kroninger Story on page 15

March/April 2017

5

2017

SAT FRI THU 4 3 2 11 10 9 8 18 7 17 6 16 5 15 25 14 24 13 23 12 22 21 31 20 30 19 29 28 27 26

WED TUE MON 1 SUN

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

March March 24-26

Otterbein University Opera Theatre presents The Medium 8 p.m. March 24-25, 2 p.m.

March 26, Riley Auditorium, Battelle Fine Arts Center, 170 W. Park St., www.otterbein.edu

WESTERVILLE -DENTAL HEALTH-

March 24-April 9

Curtain Players Theatre presents Rabbit Hole 8 p.m. March 24, 25, 31, April 1, 7, 8; 2 p.m. April 2, 9; Curtain Players Theatre, 5691 Harlem Rd., Galena, www.curtainplayers.org

Pianist Alexander Schimpf

We’re Just a Smile Away!

Stephen R Malik, DDS –General Dentistry– Dr. Malik has more than 25 years of experience.

OFFERING: Gentle Caring Staff Same Day Crowns Botox® Juvéderm® Nitrous Oxide Saturday Appointments Accepting New Patients!

614.882.6741 180 Commerce Park Dr. Westerville, OH 43082 Located in office complex, last building on the left by the bike path. westervilledentalhealth.com 6 March/April 2017

March 2

Dr. Seuss Birthday Party 4 p.m., Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St., www.westervillelibrary.org

March 2-5

Arnold Sports Festival Throughout Columbus, www.arnoldsportsfestival.com

March 4

March 12

Westerville Symphony presents Masterworks II 5 p.m., Riley Auditorium, Battelle Fine Arts Center, 170 W. Park St., www. westervillesymphony.org

March 19

Otterbein Singers 8 p.m., Church of the Master, 24 N. Grove St., www.otterbein.edu

Westerville Lions Club Pancake Breakfast 7 a.m., American Legion Post March 24 Westerville Historical Society 171, 393 E. College Ave., presents Byrd 1933 www.westervillelions.org 7 p.m., Westerville Public March 6-April 28 Library, 126 S. State St., Senior Art Exhibitions www.westervillehistory.org Miller Gallery, Art and Communication Building, 33 Collegeview Rd., www.otterbein.edu

March 25

Serving Our Seniors Day 9 a.m.-noon, Westerville South High School, 303 S. Otterbein Ave., www.westerville.org

March 29

Pianist Alexander Schimpf 8 p.m., Riley Auditorium, Battelle Fine Arts Center, 170 W. Park St., www.otterbein.edu

March 30-April 8

Otterbein University presents Damn Yankees 7:30 p.m. March 30; 8 p.m.

March 31, April 1, 2, 6, 7, 8; 2 p.m. April 2; Fritsche Theatre, Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., www.otterbein.edu

March 9-12

Westerville North High School presents Cinderella 7 p.m. March 9-11, 2 p.m.

March 12, Westerville North High School, 950 County Line Rd., www.westervillenorth.com

March 12

Tenor Daniel Neer 2 p.m., Riley Auditorium, Battelle Fine Arts Center, 170 W. Park St., www.otterbein.edu Arnold Sports Festival www.westervillemagazine.com

April April 2

Underwater Egg Hunt 6-8 p.m., Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave., www.westerville.org

April 8

Taking Tea with Major Pauline Cushman 10 a.m.-noon, Hanby House, 160 W. Main St., www.hanbyhouse.org

April 9

Choo Choo 9 Miler and 5K 8:45 a.m. Kids Fun Run, 9 a.m. 9-Mile and 5K Run/ Walk, Alum Creek Park, 221 W. Main St., www.runsignup.com

Photos courtesy of Roger Mastroianni, Arnold Sports Festival, Columbus Running Company and Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce

April 9

Choo Choo 9 Miler and 5K

April 22

Hoover Invitational Rowing Regatta 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Hoover Reservoir, 7701 Sunbury Rd., www.westervillecrew.org

Westerville Community Concert Band/Grove City Community Winds Combined Concert 3 p.m., Westerville Central High School, 7118 Mt. Royal Ave., www.westervillebands.org

April 23

April 9

April 27

Westerville Symphony presents Masterworks III 5 p.m., Fritsche Theatre, Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., www.westervillesymphony.org

A Joyful Noise: Otterbein String Orchestra 7 p.m., Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 100 E. Schrock Rd., www.otterbein.edu

Taste of Westerville 6-9 p.m., The Lakes Golf & Country Club, 6740 Worthington Rd., www. westervillechamber.com

April 15

April 28

Westerville Civitan Club Easter Egg Hunt 11 a.m.-noon, Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave., www.westervillecivitan.org

Mount Carmel St. Ann’s 4th Friday: Uptown Alive!

6-9 p.m., Uptown Westerville, www.visitwesterville.org

April 28-30

Westerville South High School presents Grease Westerville South High School, 303 S. Otterbein Ave., www.westerville.k12. oh.us

April 28-30

Westerville Central High School presents Guys and Dolls Westerville Central High School, 7118 Mt. Royal Ave., www.wchstheatre.org

April 29

Katie Dunning Spring Dance 6-8:30 p.m., Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave., www.westervillecivitan.org

April 29-30

NARI of Central Ohio Spring Home Improvement Showcase Throughout central Ohio, www.trustnari.org

Taste of Westerville www.westervillemagazine.com

March/April 2017

7

It takes a Village and Parkside is the Best!

EXPERIENCE THE DANBURY DIFFERENCE!

Thank You For

5 Years!

Parkside Village is proud to celebrate our 5 year anniversary! When we opened in April 2012, our vision was to change the Senior Living industry, and that is what we have done! Our greatest compliments are in response to our warm and caring atmosphere and recognition of the strong connection between residents and staff.

PARKSIDE VILLAGE HAS A LOT TO BE PROUD OF… • LONGEVITY OF OUR STAFF – We’re here because we love our residents!

• GREAT REPUTATION – Our focus is our residents, and because of that, our reputation speaks for itself!

• PART OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY – Our extensive Life Enrichment programs enable our residents to be active within the local community.

• BEAUTIFUL VIEWS – We have the best of both worlds...a beautiful country setting, but close to all of Westerville’s amenities.

• NEW ADDITIONS – We broke ground in December 2016 in response to the request for additional independent living, assisted living, and memory care apartments. We look forward to opening our new addition in early 2018!

But most of all, we are proud to have the

BEST RESIDENTS IN TOWN! To arrange your personal visit, please call Kristel Smith at 614-794-9300!

730 N. Spring Rd., Westerville, OH 43082

DanburySeniorLiving.com

Pet Friendly

NEWS FROM THE CITY OF WESTERVILLE • MARCH/APRIL 2017

CityReporter www.westerville.org

Westerville Residents Deliver City Report Card Westerville residents continue to express high satisfaction levels, as measured in the 2016 online resident survey, with consistently high ratings for City programs and services.

The survey was active online from early November-Dec. 31, 2016, and responses increased by more than 32 percent from 2014 to 2016, with a total of 1,438 full and valid responses. Strategic Research Group, a Columbusbased survey research firm, was again selected by the City to conduct the community poll.

Ratings for City departments and staff continue to follow trends identified in residents’ surveys since 2005.

Residents continue to agree that information is accessible, services meet their expectations and financial management meets expectations. In fact, 88 percent of residents state they are satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of services provided by the City.

“The resident survey is our report card,” said Westerville City Manager David Collinsworth. “We take residents’ opinions and feedback from this biennial effort and use it to examine the way we’re delivering our programs and services. We want to know how residents currently feel and how they feel over time about the same issues, so we’re not only looking at what they said late last year, but if the needle is moving in the right direction in terms of overall satisfaction and quality of life factors.”

Key findings from the 2016 survey include: www.westervillemagazine.com

• Westerville residents continue to express a positive tone about City services and programs, most commonly selecting words such “friendly,” “safe” or some variation of “family” or “family-friendly” to describe the community.

• When asked why they chose to live in Westerville, the most common reasons selected (in order): overall safety of the community, quality of City services and the family-friendly nature of the City.

• The “Most Important” issue selection for residents (first choice of three) is “fiscal management and responsibility.” “Infrastructure and roadway maintenance” and “public safety and emergency management” were second- and thirdchoice priorities, respectively.

• Residents say the most important public safety issue is “maintaining emergency response times,” followed closely by “routine patrol of residential areas.” Concern about “substance abuse and drug interdiction” increased notably (from 6.4 percent in 2014 to 11.3 percent in 2016) and ranked as the third most important public safety issue for residents.

• But residents, on average, feel safe in Westerville. They feel most safe in their own homes, but rated feeling at least “safe” in Westerville as a whole, in individual neighborhoods (day and night), in parks and on bikeways and leisure paths.

The vast majority of residents believe the City does a good job promoting recycling and conservation (88 percent).

Thanks, Westerville, for helping us recycle, reuse and reduce waste.

Most of Westerville likes Facebook. More than three-fourths of residents use the social media site.

Age Demographics 18-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-older

17.1 percent 14 percent 19.3 percent 30.8 percent 18.8 percent

(from survey response)

The effects of nearly two years of a major infrastructure and roadway construction project (South State Street Improvement Project Phase II) was notable in the survey results.

• Approximately 72 percent of residents believe (agreed/strongly agreed) the quality of Westerville’s infrastructure has improved in the last two years. That number declined from 83 percent in 2014, but was up from 69 percent in 2012.

• When asked if traffic flows on Westerville’s main arteries were improving, more than 67 percent of respondents selected some level of disagreement with the statement. continued on page 13 March/April 2017

9

CityReporter

Public Safety Profile

The Westerville Division of Police is Looking for You

By Cpl. Aaron Dickison

force positions with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, As the City of Westerville Federal Bureau of Investigrows and changes, so does gation, U.S. Secret Service the Westerville Division of and other central Ohio law Police (WPD). WPD will be enforcement organizations. going through a number of Additionally, there are a vachanges in the near future, riety of other ancillary duties with the retirements of exand assignments available. ceptional officers and various Cpl. Aaron Dickison We are committed to propromotions within the department. viding outstanding service to citizens We are looking for dedicated men and making Westerville a safe and and women to ensure we maintain the vibrant community. We do this by highest level of service to the com- making our core values of Integrity, munity. This mission is accomplished Responsibility, Loyalty and Honesty an through the services provided by our integral part of our daily lives. dedicated staff members in conjuncWPD strives to reflect the diversity tion with strong community participa- of the citizens we serve. We are looktion and support. ing for the best qualified applicants Our organization’s philosophy is available who share our core values high-visibility, total-resource polic- and commitment to service. ing. We offer many opportunities The Westerville Division of Police for advancement and movement will be testing for the position of Powithin the department, including lice Officer this May. For questions or patrol, K-9, investigations, school further information on the minimum resource officers, crime prevention, qualifications, hiring process, pay and joint tactical team members and task benefits, please email us JoinWPD@

westerville.org or visit www.westerville. org/joinWPD for more information.

Minimum Requirements U.S. Citizen: Yes Age: 21 Ability to Read/Speak English: Yes Vision: Must have corrected vision in both eyes to 20/20 and no color blindness College: Bachelor’s degree preferred, but not required Academy Certification: Ohio Peace Officer Training Certification preferred, but not required prior to appointment. Non-certified candidates will be enrolled in an academy as soon as practical after appointment.

Prior Experience: Preferred, but not required Necessary Certifications: Valid Ohio driver’s license or ability to obtain an Ohio license during the probationary period School Prior and Post Hiring: High school graduate or GED Felony, Criminal Activity Disqualifiers: See standards for employment

This Day in History April 5, 1917

Local Resident Invents New Spin on Checkers The City of Westerville has long welcomed innovators, even 100 years ago.

In April 1917, the Westerville Public Opinion reported that resident Leland Bennett applied for a patent on two games: three-way checkers and neutral checkers. The first game added a third player to the traditional game of checkers, creating a more complex and engaging game. The latter combined the game of chess with checkers, and was said to be easier to pick up than chess. Before seeking his patent, Bennett toured area groups with his inventions to favorable reviews. According to the century-old article, Bennett created the games while studying at Ohio Wesleyan University and planned to distribute them to local YMCAs and chess clubs.

10 March/April 2017

www.westervillemagazine.com

CityReporter

Economic Development Profile

Entrepreneurship is Alive and Well in Westerville

Westerville is well-known as a place for families to flourish, but it’s also a place for businesses to grow. While residents may be most familiar with a flurry of new eateries and restaurants coming to town, the City is also home to technology companies that are gaining national attention.

Technology startup Nexosis is poised for continued growth after being selected for the first Target + Techstars retail accelerator program in June 2016. The program focuses on bringing innovative technology solutions to the retail industry.

According to Nexosis, the company’s machine-learning platform, called Axon, the company’s automated artificial intelligence platform, “solves complex time series problems … and is currently used today for demand forecasting/sensing, demand planning, replenishment and personnel planning.”

Momentum has continued to Ryan Sevey, co-counder and CEO, and Jason grow; the company announced Montgomery, co-founder and CTO, of Nexosis that it closed $5 million in seed funding in December.

Nikola Labs Inc., a wireless power company touting a proprietary energy-harvesting system, is a tenant of the Point at Otterbein University, the STEAM Innovation Center that blends academics with the business needs of the community.

Erin Bender, executive director of the Point, said students have benefitted from witnessing the Nikola Labs team in action.

“The Point is a startup environment; (the Nikola Labs team is) extremely hungry and always out looking for new information,” said Bender.

“It’s been great to give our students the opportunity to see a different way of working.”

The company beat 23 other companies to win “best pitch” at the Plug-and-Play Winter Summit event in Silicon Valley in late 2016. Plugand-Play is an international innovation platform that runs industryspecific startup programs and connects startups to corporations, among other things.

When considering the benefits that Westerville presents to technology companies, Bender cites the diverse business landscape and the variety of amenities that are desirable to young professionals.

“When you think about the types of employees these companies bring in, Westerville offers young professionals the opportunity to work, live and play,” said Bender.

For more information on economic development initiatives and business in the community, please visit business.westerville.org. www.westervillemagazine.com

Mark Your Calendars Ohio’s Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week March 19-25 Statewide Tornado Drill Wednesday, March 22 9:50 a.m.

Flood Safety Awareness Week March 19-25 www.weathersafety.ohio.gov Serving Our Seniors (SOS) Day Saturday, March 25 9 a.m.-noon Westerville South High School; free Older adults, their caregivers and crime prevention professionals come together to talk about strategies and resources for older adults to enjoy a safe, healthy environment.

The Westerville Division of Police will overview topics including insurance fraud and scams, identity theft protection, personal safety and security solutions, caregiving aid, and estate planning.

Income Tax Filing Tuesday, April 18 Income tax forms are available on the City of Westerville website for 2016 income tax, due Tuesday, April 18. Visit www. westerville.org/incometax or look for links from the front page of the site to access forms and helpful links. The Income Tax Department offers assistance to all filers, including form preparation, expanded office hours and e-filing services. Extended office hours will be offered Saturday, April 8, 8 a.m.-noon and Tuesday, April 11, 7 a.m.6 p.m. For more information, contact the department or stop by the office to speak with a representative.

64 E. Walnut St. Westerville, Ohio 43081 Phone: 614-901-6420 Fax: 614-901-6820 Email: incometax@westerville.org Regular Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

March/April 2017

11

CityReporter

Staff Profile

2016 Employee of the Year Josh Cox

City Manager Dave Collinsworth (left) and Josh Cox

Josh Cox is the kind of information technology expert his staff colleagues truly appreciate. He’s humble, modest and eagerly helpful. When he was named the City’s 2016 Employee of the Year, Josh was recognized for being “modest about knowledge and experience … but confident in his abilities.”

A student of leadership and committed lifelong learner who is now actively pursuing a master’s degree, Josh is known as someone who won’t waste time worrying. He puts ideas into action and sees obstacles as challenges to conquer. In fact, that may be what his staff colleagues appreciate most about him: putting ever-changing technology into terms anyone can understand.

Congratulations, 2016 Employee of the Year Josh Cox. Congratulations on this achievement. What does this award mean to you?

This is very special to me because one of my peers took the time to explain why I was worthy of this award.

There are so many talented employees within the City, and being selected by my peers for employee of the year is a true honor.

12 March/April 2017

Where are you from originally and how did you get to Westerville?

I grew up just outside of Marion, where I attended a very small rural school; I graduated with just over 90 other students. After college, I reached out to one of my friends who, at the time, was working for the City, and that conversation led to me applying for an open position as a systems analyst in the Information Systems department.

How did you come to be in this profession?

Choosing a profession for me is a funny subject. Many years ago, I was having a conversation with a family member, and they thought IT positions were the hot new thing and the pay within the field was really good, so I took that information and made the decision. I think back now and can’t believe I made one of the most critical decisions of my life that quickly and with little to no personal research.

However, 11 years later, I am very grateful I listened to that family member.

What is a typical day for you as the City’s database administrator?

The largest portion of my position is ensuring that the advanced meter systems for the electric and water divisions are operational and functioning as intended. For the past several years, I have been a core team member on the WERKS projects, which has led me down a new and exciting path. (WERKS is Westerville’s internal enterprise management system.) I have been given the opportunity by the Finance and IS departments to

manage the utility billing portion of the project, and I’ve enjoyed working with a great team to bring the new system online last December.

What is the most rewarding experience you have had in your years with the City?

As an IT professional, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of many projects within the city, but I would say the most rewarding experience has been being a part of the WERKS project team. Over the past three years, we have worked as a team to cultivate a great working environment along with true friendships. I can remember attending many planning sessions that were just the beginning of the project, and now, with 2016 being the year that we get to see many of the new systems come to fruition, I relate it to a proud Dad moment. Also, along the way I have forged many great relationships with the other team members, and I am sure those relationships will carry forward for many years to come.

As a technology professional, what is a common question you get asked outside of work?

When conversations come up about what I do for a career, I usually answer that I work in IT. But the most common question I get asked outside of work is “My computer seems to be acting funny; do you know what might be wrong with it?” This question is like asking your mechanic if he knows what is wrong with your car before he even sees or hears it.

What is something about the programs/projects you manage that people may not know?

When attending meetings, I enjoy looking for potential areas that could benefit from process improvement and increased efficiency. My favorite part of this area is marrying a great piece www.westervillemagazine.com

CityReporter

City Report Card continued from page 9

of technology to an improved process which can take a good product to the next level.

• Yet, more than half of those surveyed believe Westerville’s overall traffic flow on main streets is as good as traffic flow on main streets in other Central Ohio suburbs.

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

I love spending time with my wife, Ashley, and our 5-year-old son, Benaiah. Also, when time allows, I enjoy smoking meat, which usually equates to inviting friends and family over to enjoy with us. I’m passionate about serving the community through our local church in Marion. I enjoy this area of life because it affords me the opportunity to go out into the community and help those who may not have been as fortunate as I have been in life.

“We expected to see some public frustration in the survey results coming off nearly two full years of public construction in phase two of the South State Street improvement project,” said Collinsworth. “When we promised the residents we would improve the southern gateway corridor in 2008 and, ultimately, extend roadway and infrastructure improvements north, that was a multi-year commitment. The good news is we’re near the end of the major construction in that area, with Phase II expected to be complete in May.”

The City of Westerville also recognizes departments that demonstrate excellence year-round in creating a culture of safety, encouraging health and wellness, and saving public dollars.

These awards recognize the collective efforts staff and management in collaboration, creativity and coordination.

“Safety Matters” Award Planning & Development Department Wellness Award Westerville Electric Division “WeSave” Department of the Year Gold Award – Westerville Electric Division Silver Award – Parks and Recreation Department

Residents took time to fill out a special section devoted to communication preferences. The results help City administration and communicators understand how to best reach residents with information, news and alerts about service, programs and opportunities.

• Residents say they read City publications, and prefer them over the weekly community newspaper. The City website and social media accounts also have traction in reaching our intended audiences.

• The City website is most useful to residents while events, news, updates and current information on parks and recreation classes are easily accessible.

• Awareness of the “My Westerville” app is not very widespread at this point and has been used for a variety of functions by those who have tried it.

Finally, residents appear generally supportive of business and economic development efforts in Westerville.

• When asked if Westerville does a good job managing retail and business growth, more than 80 percent marked “agree” or “strongly agree.” Further, more than 78 percent said Westerville promotes a business-friendly environment.

• When it comes to tax breaks or financial incentives to attract new business, two out of three residents agree/strongly agree the City should do so.

• On a related topic, more than 72 percent of residents agree/strongly agree that Westerville does a good job managing housing growth.

“Support from residents for business coming to and staying in Westerville is critical to the City’s long-term economic health,” said Collinsworth.

“Residents seem to understand the balancing act that requires local investment to leverage growth and development in the business sector and that, in the end, that investment pays dividends.”

Tracking survey trends since 2005, Westerville residents continue to express growing satisfaction in nearly every area of community life. Consistency is also seen in long-term views on traffic, which is considered a challenge and most commonly cited as residents’ chief complaint.

Bronze Award – Westerville Division of Police For the full survey report, visit www.westerville.org/survey. www.westervillemagazine.com

March/April 2017

13

CityReporter Mini Shutterbugs Every year, the “Shutterbugs” submitted photo feature that runs in the May/June edition of Westerville Magazine has been overwhelmingly popular. For that reason, we’ve decided to give our readers more opportunities to send in their photos and feature one per issue in this space.

This issue’s photo was submitted by Emily Kuhn.

Please send photo submissions to westervillemag@gmail.com by March 31 to be considered for the March/April issue. Photos must be high-resolution and horizontal.

Westerville Community Contacts FIRE/MEDICAL/POLICE EMERGENCY. 9-1-1 Gas/Carbon Monoxide Leaks. . . . . . . . . . . 9-1-1 Mental Health Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1-1 Fire, non-life threatening emergency. 882-2213 Police, non-life threatening emergency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882-7444 City Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.westerville.org Community Affairs .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 901-6411 Animal Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6863 Animal Removal (dead at roadside). . . 901-6740 Cemeteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 City Manager’s Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6400 TDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6413 Clerk of Council. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6410 Digging (Ohio Utilities Protection Service). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-362-2764 Economic Development. . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6403 Electric Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6700 Electrical Outages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6700 Street Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6700 Tree Trimming Near Electric Lines. . 901-6700 Finance Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6440 Fire Division Headquarters. . . . . . . . . 901-6600 CPR/First Aid Training. . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6600 Human Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6406 Income Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6420 Leaf Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Mayor’s Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6419 TDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6418 Parks & Recreation Department. . . . 901-6500 Inclement Weather Hotline . . . . . . . 901-6888 Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6530 Community Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6500 Everal Barn & Homestead . . . . . . . . 901-6570 Parks Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6591 Highlands Park Aquatic Center. . . . 901-7665 Recreation Program Center. . . . . . . 901-6531 Senior Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6560 Shelter Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6515 Urban Forestry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6598 Permits Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6650 Burning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6600 Parade/Block Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6410 Security Alarm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6482 Zoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6650 14 March/April 2017

Planning & Development Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6650 Planning, Engineering & Zoning. . . 901-6650 Traffic Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6670 Code Enforcement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6816 Police Division Headquarters. . . . . . . 901-6450 Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6470 Detectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6475 Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6482 Recorded Information Line. . . . . . . . 901-6879 Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6450 Service Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Sewer Emergencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Sewer Line Maintenance. . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Stormwater Hotline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Street Emergencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Street Maintenance Repairs. . . . . . . 901-6740 Trash/Recycling Collection. . . . . . . . 901-6740 Water Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Water Line Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Traffic Violations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6419 Tree/Storm Damage (in right of way). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6591 After hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6790 Tree Trimming (in right of way). . . . . . . 901-6598 Utility Billing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6430 askutilitybilling@westerville.org Water Plant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6770 Other Community Service Contacts Airport—Port Columbus. . . . . . . . . . . . 239-4083 Concord Counseling Services . . . . . . . 882-9338 COTA Bus Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228-1776 Delaware County General Information. . . . . . . . . 740-548-7313 Franklin County Board of Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-3160 Property Taxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-3696 Voter Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-3100 Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital. . . . . 898-4000 Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882-8917 Westerville Area Resource Ministry. . . 899-0196 Westerville City Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . 797-5700 Westerville Historical Society. . . . . . . . 891-0821 Westerville Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882-7277 Westerville Visitors & Convention Bureau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 794-0401

All area codes are 614 unless otherwise noted.

Westerville City Council (Front left-right) Chair Craig Treneff, Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi, Vice Chair Larry Jenkins (Back left-right) Mike Heyeck, Vice Mayor John Bokros, Tim Davey, Diane Fosselman

City Manager Dave Collinsworth

Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/cityofwesterville Follow us on Twitter: All-City news and information: @tellwesterville Westerville Electric Division: @WvilleElectric Westerville Parks & Recreation: @WestervillePark Westerville Division of Police: @WestervillePD

www.westerville.org www.westervillemagazine.com

faces

By Ann Poirier Photo by Wes Kroninger

Acting Up The mind behind Westerville’s new live theater troupe

T

hree years ago, Kristie Koehler Vuocolo moved home to Westerville after spending 20 years in Chicago.

One of the first things she noticed about her hometown was that it was missing something near and dear to her heart: a theatrical performance company. So what did she do? She created one.

In May 2016, Vuocolo founded Good Medicine Productions, a nonprofit theatrical performance company rooted in improv and comedy. Her company’s mission is simple but powerful: to bring transformative joy to children and adults through improvisation, comedic performance and innovative storytelling, and to delight the soul. www.westervillemagazine.com

Though some of Good Medicine Productions’ performances are in an actual theater, many happen in public places.

Good Medicine’s philosophy is that live theater has the power to delight the soul when it is an active experience, rather than something to sit back and passively observe.

“Our performances are engaging creations of theater that involve improvisation with the audience, comedic performance and innovative storytelling,” says Vuocolo. “Rarely will you see us performing in a theater.

Instead, we embrace the live component of theater. That means it’s interactive and acknowledges everyone in the room, street or cubicle.”

Vuocolo is artistic director of Good Medicine, in addition to founder.

Kristie Koehler Vuocolo was part of numerous theater companies before returning to Westerville to found Good Medicine Productions.

Photo courtesy of Kristie Koehler Vuocolo

March/April 2017

15

DEPARTMENTS OF THEATRE & DANCE AND MUSIC PRESENT

e 2016-17 Season is produced with generous support from:

Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville, OH

Call or Click for Tickets 614.823.1109 www.otterbein.edu/drama

I approach each new show I direct at Columbus Children’s Theatre by first understanding the story. I like to immerse myself into the world of the play whenever possible. What inspires me about Columbus is that different organizations are willing to collaborate and explore how to create something wholly original. I am Ryan Scarlata, theater is my art and there is no place I’d rather make it.

Learn more about Ryan’s story and other Columbus artists and events at ColumbusMakesArt.com.

Additional support from: The Crane Group and The Sol Morton and Dorothy Isaac, Rebecca J. Wickersham and Lewis K. Osborne funds at The Columbus Foundation.

Photo:Meghan Ralston | Design: Formation Studio

16 March/April 2017

After growing up in Westerville, Vuocolo took off to Chicago to attend college at Northwestern University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism, then started her career in Chicago as a TV producer during the day while pursuing theater at night. Since 1997, Vuocolo has been performing, creating and teaching theater.

After moving back to Westerville to be closer to family, Vuocolo, mother of two young children, put her heart and soul into creating Good Medicine.

In summer 2016, Vuocolo began writing the script for Good Medicine’s first performance: Uptown Scrooge. In August and September, she held auditions to find the perfect people for various roles. Then came rehearsals.

“I wear many hats,” Vuocolo says with a laugh.

Uptown Scrooge, adapted from Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale A Christmas Carol, was an interactive tour through Uptown Westerville that took place during the four weekends leading up to Christmas.

Guided through the streets and shops of uptown Westerville by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, audience members went on Scrooge’s journey with him. Many Uptown attractions were seamlessly integrated into the story, allowing the audience to interact with the cast, enjoy Westerville favorites and experience the magic of the holiday.

Uptown Scrooge was the perfect way to get integrated into the Westerville community, Vuocolo says.

“Uptown Scrooge was not only a really fun holiday activity to do with your family, but for us, it was a great way to open up some doors and make some connections in Westerville,” she says. “Everyone in Uptown was so gracious in allowing us to incorporate our theater into their businesses.”

Not only did Uptown Scrooge help Good Medicine get its name out in Westerville, it also helped give back to the community. Vuocolo wrote a volunteer from the Westerville Area Resource Ministry into the script, which moved the audience to donate a total of $700 to the organization.

As Uptown Scrooge came to a close, Vuocolo was thrilled about its success.

“Five hundred people came through for Uptown Scrooge,” Vuocolo says. “Our opening day was the day of the OSU/Michigan game, but we sold out despite that. We were so pleasantly surprised and thankful.

Because of its success, we plan to do it again in 2017 on those same four weekends.”

Before then, however, Vuocolo says Good Medicine plans to do a few smaller performances in Uptown. She’ll also hold educational workshops and classes for www.westervillemagazine.com

dition will serve pediatric facilities and nursing homes in central Ohio.

Professional comedic performers from Good Medicine will work to provide oneon-one entertainment to children and elderly people.

The endeavor has one overarching goal: to empower patients in places where they often feel powerless, while using humor to reduce anxiety, sadness and isolation.

Vuocolo is passionate about this next step of her journey.

“This is life-changing work. It’s an honor and a gift to be able to do this. It’s Vuocolo acts out a scene from Uptown Scrooge at Pure a way to bring artistry to Roots Boutique. places that really need it, so Photo courtesy of Amy Taylor we can remind people of our both children and adults who enjoy im- inherent nature of play and serve the well provisation, comedic performance and sto- spirit of the child and senior,” she says. “It rytelling. These workshops and classes are has the power to bring joy everywhere, rooted in theater games and play, creating and I’m so excited to make it happen here an environment that allows participants’ in central Ohio.”

To raise money for the new pediatric imaginations to soar.

But Vuocolo’s main focus right now is and senior living program, Good Medicine to develop a pediatric and senior living offers Good Grams, which allow people component to her company. This ad- to hire the theater troupe to perform at

birthday parties, deliver singing telegrams and more. All Good Grams performances are rooted in larger-than-life characters and improvisation.

As Vuocolo develops Good Medicine into a bigger and bigger company, she looks forward to the future.

“Being an artist is part of who I am,” she says. “I have to find a way to create this kind of theater wherever I go.”

For more information about Good Medicine Productions, Uptown Scrooge, workshops and classes, the pediatric and senior living program and more, visit www. goodmedicineproductions.org.

Ann Poirier is a contributing writer.

Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS www.westervillemagazine.com • Photos from Uptown Scrooge • Central Ohio-born actress Lindsay Hollister • Shadowbox Live’s latest show

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March/April 2017

17

in focus

By Chris Woodley

‘Higher’ Education Lead Higher Initiative offers underserved groups access to high-level courses

A

dvanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses help prepare high school students for the rigors of college academics. But some students are not confident enough to take the courses, or may not even know they exist.

Westerville City Schools, in cooperation with the Lead Higher Initiative, is working to alleviate these issues.

“The goal of the program is to have enrollment patterns in AP and IB classes that reflect the demographics of a school district as a whole,” says Superintendent John Kellogg. “We want to close the gaps in our low-income and minority student population and their enrollment in AP and IB classes compared to the overall enrollment, and identify those underrepresented students who we believe can be successful but have not enrolled in those classes.”

To accomplish this goal by the start of the 2017-18 academic year, the district applied for a grant last spring for the Lead Higher Initiative. The application included district demographics and how they compared with the course enrollment patterns of AP and IB courses, as well as resources in place and organizational goals.

Students work in one of Westerville’s AP classes.

18 March/April 2017

Westerville was one of 117 districts nationwide selected to participate in the program administered by the nonprofit Equal Opportunity Schools. Each of the district’s three high schools received a $25,000 grant to cover the costs of working with a consultant to collect data and research that is used in creating a plan to identify and open opportunities for low-income and minority students in AP and IB courses.

“Last August, a Lead Higher consultant began meeting with us once a month to outline the plan and process,” says Scott Reeves, the dis- Students undertake an experiment in another Westerville AP class. trict’s director of secondary academic affairs. “We’ve collected grades and test school created an equity team consisting data as well as district-wide surveys from of administrators, counselors and teachers our ninth-, 10th- and 11th-grade students to help facilitate the work. In addition, the and staff to help us understand perceived district put together a group of teachers to barriers, why some students don’t take AP begin an outreach plan for the target group.

“The first part of the outreach plan is to or IB classes, and the support students need bring our targeted students together in a to be successful.”

Lead Higher created a data warehouse group and let them know that we believe in for the district once all of the information them and to give them the confidence that they can do the work,” says Reeves. “We was compiled.

“All of the academic, student and staff also want to assure them that they’re not data was put it into charts, graphs alone and we will always be there to supand reports that our principals have port them. A trusted adult will meet with shared with their staffs,” says Reeves. each student to discuss their aspirations and “Lead Higher also has a profile for goals, and we’ll also meet in small groups each student, and that’s where we with students and parents. Lead Higher has identified the target group of students laid the blueprint to guide us and show what we wanted to reach out to in order to has worked in other school districts. They give them the confidence to take AP are helping us replicate this process each year to attract and retain future students.” and IB courses.”

Bill Heinmiller, the district’s IB diploma The Lead Higher consultant meets with staff from the district and each program coordinator, says most of the high school to help with implemen- district’s AP and IB courses simply require tation. The consultant also helps the a desire to learn and a commitment to perdistrict work toward its goal of in- severe through new challenges.

“These challenges are supported by a creasing AP and IB course enrollment by 100 to 120 low-income or minor- teaching staff that is committed to helping ity students per school. Each high students be successful,” says Heinmillwww.westervillemagazine.com

er. “While our teachers are very knowledgeable and provide a lot of information, much of the onus for learning is shared by the students. Through group work, independent research, small group and class presentations, students are given considerable opportunities to present and acquire their knowledge in a variety of ways. This shared responsibility for course material builds a mindset of responsibility and ownership that is both challenging and rewarding.”

AP and IB courses are content-driven, Heinmiller says, and the material is on par with college course work. But most importantly, students develop habits and mindsets that prepare them to be successful in college.

“AP and IB courses are absolutely critical,” says Kellogg. “They add value to a student’s transcript and help college admissions people understand the types of high school experiences for each student. Research has also shown that high school students who take AP and IB coursework are much more successful in college than students who do not take those courses.”

The Lead Higher Initiative is a national effort by the Equal Opportunity Schools with support from My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, the U. S. Department of Education, IB and the College Board. It is backed by contributions from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Tableau and Google.

According to the Equal Opportunity Schools website, the Lead Higher Initiative plans to add 100,000 low-income and minority students per year to AP and IB courses by 2018 and enable more than 600 schools to fully reflect their population’s diversity in those courses.

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Chris Woodley is a contributing writer.

Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Photos courtesy of Westerville City Schools

RELATED READS www.westervillemagazine.com • Student Connections Initiative • North teacher’s presidential campaign • Innovation Generation in Westerville schools • OhioHealth athletic training for school sports www.westervillemagazine.com

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Follow the Leader Westerville’s Year of Leadership honors community contributions

By Amanda Etchison

L

eaders are not always the loudest people in the room or those who crave the limelight. Often, exemplars of leadership are individuals who serve their communities with little fanfare.

They don’t look for recognition, so that’s where the Westerville community is stepping in. 2017 has been named the “Year of Leadership” by Leadership Westerville, a nonprofit organization that offers leadership development programs and organizes community events.

The year’s theme commemorates the 15th anniversary of the organization, which partners with the city of Westerville, Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, Westerville City Schools, Westerville Public Library and Otterbein University to encourage citizens to become committed leaders in the Westerville community.

Since its founding in 2001, more than 250 adults have participated in the Leadership Westerville program, says Leadership Westerville Executive Director Phyllis Self.

The organization also offers two programs for high school youth.

Westerville Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi says the dedication of program participants and city volunteers emphasizes the importance of community collaboration.

“In Westerville, we like to recognize people for their contributions,” Cocuzzi says. “People are enthusiastic about supporting the community, so we got together and thought it would be a good year to do this.”

Salute to Leaders Gala One way Leadership Westerville plans to celebrate the Year of Leadership is by hosting a Salute to Leaders Gala at the Westerville Embassy Suites on March 23.

20 March/April 2017

Award winners, including for Business of the Year, accept their awards at the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Awards Winner. From left: Chamber President and CEO Janet Tressler-Davis, Young Professional of the Year Lisa Armitage, state Rep. Anne Gonzales, Dr. Christina Kulesa of Northstar Family Dental, Jeff Brindley of Roush Honda, Business Person of the Year Don Barlow.

The event will honor recipients of two Lifetime Leadership awards for service organizations and schools, one Leader of Promise award for nominees under 18 years of age and one Community Spirit Leader award for nominees 18 years and older.

Leadership Westerville is working with the Point – Otterbein’s science, technology, engineering, arts and math innovation center – to develop awards for the winners, Cocuzzi says.

“We are having some awards designed and engineered by students for certain categories,” she says. “It will be unique.”

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for an hour of hors d’oeuvres, dessert stations and live music. The formal hour-long program follows at 7 p.m.

“We really want this to have an atmosphere of celebration,” Self says. “It hopefully will be a cross-section of our entire community and all of the various organizations which are located here in Westerville.”

Tickets to the gala are $25 per person, or $300 for a table of 10. The deadline for table purchases is March 10. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.

Business of the Year Awards Though the gala is focused on recognizing individual honorees, local business honorees have already been awarded.

Northstar Family Dental and Roush Honda received Business of the Year awards from the Chamber, in conjunction with the Year of Leadership, at its Jan. 31 Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner.

Northstar, winner of the award for businesses with fewer than 50 employees, strives to have a positive presence in Westerville through educational outreach visits at schools, participation in community involvement activities and donation of a portion of sales to a “charity of the month,” says Tiffany Fleeman, the practice’s marketing director.

“This is something our practice as a whole is so passionate about,” says Fleeman. “It is really due to the way that Dr. (Christina) Kulesa has led the practice. … She makes it easy and inspiring to get involved.”

Jeff Brindley, president of Roush Honda, winner of the award for businesses with 50 or more employees, says he and his www.westervillemagazine.com

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Continuing the Legacy of Leadership Janet Tressler-Davis, president and CEO of the Chamber, says she hopes Westerville’s Year of Leadership festivities will inspire others to find ways to contribute to their community.

“I think by … putting an emphasis on leadership and community involvement, that attracts even more people who want to get involved and be part of making a difference and making a change,” she says.

“By promoting that, it just kind of generates on and on.”

More information on Westerville’s Year of Leadership and the Salute to Leaders Gala can be found on the Chamber website, www.westervillechamber.com.

Photo courtesy of Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce

Amanda Etchison is a contributing writer.

Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS www.westervillemagazine.com • Leadership Westerville’s Leadership Today program

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March/April 2017

21

Take it Easel

Westerville Education Foundation auctions local art to fund teacher grants

By Lydia Freudenberg

T

he Westerville Education Foundation’s newest fundraising endeavor is taking on a decidedly artistic bent.

For years, the foundation has dedicated its time to helping Westerville City Schools enhance the educational experience through grants to district educators.

Westerville City Schools Minority Student Achievement Coordinator Cynthia DeVese shares with guests at the Westerville Education Foundation’s Celebration of Education, Innovation and Inspiration how the Foundation’s grant of $9,880 allowed the school district to launch its Student Connections initiative.

International soccer star Frankie Hejduk has connected with the WEF and recently shared his perspective of a parent with children in Westerville City Schools and as an advocate for the availability of physical activities that promote the health and well-being of children.

22 March/April 2017

It supports the grant program through donations and through such fundraisers as the Westerville Community Bowl-a-thon.

This year, the foundation will celebrate local artists during Westerville’s Celebrate the Arts Month with an art auction fundraiser, An Artful Affair, on April 21.

Held at the Everal Barn, the fundraiser will include a variety of donated art created by local students, teachers, community members and professionals, all of it available for bidding.

The foundation is partnering with the Arts Council of Westerville, which will provide activities starting at 4:30 p.m. Friends and families are encouraged to come after school and create their own masterpieces together. Lessons from local artists, live music and refreshments will also be available for all ages.

“We always have a fundraiser that is very focused on family involvement,” says Jan Fedorenko, co-chair of the event. “We thought Students in Chris Henricksen’s class at Mark Twain this would be a good time for the Elementary School now have the option of sitting, parents and the kids to come and standing or leaning at their new desks, which see the artwork without getting were provided through a generous grant from the Westerville Education Foundation. involved in the adult evening.”

The invitation-free adult portion of the evening kicks off at 6:30 p.m. serves – but will not this year due to ofand includes the silent and live auction, fice remodeling. cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and more live An Artful Affair provides a welcome music. A small awards show will also take opportunity for the artists who ordinarplace to honor those who have helped ily display their work at He’Art of Conthe school district through hard work cord, says Linda Jakes, clinical director and contributions. at Concord.

The foundation has also partnered Fedorenko has high expectations for the with Concord Counseling Services to evening, hoping to raise $4,000 to $5,000. further support local artists. Concord The foundation usually raises $8,000 to usually holds its own annual art fun- $10,000 annually for grants, so the event draiser – He’Art of Concord, featuring has the potential to make a big difference work by the patients the organization for its grant program. www.westervillemagazine.com

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In the past, Westerville teachers have received grants for projects focusing on photography, writing, diversity and character development, among many other causes.

Artists interested in donating their work can do so at the Westerville Community Center or any district school from March 13-30.

“We’re excited to feature artists at all levels of artistic abilities,” says Fedorenko.

“We hope to get support from everybody (in the community) for our schools.”

More information on the event can be found at www.westervilleeducation foundation.com.

Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing writer.

Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

There’s No Place Like Home Unless common fees are not being collected from other owners.

There’s No Place Like Home Unless property values are not being protected.

There’s No Place Like Home Unless the association is litigating instead of communicating and negotiating.

Photos courtesy of Westerville City Schools and Concord Counseling Services

We Do OneThing And Do It Well.

Art on display from 2016’s He’Art of Concord event

Condominium/Homeowner Association Law

Kaman & Cusimano devotes tremendous resources to proactively educate volunteer board members about their roles. Stressing communication, not litigation, our attorneys work to protect – and even increase – property values while promoting harmony in Central Ohio’s residential communities.

RELATED READS www.westervillemagazine.com • More on the foundation • Occasional foundation fundraiser performer Magic Nate • Grant recipient Fit Frosties program

Kaman & CUSIMANO, LLC Over 260 years of combined legal experience 614-882-3100 • Toll-Free 888-800-1042 ohiocondolaw.com • ohiohoalaw.com

• Benefits of exercise on mental health www.westervillemagazine.com

March/April 2017

23

Around Westerville Chris Bohjalian Author Visit Photos courtesy of Westerville Public Library

Inniswood Annual Quilt Show Photos courtesy of Franklin County Metro Parks

Want your snapshots to appear in print?

Send your high-resolution shots to our photo account, westervillemag@gmail.com.

Include your name and caption information.

24 March/April 2017

www.westervillemagazine.com

Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner Photos courtesy of Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce

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Photos courtesy of Leadership Westerville www.westervillemagazine.com

March/April 2017

25

living

By Garth Bishop

From Cramped to Coloss Closet expansion leads to renovated bathroom and more

H

ow did Chris and Diane Carioti decide to overhaul their bathroom and make a significant addition to their Westerville-area home, including an extra one-car garage?

“We knew we needed more closet space, and one thing led to another,” Chris says.

The Cariotis worked with Keefer Contractors for the project, which was completed this past spring. The couple, who have two children, have lived in the house since 2014.

The closet in the master bedroom was small and cramped, and remedying that situation was the No. 1 goal of the Cariotis. To that end, Keefer bumped out the wall and added a 20-foot-by-20-foot closet area.

But what to do, then, with the space the old closet occupied? After some thought, Keefer and the Cariotis came up with a plan to incorporate the space into the master bathroom.

“Once you tear everything out, it just kind of comes to you,” Chris says.

The new space is 128 square feet.

Though the bathroom is the centerpiece of the remodel, the new garage is a definite highlight as well. It’s big enough for not just another car, but a golf cart, too.

The shower area – Keefer refers to it as the “wet room,” a term Chris has picked up – has a creative setup. It’s a walk-in shower with a bench, and it’s where the large soaking tub is located as well.

The sizable wraparound counter with quartz countertops is located where the toilet once was. The toilet is now in an enclosed room. Three-dimensional patterned tile on the walls is a quick attention-grabber, Chris says. The floor is now heated as well.

“It’s always good for lawn equipment as well,” Chris says.

The house appeared on the fall 2016 Home Improvement Showcase, organized by the local chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and also took home an honorable mention for a residential addition project $100,000-$250,000 from NARI’s 2016 Contractor of the Year awards.

The new garage – which supplements the pre-existing three-car garage – has garage doors in the front and back to access both the street and the Medallion Golf Course. The house is situated on the third hole.

26 March/April 2017

Garth Bishop is managing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com. www.westervillemagazine.com

Luxury Living

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March/April 2017

27

on the table By Sarah Davis

The EnvironmentMinded Professor Otterbein’s Paul Wendel lives the sustainable lifestyle in Westerville

G

iven his position as an assistant professor of education at Otterbein University, it should be no surprise that Paul Wendel is big on teaching by example.

Still, though, the extent to which he lives by that philosophy in his personal life exceeds the average observer’s expectations. Wendel is big on sustainability, and both his home and his daily habits bear out his commitment to it.

The Westerville home of Wendel and his wife, Joyce, is distinguished by its yellow exterior and by the array of 11 strategically-placed solar panels on the roof. The house is on the grid, Wendel says, so even when the weather is dreary, the house remains well-lit.

The excess energy the panels generate on sunny days is transferred onto the grid, where it can be consumed by his neighbors. Then, on cloudy days, power can be pulled back off the grid and into his home.

“This didn’t happen overnight,” Wendel says. “We started out small, taking on a new challenge every year.

It’s about changing habits one at a time.”

Investing in solar power was certainly not Wendel’s first enPaul Wendel vironmental effort. He Photo by Ed Syguda has been interested in sustainability since he was in college himself. In fact, it was during those days that he bought the bicycle he has managed to use for the last 18 years.

“Of course, I’ve had to replace parts over time, but the original frame has held up,” he says.

28 March/April 2017

Keeping the bike functional was no simple task, considering Wendel rides his bike to work nearly every day, rain or shine.

Guests in Wendel’s home might also be taken aback by the fact that it is heated by a wood-burning fireplace, given that it is free of fumes or visible smoke coming out of the chimney. Wendel seasons and splits his firewood throughout the year, he says, allowing it to burn as clean as possible. The back yard is distinguished by tarp-covered stockpiles of wood, drying out for upcoming seasons.

Wendel puts in this work ahead of time to make living a sustainable life practical for him and his wife. He was able to acquire the extra wood after his neighbor cut down a tree across the street and offered him the surplus.

To make his sustainable lifestyle work, Wendel devotes himself to maintaining the right habits, from washing laundry in cold water to bringing reusable bags to the grocery store.

“It took us about a year to remember to put the reusable grocery bags in the car before we left for the store, but once you form a habit, it becomes second nature,” he says.

The couple’s efforts to reduce their consumption have been adding up. They are now able to generate as much energy as they consume.

For the similarly ambitious, Wendel recommends starting out by switching to LED light bulbs, or contacting one’s gas company for an energy audit. For those

Above: Paul Wendel’s well-traveled bicycle.

Top: The sustainable Wendel house

homes served by Columbia Gas, he says, the company will perform a three-hour, comprehensive in-home assessment, install free energy-efficient items such as low-flow showerheads, and provide a personalized report of the home’s efficiency for only $50.

Looking to the future, Wendel feels we should be just as concerned with recycling www.westervillemagazine.com

Peaches & Cream Pie Courtesy of Paul Wendel

• ¾ cup flour • 1 egg • 1 tsp. baking powder • ½ cup milk • 1 small box vanilla pudding (not instant) • 3 Tbsp. butter, melted • 1 can (20 oz.) sliced peaches • 8 oz. cream cheese • ½ cup sugar • Cinnamon and sugar to taste Mix together flour, egg, baking powder, milk, pudding and butter, and pour into a 9-inch pie plate.

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Drain peaches, saving 3 Tbsp. worth of the juice, then put peaches on top of batter.

Combine peach juice with cream cheese and sugar, and mix until creamy. Then spoon mixture on top of peaches, leaving ½ inches of space near the rim of the pie plate.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes. Serve.

as we are with reusing items, and investing in products that last. Wendel proffers an example: a glass milk bottle from Hartzler Family Dairy. Wooster-based Hartzler allows customers to return their bottles once they’re empty, then brings them back to the farm to wash, sanitize and refill them.

That’s what Wendel does, and it means one less plastic milk jug going into a landfill each week.

Sarah Davis is a contributing writer.

Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS www.westervillemagazine.com

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• The Point at Otterbein University www.westervillemagazine.com

March/April 2017

29

bookmarks

From the Westerville Public Library

Recommended Reads from Susan Carr, Youth Services Librarian

Steamboat School: Inspired by a True Story

By Deborah Hopkinson (picture book) Did you know it was against the law to educate African-Americans in St. Louis in 1847? When James’ school is shut down, his teacher finds an ingenious way to educate his students without breaking the law.

Pete the Cat and the Surprise Teacher

By James Dean (reader) Pete’s mom is taking over as substitute at his school in this early reader addition to the popular Pete the Cat series.

Sylvia and Aki

By Winifred Conkling (juvenile fiction) In 1940s California, the lives of two girls intersect when Sylvia is not allowed to attend a neighborhood school because of her Mexican heritage and Aki is not allowed to live in her own house because of her Japanese heritage.

The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial

By Susan E. Goodman (juvenile biography) In 1847, Sarah Roberts took the first step toward the journey of a lifetime after she was removed from her neighborhood school due to her skin color.

With help from her parents, “Roberts v. City of Boston” became the first case to challenge segregated schools.

Recommended Reads from Megan Chrusciel, Adult Services Librarian Nothing But Net erook strives Shaun Ston easier to make life and athletes for children

Shutterbu

In the Camera’s Eye gs!

Club Westerville Bicycle OtterFit Program Events Winter Charitable www.we sterville

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Contact Brody today for special first-time Advertising Rates!

Brody Quaintance 614.572.1243 bquaintance@cityscenemediagroup.com 30 March/April 2017

The Bridge to Brilliance: How One Principal in a Tough Community Is Inspiring the World

By Nadia Lopez In the inspiring story of a school principal in one of Brooklyn’s worst neighborhoods, Nadia Lopez shows that with perseverance and the right people, you can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

The End of the Rainbow: How Educating for Happiness (Not Money) Would Transform Our Schools

By Susan Engel How would our school system and our lives be different if the goal of education was happiness, rather than economic success?

The author argues this alternative could create a happier, more whole society.

Why Knowledge Matters: Rescuing Our Children from Failed Educational Theories

By E.D. Hirsch, Jr. Tackling everything from over-testing to the achievement gap, the author vies for educational practices based on current cognitive science and developmental psychology.

Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why

By Paul Tough Adversity and poverty affect a child’s ability to thrive in school.

Parents and teachers can help foster qualities such as grit and self-control in the face of such obstacles.

The Westerville Public Library 126 S. State St. • Phone: 614-882-7277 • www.westervillelibrary.org Mon.-Thurs.: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Fri. & Sat.: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sun.: 1-6 p.m. www.westervillemagazine.com

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