February 17, 2011
Community garden wins Governor’s Award By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Reynoldsburg’s first community garden not only won first-place honors from the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, it received the group’s first Governor’s Award, presented during its annual conference Feb. 9-11 in Cincinnati. The Livingston Community Garden was a collaborative effort by Truro Township and the Reynoldsburg Parks and Recreation Department.
In December, the OPRA announced the garden had won a first-place award for environmental programming, which made it eligible to receive the Governor’s Award. Out of the 24 eligible entries, the top three finalists were Reynoldsburg, Westerville and Kettering. OPRA executive director Woody Woodward said the Governor’s Award was established to show how parks and recreation departments around Ohio are affecting people’s lives.
“The chiefs at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources chose what they felt was the best in show among the 24 and they selected Reynoldsburg,” Woodward said. He said one factor that led to Reynoldsburg winning top honors was the level of partnership used to complete the project. “It was the project and the work they were able to do over there and making it one that changed a lot of folks’ lives in the community for very little dollars
— that was very attractive,” Woodward said. “By comparison … they have a small parks and rec department but they beat out some of the real Cadillac parks and rec programs that are well known around the state. It was exciting to see them receive this award.” Reynoldsburg Parks and Recreation Department director Jason Shamblin said receiving the Governor’s Award was “incredibly exciting.”
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We’re doing a lot of positive things here in the community and it’s good to get some recognition for that.
JASON SHAMBLIN parks and recreation director
See COMMUNITY GARDEN, page A2
Haire: New businesses reflect an improving economy By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Eric George/ThisWeek
Dr. Edmund Lee Komraus chats with longtime patient Tracy Grove-Breeckner at his office Feb. 11. Komraus is retiring after 51 years practicing optometry in Reynoldsburg.
Optometrist retires after 51 years By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Former Reynoldsburg City Council member Dr. Edmund Lee Komraus will spend more time with his family and catch up on some fishing in his retirement, but said he will badly miss his full-time optometry practice. His last full week of practicing ended last Friday, Feb. 11. He plans to continue to work one Wednesday per week up until June, after which the practice will continue to operate under Dr. James Pipo. Komraus said he does not call it a business, but rather a family-oriented practice. “There’s no two ways about it: It’s based simply upon doing unto others as you’d have them do unto you,” he said. “And the people who come in, they’re not just patients, they’re family. And the good Lord has blessed me with this, they’ve stayed with me for many, many years.” Born and raised in Euclid, Ohio, Komraus, 76, attended Ohio State University, receiving a bachelor of science degree in physiological optics in 1959, a degree in ophthalmology in 1960, and his therapeutic license in 1964. He said his best friend’s father inspired him to what become an optometrist. “It was his dad that influenced me with his
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There’s no two ways about it: It’s based simply upon doing unto others as you’d have them do unto you. And the people who come in, they’re not just patients, they’re family. And the good Lord has blessed me with this, they’ve stayed with me for many, many years.
EDMUND LEE KOMRAUS retiring optometrist
gentle manner, and the way he treated the family, that impressed me to no end,” Komraus said. He and his wife, Susan, who passed away in 1999, moved to Reynoldsburg in 1960, where they raised four children: Kimber Lee Flexon, Kevin Lee Komraus, Kristi Lee Eubanks and Kurt Lee Komraus. The four share the same middle name in honor of their father and grandfather, Rudolf Lee Dixon. Kimber graduated from Reynoldsburg High
School in 1973, Kevin in 1975, Kristi in 1977 and Kurt in 1979. Komraus said he began his practice in July 1960. His first office was in the building where Hunter’s Florist is currently located on East Main Street in Olde Reynoldsburg. The practice soon moved to what was known as Kings Courts, the current location of Reynoldsburg municipal building. He said he remained at that location, which is close to Blacklick Creek, until a flood overcame in the late 1970s. Despite the flood, he was still able to maintain his practice but in 1978 decided to construct the building where the practice is now, a couple of blocks east on Main Street in Olde Reynoldsburg. Komraus was appointed by then-Mayor Kenny Francis to represent Ward 3 on city council in February 1979. He was then elected to the seat in 1980. He resigned from council in January 1983 and was elected to an at-large council seat, which he held from 1983 through 1985. In 1986, Francis appointed him to serve as Reynoldsburg’s safety director for a year, after which he left the public arena and continued on with his optometry practice. See OPTOMETRIST, page A6
Council delays action on phone system bids By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Reynoldsburg City Council delayed a decision Monday on a request by service director Jim Miller to advertise for bids on a new telephone system for all city buildings. The issue will be back on the finance committee’s agenda for further discussion during its Feb. 21 meeting.
Councilman Fred Deskins, also chairman of the finance committee, would only say the matter needs more discussion. Miller’s request to advertise for bids on a new telephone system first arose during the finance committee’s last meeting on Feb. 7. Committee chairman Fred Deskins asked then why the city hired a consultant to prepare a request for proposals (RFP) for a new telephone system instead
of asking telephone companies to come in and do one on their own without any cost. “Can we get somebody from the outside with the knowledge of putting a system in if you already know what you want?” Deskins asked. “There’s different companies out there that will give you a proposal on what they can do for you … without any cost.” Mayor Brad McCloud explained
the city does not have the in-house expertise available to properly assess what its telephone system needs are, thus hiring a consultant will ensure officials know exactly what they need so they can get the best price. “I would not let someone write the specs for free and then let them bid on it … that makes me queasy,” McCloud said.
By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers Etna Township sponsored an educational meeting Feb. 7 to examine the protection of drinkingwater supplies in Etna Township and Southwest Licking County. Don Rector, director of the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District, said water and sewer capacity is a resource that people assume will always be available but must be managed. “Safe, reliable drinking water is one of those things that sometimes can be taken for granted, but be assured, it is vital to the success of this community,” Rector said. “Providing water and for that matter sanitary sewer resources is inSee ETNA STUDIES, page A2
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Reynoldsburg development director Lucas Haire said one sign the economy is turning the corner for the better is the number of new businesses and restaurants opening in the city. Thirty-eight permits for new businesses were issued in 2010, up from 24 in 2009, he said. So far this year, the city hasn’t granted any permits for new restaurants, but Haire said many of those that received permits last year are planning to open soon. “There’s quite a few that are opening up that we permitted in November and December,” he said. “It just means things are turning around.” A FirstWatch restaurant at 2227 BaltimoreReynoldsburg Road (state Route 256) opened its doors on Monday, Feb. 14. It is the ninth location the popular breakfast, brunch and lunch chain has opened in central Ohio in the past 10 years. Haire said FirstWatch is occupying space that used to be a Vitamin Source store; it closed in the spring of 2010. “We continue to look for opportunities in central Ohio and it fit our criteria,” FirstWatch chief marketing officer Chris Tomasso said. “We liked it and thought it was a good next restaurant for us to continue to grow out the market.” He said the restaurant employs about 25 people and seats 120. It is open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, serving breakfast, brunch and lunch only. Tomasso said FirstWatch operates some 85 stores spanning 11 states, predominantly east of the Mississippi River. Plans are to open between 15 and 20 more restaurants and expand into 13 states by the end of the year.
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