Images Licking County, OH: 2010

2010 | imageslickingcounty.com ®

What’s Online Learn about Forensic Science at Central Ohio Technical College

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KID TESTED, PARENT APPROVED Region offers many family fun activities

Destination: Downtown Newark Downtown revives as arts, culture center

In With The Knew Higher education options abound

sponsored by the licking county Chamber of Commerce

Now Showing in Our Video Gallery

Sit back and enjoy a preview of Licking County amenities.

Explore its landscapes, cultural offerings, food and fun.

See its downtown, neighborhoods, parks and attractions.

Experience the history, hot spots and local happenings.

Licking County is rated L for Livability

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2010 edition | volume 6 速

Licking County, Ohio

conte nt s F e at u r e s 6 Home base Licking County housing market benefits from variety, affordability.

10 in with the knew

licking county BUSINESS 18 Destination: Downtown Newark Downtown Newark revives as arts, cultural center for city, county.

22 Biz Briefs 24 Chamber Report 25 Economic Profile

Higher education options abound.

14 kid tested, parent approved Region offers many family fun activities.

27 Hot off the Grill Grill restaurants continue to expand in, around Newark.

All or part of this magazine is printed with soy ink on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

Please recycle this magazine

d e pa r tm e nt s 4 Almanac: a colorful sampling of Licking County culture

28 Image Gallery 33 Arts & Culture 35 Education 39 Health & Wellness 37 Sports & Recreation 41 Community Profile: facts, stats and important numbers to know on the cover Licking County Courthouse Photo by Antony Boshier

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• A family-owned distributor, established in 1928 • Featuring Anheuser-Busch products • Gift shop on premises offering Anheuser-Busch merchandise • Chamber gift certificates accepted HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8-5, Sat. 9-Noon “We are dedicated to building awareness of effective solutions within our communities to promote responsible drinking, and prevent underage consumption and drunk driving.”

1190 E. Main St. • Newark, OH 43055 • (740) 349-8686

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®

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Licking County, ohio

What’s Online

Project Manager Ari Surdoval Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinators Jennifer Graves, Erica Hines Staff Writer Kevin Litwin Copy Editors Lisa Battles, Joyce Caruthers, Jill Wyatt Contributing writers Kevin Litwin, Joe Morris, Jessica Walker, Tiffany Williams Media Technology Director Christina Carden Senior Graphic Designers Laura Gallagher, Jessica Manner, Janine Maryland, Kris Sexton, Candice Sweet, Vikki Williams Media Technology Analysts Chandra Bradshaw, Yamel Hall, Alison Hunter, Marcus Snyder Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier Web Content Managers John Hood, Kim Madlom Web Design Director Franco Scaramuzza Web Designer Leigh Guarin Web Developer Jeremy Dickens Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Marcia Millar, Patricia Moisan I.T. Director Yancey Bond I.T. Service Technician Ryan Sweeney Regional Sales Manager Charles Sweeney Sales Support/Community, Business, Custom Rachael Goldsberry Senior Accountant Lisa Owens Accounts Payable Coordinator Maria McFarland Accounts Receivable Coordinator Diana Guzman

picture perfect We’ve added even more of our prize-winning photography to the online gallery. To see these photos, click on Photo Gallery.

Office Manager/Accounts Receivable Coordinator Shelly Miller Senior Integrated Media Manager Deshaun Goodrich Sales Support Manager Cindy Hall

relocation

Chairman Greg Thurman

Considering a move to this community? We can help. Use our Relocation Tools to discover tips, including how to make your move green, advice about moving pets and help with booking movers.

President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Senior V.P./Sales Todd Potter, Carla Thurman Senior V.P./Operations Casey Hester Senior V.P./Client Development Jeff Heefner V.P./Content Development Teree Caruthers V.P./Custom Publishing Kim Newsom V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.P./Content Operations Natasha Lorens V.P. Sales Charles Fitzgibbon, Herb Harper, Jarek Swekosky Controller Chris Dudley Content Director/Travel Publications Susan Chappell Content Director/Business Publications Bill McMeekin Marketing Creative Director Keith Harris Distribution Director Gary Smith Recruiting/Training Director Suzy Simpson Executive Secretary Kristy Duncan

Videos In our Interactive section, watch quick videos by our editors and photographers featuring people, places and events.

Human Resources Manager Peggy Blake Receptionist Linda Bishop

facts & stats Images Licking County is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Licking County Chamber of Commerce and its member businesses. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

For more information, contact: Licking County Chamber of Commerce 50 West Locust Street; Newark, OH 43055 Phone: (740) 345-9757 • Fax: (740) 345-5141 www.lickingcountychamber.com Visit images licking county online at imageslickingcounty.com ©Copyright 2010 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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Go online to learn even more about: • Schools • Health care • Utilities • Parks • Taxes

Local Flavor From the simple to the sublime, the delicious offerings here are guaranteed to satisfy every appetite.

About this magazine Images gives readers a taste of what makes Licking County tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts.

“Find the good – and praise it.”

– Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

Member Licking County Chamber of Commerce

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Almanac

Courthouse Is in Session

Beethoven Would Be Impressed Second place has its rewards. Just ask members of the Newark High School Sinfonia.

In April 2009, the school orchestra finished runner-up at the National Orchestra Cup in New York City. Cellists Bryn Wilkin and Alex Van Atta also received awards for best low string solo at the competition.

The Sinfonia performed a number of classical selections against numerous U.S. private schools and schools that concentrate on arts.

Susan Larson is the orchestra teacher at Newark High.

The rewards for the Sinfonia’s second-place finish included being profiled on page 1 of the New York Times, then a November visit to the White House for a reception celebrating classical music.

One of the most architecturally beautiful buildings in all of Ohio is in Licking County.

The Licking County Courthouse was constructed in 1878 for $190,000 and in 1973 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The limestone building with a sandstone foundation was designed by architect H.E. Myer of Cleveland, and has won several awards over the years for its Second Empire style of architecture.

Today, the courthouse on East Main Street in downtown Newark houses the Licking County Court of Common Pleas along with its probate and juvenile divisions. The building has identical statues of Lady Justice at every entrance.

Is Jay Hottinger Here?

State Rep. Jay Hottinger, the Newark-based Republican representative for District 71, finished 2009 compiling his 18th consecutive year of perfect attendance in politics. Hottinger can proudly proclaim that in his 18 years as a public servant, he has never missed a vote.

“My constituents deserve nothing less than 100 percent on my voting record,” he says.

That time includes the past three years in the House of Representatives, nine years in the Ohio Senate, a previous three years in the Ohio House of Representatives, and three years serving on the Newark City Council.

What’s That Smell?

Some of the sweetest smells this side of ambrosia can be found at Dawes Arboretum, located six miles south of downtown Newark.

The arboretum is open free of charge every day from 7 a.m. to sunset, with more than 15,000 living plants featured on its grounds. Specific areas that can be visited include the Japanese Garden, Cypress Swamp, Deep Woods, Beech and Buckeye Collections, Magnolias, Rare Tree Collection and the Conifer Glen.

Beman and Bertie Dawes founded the arboretum in 1929, and today it spans 1,800 acres and includes eight miles of hiking trails and a four-mile automobile tour. Also on the grounds is a Daweswood House Museum ($2 admission) that showcases 10 rooms of 19th- and 20th-century antiques.

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Mmmm, Buckeye Custard Here’s a business name that’s a mouthful: Whit’s Frozen Custard Made Fresh Daily.

The Granville store opened in March 2003, and owners Chuck and Lisa Whitman feature three popular frozen custard flavors – vanilla, chocolate and Whit’s Special Weekly Flavor. The most popular Special Weekly Flavor is Buckeye Custard, which features vanilla flavored with peanut butter, peanut butter topping and Reese’s peanut butter cups.

The Whitmans’ point out that custard is rich and dense without the fat and calories of ice cream.

Crack of the Bat The best baseball played in these parts is played by the Licking County Settlers.

The Settlers were founded in 2006 and are based in Newark, composed of college players who hail from a variety of colleges and universities in and around Ohio. Players must still be enrolled in college to participate on the summer team.

Licking County competes in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, and the Settlers play their home games at Don Edwards Park.

The team posted its best-ever record in 2009, finishing 22-13 and making the GLSCL playoffs for the first time.

Licking County At A Glance Population (2007 estimate) County Population: 156,985 Newark: 47,176

the county in 1802. The county was named for the Licking River, and the county seat, Newark, was named for their native community in New Jersey.

Location Licking County is in central Ohio, about 30 miles east of Columbus.

For More Information Licking County Chamber of Commerce 50 W. Locust St. Newark, OH 43058 Phone: (740) 345-9757 Fax: (740) 345-5141 www.lickingcountychamber.com

Beginnings Three settlers – G.W. Burnet, John Cummins and William C. Schenck – are credited with the official founding of

What’s Online

Licking County

Take a virtual tour of Licking County, courtesy of our awardwinning photographers, at imageslickingcounty.com.

Hartford Utica

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Pataskala Kirkersville 70

St. Louisville

Johnstown

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Granville

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Hanover

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Newark Heath

Hebron Buckeye Lake

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Gratiot

Fast Facts n Cranberry Bog, a rare floating bog situated on Buckeye Lake, is one of the few of its kind in the country. n The world’s largest basket also serves as the seven-story corporate headquarters of the Longaberger Basket Co. in Newark. n Geographically speaking, Licking County is the secondlargest county in Ohio. n Licking County has more than 50 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, including four national historic districts. n Construction of the Ohio Canal began in Heath in 1825.

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A charming example of the housing offerings in Licking County

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Home

base Licking County housing market benefits from variety, affordability

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Story By Joe Morris Photography By antony boshier

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ultiple styles of homes, coupled with great schools, low cost of living and many other amenities, are keeping real estate agents busy throughout Licking County.

The city of Granville’s New Englandstyle cottages continue to be snapped up as soon as they come on the market, but new developments throughout the county and large, older properties on Buckeye Lake also hold a lot of appeal.

Then there are communities like Pataskala, Utica and Johnstown, which offer some of the state’s best schools as well as plenty of starter and larger homes for families of all sizes.

“We have normal municipalities and also some specialty markets, all of which are very popular,” says Mark Evans, executive officer of the Licking County Board of Realtors. “We have a large influx of people from the Columbus market who live in and around Granville, and we also are seeing tremendous growth in other parts of the county as well.”

The sheer variety of homes, whether in terms of size, style of architecture, type of housing development, or plot size, offers plenty of choices for residents looking to make a change as well as newcomers. A prime example is the Buckeye Lake area, which has taken off as old lakefront property has been rehabbed while plenty of new, upscale development recently has been built on the water.

“It’s the best of both worlds out there now,” Evans says. “And there’s quite a bit of new entertainment out on the lake, restaurants and other things, so it’s going to continue to be very popular. That area has always been a destination, and now there’s much more

to choose from for those who want to have a summer home or to live there year-round.”

While most of the county’s home sales are in Newark and Heath, the smaller villages continue to see their share of movement as well.

“They are nice communities, and they are increasingly destination points for a lot of families because of their schools,” Evans says. “Those communities have gotten very good at promoting their assets, so we think they’ll continue to draw in people.”

Condominium sales continue to do well here, and as redevelopment efforts open up more urban-living options in downtown Newark, Evans says that sector of the market should grow as well.

“We are seeing a lot of renovations and demolitions to upgrade some urban neighborhoods, and that will bring a lot of people back near downtown,” he says. “Some of these renovations are becoming the best homes in the neighborhood.”

As of January 2010, a threebedroom, two-bath, two-story home with around 1,800 square feet in the county is selling for around $130,000, Evans says, and the county’s prices and property values have held steady even while the rest of the state, and country, has been experiencing some sharp ups and downs.

“We were down only about 2 percent in sales in 2009, and much of that was due to having a lot of newly built homes,” he says. “We have been pretty solid everywhere in the county, and we have the good school systems, the other quality-oflife things that keep people coming in, so we’re looking to see home sales go up in the coming months. We have a lot of positives going for us here.”

Homes found in Licking County: Main Street in Newark (top left), Buckeye Lake (top right) and the Glen at Erinwood subdivision in Granville (bottom)

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Students Seeking Higher Education Find Many Choices in Licking County

Story By Lisa Battles Photography By antony boshier

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icking County institutions of higher learning offer opportunities for post-secondary education that are as diverse as they are vast. Options include a Big Ten educational experience that’s much closer to home at The Ohio State University at Newark; one of the most selective private institutions in the nation, Denison University; cutting-edge technological training at Central Ohio Technical College; and scores of diverse workforce and career development programs for adults and high school students at the Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County.

The Ohio State University at Newark Students enrolled at The Ohio State University at Newark can benefit from The Ohio State University experience closer to home, taking the same courses to complete degrees in several fields of study. For other Ohio State degree programs, students can complete many of the course requirements here

and then transfer to the main campus, which is just 40 miles away. OSUN shares a 177-acre campus with Central Ohio Technical College. Degrees offered by OSUN include: Education, English, Business Administration, History, Psychology and Social Work, plus the College of Nursing’s R.N. to B.S.N. program. More than 2,100 students are enrolled. A relatively new addition to the campus is the John L. and Christine Warner Library and Student Center, an 84,000-square-foot building that contains 25,000 square feet of library space, a high-end dining area, bookstore, and comfortable common areas. OSUN also offers on-campus housing. Visit newark.osu.edu for more information.

Central Ohio Technical College Central Ohio Technical College is a state-assisted institution offering associate-degree and certificate programs in business, health, engineering and public service technologies. It shares its primary campus in Newark, along

The metal fabrication lab at the Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County

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The Ohio State University at Newark Right: William Howard Doane Library on the campus of Denison University

with some personnel and services, with OSUN. While the two institutions’ governance, programs and faculty are mostly separate, the students share in extracurricular activities, are considered one student body and, thanks to a liberal crossregistration policy, have many opportunities to take classes from both. Students also attend classes at Coshocton, Knox and Pataskala locations. COTC enrolls approximately 4,000 students each year. Visit www.cotc.edu for more information.

Denison University Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner is a graduate. So are ESPN President George Bodenheimer and actors Hal Holbrook‚ Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell. Big names aside, Denison University has such a strong national reputation that it fields more than double its total enrollment in applications from prospective freshmen each year. It has a highly selective admissions process and has a diverse student population consisting of students from 47 states and U.S. territories and 25 foreign countries. Founded in 1831, the four-year liberal arts college in Granville is home to approximately 2,000 12

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students who all live on its scenic, 1,200-acre campus, which was designed by the architectural firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10 to 1, and the college offers 48 courses of study and 12 pre-professional programs. Visit www.denison.edu for more information.

Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County C-TEC opened in 1973 and today has a primary facility in Newark, plus secondary and satellite centers, collectively serving approximately 1,400 high school students and almost 4,000 adults and businesses through workforce development and continuing education programs. C-TEC offers leading-edge educational programs geared to specific technical skill sets needed for career opportunities and continuous learning. C-TEC offers more than 20 programs for high school students, ranging from automotive collision repair to marketing and retail management. Its more than 50 adult education programs range from computer software to cosmetology to power lineman training. Visit www.c-tec.edu for more information.

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Story By joe morris

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Brian M c Cord

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here’s nothing to do” is a phrase seldom heard in Licking County.

On sunny days, some head out to the many recreation sites in the Licking Park District system, or maybe they swing by the William C. Kraner Nature Center. Others lace up their skates at the Lou and Gib Reese Ice Arena or strip down to trunks at CoCo Key Water Resort. Meanwhile, the more scholarly set heads downtown to The Works for an afternoon of interactive learning.

When it comes to chilly fun, professionals and novices alike enjoy the many amenities at the ice arena, which recently received more than $1 million in improvements and is now home to hockey teams, figure skating

The Lou and Gib Reese Ice Arena

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classes, curling competitions and more.

“We have things to do for anybody age 3 on up,” says Jamie Baringer, general manager. “We begin our learn-to-skate classes at that age, and those go all the way up to adult.

We also have about 150 people of all ages in our hockey leagues.”

The arena’s open-skate events, which are held weekdays at noon, after school on Thursdays, Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, are hugely popular as well.

“The families have really gotten in on those,” Baringer says. “We have about 200 people on the weekends, families who like to get some physical

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activity together and also learn or get better at a sport that can last a lifetime.”

The arena also partners with the USA Hockey Association and the Columbus Blue Jacket Foundation to bring in area schoolchildren for twohour field trips. Around 1,200 children a year learn about the science of ice making, how the arena operates and how the ice is prepared for play.

The water’s a good bit warmer and the spills less painful over at the CoCo Key Water Resort, a 50,000square-foot indoor water park at Cherry Valley Lodge. The park’s free to guests, and visitors can get passes based on availability.

If the goal is to stretch those mental muscles, then an afternoon in the wood or print shops, art gallery, glass-blowing studio or various labs at The Works, a downtown center for history, art and technology, is time well spent indeed.

The museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, continues to add programming and activities for everything from science and invention to arts and crafts classes.

Back outside, the county’s other parks and recreation options include the Heath Municipal Pool with its “lazy river” and water slides, as well as the half-million-gallon Hollander Pool, which also has water slides along with a playground and shelter house;

Ice skating lessons at the Lou and Gib Reese Ice Arena

photos by Antony Boshier

baseball and softball at several park complexes; and even the Newark Rotary Club’s Accessible Playground, 14,500 square feet of rubber surface that’s designed for children of all physical abilities to use.

“People always take advantage of the parks and all the activities there, from hiking to Frisbee golf to bird watching,” says Karissa Cooper, public information specialist for the Licking Park District.

“And families really like programs like the annual Easter egg hunt, which includes the Dino Dig at the Kraner Nature Center.”

The district’s year-round offerings include everything from drive-through haunted parks in October to horsejumping events and mountain-man reenactments during the warmer months. It also puts on an annual Junior Naturalist Adventures summer day camp, which has proven to be a hit with parents and kids alike.

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Business

Destination:

Downtown Newark Downtown Newark revives as arts, cultural center for city, county

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Story By Joe Morris Photography By antony boshier

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ith new restaurants and shops opening up next door to revamped and restored arts and cultural institutions, downtown Newark has reclaimed its former glory as Licking County’s place to be.

Like most urban cores around the country, the city center fell on hard times with the rise of malls and suburban living. But many businesspeople and local visionaries never gave up on downtown. Now with such major cultural institutions as the Midland Theatre and The Works leading the way, the area has come back full force as an arts, dining and entertainment destination.

“There is something to be said for performing-arts institutions and how, with the correct preservation and activities, they can provide a critical amount of energy,” says Stephen Krempasky, the Midland’s executive director. “The people see not only the excitement of what’s going on at our facility, but they begin to imagine what else could be going on downtown.”

The lavishly restored Midland Theatre serves as both movie house and performance venue, while The Works acts as a combination museum, art studio and cultural center. On the historic side, The 1878 Licking County Courthouse, a French mansard Victorian jewel, presides over multiple other landmark buildings that are

North 3rd Street, downtown Newark

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Business

The restored Midland Theater in downtown Newark

finding new uses as downtown Newark continues to reinvent itself.

Take 25 N. 3rd St., where Larry and Kathie Morrison have just relocated their Buckeye Winery, a homegrown operation they opened a few doors down in February 2007. The 5,400-square-foot building gives much-needed additional space to the operation, which offers multiple varieties of ready-to-drink wine along with kits for making one’s own.

“Downtown has been really good for us, so much so that we needed space for more seating, more wine and more wine production,” Larry Morrison says.

“We’re thinking about even bringing in some entertainment now, because we’ve got two-and-a-half times the space.”

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with such longtime denizens as the Natoma Restaurant, a downtown staple since George Athan opened his doors in the early 1920s, to lure in visitors.

And the synergy that’s being created now will only help to pull in more businesses as well, predicts Steve Ehret, president of the Downtown Newark Association and co-owner of H.L. Art Jewelers, which opened in 1936.

“We’re fortunate to have The Works and the Midland, which provide enter­ tainment most weekends, and we see a lot of folks downtown when they have things going on,” Ehret says. “Now they’re also coming to eat, and to shop, for several hours before events, and then staying afterward for more entertainment.”

To capitalize on the influx, the association launched Final Fridays, where

merchants stay open late on the last Friday of the month to catch those diners and theatergoers. Other organizations have joined in the efforts to boost downtown visitation as well: Licking County Arts produces the annual Newark Artwalk in late summer, allowing local artists to create gallery space in partic­ ipating downtown businesses, while daytime visitors and foodies are flocking to the Farmers Market, sponsored by the Licking County Chamber of Commerce and held every Friday from mid June through September.

“We’ve seen downtown through some bad times, but now it’s really come back,” Ehret says. “There are always going to be other places to go in the outlying areas, but we’re getting our share of the pie back, and then some.”

Building a Better Newark Downtown continues to be blueprint for developer McClain wenty years ago, developer Jerry McClain built the North Third Tower office building in downtown Newark. He hasn’t stopped since – if anything, he’s only gaining speed.

Other notable Jerry McClain Companies projects over the years have included the First Federal Savings and Loan building renovation and the Licking County Foundation building. These days he’s hard at work on residential and commercial projects along the north side of town, which he envisions as becoming a new front door to Newark.

“The area from West Main Street to around the square, around the courthouse, has tremendous potential,” McClain says. “Newark is the county seat, and we have all those workers, as well as all the banks, real estate and legal offices.

We need to build on that, and to have the spaces to accommodate all kinds of different businesses.”

For his part, McClain says he hopes to launch multi-use developments on the north gateway side of town, some of which could include a hotel, bank and other retail developments. And while downtown must compete with malls and suburban areas, McClain says that its amenities are a strong and growing lure.

“We have things like the Midland Theatre, a beautiful asset for downtown, and we’re getting new restaurants,” he says. “The downtown development people are working hard to bring more of that in, and some condos or apartments will be a real catalyst for bringing even more

people back into downtown and using the space in some of those historic buildings that are sitting empty.”

– Joe Morris

Antony Boshier

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Jerry McClain has played a pivotal role in the revitalization of downtown Newark through his renovation and rebuilding business.

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Business

Biz Briefs Businesses – both large and small – that help define Licking County’s economic climate

Scorecard Business At A Glance

$1,507,610 Retail Sales ($1,000)

$10,136 Retail Sales Per Capita

$160,157 Accommodations and Food Service Sales ($1,000)

12,154 Total Number of Firms Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts

Devine Farms Biz: Pumpkin patch and farm Buzz: Devine Farms offers seasonal necessities such as pumpkins, cornstalks and harvest products during the fall and sells straw bales and squirrel corn year-round. In addition, customers can enjoy free parking and reasonably priced activities during September and October that are ideal for families and children. This farm is located in Hebron at 672 National Rd. http://devinefarms.com 22

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Wachtel and McAnally Architects/Planners, Inc. Biz: Architecture firm Buzz: Established in 1957, Wachtel and McAnally Architects/Planners, Inc. has completed projects with several Newark businesses and organizations, including Licking Valley Schools, Perry County Commissioners and Englefield Oil Company. This architecture firm is located in downtown Newark at 35 S. Park Place. http://www.wachtelmcanally.com Thirty-One Gifts Biz: Direct selling company Buzz: Created in 2003 by Cindy Monroe, this faith-based gift company offers personalized handbags, home decor, stationery and accessories, with teen and kid items available as well.

While anyone can purchase the merchandise, only women can sell it. With more than 10,000 female consultants across the nation, Monroe’s former basement business has expanded far beyond Johnstown and continues to grow. www.thirtyonegifts.com The Boeing Company Biz: Aerospace company Buzz: The Boeing Company recently relocated a mission-critical operation to Heath, setting up shop at the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center, which was formerly the Newark Air Force Base. Designed to operate surveillance systems called Airborne Warning and Control Systems, or AWACS, this $4.4 million facility came to Heath from Texas and now employs more than 600 Ohio residents. http://boeing.com Tickleberry Moon Biz: Maternity and baby boutique Buzz: Selling bibs, bottles, toys and medicine, Tickleberry Moon is a onestop shop for Newark moms. The boutique was created in 2008 by three mothers who saw a need for practical childcare products. It also carries items specifically for moms, including tea, diaper bags and nursing covers.

Tickleberry Moon is located in downtown Newark at 50 S. 2nd St. http://www.tickleberrymoon.com

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Business | Chamber Report

New Approach, Same Goals Workenomics blends various components to retain, grow industries

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back employees who live here but work outside the county’s borders and creating internships for county students. In doing so, the program will help to create successful retention and expansion programs within the county’s existing business structure while also developing strong recruiting efforts for new businesses.

“Some of what we’re doing will be working with our local educational institutions, whether it’s a high school, community college or university, to provide internships in the business community for their students,” Trofholz says. “We want those people to graduate and become employees of the organizations they’ve been interning for, right here in Licking County.”

Workenomics also will tap into the community’s retirement population, both as a source of new employees and also as recruiters and trainers of new talent.

“We want to utilize the entire workforce that we have, so that everyone is staying in the community and giving back to it,” Trofholz says.

“The feedback as we’re getting up and running has been very positive,” he says. “Everyone here is very accommodating, and we’re going to do whatever needs to be done to make this program a success.”

– Joe Morris

Antony Boshier

y merging its workforce and economic development efforts, the Licking County Chamber of Commerce has created an entirely new approach to business recruitment, retention and expansion.

Workenomics™ succeeds by combining these two areas into a system that can be utilized from the early days of site selection through growth and development, and can work across a wide variety of industry sectors. The intent was to create a much faster and more precise response to business needs in the county, says Kent Trofholz, director.

“Workenomics blends a lot of things into one program, which has never been done before,” Trofholz says. “It has been designed to use the talents of the Licking County workforce to bring economic development back to the county and to grow what is already here.”

The focus of the Workenomics team will include collecting demographic and labor-market information and using that to project trends for the county’s new and potential employers; making that information accessible to its community partners; and then using that data to grow and expand the various industry sectors that are already here or that have been targeted for recruitment.

Two early goals include bringing

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Business | Economic Profile

licking county Business climate Manufacturing industries and agriculture almost equally make up Licking County’s economy. The county is the fourth-largest agricultural producing county in the state and is home to more than 100 manufacturing, research and development businesses.

government offices Buckeye Lake Mayor’s Office (740) 928-7100

Job Categories

776 Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Jobs

144 Mining Jobs

3,488 Construction Jobs

8,044 Manufacturing Jobs

1,733 Transportation & Communications Jobs

2,800

Health Mayor’s Office (740) 522-1420 Highway Patrol (740) 587-0786 Kirkersville Clerk of Courts (740) 964-9944 Licking County Clerk of Courts (740) 349-6171 Licking County Court House (740) 349-6195

Sheriff’s Dept-Records Div (740) 349-6404 Village Manager of Granville (740) 587-0707

Education Some College, 19,971 Associates, 7,656 Bachelors, 15,989 Graduate, 6,228 information provided by:

Licking County Court of Appeal (740) 670-5796 Licking County Juvenile Court (740) 670-5624 Licking County Magistrate (740) 670-5721 Licking County Probate Court (740) 670-5624 Licking County Sheriff Office (740) 349-6400

Wholesale Trade Jobs

Licking County Veterans Services (740) 670-5430

15,590

Licking Valley Driving School (740) 349-7946

Retail Trade Jobs

Newark City Municipal Court (740) 670-7800

imageslickingcounty.com

Newark City Small Claims Court (740) 670-7800

More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.

4,141 Finance, Insurance & Real Estate Jobs

19,778

Newark Mayor’s Office (740) 670-7510

4,091

Pataskala Town Hall (740) 927-2021

178 Unclassified Jobs

MORE ONLINE

Newark Clerk of Council (740) 670-7800

Service Jobs

Public Administration Jobs

Court of Domestic Relations (740) 670-5390

Sheriff’s Dept-Jail Div (740) 349-6440

Probate Juvenile Court (740) 670-5667 Sheriff’s Dept-Detective Div (740) 349-6425

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Experience the Difference Child care for infants through school age Three-to-one infant to teacher ratio Licensed by ODJFS

• Ten school districts with rigorous curriculums preparing the workforce of tomorrow • Clearly defined and articulated pathways to post-secondary education and workforce credentialing • A business/community advisory council enlisting local business leaders to create activities that provide relevance for what students are learning • The Licking County Education Service Center (ESC) providing the relationship “glue” to keep us working together in creating cooperative programs across all districts

We accept Title 20 Come visit our Center – three big buildings on over one acre Call for your personal tour!

(740) 349-0022

Licking County Educational Service Center 675 Price Rd. Newark, Ohio 43055 (740) 349-6084 www.lcesc.org Local School Districts: Johnstown-Monroe • Lakewood • Licking Heights • Licking Valley • North Fork • Northridge • Southwest Licking Plus: C-TEC • Heath City Schools • Granville Exempted Village Schools • Newark City Schools

Little Blessings Academy Debi Dunn Owner/Administrator Cathy Reagan Administrator 129 Moull St. Newark, OH 43055

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Local Flavor

Hot Off the Grill Grill restaurants continue to expand in, around Newark

hen he took over a property in January 2007, restaurateur Eric Mason was just hoping to recoup some of his investment. Three years and two more locations later, he’s done that and then some.

The Grill on Twenty First has become one of Newark’s favorite eateries. It has spawned a deli-style operation downtown, called The Grill at the Works, and soon will be joined

by The Grill at Buckeye Lake, a fullservice, dining, catering and special-event facility.

“My wife and I wanted to create a place where we would want to go,” says Mason of the Grill concept. “We began a very aggressive happy hour to get people in here, and began building the menu based on food we liked and what people wanted.”

That input has led to an upscalecasual menu, with everything from pizzas to soups and salads. Sandwiches range from Reubens to subs and BLTs, and most can be reduced to mini, or “slider,” portions. The pot roast and pork osso buco are hits, as is the 28-oz.

Signature Porterhouse, served strip style for one or two diners.

“You can get a Bud Light anywhere, but you can’t get good food and service anywhere,” Mason says. “We’re building the Grill name with our food, and we’re excited about how it’s growing.”

The original restaurant has a dining room, a second area that Mason describes as a “gathering place” and a casual bar out front where patrons can relax with a cocktail and hear live music in the evenings. By creating different venues under one roof, Mason says he’s been able to have a family-friendly establishment while also catering to adult tastes.

Almost immediately, the Grill’s success led to the smaller location at The Works in downtown Newark, which operates as a deli-style restaurant while also handling on-site catering needs for that facility. A catering and banquet operation has also been spun off and has grown steadily.

It’s all been a learning experience, and Mason has taken those lessons to the drawing board for the Grill at Buckeye Lake.

“That’s going to be our grand finale, at least for now, because we’re bringing everything we’ve done out there,” he says. “It will have a banquet facility, we’ll have a catering kitchen and it will also have everything that we have at the other restaurants as well.”

Going forward, Mason says the Grill

will continue its strong support of community youth programs and other worthy ventures even as he ponders expansion beyond the county’s borders, because without local support there would be no Grill restaurants.

“We really like being a part of the community,” he says. “We’re a noncorporate, non-chain kind of place, and the people of Newark have supported us all the way.”

– Joe Morris

Antony Boshier

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The signature dish at The Grill at the Works: grilled corned beef and hot pastrami, coleslaw, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing on rye

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Image Gallery

Ornate supports and window surrounds on a downtown Newark building

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Photography By antony boshier

What’s Online  Visit imageslickingcounty.com to see more award-winning photography highlighting the places and people in Licking County.

Stonework on South Park Place in downtown Newark

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Image Gallery

Architectural detail on the downtown Newark Sparta Grille & Bar

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Photography By antony boshier

Lady Justice on the front of the courthouse in Newark

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Arts & Culture

Attractions for All Licking County Offers Arts Entertainment for the Whole Family

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hether it’s a showcase of elaborate glassware, an interactive history lesson or a good old-fashioned musical, in Licking County, there’s always something to do that the whole family can enjoy.

Let’s Play Some of the more popular attractions are the county’s two theater companies, the Licking County Players and the Weathervane Playhouse, both offering a variety of musicals, comedies and dramas.

Entertaining theatergoers for decades, these companies continue to add to their bands of followers. Born in a barn on July 8, 1969, Weathervane Playhouse is Ohio’s longestrunning summer stock company. It offers musicals and straight plays and is housed in a 300-seat theater. A major part of the company’s focus is theater education. In 1999, the company built a children’s theater, which hosts summer workshops for kids and teenagers. South Pacific‚ The Musical Comedy of Murders of 1940‚ Ragtime‚ Songs for a New World and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast are just a few of the company’s many productions.

Community theater group, the Licking County Players, presents an eight-show season of musical and straight plays.

Opened in 1967, this all-volunteer, award-winning company began as the Welsh Hills Players, performing at the Plymouth United Church of Christ. Now the company owns its own 100-seat building on Newark’s Main Street, which originally housed a funeral home and the Salvation Army. Running year

round, the company offers Suitcase Theater, Dinner Theater and children’s workshops. Past performances include The Kitchen Witches, Pack of Lies, Hello Dolly, Jekyll & Hyde‚ The Sound of Music and Hansel and Gretel. The company also has several memorials on the property that honor past and present members. The Gold Stars in the lobby recognize individuals and companies that have made contributions to the theatre over the years.

Preserving History The National Heisey Glass Museum, which features more than 4,500 pieces of glassware produced in Newark by the A. H. Heisey & Company from 1896-1957, is another popular attraction. Opening in 1974, the museum is run by the Heisey Collectors of America Inc. and is located downtown in Veterans Park. It showcases hundreds of patterns in all known colors, including pressed glass, brown, etched, cut and colored glass.

The museum also consists of the historic Samuel D. King residence, an 1831 Greek Revival-style home that was saved from demolition and moved to Veterans Park in July 1973.

The Works: Ohio Center for History‚ Art & Technology gives visitors an interactive way to learn about the history, technology and artistic accomplishments of the surrounding communities. It’s known for rotating its exhibits to keep the learning experience fresh throughout the year. The center also features warm-weather concerts in the courtyard, summer art camps for kids and various lecture series.

– Tiffany Williams

Into the Woods from the 2009 season at the Weathervane Playhouse

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visit our

advertisers Cherry Valley Lodge www.cherryvalleylodge.com Courtesy Ambulance First Federal Savings www.firstfedohio.com Heath/Newark Hampton Inn www.heathnewark.hamptoninn.com Hopewell Federal Credit Union www.hopewellfcu.org Kendal at Granville www.kag.kendal.org Licking County Educational Service Center www.lcesc.org Licking County Job & Family Services www.theonestop.org Licking County United Way www.lcuw.net Licking Memorial Health Systems www.lmhealth.org Little Blessings Academy Matesich Distributing Company www.beeresponsible.com Medical Center of Newark www.mcnohio.com Midland Theatre www.midlandtheatre.org Ohio State Newark/COTC www.newarkcampus.org Packaging Corporation of America www.packagingcorp.com Reese, Pyle, Drake & Meyer PLL www.rpdm.com The Dawes Arboretum www.dawesarb.org The Energy Cooperative www.theenergycoop.com The Jerry McClain Companies www.jerrymcclainco.com The Works www.attheworks.org Wilson, Shannon & Snow Inc. CPAs www.wssinc.net

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Antony Boshier

Education

Extracurricular activities will benefit from the fundraising efforts.

A Million Dollar Dream Comes True Local women raise funds for Newark City Schools

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hen 82-year-old Joan Spillman dreamed she could raise $1 million to help students in Newark City Schools, her daughter Sandy Mercer chuckled at the idea. However, after giving the idea a second thought, Mercer saw a very feasible goal and began working hard to make the dream a reality.

Mobilizing a group of 12 women, Mercer created the Million Dollar Dream Committee, which focuses on reducing the K-12 school district’s pay-to-participate fees for co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

“Many students simply can’t afford to pay those fees,” Mercer says. “We wanted to make opportunities available to every child without finances being an issue.”

With a goal to collect $1,000 each from 1,000 people, the committee mailed more than 1,500 letters to local residents in April 2009. Less than four months later, they were able to collect

more than $45,000 and donated all of it to the school district.

The funds donated reduced the payto-participate fees for the 2009-2010 school year from $200 to $165 for extracurricular activities and from $65 to $55 for co-curricular activities.

Back in January, when Spillman initially had her dream, the school district was experiencing budget cuts.

Mercer said she feared athletics would be cut completely. After the committee was formed, more community members got involved, including several local businesses.

Chipotle Mexican Restaurant held a $5 burrito and drink night, raising $2,885 for the cause. Four other local restaurants – Donatos, McDonald’s, Texas Roadhouse and The Grill – came together to create Pay-to-Play Tuesdays, donating a percentage of their Tuesday sales to Million Dollar Dream.

“It’s great that businesses feel a connection to the community and want

to help these kids,” Mercer says.

The committee also collected pledges from local businesses to fund a free-throw challenge at Newark High School’s boys’ home basketball games.

During halftime, a local celebrity attempts to shoot 25 free throws, with each successful shot worth $56.

So far, celebrity shooters have included Donatos founder Jim Grote and Newark High graduate and Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher Derek Holland.

Currently in the works are plans to hold a fundraising golf tournament and to reach out to more celebrities about getting involved.

Mercer says the school district needs about $220,000 per year to completely eliminate the pay-to-participate fees.

“Our ultimate goal is still to raise $1 million to eliminate fees for the next four-plus years,” Mercer says.

For more information or to make a donation, visit the Million Dollar Dream Committee’s Web site at www.newarkmdd.com.

“My mother is surprised her dream has been able to be accomplished,” Mercer says. “We laugh about that night (of the dream), but this is one of those things that was just meant to be.”

– Tiffany Williams li ck i n g co u nt y

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GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

LIVE UNITED.

Licking County United Way 740-345-6685 www.lcuw.net

ReSideNTial | COmmeRCial | RemOdelS SeNiOR liviNg | aSSiSTed CaRe

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS www.wssinc.net

Bookkeeping • Tax Estate Planning • Auditing Financial Planning • Computer Consulting 10 W. Locust St. • Newark, OH 43055 (740) 345-6611 Serving Licking County for Over 50 Years

www.jerrymcclainco.com

51 N. Third St. | Ste. 701 | Newark, OH 43055 | (740) 345-3700

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Sports & Recreation

Natural Calls to Action Expansive Trails, Golf and Buckeye Lake Beckon Outdoor Enthusiasts

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njoy golf, cycling or hiking?

What about swimming, fishing, birdwatching, boating, picnicking, skiing, or just strolling a while for some fresh air? Residents in Licking County have every reason in the world to fling open their doors and get outside for recreation, from a wide selection of quality golf courses to an expansive bike path system to the lure of a 3,100-acre lake.

Buckeye Lake State Park Buckeye Lake State Park – the oldest in Ohio – is popular among locals and vacationers alike, with endless possibilities for outdoor enthusiasts.

The park’s primary draw is the lake itself, which has nine launch ramps.

Although it is classified as an unlimited horsepower lake, pontoons, sailboats, canoes and rowboats are welcome.

There are two public swimming areas open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, plus two boat-swim areas are offered. Besides boating, fishing and swimming, activities fill the calendar year round. Picnickers and birdwatchers also enjoy the park during warmer weather months. When temperatures drop and conditions

permit, the park draws winter wanderers for ice boating, ice skating, cross-country skiing and ice fishing.

Visit dnr.state.oh.us for more information.

Happy Trails to You Cyclists, joggers, walkers and skaters delight in Licking County’s welldeveloped recreational trail system, which stretches for 38.7 miles through scenic landscape from the east in Hanover into Newark, to the west past Granville and Alexandria and into the northwest portion of the county, ending in Johnstown. Bikers seeking a long ride prefer the section from Cherry Valley Road in east Granville northwest to Johnstown, which provides a 28-mile round-trip adventure. There are plenty of interesting stops, as well, such as the Black Hand Nature Preserve in Toboso near Hanover and the Evans Wildwood Park that features an impressive playground, just west of Granville. To download a trail map, visit www.trail2health.org.

– Lisa Battles

Antony Boshier

Great Golf With 19 courses in the area‚ this part of central Ohio is a golfer’s paradise.

Old and new‚ public and private‚ there’s literally almost no end of options for golfing enthusiasts. And the sport’s continued popularity‚ as well as its long history in the region‚ means high-quality play no matter what your level of expertise. Options include Johnstown’s The Links at Echo Springs, a Barry Serafin-designed course featuring rolling terrain surrounded by mature hardwood forests. For those who appreciate a course rich in history,

Granville Golf Course has been a staple of the local golf scene since it opened in 1924. One of the relatively newer courses, Crystal Springs Golf Course opened in 1998 and draws players from all over. Visit lccvb.net for more information on local golf options.

Buckeye Lake

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Antony Boshier

Health & Wellness

Licking Memorial Urgent Care

Always On Call Local Hospitals Provide Quality, Convenient Care

H

ealth care providers in Licking County have demonstrated their commitment to the community, keeping pace with population growth to ensure quality care that is convenient to patients.

Licking Memorial Health Systems For more than a century, Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH) in Newark – part of Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS) – has provided health care that is responsive to the community it serves. Continuing that tradition, LMHS opened the Licking Memorial Urgent Care center at its Pataskala Health Campus. In addition, the campus added several new physician practices, including gastroenterology, heart care, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), surgical services and urology.

Licking Memorial Urgent Care offers diagnosis, treatment and management of urgent medical conditions and minor trauma when the patient’s primary care physician is unavailable. Urgent Care offers a variety of resources, including on-site radiology and routine blood work services and convenient hours on weekdays and weekends, with no appointments needed.

The Critical Care Department was expanded with two additional intensive care unit (ICU) rooms, a cardiac care unit (CCU) wing with five additional rooms, and a step-down unit. The Women’s Imaging Center features a spa-like atmosphere and offers two digital mammography suites as well as stereotactic breast biopsies, ultrasounds and bonedensity testing.

Among the newest additions is The Betsy Eaton O’Neill Health Resource Center, which offers a comfortable and serene atmosphere for personal education, support and educational group meetings, and other resources for community members. The center contains a wealth of health-focused information and is staffed by volunteers with clinical backgrounds who are ready to assist with research and answer questions.

The Medical Center of Newark A new hospital care option for residents arrived on the scene in 2007, when Newark Surgery Center and Newark Health Imaging underwent a $19.5 million expansion to become The Medical Center of Newark, or MCN, a general hospital designed by physicians with a concentrated focus on patient satisfaction. Patients are seen at MCN through physician referral. Located at 2000 Tamarack Road, the hospital has 33 inpatient beds and provides imaging services, laboratory services, a pharmacy, respiratory therapy, physical therapy and pre-admission testing. Patients benefit from round-the-clock coverage from a staff of more than 90 credentialed Central Ohio physicians in more than 20 specialties. As part of MCN’s Five Star Promise, the hospital and its staff give back to the community through voluntarism and donations to organizations and institutions that advance wellness of the local population, including The Community Health Clinic, which provides basic medical care to lowincome families and uninsured citizens of Licking County.

– Jessica Walker Visit www.mcnohio.com for more. li ck i n g co u nt y

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Health & Wellness

Medical Center of Newark A Patient-Focused, Physician-Designed Hospital ◆ Personalized care close to home ◆ Advanced technology ◆ Convenient parking and waiting times ◆ Large, home-like private rooms ◆ Inpatient and outpatient services ◆ Over 90 physicians from Central Ohio

Your New Hospital Choice Medical Center of Newark

2000 Tamarack Rd. ◆ Newark, Ohio 43055 ◆ (740) 522-7800 For more information, visit our Web site at www.mcnohio.com

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Ad Index

2 Cherry Valley Lodge

40 Courtesy Ambulance

23 First Federal Savings

21 Heath/Newark Hampton Inn

C3 Hopewell Federal Credit Union

32 Kendal at Granville

26 Licking County Educational Service Center

2 Matesich Distributing Company

40 Medical Center of Newark

34 Midland Theatre

17 Ohio State Newark/COTC

34 Packaging Corporation of America

32 Reese, Pyle, Drake & Meyer PLL

24 The Dawes Arboretum

32 Licking County Job & Family Services

36 The Energy Cooperative

36 Licking County United Way

36 The Jerry McClain Companies

C4 Licking Memorial Health Systems

26 Little Blessings Academy

36 The Works

36 Wilson, Shannon & Snow, Inc. CPAs

Community Profile

licking county Snapshot Licking County, adjacent to rapidly sprawling Columbus, possesses all the qualities that provide good living in a good community. This once-sleepy agricultural community of farmers, hunters and tradespeople has grown to more than 160,000 people.

Licking Valley Family Practice (740) 348-1720 Medical Center of Newark (740) 522-7800

Population Hospitals Licking Memorial Bhvrl Health (740) 348-4870 Licking Memorial Family (740) 348-4840 Licking Memorial Hospital (740) 348-4000 Licking Memorial Internal (740) 348-1810 Licking Memorial International Medicine (740) 348-4800 Licking Memorial Pediatrics (740) 348-1830 Licking Memorial Women’s Health (740) 348-4677

158,331 Climate

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MORE ONLINE imageslickingcounty.com

Max Jan Temp

17.26 Min Jan Temp

More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.

83.69 Max July Temp

61.78 Min July Temp

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