Westerville Magazine

Honor and Glory

Night of Heroes Gala kicks off celebrations of fire division's 150th anniversary

By: Emily Gibb

In 1860, Ordinance 7 allowed Westerville to have 25 full-time firefighters, with volunteers who came when called by a bell. That’s a far cry from today’s 88 firefighters at three different stations, who use high-tech engines and hoses to keep residents safe.

In 2010, the Westerville Division of Fire will recognize its past, present and future with a year-long celebration honoring its 150th anniversary. Several anniversary events will take place through the year, beginning with the Night of Heroes Gala Feb. 20. This event begins at 6 p.m. at the Villa Milano Banquet & Conference Center, 1630 Shrock Rd.
“It truly is focusing on the fire division, and focusing on the community, too. It’s to recognize the people involved in Fire Service,” says John Bokros, a battalion chief and gala PR committee member.

Guests can look forward to an evening hosted by NBC4 news anchor Cabot Rea, a Westerville resident, and enjoy entertainment by singer/songwriter Eric Gnezda. A silent auction will benefit the Firefighters Memorial in First Responders Park, which is under construction next to the firehouse, says Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi, who is also a member of the gala’s PR committee.

“We’ve been working on this project for two years now, and seeing the contributions made and hearts we’ve touched for 150 years has been the coolest thing,” Bokros says.

Also this year, the Sound the Siren Expo and Muster will be held Aug. 14 at Hoff Woods Park, and the Fire Prevention Week Open House “Grillin and Chillin” event will take place Oct. 3. These events are open to the public.

“We are viewing this as a community celebration,” says firefighter and paramedic Brian Miller, who is also co-chairperson for the gala.

Mostly community members, not firefighters, comprise the gala’s planning committee, and these residents are looking forward to recognizing the division’s service. For Bokros, it is meaningful they have taken the time to volunteer and get involved.

“We’re excited to celebrate the people that put their life on the line for us,” Cocuzzi says.

Tickets to the Night of Heroes Gala are $30 each and are available online. There are also private tables (which seat 10 people) for $300 and corporate sponsored tables for $350. For more information, visitwww.celebratewestervillefire150.org.

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for Westerville Magazine.

BONUS:

Historical fun facts about the Westerville Division of Fire:

• The Westerville Division of Fire was originally named the “Franklin Fire Guards” when it was founded in 1860.
• From 1931 until 1966, the division gave free room and board to Otterbein College students who were there during the day to staff the trucks and other duties around the fire station.
• Volunteer firefighters were once called to duty by a bell in the middle of town. They knew what part of town the fire was in by the number of rings. The bell can be found hanging today above the doors of Station 11.
• During the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Uptown Westerville, the fourth of July Parade, and other special events, community members can get a glimpse into the past with the 1950 Seagraves fire truck that the division still owns.

Pickerington Magazine

School of Rock

Rock Factory's One Union Project teaches the basics

By: Emily Gibb

They write, perform and record their own songs. They cover the classics – from the Ramones, to Black Sabbath and Nirvana – as well as newer bands such as Queens of the Stone Age or Shiny Toy Guns. They play at festivals, parties and venues all over Central Ohio just as any other local band would.

The difference, however, is the One Union Project group is comprised of kids ages 10 to 15. Members take lessons in guitar, bass, piano, drums or voice at the Rock Factory Art and Music Studio in Pickerington, which also provides guidance in song-writing, performing and recording. The studio also takes care of booking and promoting shows and events.

Audiences won’t hear Madonna or the Jonas Brothers at a One Union Project show. A genuine love for rock ‘n’ roll and performing joins the band members together, which reflects in their songs and performances.

“Before the show, they are pretty pumped up,” says Corinne Corbett, owner and art director of the Rock Factory. “After the show, they’re still pumped, but tired. It takes a lot of energy for kids to put on that kind of show.”

One song that really gets them excited is a medley they perform of two Black Sabbath songs: Paranoid and War Pigs.

“They mix them together and it’s really cool,” Corbett says.

The band consistently grows and changes as old members move on and new members join the program. Rock Factory encourages its older members to start their own bands or to join another so they can apply what they’ve learned on a larger scale.

One Union Project gets behind-the-scenes support from family, friends and volunteers. They all work together to nurture a creative environment for the development of the children and teenagers, Corbett says. Also, all of the volunteers or teachers who get involved play in local bands or work professionally in the arts.

Rock Factory has a full stage area with lighting, sound and special effects, so kids can get experienced in a setting similar to a live performance. This also makes it a great place for local and national bands to play shows. Bands from as far away as Canada have appeared there, even though Rock Factory has only been open for a year. Rock Factory is designed differently from a typical music lesson studio, as it leases space for independent musicians, art instructors or bands who want practice space.

The openness of the studio gives students a chance to interact and promote themselves with more experienced musicians and artists. The students can learn from them and network at the same time.

Younger children with an inner rock star can also participate in the “My First Rock Band” program at Rock Factory, which is designed for kids ages 6 through 10. It gives them a basic overview of rock ‘n’ roll and is coordinated by volunteers. The Rock Factory hosts this and other programs through the Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department.

Rock Factory Studios is located at 449 Hill Rd. North in Pickerington. For more information, call 614-735-4715 or visitwww.rockfactorystudios.org.

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for Pickerington Magazine.

CityScene

Star-Crossed and Love Struck

Classic Shakespeare takes over Columbus

By: Emily Gibb

Romance, mischief and tragedy will grace the stages of downtown Columbus as Shakespeare takes over the city just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The opera rendition of the classic play, Romeo and Juliet, premiered on April 27, 1867 in Paris, France. Almost 150 years later, the famous Shakespearean tale is still captivating audiences around the world. Opera Columbus brings the story to life Feb. 12 and 14 at the Ohio Theater, 39 E. State St.

The timeless tragedy of an ill-fated romance stars two real-life married couples: Jonathan Boyd and Malinda Haslett as Romeo and Juliet, and Elise Des Champs and Brian Banyon as Stephano the page and Friar Lawrence.

“We’re excited that we’re doing it over Valentine’s weekend. It’s a great opera to do over (that time),” says Press Southworth, executive director of Opera Columbus.

To complement the timing, Opera Columbus is offering patrons promotional packages that include tickets to the opera and “Vocal Valentines,” by local singers, says Eric McKeever, director of education and outreach. These singers can come dinner, work or somewhere else special to enjoy this twist on the traditional Valentine.

Romeo and Juliet is set to the music of 19th century composer, Charles Gounod, with lyrics sung entirely in French with English supertitles. Accompanying the singers is the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, conducted by William Boggs, artistic director for Opera Columbus. John Hoomes is directing the production. Hoomes is the general and artistic director for Nashville Opera, as well as a freelance director who works throughout North America.

While all of this is happening, just down the street will be another Shakespearean adaptation.

Set to the music of another 19th century composer, Felix Mendelsson, and choreographed by former BalletMet artistic director, David Nixon, BalletMet’s performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream run Feb. 8-14 at the Capitol Theater, 77 S. High St. Nixon’s choreography of A Midsummer Night’s Dream first premiered in 2000, but this time around it will be shown with a bonus feature: a world premiere ballet by choreographer Ma Cong.

“We are very excited to bring back Mr. Nixon’s entertaining work. We are also very much looking forward to working with Ma Cong, who is a very dynamic young choreographer who challenges the dancers to be their best in a very fulfilling way,” says Gerard Charles, Balletmet artistic director.

Audience members can look forward to a good balance of a strong classical ballet and an adventurous contemporary piece. “The combination will showcase the diverse talent of our company, energize the audience in two different ways and demonstrate the vitality of dance,” Charles says.

The new work runs approximately 25 minutes as a section of the complete production. Performance times and ticket information is available at www.operacolumbus.org and www.balletmet.org, respectively.

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for CityScene.

City Scene Web Exclusive

A Monumental Experience

Exhibit explores Columbus' obscure areas

By: Emily Gibb

Broken concrete lying among rail lines, blocks of road salt waiting for snow, birch growing in cracked limestone - all are remnants of forgotten urban characteristics. These neglected or obscure spots are not the the beautifying landmarks of Columbus we're used to seeing. However, they represent a side of the city that a new exhibit at the OSU Urban Arts Space aims to expose and explore.

The Monuments of Columbus came out of the collaboration of students, faculty and others in the Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University. It looks at the city through piles and ruins in an effort to pay respect to, but still reinterpret with their own spin, the 1967 essay by Robert Smithson, “A Tour of the Monuments of New Jersey” that focuses on bridges, pipes and parking lots.

Smithson’s essay urged its audiences to look closely at the infrastructural landscapes supporting and defining cities and towns.

“The main goal is to expose and frame landscapes and sights in Columbus that have a particular idiosyncrasy, and sights that are in transition between industrial and post-industrial phases,” says Sarah Cowles, assistant professor in the Knowlton School. The project grew from a similar seminar that Cowles presented about landscape representation.

While Columbus is full of named districts, says Cowles, this work is to call out and represent the forgotten areas. The work on display includes inventories, mappings, experimental geographies, sonic tours and imagined and projected futures for the landscape of Columbus.

Specific areas include the Whittier Peninsula, Nelson Road Water Treatment Plant, The Salt Mountain, Columbus Coated Fabrics, Olentangy Underbelly and Spruce Yard.

There is a mix of art and analytical pieces strategizing how the landscapes could be used more productively, Cowles says.

The Monuments of Columbus is on display through Dec. 12 at the OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W. Town St. For directions, hours or more information, visit www.uas.osu.edu.

Dublin Life

Rebirth

Muirfield Square reinvents itself as a vital office park

By: Emily Gibb

The Muirfield area might be best known for stunning houses and high-caliber golf, but tucked away in the middle of it all is a working community also contributing to the area’s foundation.

“(Muirfield Square) is a thriving economic center inside Dublin, most specifically Muirfield Village,” says Bill Cseplo, owner of Muirfield Village Office Suites and a Muirfield Square Owners Association member.

That hasn’t always been the case. Built in the 1980s as retail space – with tenants including a restaurant and grocery store – the area was developed 10 or 12 years before there were enough people living in the area to support the establishments, Cseplo says.

In 1981, Muirfield Village had 30 homes. Now it has more than 2,350. The square has since shifted from retail space to an office park, with various tenants working in medical care to pet care to financial care. There are currently 170 employees in the location, and eight owners occupy space in the center’s nine buildings.

Partially hidden from the street because of the surrounding trees and small hill, many residents are not aware of these businesses, says Linda Moran, MSOA member and vice president of human resources at Meeder Financial.

Now that new life has moved in, employers hope to spread the word about their services and the economic value they contribute.

“In the summer of 2009, building owners developed the Muirfield Square Owners Association to help highlight what is available,” Cseplo says.

Part of the challenge is changing the perception residents have that it is a “dead shopping center,” Moran says.
In order to reintroduce the center to the city, members are planning to launch a Web site in early 2010, increase advertising exposure and participate in community events. While more people discover what’s behind the grassy barrier between Muirfield Drive and Muirfield Square, the MSOA will continue working to strategies to gain support.

“We really do add to the community and we want people to know that,” Moran says.

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for Dublin Life.

Upper Arlington Magazine

Extreme Makeover

UA Fire Station 72 renovations near completion

By: Emily Gibb

A little more than one year and $6.3 million later, the new Reed Road fire station is nearing completion. But with the ongoing construction, it hasn’t mattered if the Upper Arlington firefighters of Fire Station 72 are in the middle of moving, training or even in the middle of the night – they have not been compromised.

The new station’s proximity to the old facility has allowed firefighters to stay on duty during the transition, allowing them to both move and work smoothly.

“It’s unusual that moving will require walking just a few feet from one building to another,” says Dan Kochensparger, public information officer for the UA Fire Division. “It’s an average person’s moving day magnified.”

Cooperating weather has also helped construction stay on track. The Fire Division anticipated construction would last about 12 months. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 6, 2008, and firefighters are expecting to move in around Thanksgiving.

The new, 32,000-square-foot building features many added conveniences, including three times more space – the old station has 10,000 square feet – and is the right size for the staff and vehicles, Kochensparger says.

The facility also meets national standards with its new decontamination center for gear, medical waste or other other items returning from a response situation with harmful substances on them.

“There is a traditional idea that (the firefighters) jump out of bed at night and into their gear, but actually this is a safety issue,” Kochensparger says. The decontamination room is between the truck entrance and the station’s living space so firefighters don’t take unhealthy particles in with them.

The current station has a lower level shooting range for police officer training and yearly testing. The new facility carries this idea over, and includes ammunition storage, fire arms repair, a workout facility and offices for police training and community relations staff, which were have been housed in an office on Zollinger Road.

Police and fire staffs will be on the same floor, creating a new partnership with more opportunities to interact with the law enforcement side of public safety, Kochensparger says.

All of these added features will allow firefighters to participate in on-site tactical training with built-in training elements, such the standpipe system built in the stairs. Buildings with certain heights are required to have a standpipe system in their stairwell, similar to hoses encased in hotel stairways. If needed, firefighters may connect their hoses from outside and take them inside wherever they need to go, eliminating the inconvenience of dragging hoses up stairs.

The crew can train where they are and respond to emergencies thanks to the building’s multiple uses, Kochensparger says.

With the new firehouse, even the community can experience the upgrades. A 1930 Seagraves fire truck, called Engine 1, will be visible from windows facing Reed Road.

“Engine 1 is currently kept at another location that is already jammed with storage,” Kochensparger says.

A garage door will give the antique truck an appearance that it is another response vehicle and also also make it accessible to drive to community events. There will also be a room decorated with historical pieces from the fire department, which will be open to the public.

For more information on the new station or the UA Fire Division, visit www.uafire.org.

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for Upper Arlington Magazine.