Take the Long Way Home
Pickerington extends bike paths just in time for summer
Pickerington bicyclists will be able to pedal farther on paths throughout Sycamore Creek Park in mid-June.
City of Pickerington Parks and Recreation Director Rebecca Medinger said the existing path in the park, which measured 0.72 miles, now stretches a total of 1.55 miles. The $419,402 project, funded by city impact fees and a recreational trails grant will give bikers and walkers a 10-foot-wide asphalt path that runs throughout the scenic park.
“The new bike path will increase connectivity and options throughout the park,” Medinger said. “It also gives people a chance to view other areas of the park they may not know are there, like the other side of the pond.”
Bikers can even weave around Sycamore Creek’s new playground, which includes swings, a climbing wall, a bobble rider and a new surface.
Currently, the City has bike paths at Victory Park, Willow Pond Park, Preston Trails and Diley Road. The new course extends the City’s bike paths to a total of almost seven miles.
Once work on the Refugee Road expansion project is completed in 2019, bikers and walkers will have even more options. The path from Farmstead Drive to Windmiller Drive on the north side of Refugee Road will be nearly 10 feet wide and will lead to a 7.5-foot sidewalk that extends to Woodstock Road, said City Engineer Scott Tourville.
On the south side of Refugee, the project will install a 5-foot-wide path that runs from the City limits on the west end to just east of Windmiller Drive. From there, the walk width will increase to about 7.5 feet to Melody Lane.
All these new pathways will allow residents to choose their path to walk, jog, and bike.
Summertime Schedule
Warm-weather happenings around Pickerington
Summer is sizzling in Pickerington with activities and entertainment to suit the taste of the young and young at heart.
In June, children and adults can get some relief from the heat each day at the Pickerington Community Pool from noon-8 p.m. Children can also dive into three 30-minute swim lesson sessions this summer.
The first of the Monday-Friday sessions runs June 5-16. The second session splashes June 19-30, and the third session of swimmers takes to the water July 10-21. Children must be at least 3 years old and potty-trained to participate. Advanced registration is required.
This year, Pickerington families can even see two of their favorite flicks during the pool’s new Dive-In Movies at 9 p.m. On Thursday, June 15, Moana makes waves on the big pool screen. Finding Dory will be in her wake on Thursday, July 13.
Craving the Caribbean, but can’t get away? Family Luau Night is returning to the Pickerington Community Pool on Thursday, June 16 from 6-9 p.m. Bring a dish to share for the potluck dinner and wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt for the best pool party and games in town at the regular admission price.
Two free summer series turn up the heat in June. British Invasion rocks the Sycamore Creek Park Amphitheater to kick off the Summer Concert Series on Sunday, June 4, from 7-8:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to enjoy a variety of music almost every Sunday night.
Featured bands include Reaganonics on June 11, Swagg on June 18, Buzzard King on June 25, MojoFlo on July 9, Chris Logsdon on July 16, Street Players on July 23 and McCartney Project on July 30.
Friday Night Flicks, presented by Fairfield Federal, is the second free series. Movies at the amphitheater begin around 9 p.m.
Family flicks featured are The Secret Life of Pets on June 2, Moana on June 9, The Jungle Book on June 16, Sing on June 23, Storks on June 30, Finding Dory on July 14, The Mighty Ducks on July 21 and The Lego Batman Movie on July 28.
Pickerington will celebrate the nation’s birthday with a bash that includes the traditional July 4 parade in Olde Pickerington Village, beginning at 6 p.m.
Opening ceremonies get underway at 7:30 p.m. An electrifying concert featuring Red Hot Rhythm Review follows the opening events, and the night sky sparkles at 10 p.m. with Pickerington’s famed fireworks.
The celebration is sponsored by the City and Violet Township.
For the competitive spirit, children ages 5-18 can run, bike and swim in the fourth annual Pickerington TRY-athlon. The “fun-sized” triathlon gives children a chance on Saturday, July 8 to enter the friendly competition.
Pre-registration is required. The event is sponsored by Pickerington Parks and Recreation and the Columbus Running Company.
This summer the City Parks and Recreation Department is also offering many camps, programs and leagues for adults and children, including its popular Summer Playground, a fun-filled half-day camp for children in kindergarten through fourth grade that runs June 5-July 14.
To begin the summer sizzle, Pickerington residents can register for lessons and programs online at www.pickerington.net, stop by at the Parks and Recreation Office at 100 Lockville Rd. or call 614-833-2211.
Stay a While
Major initiative aims to keep businesses in Pickerington
The City of Pickerington’s Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program is the backbone that supports and strengthens businesses in the City.
The program, under the auspices of the Pickerington Economic Development team, is designed to help existing businesses thrive and grow.
The first step in creating a successful BR&E program, said Pickerington Economic Development Director Liberty Schindel, is to build a team of economic, community and workforce development organizations and departments of local government that provide programs, resources and services to the business community. In Pickerington, that support team includes Mayor Lee Gray, his administration, City staff, Columbus 2020, the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce and the Fairfield 33 Alliance/Fairfield County Economic Development team.
To better understand the needs and challenges local businesses encounter, Schindel is spearheading an effort to visit and survey each business within a year. The initiative is designed to identify the hurdles companies face and to address those issues so that the businesses stay in Pickerington. Many people do not realize that while the City is always interested in attracting new business, most economic and employment growth comes from existing businesses, Schindel said.
“The goal is to retain jobs and tax revenues in the City, foster the growth and development of companies and enhance Pickerington’s reputation as a good place to do business,” she said. “Every business – from the small mom-and-pop shops to the large big-box stores – contributes to our tax base, which funds the excellent services and top-rate schools that our residents enjoy. Regardless of the size, all of our businesses deserve the opportunity to voice their opinion.”
The site visits will serve a variety of purposes, including the establishment of a direct line of communication with local businesses; the identification of business needs, trends and local factors that may contribute to a company closing or relocating; an early warning system that can identify companies that are at-risk of closing or relocating; and data that can be used to develop more effective economic development strategies.
The businesses in the City are categorized by industry and will be surveyed on the perceived business climate, labor and training needs, financing needs, regulatory issues, barriers to growth, and satisfaction with public services and facilities. Information from the survey will be shared with the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce and other support services.
“Each survey will be immediately reviewed to identify any red flags or at-risk businesses that are in need of an urgent response,” Schindel said.
The survey results will also be uploaded into the City’s customer relationship management database so the team can track the response of the businesses, analyze the data for trends and monitor the assistance provided. If the Economic Development team needs assistance to solve the challenges of a business, it can utilize its partners in the county, region and the state.
Schindel said the impact of the BR&E program will be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis to determine its effectiveness so the City’s action plan can be updated each year to reflect the changes and remain the business backbone of Pickerington.
