Deployed Dispatcher Returns Home
City of Pickerington
A police dispatcher's job can be stressful – they take many calls, deal with stressful situations, and endure the pressure of responding quickly and calmly in life-threatening situations. And yet, Morgan Bushman wanted the job.
What Bushman didn’t know was that just a few months after accepting a position as a Pickerington Police dispatcher, an even more stressful job was ahead of her. She was deployed to Afghanistan.
Bushman joined the Air Force two years ago and is an airwoman in the 121st Security Forces Squadron of the Air National Guard. Shortly after she started at PPD she learned that she was being sent to Kandahar, Afghanistan, for six months for her first deployment.
“My role as an airwoman is providing base security, weapon handling and having a quick response to any terrorist/hostile threat within my posts,” says Bushman.
The days were long, averaging 12 to14 hours of work a day and the stress of knowing an attack could happen at any moment was very real.
“There were always threats there but as each day passed, it was just another day closer to going home.”
Bushman says the hardest part of her deployment wasn’t the job itself, it was being away from family and friends.
“They really played a key role in keeping my motivation to stay strong while I was away,” she says. “And nothing beats the reunion at the airport with my parents and brother the night I arrived home.”
Bushman returned to her job at the Pickerington Police Department in June, bearing a special gift. Before she left the Middle East she arranged for an American Flag to be flown on a combat mission in a A-10C Warthog jet in honor of the PPD. The flag is now on display in the department’s lobby.
“Joining the military was one of the best decisions I could have made for myself and my future,” Bushman says. “At the end of the day, it’s an honor to serve the country and my community as I continue my career in the USAF and the PPD.”
Latest Addition Draws Crowds to Sycamore Creek Park
There’s been more traffic at Sycamore Creek Park this summer and a new obstacle course is likely the reason why.
The FitCore Extreme Obstacle Course opened April 5 and has had a steady flow of people looking to take on its challenge. With 15 different obstacles, the new course closely resembles those seen on the popular American Ninja Warrior television show. FitCore’s A-frame cargo, quintuple steps, unstable bridge, extreme rope climb, vertical cargo net and peg bridge are just a few of the stations that await Pickerington’s soon-to-be warriors.
Prior to its opening, Sycamore Creek Park already had three playgrounds. But this “playground” was designed with a different crowd in mind: ages 13 and up.
“We wanted to provide a fun and challenging option for teens and adults to use in the park,” says Parks and Recreation Director Rebecca Medinger. “It is near the other two main playgrounds in the park so an entire family can play near each other while watching the soccer fields, a quick stop off the bike path, on the way to the Covered Bridge and Arboretum, or while having a gathering at the nearby shelter.”
Nineteen-year-old Justin Sutherland was the first person to challenge himself on the FitCore course. He made it all the way though and said he would encourage others to try it for themselves.
“It’s tough. A lot of forearms, a lot of upper body. But it’s a great workout and is a lot of fun,” he says.
The course was funded by impact fees, designed with Penchura, LLC and the equipment was purchased from Landscape Structures. It appears the investment and the time spent planning is already paying off.
“This is a unique feature that we offer in Pickerington. There isn’t another one of these courses in the surrounding Columbus area,” says Medinger. “I have already seen how much attention this has brought to our park. It gives the teens and adults another option to ‘play’ within our parks that other places do not provide. I have heard people have visited the course from Hilliard, Dublin and several surrounding areas.”
Parks Events
August
- Aug. 2 – Friday Night Flicks: The Lego Movie 2
- Aug. 3 – Teen Night at the pool (only 100 permitted)
- Aug. 4 – Summer Concert Series: Motown Sounds of Touch
September
- Sept. 2 – Dog Splash
- Sept. 2 – Last Day at the pool
- Sept. 28 – Princess Party
- Sept. 28 – Ninja Challenge
