Halloween Events
Olde Pickerington Village is haunted, but there is no need to call in the Ghostbusters.
The City’s annual Haunted Village will be held Thursday, Oct. 27 from 6-8 p.m. to provide an enchanted evening for the entire Pickerington community.
The fun and free event is sponsored by Pickerington Parks and Recreation, Olde Pickerington Village Business Association, Pickerington Lions Club, Rock Factory and Violet Baptist Church.
The Olde Pickerington Village will be magically transformed into a town fit for a variety of costumed creatures to stroll through for storytelling, ghostly tours, hay rides, a haunted museum, and a haunted house and garden.
“The Haunted Village gives us another opportunity to showcase our City, especially in the Olde Village,” said Rebecca Medinger, director of the Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department. “It brings a lot of families together for a fun evening in Pickerington. Seeing all the family costumes is just another bonus to the event.”
Children ages 2-5 years have another opportunity to experience the magic of Halloween with a free event in Pickerington just for them.
The annual Tots Trick or Treat will be held Monday, Oct. 31 at City Hall, located at 100 Lockville Rd. From 1:30-2:30 p.m., the little costumers along with their parents can venture through a decorated City Hall to receive trick or treat goodies.
“It is also an opportunity for the little ones to enjoy a safe way to trick or treat and get the experience without having to go door to door,” Medinger said.
Additional information about the whimsical events is online at www.pickerington.net or can be obtained by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 614-833-2211.
This year, the bewitching community Trick or Treat throughout the City will be held on Monday, Oct. 31 from 6-8 p.m., so be on the alert that evening for all the little goblins, ghoul, and other costumed creatures.
Breakfast with Santa and Santa’s Mailbox
The City of Pickerington has a direct line to Santa and will be providing children with opportunities to visit and write to Jolly Old St. Nick.
The North Pole Express mailbox will be placed in front of City Hall beginning Wednesday, Nov. 23, for children to drop off their Christmas wish lists and letters to Santa.
Santa’s City Hall elf helpers ask that the letters include the child’s name and return address so that Santa can make sure to write back to the correct address. The express mail will be available through Friday, Dec. 16 so Santa can be sure he has everything right for his magical sleigh ride on Christmas Eve.
“Santa and all his helpers are very busy with replying to letters,” said Rebecca Medinger, director of the Pickerington Parks and Recreation Department. “They try their best to respond to each and every one, even if it is on his way to deliver toys.”
Santa will also be stopping by the Pickerington Senior Center, located at 150 Hereford Dr., to have breakfast with his friends.
On Saturday, Dec. 3, there will be three opportunities to enjoy a merry meal and morning with the man of the hour. Children will enjoy breakfast with Santa at either the 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. seating. They will also make a craft, visit the gift shoppe, check out the bake sale and listen to holiday music.
Tickets, which sell very quickly and are not sold at the event, are $6 per person. Children 2 years old and younger are free.
Proceeds from the breakfast benefit the Pickerington Senior Center and are sold Nov. 1-30 at the Parks and Recreation Department, located at 100 Lockville Rd.
“Anyone can attend Breakfast with Santa. Typically, we see kids 10 years and under with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, but everyone with a ticket is welcome,” Medinger said. “This is another opportunity to bring family and friends together to create memories. The magic in kids’ eyes is priceless when they see Santa at the breakfast. Being able to sit on his lap is something they look forward to every year.”
Medinger said this event is always successful because of the volunteers – “those who are dedicated to helping create a memorable experience for the community.”
Major Chamber Workshops
The Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce will be presenting two workshops this fall to help businesses find their niche and glimpse into the local, state and national economic future.
On Friday, Oct. 7, the “Being YOU in a World of Difference” workshop will be held at Hickory Lakes, 12495 Ault Rd., from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The interactive workshop, sponsored by OhioHealth, will be led by the Pickerington 2015 ATHENA award recipient Peg Tobin, who is the president and owner of Tobin & Associates, a national executive recruitment and leadership consulting firm.
Tobin, the author of two leadership books, is also the co-founder of Interactive Care Network, a hospital discharge system.
The workshop is designed to look at “who you are, how you fit into this world of many generations, and how you make your difference being true to you,” per the Chamber. As part of the event, the 2016 ATHENA award recipients will be honored for their valuable contributions to leadership in Pickerington.
“The program is important to inspire young women, future leaders and leaders of today to help women reach their full potential,” said Theresa Byers, president of the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce. “The event is open to any man, woman or student interested in attending, growing personally and professionally, and celebrating the achievements of this year’s nominees.”
The cost of the event – which includes continental breakfast, workshop and catered awards luncheon – is $65.
“The Pickerington Area Chamber Board of Directors is proud to continue this program and recognize the outstanding individuals within the community for all that they achieve, and for all that they give,” Byers said.
A new event this fall, sponsored by the Chamber, is designed to provide businesses with an economic barometer.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, an Economic Outlook Breakfast is being held at the Fairfield County Board of Development Disabilities facility, 7140 Reynoldsburg-Baltimore Rd. in Lancaster, from 8:30-10 a.m. All members of the Pickerington chamber and surrounding community are invited to attend.
Featured forecasters include Ned Hill, professor of public affairs and city and regional planning at The Ohio State University John Glenn College of Public Affairs and faculty affiliate at Ohio Manufacturing Institute; and Scott McComb, chairman, president and CEO of Heartland Bank and Heartland BancCorp.
“Our hope is to provide the business community with a vision for the future. This event will provide insight and commentary on key economic trends,” Byers said. “The Pickerington Area Chamber feels that it is important to keep the business community apprised of not just our local economy, but what else is going on in the world.”
Tickets for the economic outlook and full breakfast are $15. Registration for the workshop and breakfast can be completed by visiting www.pickeringtonchamber.com or by calling 614-837-1958.
The “Being YOU in a World of Difference” event and economic outlook breakfast are just two of the ways that the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce is helping businesses secure their future, Byers said.
Holiday Toy Drive Returns
With fall quickly approaching, it is time to start preparing for the holiday season.
The Violet Township Fire Department will again partner with the Pickerington Local School District and multiple other agencies to help those in need during the holiday season. This unique partnership allows the fire department to fill local needs throughout Pickerington and Fairfield County.
The 2016 annual toy drive will run Nov. 22 through Dec. 24. New, unwrapped toys or gift cards will be collected at all Violet Township Fire stations, Pickerington local schools, the Pickerington Police Department and numerous businesses, churches and restaurants around town.
On Saturday, Dec. 10, a local Girl Scout troop will host a Toy Drive-Thru event at Violet Township Fire Station 592 at 8700 Refugee Rd. Opportunities to donate toys can be found all around town and are appreciated by the hundreds of families that are served.
If any business or organization would like to participate in this community effort, please contact Jimmy Barber or Liz Pfeifer at 614-837-4123.
Fire Prevention Week: Oct. 9-15
Violet Township Fire Annual Open House: Oct. 16
This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years,” represents the final year of our three-year effort to educate the public about basic but essential elements of smoke alarm safety.
The National Fire Protection Association has focused on smoke alarms three years in a row because survey data shows that the public has many misconceptions about smoke alarms, which may put them at increased risk in the event of a home fire. For example, only a small percentage of people know how old their smoke alarms are, or how often they need to be replaced.
As a result of those and related findings, we’re also addressing smoke alarm replacement this year with a focus on these key messages:
- Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
- Make sure you know how old all the smoke alarms in your home are.
- To find out how old a smoke alarm is, look at the date of manufacture on the back of the alarm. The alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date.
Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, which killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres from Oct. 8-9, 1871.
Education will continue to be one of our best allies in our efforts to combat the dangers of fire. To aid in this mission, the Violet Township Fire Department will be hosting its annual Open House on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 1-3 p.m. at Station 592, located at 8700 Refugee Rd. The day will feature:
- A Fire Safety House that permits children to escape from a non-hazardous smoke-filled environment. This allows them to learn how to get out of their home in case of fire.
- Demonstrations on how to crawl under smoke.
- Fire extinguisher inspection and service.
- The opportunity for kids to dress up in fire gear and get a picture taken.
- The chance to use a real fire hose to spray water.
There will be a host of fun, kid-friendly educational activities for the entire family. Please come and join us for this community event.
Community Paramedicine
More than two and half years ago, the Violet Township Fire Department, with the help of Mount Carmel Health System, conducted a needs assessment of the community (Reynoldsburg, Pickerington and Whitehall).
We identified gaps within the health care system, and an aging population that will increase the median age of 65 over the next several years to about 20 percent of total population. This could increase the needs of the health care system within our community.
The fire department wanted to help establish a better and more all-encompassing health care system. In January 2016, we launched a new program with the help of the Truro Township Fire Department, City of Whitehall Division of Fire and Mount Carmel called Community Paramedicine.
The program is designed to fill the gaps and address any additional needs of the community. We collaborate with other agencies to ensure the health care needs of the community are being met.
There are also hurdles to a patient’s health care that exist but may be hard to determine while the patient is in the hospital or being seen at a doctor’s office. Paramedics with additional training will perform home visits to help overcome these hurdles or social determinants. We determine what barriers are present and develop a plan with the patient to address his or her needs. Patients are truly at the center of their own care when we work with them in their own homes to help address any medical or social barriers.
We will try to link the patient with the right resource and ensure adequate follow-up is taking place. We do not want the patient to fall through the cracks of the system, and we want to ensure that all his or her needs are being addressed. We are the patient’s advocate for proper health care.
You are a patient in the hospital and a person at home. The program is designed to help the person. We need to truly understand your story or journey to help establish a connection and trust. This allows us to work together to design a plan especially for you. Our goal is for you to be safe and healthy for as long as possible in your own home.
