JOB READY SITE FULLY CERTIFIED

The Job Ready Site project in Pataskala City and Etna Township is now fully certified by the State of Ohio. It was a detailed process to verify that all the red tape is cut and that this JRS is fully certified, making it very desirable and marketable.

WATER SYSTEM UPGRADE BY THE COUNTY FOR PRESCOTT ESTATES

Beginning in the near future is a long awaited $314-thousand upgrade of the Prescott Estates water system. A number of years ago, in an emergency situation, the County took over this utility to protect the residents, and this upgrade will provide them with a much improved drinking water supply.

NEW NAVY WORKLOAD ANNOUNCED FOR BOEING SITE IN HEATH

Additional new jobs headed to the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority site, specifically at Boeing. Twelve new good paying jobs are being created as the local facility begins officially repairing the navigation system for the Navy’s Trident Nuclear Submarines. Boeing invested $4-million to make this happen, with additional assistance from the Port Authority and AEP.

RUMA COMPLETED IN RESPONE TO AREA'S FIRST HORIZONTAL FRACKING WELL

A RUMA or Road Use Maintenance Agreement has been signed by Licking and Knox Counties, three affected townships, and the Devon Energy Company. The agreement guarantees maintenance, protection and upgrades for the local roads and bridges affected by this first horizontal fracking oil/gas well in the area.

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

The Month of May is mental health month and the 2012 theme is ‘The Art of Recovery’. At a recent kick-off meeting The Mental Health & Recovery Board for Licking and Know Counties awarded the ‘Cyril Ransopher Vision Award’ to Lee Balser and the ‘Wellness and Recovery Champion Award’ to Becky McCroskey & Amanda Rechel of The Woodlands.

BUCKEYE CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT RETURNS THIS WEEKEND

This weekend The Newark Area Soccer Association will host more than 60 teams from a five state area in the 4th Annual Buckeye Cup! In addition the new Licking County Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) veterans group is partnering with NASA to sponsor the event and take an active role in the festivities. There will be thousands of visitors in the area this weekend for the tournament, and I would urge everyone to go out of their way to make these visitors feel welcome when you see them out and about!

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CIC FOR LICKING COUNTY

The new Licking County CIC for Economic Development is off and running with committees working with a consulting group to fine tune our image, marketing approach, printed materials and website. Note – on Monday, May 7th the public is invited to a Meet and Greet at Opportunity Links in the Eastland Shopping Center at 998 East Main Street in Newark. This after work event will be from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Sponsored by the Chamber and the County, you can meet new ED Director Dan Evers, as well as new County Planning Director Jerry Newton and County Development Director Warren Weber.

HEISEY WIND ENSEMBLE PROGRAM & CONCERT UPDATE

At the beginning of their 2011-12 concert season the Heisey Wind Ensemble announced plans to “give back" to local school music programs by donating $500 in cash awards. At each of the band’s four concerts and the single concert of the Heisey Wind Ensemble Big Band a ticket would be drawn from the students in attendance and a $100 donation would be made to the band, choir or orchestra of the selected student. The final drawing of the season was held recently at HWE’s "An Evening at the Pops" concert held at the Reese Center on the Newark Campus. The winning ticket belonged to Thomas Hill who plays trumpet in the Granville Middle School band program. His director, David DeCarolis, is a trumpet player in the ensemble. Although this was the final concert of the band's 2011-2012 season, the group will have some free performances for community events later this summer. The HWE will be featured at the Newark Independence Day celebration on July 3rd and the HWE Big Band has performances at the Granville "Concert On the Green" on June 3rd and at the Newark Jazz and Ribs Festival on July 7th.