EARLY VOTING, ABSENTEE VOTING & GENERAL ELECTION 2012

2012 General Election is next Tuesday and ’early voting’ continues through Monday, November 5th. Tuesday, November 6th is General Election Day For those who would like to vote early and in-person at the Licking County Board of Elections – here are the dates and times for ‘early voting’… October 31st thru November 1st – 8:00am to 7:00pm November 2nd (Friday) – 8:00am to 6:00pm November 3rd (Saturday) – 8:00am to 2:00pm November 4th (Sunday) – 1:00pm to 5:00pm November 5th (Monday) – 8:00am to 2:00pm (Note the above schedule was set by the Ohio Secretary of State and is uniform across all 88 Ohio Counties) In addition you can cast an ‘absentee ballot’ and those must be completed and returned to the local Board of Elections(BOE). If mailed they must have a Monday, November 5th postmark, or they can be hand delivered to the Board of Elections Office as late as Election Day. The BOE is located in the County Administration Building at 20 South Second Street in Newark. On Tuesday, November 6th, Election Day, the polling places will open at 6:30am and remain open until 7:30pm. The phone number for the BOE is 740-670-5080. For further information check the official Licking County website - lcounty.com and click on Board of Elections.

GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY RETURNS TO LICKING COUNTY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND

MITT ROMNEY will be in Licking County Etna/Pataskala at the Screen Machine Industries THIS FRIDAY (November 2nd). Doors open at 12:30, and event begins at 2:30. Screen Machine Industries is located at 10685 Columbus Parkway in Etna. For questions, contact us at: OHEvents@mittromney.com | (614) 547-2290 For Important Campaign Updates: Text OH to GOMITT (466488) PAID FOR BY ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT, INC. WWW.MITTROMNEY.COM

VOTE FOR TIM BUBB FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER

Now that I have provided information on the voting process, I would be remiss if I failed to ask for your vote! As your County Commissioner I want you to know I take this full-time position seriously and work hard to make County Government better in terms of service, more cost effective, and responsive to the needs of all residents. I look forward to the challenge of continuing to serve you and I would be honored to have your continued support!

LICKING COUNTY A PROUD PURPLE HEART COUNTY

On January 5th of this year Licking County was designated a Purple Heart County, joining Newark as a Purple Heart City. Purple Heart signs now mark the entrances to Newark, the Licking County seat of government. The hope is to make Ohio the nation’s first Purple Heart state. Russell Foit, past commander of the Glenn Cunningham Chapter #840 of Purple Heart Veterans and senior vice Commander, Department of Ohio, says these new community entrance signs are important to veterans. He says, “It means the County and City recognize the sacrifices of all combat soldiers, male and female, and honor all past, present and future veterans.” The Licking County Commissioners are proud to display your County Purple Heart Flag in the Administration Building right beside the Board of Elections.

BUCKEYE SCENIC BIKE & RECREATION TRAIL DEDICATED

On Saturday, October 27th Commissioner Bubb, with other elected officials, County Park District Commissioners and interested citizens dedicated the new Buckeye Scenic Trail. This bike and recreation trail is a 4.25-mile connection from U.S. Route 40 on the south to Irving Wick Drive in Heath. It completes the southern connection to the some 40-mile local bike and recreation trail network. Philanthropist J. Gilbert Reese and his family were recognized for leadership in visioning and building this countywide system of trails.

FOUNDATION BASKETYBALL GAMES A NEWARK LIONS CHARITY FUNDRAISER

On Tuesday evening, November 20th the Newark Lions Club is sponsoring a high school basketball preseason doubleheader. This evening event is referred to as the Foundation Game, and will raise funds for Newark Lions local charities and scholarships. At 6:00pm that evening Newark Catholic will play Pickerington North, and at 7:30pm Newark High School will face Tri-Valley. The location will be the newly renovated Newark High School Jimmy Allen Gymnasium. Tickets will be $5 for the doubleheader.

PRELIMINARY PIPELINE WORK TO BEGIN IN NOVEMBER

Beginning Novenber 1st preliminary work will begin on the ATEX Express (cross country) Pipeline through eastern and south central Licking County. This 20-inch pipeline will transport liquid natural gas from the well fields in the eastern U.S. to chemical plant users in the Midwest and southern states. Licking County Engineer Bill Lozier and his staff will represent the six affected Licking County Townships during the construction beginning in April of 2013, and lasting about a year. The local section of the pipeline will be drilled under some 24 road crossings. The Houston based Enterprise Products Company is working with landowners to obtain the necessary construction and permanent easements.

COUNTY SURPLUS ITEMS ON GOVDEALS

GovDeals.com continues to be the internet on-line auction site for Licking County surplus items. County Deputy Clerk Pam Jones reports since 2005 this government surplus auction site has sold 2,116 local items with sales well in excess of a half million dollars. Items range from surplus equipment and tools, to items confiscated by law enforcement. Check out Licking County on the GovDeals.com website the first 15-days of each month to join the bidding.

COUNTY ENGINEER BRIDGE CONCERNS

County Engineer Bill Lozier this week lowered the weight limits on a number of smaller County bridges. He is concerned about the condition of some 60 aging bridges of the County’s inventory of some 400-spans. Lozier says he will continue to reduce weight limits and if necessary close bridges to keep the public safe. Recently he closed a Martinsburg Road bridge. The Engineer says while the County needs to be on a 15-bridge per year replacement schedule, reduced funding permits only eight yearly replacements. Road and bridge funding for the Engineer comes from the declining gas tax and vehicle registration fees.

HEISEY WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERTS IN DECEMBER

Thinking ahead to December, I would recommend two concert events being planned by a favorite community group the Heisey Wind Ensemble (HWE). On Saturday, December 15th at 7:30pm they will perform ‘Christmas at the Reese Center’ on the Newark Campus. The Heisey Wind Ensemble Big Band will present ‘A HWE Big Band Christmas’ on Saturday evening December 22nd at 7:30pm. The HWE has been recognized as one of Ohio's finest adult concert bands. Membership is by audition only and includes outstanding musicians from Licking, Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware, Coshocton, Knox, Guernsey and Muskingum counties. Tickets for the concerts are available at the door. Adults are $15, seniors (60+) are $10 and students are $5. Additional information can be found at the band’s web site at www.heiseywindensemble.org

FUNDRAISING EXTENDED TO DECORATE COURTHOUSE FOR HOLIDAY SEASON

The annual community fundraising drive to light and decorate the Licking County Courthouse for the Christmas holiday season has been extended until this Friday, November 2nd. Courthouse Lighting Committee President Jay Barker says, “To date the community fundraising effort has raised $13,550 which is about seventy-percent of the goal of $19,250. The Campaign is still seeking $5,700 to achieve the goal.” Barker says, “The campaign was set to close October 15th, however this extension will allow for a continued effort to reach the goal. For a variety of reasons some major contributors have scaled back their support this year and efforts are underway to replace those donations.” Since 1949 the annual holiday lighting of the Courthouse has been the official start of the holiday season in Licking County. Funds raised pay for the installation, wiring and decorating of the Courthouse, Gazebo and the surrounding Courthouse Park. These community contributions also pay for the replacement of worn equipment and the removal of the decorations next January, as well. This year marks the 64th annual holiday lighting of the Licking County Courthouse. For more information on the project please visit www.courthouselighting.com. Tax-deductible contributions may be sent to… Licking County Courthouse Lighting Committee Post Office Box 292 Newark, Ohio 43058-0292

AUTUMN HAS ARRIVED IN ALL OF ITS GLORY

Greetings…Fall has arrived, and along with it a cooler and more comfortable season. The rush of high school and college football, the taste of candy apples, Halloween, Indian Summer, and the turning color of the leaves make this maybe the most special season of the year. Making it official has been the Harvest Moon in recent days. So enjoy the autumn of 2012 with it shorter and milder days!

IT IS TIME FOR THE 2012 GENERAL ELECTION

2012 General Election Is Just a Month Away and Early Voting Is Underway… * Tuesday, November 6th is General Election Day. For those who would like to vote early and in-person at the Licking County Board of Elections – here are the dates and times for ‘early voting’… October 2nd thru October 5th – 8:00am to 5:00pm (Closed Monday, October 8th Columbus Day Holiday) October 9th – 8:00am to 9:00pm October 10th thru October 12th – 8:00am to 5:00pm October 15th thru October 19th – 8:00am to 5:00pm October 22nd thru October 26th – 8:00am to 7:00pm October 29th thru November 1st – 8:00am to 7:00pm November 2nd (Friday) – 8:00am to 6:00pm (Note the above schedule was set by the Ohio Secretary of State and is uniform across all 88 Ohio Counties) In addition you can cast an ‘absentee ballot’ and those must be completed and returned to the local Board of Elections(BOE) by Saturday, November 3rd’s mail delivery. To vote absentee you can use the application mailed to all Ohio voters, pick one up at the BOE (Administration Building in downtown Newark at 20 South Second Street), or download one from the BOE site on the Licking County web site – lcounty.com. On Tuesday, November 6th, Election Day the polling places will open at 6:30am and remain open until 7:30pm. The phone number for the Board of Elections is 740-670-5080. For further information check the official Licking County website - lcounty.com and click on Board of Elections.

REELECT TIM BUBB COUNTY COMMISSIONER

Now that I have provided information on the voting process, I would be remiss (in my own blog) if I failed to ask for your vote! As your County Commissioner I want you to know I take this full-time position seriously and work hard to make County Government better in terms of service, more cost effective, and responsive to the needs of all residents. I look forward to the challenge of continuing to serve you and I would be honored to have your continued support!

VOTING HISTORY ON DISPLAY AT COUNTY BUILDING

A Visit To The County Board of Elections Downtown Features a Historic Voting Display in the Lobby of the Administration Building. The remodeled lobby/entrance to the County Building (20 South Second Street in downtown Newark) is especially worth visiting this ‘election season’. Commissioner and local historian Doug Smith has placed on display a century old ‘wooden ballot box’ that was used in Harrison Township in the 19th Century. Also, featured is an actual 1891 election tally sheet book showing the vote counts tallied by hand. This display is flanked by the Licking County Bicentennial Bell that was cast in 2002, and a ‘rare’ 46-star American Flag also owned by Commissioner Smith. This Voting Display also features an interesting collection of voting memorabilia from the 19th century to the present. This collection is on loan from members of the Licking County Historical Alliance. Please visit downtown and enjoy!

GROW LICKING COUNTY CIC MEANS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

As Your Commissioner I am Pleased To Report Excellent Economic Development News For Our Community! Especially pleasing are the positive results from the work of Dan Evers, the Director of ‘Grow Licking County’, our Community Development Corporation for Economic Development. This CIC is a collaboration of the Greater Licking County Chamber of Commerce; The Newark, Heath, Licking County Port Authority; and Licking County Government. The good news includes job retention, new job creation and a declining unemployment rate…

ASCENA TO GROW AND EXPAND IN LICKING COUNTY

Ascena Retail Group, Incorporated expects to create 225 full-time positions, generating $6.7 million in additional annual payroll and retaining $10.2 million in existing payroll as a result of the company's expansion project in Etna Township (Licking County). Ascena Retail Group, Inc. is a leading national specialty retailer of apparel for women and tween girls, operating through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Justice, Lane Bryant, Maurices, Dressbarn, and Catherines brands. The Southwest Licking Local School District, the Licking County Commissioners and the State of Ohio approved a 60 percent, 10-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.

MENLO LOGISTICS TO EXPAND IN ETNA

Menlo Logistics Incorporated expects to create 63 full-time positions, generating $2 million in additional annual payroll and retaining $714,000 in existing payroll as a result of the company's expansion project also in Etna Township (Licking County.) Menlo Logistics specializes in the integration of all functions across the supply chain, from sourcing of raw materials, through product manufacturing and distribution. The State approved a 45 percent, six-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.

IMPROVING UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE

It appears that more people are working in east central Ohio. According to County by County statistics released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Licking and all surrounding counties saw their unemployment rate drop from July to August. Licking County had a 6.1 percent rate last month, down from 6.6 percent in July. Though its rate dropped 8-tenths of a percent Coshocton County had the highest rate in the immediate area, at 9.2-percent. Ohio’s unemployment rate was 7.2 percent last month.

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

On Monday evening, October 1st, I had the honor of speaking at the County wide kick-off for Breast Cancer Awareness Month on the Square in downtown Newark. As a community reminder and a ‘beacon of hope’ – this entire month the tower of the Historic County Courthouse is bathed in pink illumination and the clock faces are pink as well. It is a visual reminder of the on going search of a cure and a reminder for those at risk to be proactive in their health care monitoring.

LICKING COUNTY'S ENERGY CONSERVATION PHASE TWO PROJECT UNDERWAY

State Air Quality Development Authority Approves Phase II of Licking County’s Energy Efficiency Overhaul of County Buildings… Licking County is proceeding with Phase 2 of its energy efficiency overhaul of ten county buildings following the authorization this past month of up to $2.2 million in financing by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA). In September 2011, the county received $4.7 million in OAQDA financing for the first phase of the overall project. Under Phase 2, Licking County has contracted with Energy Systems Group for $794,900 in energy infrastructure upgrades at the Justice Center, and also with Johnson Controls for $1,168,311 in additional overhauls at the Administration Building, Domestic Courts Building, Parking Garage, Family Intervention Services, Historic Jail, Pataskala County Office, Litter and Recycling Building, Zerger Hall and the Title Office. Energy conservation measures at the Justice Center include building controls system renovations and heating system renovation/boiler replacements. Planned upgrades at the remaining nine buildings under the project include lighting retrofits; water conservation improvements; building envelope/insulation upgrades; heating, ventilation and air conditioning renovations; and building controls system renovations. Licking County will save more than $56,000 annually in energy costs for the Justice Center project, a figure which includes reduced operating costs and avoided future capital projects. In addition, the project will help avoid the annual emission of 212 tons of carbon dioxide, which is roughly equivalent to removing 42 cars from the road or greenhouse gas emissions from 19 homes. The project for the other nine buildings will save Licking County taxpayers more than $85,000 annually in reduced energy costs. Resulting greenhouse gas reductions will be 214 tons of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of removing 600 cars from the road or the emissions from 270 homes. “We are delighted to implement the second phase of our ongoing energy system improvements and upgrades at our county facilities. The QECB program is an ideal way to secure below-market-rate financing that might otherwise have been unavailable to us.”

THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

The 64th annual Courthouse Holiday Lighting Campaign kicked-off its annual community fund raising campaign on September 26th. The annual holiday lighting of the Courthouse is the official start of the Christmas season in Licking County. This year’s 64th consecutive lighting continues a tradition that began in 1949. Generations of local families return every season for the annual lighting ceremony and to enjoy the warm glow of the holiday decorated Courthouse. This fund raising campaign has a community goal this year of $19,250. Sponsored by the Licking County Courthouse Lighting Committee this annual campaign raises monies for the installation, wiring and decorating of the Courthouse, Gazebo and the surrounding Courthouse Park. In addition, this year the Committee is continuing their efforts in the expensive conversion of the decorations and stringers from incandescent lights to more energy efficient and longer lasting LED lights. As in past years, the Lighting Committee will organize the traditional arrival of Santa and a musical program for the evening of Friday November 23rd at the Courthouse Square in downtown Newark. The Community Lighting Fundraising Campaign will run through Monday, October 15th. At the conclusion of the fund raising effort members of the Lighting Committee will determine to what extent the Courthouse and grounds will be decorated for this year’s celebration. Letters are being mailed asking area businesses, individuals and previous contributors asking for financial support for this important local tradition. Contributions are tax-deductible and may be sent to: Licking County Courthouse Lighting Committee, Post Office Box 292, Newark, Ohio 43058-0292.

27TH ANNUAL LITE THE NITE CAR SHOW TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 8TH

Show Chairman Jim Matheny, of the Newark Rodders Car Club, says some 500 to 600 vehicles, including antiques, vintage, street rods, classics, motorcycles, and specialty cars, are expected on Newark's Courthouse Square on September 8th. The show is open to all types of vehicles of all vintages. Registration is from 9:00 am till 4:00 pm, on that Saturday, at the Gazebo on the downtown Newark square. The registration fee is $10.00 per entry. Awards and trophies will be presented at 8:00 pm from the steps on the east side of the Licking County Courthouse. Money raised by the "Lite the Nite Car Show" helps support the annual Christmas Holiday Lighting of the Licking County Courthouse, and other community charities. The holiday decorated Courthouse is a Licking County tradition, dating back to 1949. This 2012 “Lite the Nite Car Show” is again being organized by Jim Matheny, and staffed by the dedicated members of the Newark Rodders Car Club. A unique feature of “Lite The Lite" are the giant six-foot trophies, plus 4 ft trophies this year, awarded to the most popular vehicles on display. A number of vendors and crafts will have displays on the Courthouse lawn. Also this year will be the Local Royal Order of the Purple Hearts, doing a Flag Folding ceremony and presentation of that flag to the Show chairman. The 2012 “Lite the Nite Car Show” will feature a wide range of oldies music provided by the Newark Rodders Car Club. Chairman Jim Matheny says, "I personally invite everyone to come down and help us celebrate our 27th year doing this car show." The ‘Lite The Nite Car Show supports Courthouse Lighting, which is only three months away on Friday evening, November 23rd!

COUNTYWIDE RIVER ROUND-UP PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH

I would urge support of the annual River- Round-Up, on Saturday morning September 8th. Join your friends, and encourage your civic, church and groups such as scouts to participate. Last year some 225 residents of all ages assisted and the organizers, including the Soil and Water Conservation District, are hoping for many more this year. The first 100-people to register to participate receive a free T-shirt. You may register on-line at agency’s web site ‘LickingSWCD.com’ or call 740-670-5330 to register and learn more about the event.

COUNTY TO SEEK APPROVAL OF ENERGY CONSERVATION PHASE II PROJECT

Your Commissioners are moving forward with a second Energy Conservation Building Upgrade program. Coordinated through the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority and taking advantage of energy conservation subsidies and rebates, this Phase II County Energy project will upgrade systems in ten additional building and facilities beginning this fall, and continuing into the summer of 2013. The Energy Conservation Phase I program, begun in 2011, is currently being completed. Phase I began last fall and has resulted to major upgrades to a dozen County facilities including the Administration Building, the 1876 Historic Downtown Courthouse and the County Justice Center. The projected energy savings of some 20-percent will in large part pay for the bonded debt for these major energy system upgrades.

COUNTY AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE PLANNED

In September the Grow Licking County CIC will be appointing an Airport Development Committee. Made up of development representatives, local business people and users of the County Airport in Heath; the committee will work with the Regional Airport Board and the facility operator to accomplish needed capital improvements. Issues will include extending the runway to five-thousand feet to accommodate larger aircraft, as well as building a new taxi-way and constructing a new terminal at the Heath Road facility. The County’s general aviation airport is an important economic development tool.

COUNTY JFS SUMMER JOBS BRING EMPLOYMENT TO OVER ONE HUNDRED YOUNG PEOPLE

The Licking County Department of Job and Family Services provided funding, through the TANF Program, for summer jobs for some 120-area young people. The program teaches the value of work and provides a multitude of community services. Host employers this summer included The Golfworks, Carol Strawn Center, Garden Patch Produce, Lazy R Campground, Newark City Schools, C-TEC, Kairos Academy, Salvation Army, COTC, MHA-PAVE Program and Almost Home Daycare. This positive program also injected $329-thousand into the local economy through the payrolls generated.

2ND ANNUAL DOGGIE PADDLE EVENT A FUN SUCCESS FOR HUNDREDS

The 2nd annual Doggie Paddle, swim with your dog event, was an even bigger success this year. It was held August 19th after the last day of the summer season at the Heath Water Park. Organizers say the event saw a 60-percent increase in attendance. The official attendance was 321 dogs and 692 people – all smiling and having a great time! A number of local sponsors worked with County Animal Control on this fun event. A special thanks to the City of Heath for their cooperation!

HISTORIC JAIL OPEN HOUSES A MAJOR SUCCESS

The on-going effort to save and preserve the Historic Licking County Jail on South Third Street in downtown Newark received a shot in the arm this summer. After two years of clean-up work in the Historic Jail, volunteers hosted ‘open house’ events in July and August. A total of over one-thousand area residents took the tours, and offered their support to the planned restoration effort. The Historic County Jail dates to the 1880’s and served as the County Jail for nearly a century.

COUNTY FRACKING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETS FOR FIRST TIME

On August 23rd Licking County’s Fracking Advisory Committee met to organize. The Commissioners formed the group to discuss and provide advice on issues of concern as the ‘fracked’ oil and gas wells come to Ohio. The nearest well currently being developed is on the Licking-Knox County line. The advisory committee includes public members Ken Apacki, Rod Biggs, Dawn Busalacchi, Bill Evans and Jim Neuenschwander. Others include Commissioner Tim Bubb, County Engineer Bill Lozier, County Planning Director Jerry Newton, Health Department Superintendent Joe Ebel, Soil & Water Agency Director Jim Kiracofe, Sheriff Randy Thorp, and Etna Township Trustee John Carlisle.

MARKETING AGREEMENT FOR JFS SITE BEING PLANNED

The County Commissioners this past month approved an agreement with Pataskala farmer Howard Emswiler to resolve several issues related to the construction of the Job Ready Site ‘Development Road’. Most importantly the agreement allows the County to enter into a marketing agreement with a national/international firm to actively market and work to sell the some 304-acre Industrial Mega Site in Pataskala. The County will work with its community partners and the new Grow Licking County Community Improvement Corporation to put the marketing plan in place.

OPEN HOUSE TOURS OF COUNTY'S HISTORIC JAIL THIS FRIDAY FROM 4:00PM TO 8:00PM - COST $10 FOR ADULTS

In collaboration with the Newark Downtown Association’s (NDA) Final Friday event this Friday, July 27th, the Licking County Historic Jail located at 46 South 3rd Street will open its doors for the first time to the public since the late 1980’s when the new County Jail was opened. From 4:00 – 8:00 p.m., visitors can step back in time by touring the Historic Jail’s former Sheriff’s quarters and two floors of prisoner cells, as well as receiving their own souvenir (photo) mug shots. The Downtown Newark Association will also provide a history walking tour of downtown Newark this Friday evening. At the Historic old County Jail the doors opened to its first offenders in November of 1889 and the cells were occupied for the last time in 1987. The jail housed murderers, drunkards and even adulterers, and served as the county’s primary lockup for more than 100 years. On July 8, 1910, the jailhouse was the scene of a lynching that made national news. In 2010, the Licking County Commissioners allowed several paranormal groups to explore the building. There is unexplained activity and two paranormal investigators have recorded voices of the dead “living” in the jail. Tickets will be sold at the door and are $10 for adults, and free to children under the age of 12 years. All proceeds and donations benefit the “Save the Jail” fund, which provides for the preservation and restoration of the Historic County Jail. The ultimate goal of the restoration is to allow this facility to be open for tours year-round, similar to the former Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio.

154ST HARTFOD FAIR SET FOR AUGUST 5TH THRU 11TH - I WILL SEE YOU AT THE FAIR

The ‘Center of the Ohio County Fair Circuit’ will be the community of Croton in northwestern Licking County as ‘The Hartford Fair’ Takes Center Stage in early August. I am joined by Commissioners Brad Feightner and Doug Smith in inviting you to join us each day at the 2012 Expo in Hartford Township. It begins Saturday, August 4th and this set-up day culminates at 7:00pm with the King & Queen Contest. Sunday, August 5th is Tech International Day and finishes with Pick-up Truck and School Bus Races at the Grandstand. Monday, August 6th is Nuway Services Day with a 7:30 Grandstand Concert featuring David Nail & Jason Michael Carroll. Tuesday, August 7th is Park National Bank Day and the Grandstand entertainment at 7:30pm is the OSTPA Truck/Tractor Pull. Wednesday, August 8th at the Fair is Heartland Bank Day and features the Demolition Derby at the Grandstand at 7:30pm. Thursday, August 9th is Lash Chevrolet Day and the Grandstand feature is Motocross Racing at 7:30pm. Friday, August 10th is Washington Carquest Auto Parts Day and the popular Rough Truck Competition is at 7:30pm. The 154th annual Hartford Fair concludes on Saturday, August 11th with the Championship Horse Pull at 7:30pm at the Grandstand, and Wayne King and his Hoe Downers at the Pavilion at 8:30pm. For detailed information visit the Fair Website at www.hartfordfair.com On Wednesday August 8th join your County Commissioners at 1:00pm as they host and judge the annual Wild Game Cook-Off is the beautiful Natural Resources Park on the Fair Grounds. The following day, Thursday, August 9th at 10:00am the Commissioners will be joined by County Recorder Bryan Long in the judging of the annual “Sweet Treats to Eat” in the 4-H Building. Licking County Government also welcomes Fair visitors to visit the local government booths under the Grandstand along the midway. Organizations represented with booths and displays include…County Records and Archives, County Commissioners, Convention & Visitors Bureau, Licking County Transit, Licking County Area Transportation Study, County Coroner, Homeland Security, County Health Department, Developmental Disabilities, City of Newark, County Treasurer, County Auditor and County Engineer. Displays in the Natural Resources Park include…County Litter and Recycling, County Soil & Water Conservation and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists.

COMMISSIONERS ENACT TOBACCO BAN ON COUNTY GOVERNMENT OWNED PROPERTY

The Commissioners last week passed a resolution banning the use of all tobacco products on County owned property. This ban affects the 19-County owned work sites in Licking County. The action, championed by Commissioner Doug Smith, had been advocated for by the County Board of Health for several years. This applies to employees and the public as well. The County reserved the right to create designated smoking areas, more than 100-feet from a building entrance, for employees and the public if deemed necessary. While the ban applies to all tobacco products, Commissioner Smith cited his concerns over second hand cigarette smoke as a major factor in the action. This is an administrative action and no active enforcement is anticipated.

LICKING COUNTY JOINT COMMUNICATIONS CENTER DEVELOPMENT MOVING FORWARD

Plans continue toward the creation of the new Licking County Joint Communication Center (LCJCC) for both 9-1-1 (fire and emergency management services) and Sheriff (law enforcement) dispatching. In the next month the Robertson Construction Company, of Heath, will begin converting the former corrections facility at 119 East Main Street in Newark to a modern communications center. Also, in the last month the Commissioners received a $254-thousand bid for the 250-foot communication tower which will be constructed at the site. Negotiations continue with the State Department of Public Safety to add the statewide digital MARCS system to the package, which is seen as a major enhancement for future years for local safety forces. *In an early first use – the LCJCC was pressed into service as the headquarters for the response to the major wind storm of June 29th. Daily media briefings, to the community, originated from the new Center.

SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN RAISES MORE THAN $20-MILLION FOR COTC & OHIO STATE NEWARK

The Next Generation Challenge scholarship campaign at Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) and The Ohio State University at Newark has surpassed its $20-million goal making it the most successful fundraising effort in the history of the two institutions. The campaign began in April 2010 and culminated last month, with a final donation that propelled the grand total past the goal. The preliminary total is $20,847,506.53. Unique about this scholarship campaign was the matching opportunity, a rare chance to double the impact of every donation. Granville philanthropists J. Gilbert Reese and Louella Reese challenged the community in April 2010 by personally matching all gifts, multi-year pledges and planned gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $10 million to support the growth of endowed scholarships at both schools. Culminating the campaign was the final gift, a combined $2 million from Ariel Corporation and Ariel Foundation, headquartered in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Karen Buchwald Wright, President and CEO of Ariel, has a long-standing relationship with COTC and was instrumental in establishing a permanent home for the COTC Knox Campus in downtown Mount Vernon. The $2 million gift will benefit Knox County students attending either COTC or Ohio State Newark. “I am absolutely thrilled to be able to say the Next Generation Challenge was not only met, but exceeded its $20 million goal,” said COTC Dr. President Bonnie Coe. “We are so appreciative to the Reeses for their tremendous generosity, to Karen Buchwald Wright for pushing us past our goal, and to the many, many community partners who have made the Reeses’ vision to grow endowed scholarships a reality.” The Newark Campus Development Fund, a permanent locally controlled endowment that provides funding for innovative projects and scholarships at COTC and Ohio State Newark, served as the primary recipient of scholarship gifts for the campaign. Donors were able to designate their gift to benefit students at either COTC or Ohio State Newark or they could make an unrestricted, cost-shared gift to benefit students of both institutions. “Today, more than 50 years since its founding, the campus remains true to ensuring accessibility to an Ohio State education,” said William L. MacDonald, executive dean of the regional campuses and dean director at Ohio State Newark. “I am so grateful to Lou and Gib, and to all of our donors, for their incredible generosity and foresight in helping to create a better future for our community.” The first Next Generation Challenge scholarship awards will be allocated during autumn semester 2012. With over $10 million in community gifts, matched by $10 million from the Reeses, COTC, Ohio State Newark and NCDF will ultimately be able to award the equivalent of ‘five hundred’ $2,000 student scholarships annually in perpetuity.

SAFETY SUGGESTION FROM SUPPORTER JOAN GRUBE

When walking on the bike path or the walking path in eastern Granville, I am often approached from behind by bike riders. I wish they would learn the simple polite warning of "on your left" to let walkers know that they are about to pass. Many walkers wear iPods and don't always hear approaching bikers. This is something parents should teach their bike-riding children (although many adults are guilty of not giving any audible signal as well). All it would take is a walker side-stepping to avoid a broken sidewalk or a branch on the path to cause a serious accident by stepping in the path of an approaching biker resulting in major injuries to the walker. It would be nice if the media would do an article featuring this problem. I know parents feel that having their children ride their bikes to and from Granville on the walking path rather than on busy Newark-Granville Road is a safe choice; but it isn't necessarily safe for walkers who have to be concerned with kids zipping up behind them without warning and cutting it very close when passing. Last summer I actually had two boys come up from behind and one passed me on the right and the other on the left all at the same time. I always say "thank you" to bikers who offer an audible signal.

SUMMERTIME TIPS FROM SUPPORTER CARRIE DOTSON

Ah, the warm summer months are here, which means more time spent outside running around enjoying the outdoors. It also means occasionally battling the bugs, the sun, and the heat. To ensure that these and other common summer annoyances don’t derail your summertime fun, here are 10 smart tricks that can help make your summer a little sweeter... 1. Keep a dryer sheet in your pocket to keep bugs away. You can spend tons of money buying bug spray, and you’ll most likely end up feeling sticky, smelling like bug spray, and getting bitten by bugs anyway. An easy solution is to carry a dryer sheet with you, which is something most people have at home already anyway. By carrying it in your pocket you can ward off bugs; something about the smell keeps the bugs away from you. 2. Sprinkle baking soda in sweaty shoes. Running around in your shoes without socks is a regular occurrence during the summer time because everyone just wants to slip shoes on and go. Unfortunately, this also causes extra unwanted odor in your shoes. To fix this problem sprinkle the inside of the shoes with baking soda to absorb the odors. If you’d rather not have the powdery look in your shoes, you can create a sachet by using a rubber band wrapped around a few tablespoons of baking soda in a handkerchief. Just put a sachet in each shoe and the odors will disappear. 3. Trap fruit flies with apple cider vinegar. Did you bring home fruit flies from the farmers market? Fill a glass jar half full of cider vinegar and screw the lid back on. Punch several holes in the lid and leave the jar where you have seen the fruit flies. They will be gone in no time. 4. Cool a sunburn with white vinegar. Unfortunately, with the warm summer months comes the occasional sunburn. To take the sting out of a sunburn soak clean soft cloths in white vinegar, wring them out and lay them on the sunburned skin. 5. Coat feet with petroleum jelly and cover with socks at bedtime. This trick will keep your feet soft and sandal ready all summer. A little petroleum jelly on your elbows and knees will make sure they stay soft and smooth for all of those revealing summer outfits. 6. Mix a can of cola with ketchup for a quick and easy barbeque sauce. Figure out about how much sauce you want and add the cola to the ketchup to thin it out and add flavor and sweetness. Brush on chicken or ribs during the last stages of cooking on the grill to avoid burning. 7. Use conditioner to shave your legs in a pinch. Did you forget to pack your shaving cream for your vacation? That’s okay; you can use the sample bottle of conditioner that most hotels give you. This will leave your legs smooth and silky soft. 8. Apply coconut oil to bee stings and bug bites. Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties and will help heal the sting or bite as well as soothe the pain. 9. Straws make great strawberry hullers. Take a normal straw and push it up through the base of the strawberry and come up under the hull. Keep pushing and the hull will usually come right out. Practice makes perfect with this, but it really works well when you get the hang of it and you won’t have all those strawberry seeds under your finger nails. 10. Use cute cupcake papers to cover your drinks this summer. When the weather turns nice eating and drinking outside becomes standard, and almost mandatory. The problem with eating and drinking outside is keeping the bugs away from your food and drinks. Get yourself some cupcake papers and use them to cover your drinks. If you’re having a party the cupcake papers can even match the theme. To make a drink cover you just need to punch a hole in the cupcake paper and stick a straw through. Just make sure there are no bugs inside the straw before you drink.

LICKING COUNTY RESILIANT FOLLOWING SEVERE SUMMER STORM

Licking Countians Resilient Following Severe Summer Storm … The storm of June 29th has been characterized by meteorologists as a ‘super derecho’, however I think most of us will remember that Friday evening as ‘The Big Blow of 2012’. When emergency responders plan for such situations they typically plan for a multi-layered disaster situation and that is what we all experienced. Beginning with a severe straight line wind storm that traveled some 600-miles in 10-hours across several mid and eastern U.S. states, by 5:30pm Licking County saw extensive property damage, literally hundreds of tons of downed trees, impassable roads, and a heavily damaged power grid that threw a majority of residents into the dark. On top of that the final disaster layer was a severe weeklong heat wave. What next? The good news is the 170-thousand residents of Licking County are a resilient bunch and we survived the best ‘mother nature’ could throw at us. As a County Commissioner here I am proud of the thousands of heroes who in so many ways stood tall and did their part to assist in the recovery. Workers at the township, village, city and county level worked tirelessly to reestablish the roads and infrastructure. Residents of all ages and ability worked to help their neighbors and neighborhoods recover. Social service agencies quickly responded to the need. And the two local electrical utilities marshaled their forces and many others who came to assist to rebuild the power system in fairly short order. Frankly, we may be the only nation anywhere that can take that kind of a multi-state storm hit, with billions of dollars worth of damage, and basically recover as quickly as we have. Indeed there is plenty left to do from continuing to clean-up public and private property, repair of damaged structures, replenishing the supplies of the Food Pantry Network, and generally getting back to work and back to business as it was. However, we would also do well to take a moment and thank a higher power for allowing our county to survive this disaster without any storm related loss of life. A final thought on the quality of the power system. Usually after a wind or ice storm that causes outages, we hear the call for putting all of our power lines underground. We can’t afford the trillions of dollars to do that, and it doesn’t make practical or economic sense. In my view we should instead be reinvesting extensively in the above ground system, much of which is nearly a century old. There is often resistance to higher utility rates that would generate the many millions of dollars needed to update and enhance the above ground primary and secondary system. However, as a country, we can’t allow our power system to deteriorate and become third rate. It is time to update our transmission, substation and distribution systems. The other issue is the reluctance to allow the utilities to trim out their right of ways, both pruning and removing trees. In a windstorm such as that of June 29th the electrical grid would have survived to a much greater extent without tons of rotted and old trees falling apart and downing lines. Just like the capital improvements that are called for, it is time to remove trees that pose a great risk and start planting the next generation of shade trees away of the utility right of ways.

COMMUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM CONSOLIDATION OF TRANSIT SYSTEMS

The long discussed merger of the Licking County and Newark-Heath transit systems will be a reality by the end of this year. Recently Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb, the President of the County Transit Board, was joined by Heath Mayor Mark Johns and Newark Mayor Jeff Hall in announcing the cooperative agreement to improve service and reduce costs. The Newark Earthworks Transit System will be dissolved on the final day of December, and Newark and Heath will no longer be the recipient of Federal Transit grant dollars. The established County Transit Board will become the sole recipient of transit funding, and will provide continued full ‘’curb to curb demand service’ now in all of Licking County. This consolidation of these local transit functions has been a point of discussion for a number of years, and will allow for efficiencies in dispatching and maintenance, enhanced technology, increase the potential to leverage state and federal funds, and reduce administrative costs. The Licking County Transit Board has been part of other transportation consolidations in the past, providing services for the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Licking County Job and Family Services. Commissioner Bubb says he anticipates a smooth transition, and Newark and Heath will remain actively involved in improving the system.

COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER BENEFITS FROM INNOVATION GRANT

The ambitious Licking County project to consolidate and upgrade 9-1-1 Fire and Emergency Dispatching, and the Sheriff’s Office law enforcement dispatching received a major shot in the arm this week with the announcement by the state of a major interest free loan benefiting the project. The County will receive a $500-thousand no interest 10-year loan to facilitate this public safety project. Earlier this year the Licking County Task Force planning this consolidation and cost saving project made application to the State’s new Local Government Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund is a competitive statewide program providing loans and grants which are intended to benefit communities doing projects to consolidate services, improve efficiencies and ultimately cut costs. The Ohio Department of Development received 105 grant applications and 12 loan applications in nine areas including: technology, public safety, facilities, economic development, fleet management, public works, administration, health and human services and educational instruction support. In the first round the State selected 51-project amounting to $3.4-million in grants and $2.9-million in loans. The Licking County project will combine two major emergency services dispatching operations in a facility acquired last year from the State, a former community based corrections facility. Located on East Main Street in Newark, this new Licking County Joint Communication Center (LCJCC) will feature new state of the art technology in an expandable and innovatively designed central location. In addition to accommodating existing radio technology, the Center will include a new 250-foot transmission tower and full connectivity to the statewide MARCS 800 Megahertz radio network, allowing local agencies to utilize that resource. Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb says, “Construction to adapt the administrative areas of the former incarceration facility to a telecommunications center will begin this summer, as will tower construction. The conversion and installation of new equipment will be complete in early 2013, and it is anticipated the new LCJCC will ‘stand up’ in the second quarter of 2013.” He adds, “This $2-million plus project will also benefit from a Federal Grant in conjunction with the MECC Center in Franklin County for new dispatching technology, as well as County capital funds and wireless funds intended to upgrade dispatching technology.”

DOLLARS FOR DEMOS COMES TO LICKING COUNTY

Some two months ago the Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that Licking County would be eligible for $1,029,355 for the demolition of abandoned, vacant and blighted residential structures. The County agreed that Newark City would be the lead agency seeking the grant for the County. Newark will take the lead in working with municipalities throughout the County on such demo projects. The County’s Community Development Department will coordinate in unincorporated areas. The first $500-thousand of the grant money, which comes from the national settlement with the banks over improper lending practices, is match free. However, for the any entity in the County to use the additional $529, 355 it will require a $1 for $1 match. The work begins late this summer is done by the communities and reimbursement comes from the AG’s Office.

NEW PELOTONIA ROUTE INCLUDES LICKING COUNTY

This year, for the first time, the Central Ohio Pelotonia Bike Event will travel through a large portion of Licking County. The event is planned for Saturday and Sunday, August 11th and 12th. The route travels up from Pickerington, through western Licking County to New Albany, and then returns eastward through Jersey Township, St. Albans Township and into Granville. It then turns north up Loudon Street, travels into McKean Township. The route then splits into two optional routes. One goes into Hartford, the other goes through Burlington and Washington Townships into Utica. Ultimately, the bikers finish in Gambier on Sunday. Thousands of participants are expected for this event which raises funds in the battle with cancer. Residents of western Licking County should be aware of this major event that weekend. A large contingent of security and medical personnel will be on our local roads in support of this event.

COMMEMORATION OF THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR OF 1812

Commemoration of the Beginning of the War of 1812… On June 18th Licking County sponsored the commemoration of the War of 1812 with a Flag Raising Ceremony on June 18th in downtown Newark at the Veteran’s Park on North Sixth Street. The statewide commemoration honored the Ohioans who served and died in this second conflict with Great Britain. Emily Larsen, of the County Historical Society, summarized the War of 1812 as having had a lasting impact on Ohio bringing about the creation of new towns, spurring settlements, and cementing the cultural and geographic boundaries of the great lakes region that exist to this day. From big battles (Battle of Lake Erie and Fort Meigs) to small skirmishes across much of the state, to life on the home front, there are numerous stories to be told about the impact of this conflict on individuals, families and communities. Soloist Kerrill Foster sang the National Anthem as a large 15-star replica American Flag was raised by the Licking County Veterans Service Commission. The ceremony concluded with the ringing of Newark’s downtown church bells. Groups that participated in the flag raising event event included Licking County and Newark City Government, Newark Kiwanis, The County Historical Society and the County Veterans Service Commission. A photo of the actual flag raising…

SUMMER SAFETY TIPS FROM COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Here are Some Summer Safety Tips from your County Health Department… The end of the school year means more children are out and about, especially in neighborhoods. Parents and caregivers play an essential role in keeping kids safe while enjoying summer activities. The Licking County Health Department offers the following summer safety tips: • When driving, pay attention and scan the entire area around you. • Look for children playing near the street and slow down. Children are often unpredictable and unaware of danger around them. • Slow down around children and other pedestrians. • Watch for people about to step off the curb at crosswalks. • Teach kids to appreciate and respect EMS professionals, firefighters and police officers, and when and how to dial 911 in an emergency. • Always wear a helmet when biking, skateboarding, roller skating or riding a scooter. • Always stop at STOP signs and look both ways before crossing the street. • Use sunscreen and wear sunglasses to protect your skin and eyes from harmful solar rays. • Use care when eating foods like hotdogs, grapes and hard candy or cut them into smaller pieces to prevent choking. • Never allow unsupervised children to play near or swim in streams, pools, retention ponds or other bodies of water.

COUNTY PLANNING STAFF ENHANCE NEWARK ROAD UPGRADE PLANNED FOR 2013

A team from the Licking County Planning Department, led by Director Jerry Newton, was successful is gaining a quarter of a million dollars in funding to add handicapped accessible sidewalks and new pavement of the 30th Street rail crossing in west Newark. This will be paid for by the Ohio Central Railroad and the State Rail Commission, and is in addition to a $1-million repaving and improvements of 30th Street from Newark to Heath planned for 2013.

STATE PROVIDES ORANGE BARREL UPDATE FOR LICKING COUNTY

The Ohio Department of Transportation has announced planned maintenance and improvement projects in Licking County for this year. It includes some $51-million for state highway resurfacing, $32-million for bridge work and $7.5-million for general maintenance such as striping and guardrail repair. Projects include… Completion of the $9.2-million Route 16 Cedar Street bridge project in east Newark The $489-thousand Route 62 project in Johnstown to make access to the Industrial Park much safer by adding turn lanes and signals. A $7-million widening and reconstruction of the bridge deck over I-70 at State Route 158. A $216-thousand replacement project of culverts on State Route 310 in Pataskala. Completion of the $4.2-million widening and center divider project on State Route 79 in Heath in the business district. A $985-thousand bridge replacement project on Hopewell Drive in Heath. In Newark a $4.3-million widening and resurfacing of Country Club Drive including an intersection upgrade. And a $1.4-million resurfacing of West Main Street and Granville Road in west Newark.

SENIOR LEVY SUMMER MOVIE BENEFIT

In conjunction with the Midland Theatre, the County through Senior Levy Funding is offering free admission for senior citizens to the summertime series of ‘ Friday Flicks’. On Friday, June 15 the show will be the Hitchcock Classic ‘Rear Window’ and the series continues for five consecutive Fridays through July 13th - this summer celebrating movies from the Fabulous Fifties. These movies will be ’12 Angry Men’, ‘Some Like It Hot’, ‘The Bridge On The River Kwai’, and ‘Streetcar Named Desire’. Show times on these Fridays are 2:00pm and 7:00pm, and courtesy of Senior Levy Funding, are FREE to seniors over 60-years of age and over.

LICKING COUNTY SENIORS RECOGNIZED

The County joined others in recognizing the contributions to our community by senior citizens. Inducted into the Licking County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in May was William ‘Bill’ Simmons of Utica for his volunteer work in the Utica area, and E. J. and Barb Franks who live in rural Newark and perform music regularly to senior groups and others. Simmons was nominated by North Fork School Superintendent Scott Hartley, and the Franks’ by the Licking County Aging Program. In a related note E. J. and Barb Franks were honored as the Licking County residents inducted on May 16th into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in a regional ceremony at the Janis Center in Columbus. Also, a good friend to Licking County, John McDavid, was inducted into the COSCHOF at this same ceremony as a resident of Delaware County. John served for many years as the Secretary-Manager of the Hartford Fair in Croton which serves the three County region of Licking and parts of Knox and Delaware as an Independent Fair.

GUEST ARTICLE BY RICK PLATT OF OUR LOCAL PORT AUTHORITY

It’s Not Us vs. Them in Manufacturing By Rick Platt of the Newark, Heath Licking County Port Authority The news reports had an us vs. them feel to them. The Columbus Business First article about a Chase Bank session with Brookings started out that way saying, "If a U.S. manufacturing resurgence is dawning, it will be cities that lead the revival." Another article touted the idea that it was the 100 biggest cities that were going to bring manufacturing back in the U.S. These stories miss the point, and the facts. Suburbs and rural areas have, more often, in the past three decades been the places where manufacturing has gone to grow. Not the big inner cities. The statistics are clear. Anyone who has worked in economic development in the past thirty years knows that instinctively. Anyone. The recent resurgence that's occurring in manufacturing is, also, more happening in the 'burbs. The Brookings Institution folks know that. There's another purpose to their message and, on their website, the us vs. them takes a slightly different tone. Brookings is, actually, turning cities into manufacturing advocates. Brookings', being pure to the numbers but recognizing the political reality, is careful to use metropolitan areas to refer to their concept of manufacturing rebirth in the cities. Thus, the tent has grown to include the suburbs too. Licking County is suburban and exurban of Columbus yet it is in the Columbus "metropolitan area" so the millions of square feet of manufacturing space and thousands of manufacturing jobs add to the Columbus mix in the Brookings report. There's a method at work here. Clearly, Brookings' has noticed a "new focus on manufacturing" and is trying to help the large cities not be left off the bandwagon as the manufacturing issue is gaining resurgence with national policymakers. That's not so bad for us in the suburbs. It really doesn't have to be us versus them. That's what the story should be.

DATES FOR HEISEY WIND ENSEMBLE & BIG BAND

Please note these upcoming summer dates for the Heisey Wind Ensemble… The full Ensemble will be featured at the Newark Independence Day celebration on Tuesday evening July 3rd at the Newark Campus. The HWE’s 20-piece Big Band will be featured at the Granville "Concert on the Green" this Saturday evening June 3rd, and at the Newark Jazz and Ribs Festival on the Square downtown on Saturday, July 7th.

RUNWAY CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY AT COUNTY AIRPORT

Construction continues at our Licking County Regional Airport in Heath. Using a Grant from the Federal Aviation Administration the 45-hundred foot runway is being completely rebuilt and paved, with the addition of improved drainage as well. This runway rebuild is a $1-million project to be completed by the second week in June. The Regional Airport is basically closed during this construction period. This local general aviation airport, on Heath Road, is an economic development asset with some 70-aircraft based there, and some 10-thousand takeoffs and landings annually including use by dozens of local companies. Plans are underway to add hangar space in the next year, and continue reconstruction of the parallel taxiway.

SUMMER GREETING FROM COMMISSIONER TIM BUBB

Greetings – summer has arrived with the opening of the pools and the end of school. Here’s wishing each of you a safe and enjoyable summer season! Last weekend the weather was perfect for the many parades, Memorial Day Commemorations, and family events. I would add my special thanks to the Hebron American Legion Post for asking me to address their Monday, May 28th remembrance service at the Hebron Village Cemetery. The Lakewood High School Band did an excellent job as well, and several hundred residents attended the memorial.

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.

APRIL 2012 UPDATE FROM LICKING COUNTY COMMISSIONER TIM BUBB

We survived a roller coaster month of March weather-wise, and officially ‘spring has sprung’.

This “Commissioner Update” is dated April 1st and it is not an ‘April Fool’. However, I would suggest you be on your guard today!

Re-Elect Tim Bubb Commissioner Campaign Note…

On Thursday, April 26th a group of local public officials are hosting a kick-off reception for my 2012 Campaign seeking Re-Election as your County Commissioner.

The location will be The Grill Works on South Second Street in downtown Newark from 4:30 to 6:30pm.

You are cordially invited to this ‘after work’ fundraiser and campaign event. The cost is $20 per person and $30 per couple. There will be hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

Regarding the Primary Election in March…

On behalf the Licking Park District Board thanks for your support of their Levy for Parks, Paths and Trails. This five-year levy will allow the Park District to manage and maintain 24-miles of community bike paths, over 1,600 acres of parks and nature reserves, and 25-miles of recreation trails



Also, our community benefits from your continued support of the levy for the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The levy renewal means continuation of the current funding for the Board of DD, which serves more than 1,400 Licking County residents and their families annually.

Economic Development…

* The new Grow Licking County Community Improvement Corporation ‘CIC’ has hired its new Economic Development Director. Beginning April 9th Dan Evers will begin his new duties and will be housed at the County Chamber of Commerce Office. Evers is a Certified Economic Development Professional with considerable experience at the township and county level.

* Positive economic news as Johnstown’s Tech International continues to expand and add jobs. This long time Johnstown area business has in the past year been expanding into an existing building in the Village Industrial Park, and recently announced some 29-jobs will be created. Also known as Johnstown Technical Rubber, the expansion will mean an additional $900-thousand in yearly payroll. The company is a world leader in tire repair and wheel services. This positive growth was spurred by local support and a 35-percent State Job Creation Tax Credit.


Other Items in the News…

* A deluge of rain, over 4-inches in a short period of time, caused flash flooding in the Village of Hebron two weeks ago. Clean-up and repairs are continuing and disaster assistance fund has been set-up at the Park National Bank in Hebron for anyone who would like to help. The good news was there were no injuries.

Assistance came to the Village from many directions and I would just like to recognize the County Government assistance. Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the CERT Volunteers, County Sheriff and Engineers Offices, Health Department and County Transit were among the many who responded to the scene. Also, County Planning and Building Code will be assisting by waiving inspection fees to assist residents and businesses in their continued recovery efforts.


* At the annual Licking County Red Cross Heroes’ Breakfast in celebration of their tenth anniversary of the event, they honored ten individuals who have had a positive major impact on the community over the past ten years. I was honored to be recognized as one of those ten individuals at the event held in mid March.

Also honored by the Red Cross were Eschol Curl, Dan Delawder, Cheri Hottinger, Paddy Kutz, Dr. Lew Mollica, Rob Montagnese, Kay Murphy, Dr. Pat Scarpitti and Sarah Wallace.


* At the Annual Farmer’s Share Breakfast three members of the local Ag Community were honored…

Inducted into the Licking County Agricultural Hall of Fame were William Gilmore and Jim Heimerl.

Gilmore was honored posthumously for his contributions to and innovations in farming in the late 19th and 20th centuries. He was remembered as the national champion corn grower in 1922, and a champion breeder of draft horses that were sold worldwide.

Heimerl was recognized for his more recent innovations in farming. He and his family raise over 300-thousand hogs annually on their 26-hundred acre farm. Jim has been recognized as a state and national winner of the Pork Environmental Stewardship Award.

In addition, Jim Kiracofe, the County Soil and Water Conservation District program administrator, was recognized for recently receiving the 2012 Ohio Conservation District Professional Award.

Orange Barrel Update…

* State Route 16 – the Newark Expressway…Upgrades to lanes and ramp restrictions. Congestion continues with one lane open to traffic both eastbound and westbound between Hudson and O’Bannon Avenues. The entrance and exit ramps at Cedar Street are restricted to one lane, and there will be a 10-day closure at the interchange in June (final date not determined).

* Work continues on the State Route 79 Hebron Road area of Heath. The project will lead to a center divider, a wider road and relocated utility lines. Next week expect on-going overnight lane closures. There will be congestion as traffic is reduced to one-lane and the overnight water line work will be underway.

* On U.S. 62 outside the Village of Johnstown a guardrail upgrade is underway. The project resumes this Monday from 7:00am till 5:00pm on Route 62 between the Franklin/Licking and Licking /Knox County lines. Traffic will be maintained.

* On Interstate 70 near Buckeye Lake Village expect congestion as the pavements are improved. Starting this Monday pavement work will close lanes and ramps for limited periods of time. Motorists should expect delays in the work zone areas.


Feel free to forward this e-mail in any direction you would like, and let me know the e-mail address of anyone who would like to be included on my Update Newsletter list.

Also, visit my website … TimBubb.com, where I post updates on my personal blog.

I can also be e-mailed at tbubb@lcounty.com, and my desk phone number at the Commissioner’s Office is 740-670-5118.

Best Regards! …

Commissioner Tim Bubb

MARCH 2012 COMMISSIONER TIM BUBB UPDATE

This mild winter of 2011-12 is just about behind us and spring just officially just 20-days away.

Spring is a time of renewal with the landscape ready to explode with color in the days ahead, and the arrival of spring training and March Madness means that longer days and better weather are just ahead!

As your County Commissioner I can report that our Board continues to perform at a high level of achievement. We will begin March with a balanced budget for the year featuring reduced spending in many areas, and a continued emphasis on consolidation and coordination of government.


ELECTION DAY IS NEXT WEEK

Early voting is just about complete and the ‘Super Tuesday Primary Election Day’ is next Tuesday’s March 6th Ohio Primary.

For voting information call the Board of Elections Office at 740-670-5080 or visit the Licking County website lcounty.com and click on Board of Elections under the Administration tab.

Regarding The Election I Would Offer These Suggestions…


Recommend voting for the re-election of County Commissioner Brad Feightner. Commissioner Feightner, now completing his first term, is a thoughtful and responsive Commissioner who always puts ‘People before Politics’. Feightner brings new ideas and fair consideration to the issues the Commissioners face each day and he has earned your support and vote for a second term.

Recommend voting YES for the Licking Park District’s 0.25-mill Levy for Parks, Paths and Trails. This five-year levy will allow the Parks District to manage and maintain 24-miles of community bike paths, over 1,600 acres of parks and nature reserves, and 25-miles of recreation trails. This is a quality of life issue that affects all residents of the County. In addition these parks, paths and trails contribute to our community’s economic growth by increasing appeal for business development and tourism, as well as enhancing property values.

Recommend voting YES for the renewal of the five‐year, 1‐mill levy for the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities. This levy will renew the current funding for the Board of DD, which serves more than 1,400 Licking County residents and their families annually. A renewal of the March 2012 levy means property owners in Licking County will not see an increase in property taxes to support the County Board of DD. Substantial cuts in state and federal funds since 2002 have made local levy dollars crucial to the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ ability to serve the needs of county residents and their families.


Business Development Trip to Washington D. C. Successful - Continuing to Build Port Authority and Community Support

This past Wednesday, February 29th Commissioner Tim Bubb joined a delegation of business leaders and public officials in a ‘business development’ trip to the nation’s capital on behalf of the Newark-Heath-Licking County Port Authority. This purpose of the trip was to continue to build and rally the Ohio Legislative Delegation on behalf of retaining and recruiting new jobs, especially aerospace opportunities, for the former Air Force Base site in Heath.

Targeted visits included both of Ohio’s Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman, and their staffs. Also, Congressmen Bob Gibbs, Pat Tiberi and Steve Stivers, and the Chief of Staff, Mick Kreiger, for House Speaker John Boehner.

In addition, Commissioner Bubb and County Engineer Bill Lozier were joined by Heath Mayor Mark Johns in visits with Director Grande Lum at the Small Business Administration’s HUBZone Program, and at the White House with Director David Agnew who coordinates with the nation’s cities and counties for the Administration. Both sessions were productive in looking at ways to qualify the Port Authority as a HUBZone site and bring this additional economic development to Licking County. Commissioner Bubb, Engineer Lozier and Mayor Johns also discussed several other development issues critical to Licking County and Central Ohio with the Federal Administration.

This 2012 Port Authority Delegation included... Heath Mayor Mark Johns, Mike Cadenhead of Bionetics, Al Bonacci of Goodrich, Joy Padgett Central Ohio Technical College, Bill Wright of the Port Authority, Bart Weiler of the Port Authority Board, Bill Lozier
Licking County Engineer, Rick Platt Port Authority Director, Tim Bubb Licking County Commissioner, Charles Dutch of The Boeing Company.


“Striking The Right Balance” – An Informative Update from Director John Fisher on his Agency – the Licking County Department of Job and Family Services

It has been said that the secret to success is finding balance in life. That mantra has always held true at Licking County Job & Family Services—and especially in fiscal year 2011.

During this past year, the Agency has worked diligently to strike a balance between effectively serving community members in need, and being as efficient as possible with the hard-earned dollars of the taxpayers who support our organization.

One way we have achieved this balance is by actively embracing innovation and technology. Advances such as upgrading our phone systems and adopting online Public Assistance applications have made it easier for residents in need to access our services. In fact, since implementing the phone upgrades, we have decreased callers’ wait time by almost half and reduced the number of abandoned calls by more than half. At the same time, we have made it more cost effective for the Agency to provide struggling families and individuals with food assistance, access to medical care, transportation, and other types of help when they need it most.

In making these changes, the Agency has been conscious of the balance between technology and a personal touch. Our mission is first and foremost to provide a helping hand to meet basic needs during tough times while assuring the safety and welfare of some of our most vulnerable citizens, including children, the elderly, and the disabled. While taking advantage of the efficiencies of technology, we make every effort to continue to be a source of compassion, caring, and hope for a better tomorrow.

To that end, we placed a strong emphasis on helping individuals obtain and maintain employment during FY2011. The majority of the people we serve do work; however, many of them are underemployed. To support their families, these workers may need more hours, a better salary, or benefits. Licking County JFS provides the resources to help them reach these goals and achieve a greater sense of balance in their own lives.
As always, in everything we do, the Agency is committed to meeting or surpassing federal and state performance goals. We have always been a top-performing county, and we are proud to report that we consistently exceed overall state averages in performance in nearly every area.

As we look forward, Licking County JFS will continue to seek innovative ways to improve services to community members, stretch taxpayers’ dollars further, and remain a source of compassionate care for friends and neighbors in need. Ultimately, we will strive to find the balance that works best for every Licking Countian.

Orange Barrel Update…

Preliminary work has begun on the Hopewell Drive bridge, located between State Route 79 and State Route 13, in the City of Heath, Licking County.

Complete General Construction Co. is the contractor for this $977,000.00 bridge rehabilitation project. This preliminary work will not impact traffic, as two lanes of traffic will be maintained during this six week period.

The bridge is expected to close beginning June 11 through this October 15, weather permitting. The posted detour will be via State Route 13, Irving Wick Drive, and State Route 79, adding approximately five miles to a motorist’s commute.

* Factoid – According to the County Engineer the certified length of County owned and maintained roads is 421.582 miles!


County Green Energy Phase I over halfway done and Energy II About to Begin

Last fall the County, in cooperation with the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) began a major upgrade of a dozen County owned facilities targeting HVAC Systems and a variety of other upgrades to save energy, bring the building’s systems up to date, and save money. In fact the energy savings, and deferred capital costs and maintenance will pay for most of $4.7-million in improvements over the next decade.

The program is going so well, beginning on March 8th, the County will issue an RFP for County Energy Phase II with the intent of upgrading and making more efficient the County’s remaining 14 buildings with work to be accomplished in 2012 and 2013, again in cooperation with OAQDA.

In addition to benefiting the County’s inventory of buildings (large and small), these projects also benefit our local economy. Most of the workers and subcontractors are from Licking County, and many of the materials are manufactured locally. Below is a photo of boxes of insulated pipe wrap being staged for use in the upgrades of the downtown County Administration Building – made locally at the Owens Corning Fiberglas Plant in Newark.


Licking and Muskingum Counties Join Hands To Bring Water to the Small Village of Gratiot...
This past week a contract was signed between Licking and Muskingum Counties to jointly solve the issue of bringing clean/safe drinking water to the small Village of Gratiot. The Village sits on the line between the two counties. The agreement will allow Muskingum County to bring nearby water service into Licking County to serve the Village’s residents and businesses. This cooperative agreement will solve the long standing problem of not having a quality water utility service for the community, and is considered a Win – Win. Licking County Water Wastewater Direct or Kevin Eby was instrumental in helping make this happen.


Feel free to forward this e-mail in any direction you would like, and let me know the e-mail address of anyone who would like to be included on my Update Newsletter list.

Also, visit my website … TimBubb.com, where I post updates on my personal blog.

I can also be e-mailed at tbubb@lcounty.com, and my desk phone number at the Commissioner’s Office is 740-670-5118.


Best Regards! …

Commissioner Tim Bubb

FEBRUARY 2012 - COMMISSIONER TIM BUBB UPDATE

Greetings! It is turning out to be one of the mildest Ohio winters in many years – so enjoy! At the County the money we save not plowing and salting, will be available for paving and bridge repair this summer. So let’s keep it going.

February is the winter transition month as we start to see the days get longer, and this week we celebration Groundhog Day.

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2nd. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.

The Greater Licking County Chamber of Commerce has traditionally hosted a major local meeting on or around Groundhog Day, in the hope the groundhog will not only predict an early spring, but also positive economic news for the year.

I am hoping for both, and will see many of you this Friday morning
(February 3rd) at the Groundhog Breakfast at the Newark Campus!

Election Season Has Arrived …

Believe it or not it is time to begin early in-person voting for the 2012 ‘Super Tuesday’, March 6th Ohio Primary.

Early voting in-person at the County Board of Elections (BOE) began January 31st and continues until Friday, March 2nd at 6:00pm. * The Board of Elections is not conducting early voting either at night or on weekends. You can vote in-person at the BOE Office, in the County Administration Building at 20 South Second Street in Newark, weekdays between 8:00am and 4:30pm.

For further voting information call the BOE Office at 740-670-5080 or visit the Licking County website lcounty.com and click on Board of Elections under the Administration tab.


Regarding Super Tuesday …

Recommend voting for the re-election of County Commissioner Brad Feightner. Commissioner Feightner, now completing his first term, is a thoughtful and responsive Commissioner who always puts ‘People before Politics’. Feightner brings new ideas and fair consideration to the issues the Commissioners face each day and he has earned your support and vote for a second term.

Recommend voting YES for the Licking Park District’s 0.25-mill Levy for Parks, Paths and Trails. This five-year levy will allow the Parks District to manage and maintain 24-miles of community bike paths, over 1,600 acres of parks and nature reserves, and 25-miles of recreation trails. This is a quality of life issue that affects all residents of the County. In addition these parks, paths and trails contribute to our community’s economic growth by increasing appeal for business development and tourism, as well as enhancing property values.

Recommend voting YES for the renewal of the five‐year, 1‐mill levy for the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities. This levy will renew the current funding for the Board of DD, which serves more than 1,400 Licking County residents and their families annually. A renewal of the March 2012 levy means property owners in Licking County will not see an increase in property taxes to support the County Board of DD. Substantial cuts in state and federal funds since 2002 have made local levy dollars crucial to the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ ability to serve the needs of county residents and their families.


Combined County/Railroad Effort Eliminates Marne Flood Threat

A neighborhood flash flood threat was eliminated this past fall in Marne, in eastern Licking County, between Newark and Hanover. The County Commissioners, County Engineer, and the Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road Company, combined in a two-phase engineering and construction solution. The work was done in a cost effective fashion, and without an assessment of the residents of the watershed in this Licking Valley region.

Floods in 1990 and again in 1995 were severe enough to receive Presidential Emergency Declarations and led to lawsuits against the Ohio Central railroad, which then leased the line from the State. It was assumed two old undersized railroad culverts were overwhelmed by the volume of water causing the severe neighborhood flooding.

In 1998 a judge ordered the railroad to better maintain the old culverts until they could accomplish a permanent solution to the problem. And an expensive plan was created. However the flood prevention project was not addressed for a number of years for mostly financial reasons. At that time, the railroad company was reluctant to pay its share, as were many of the residents of the watershed who didn’t see the Marne flooding situation as their problem.

However, in 2009 the Ohio Central was purchased by Genesee & Wyoming, a major player in the short line rail business. And Bill Lozier arrived as Deputy County Engineer, with a background in solving drainage problems. Lozier recalculated the dynamics of this flood problem, and proposed a two phase solution with much larger box culverts under the railroad and to the south under Marne Road.

Railroad officials verified the quality of the solution and agreed to pay for their part of the work. This past October Licking County crews replaced the old culverts under Marne Road with a larger prefab box culvert. In December the railroad held up its end of the bargain and replaced their old undersized culverts, along with clearing parts of the stream bank.

On behalf of Commissioners Brad Feightner and Doug Smith, allow me to offer special thank you to the County Engineer's office and the railroad for their cooperation. With a combination of road and bridge funds and railroad company participation, the County was left with minimal expense to complete what was once considered an extraordinarily costly project.

The Marne Ditch flooding solution is now in place, and the need to assess residents for the flood prevention project was avoided. We were pleased to help bring about a reasonable and effective solution to what was a continuing flood threat in the Marne community.




Concluding with Licking County January News Briefs …

The new Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) for Economic Development will hold its organizational meeting Wednesday, February 6th. The Licking County Government, County Chamber of Commerce and Port Authority are the organizers, with a number of others offering financial support.

Last month the Commissioners concluded the purchase of a building at 675 West Church Street in Newark, formerly owned by the local Board of Developmental Disabilities. Over the next two years it will be transitioned into the permanent location for the County’s Records and Archives Department.

The County’s innovative Energy Conservation Plan is well underway with a dozen major public buildings seeing improvements. The $4.7-million in work is essentially paid for with Stimulus dollars, AEP Rebates, and the anticipated twenty percent guaranteed in energy savings. A Phase II Energy Conservation Program to finish retrofitting the County’s buildings is under consideration.

A 1 ½-mile stretch of Woodhaven Road in Monroe Township, between Croton Road and Clover Valley Road, will be improved with Issue I grant money. The widening project is expected to cost $328,000, with the grant covering $237,000. Monroe Township will kick in $25,000 as in kind services and add $65,000 in matching funds. Most of the construction is expected to take place this summer.

Congratulations to Michael Shank and his Shank Racing Team based in the Etna Corporate Park in western Licking County. Cars built by Shank Racing finished first and third in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona Race on Sunday. This is a great example of a growing local business making a national name for themselves.

Best Wishes to another growing local business ArmorSource after a difficult month of January. The staff mourned the death of co-owner and CEO Larry Dickson, who died January 15th. Later in the month the firm learned it won the right to manufacturer 11-thousand ballistic helmets for the Italian Army and some 260-thousand for the U.S. Government.

Missouri based Air Evac Lifeteam announced its arrival in Licking County with a locally based medical helicopter. Its base will be in Newton Township at the fire station in Saint Louisville. This is economic development with 18-jobs created, and the potential to save lives in the months and years ahead.

Licking County Government suffered the loss of a highway worker in early January. Troy Murphy lost his life in a tree cutting accident in Granville Township, on a project to make a county road safer. Sympathy continues to go to the family and the men Troy worked with, as they work to get past this unforeseen tragedy.

Also, in January Licking County lost two great friends. Former Pataskala Bruce Baird and longtime owner of the WCLT Radio stations Bob Pricer both passed away. Our condolences continue to go out to their families and many friends. Both are greatly missed.

Feel free to forward this e-mail in any direction you would like, and let me know the e-mail address of anyone who would like to be included on my Update Newsletter list.

Also, visit my website … TimBubb.com, where I post updates on my personal blog.

I can also be e-mailed at tbubb@lcounty.com, and my desk phone number at the Commissioner’s Office is 740-670-5118.


Best Regards! …

Commissioner Tim Bubb

JANUARY 2012 - HAPPY NEW YEAR - LAST YEAR COUNTY NEWS IN REVIEW

It is time to kick off a New Year and we would like to wish each of you, and your family and friends a healthy and productive 2012!

One of my resolutions will be to keep you informed each month of the positive activities of your County Government.

Recently Commissioner Doug Smith and I collaborated with Commissioner Brad Feightner on our annual Year End Summary of achievements. This seems like appropriate information to share as we put the ‘cork in the 2011 bottle’ and look ahead to a great year serving you in 2012!

Licking County Government in 2011

By County Commissioner Brad Feightner


The continuing economic uncertainties and challenges are still on many people's minds. During the past year your Commissioners have taken a conservative approach to Licking County government operations. This board understands and recognizes the needs of the community and has worked to determine new ways to be resourceful, reliable, and helpful to the citizens, businesses and the community as a whole. Working to ensure a sound economic outlook for Licking County’s future, your Commissioners continue to take measures to support economic development, workforce development and job creation.

New jobs have been created across the County and that is reflected by a declining unemployment rate from double digits a year ago to 7.7-percent in October. Economic development incentives put in place by the State, County and local governments have resulted in an explosion of development in New Albany’s prime growth area in western Licking County. In the past year, eight companies have agreed to locate in the new ‘Health and Beauty Park’ off Beech Road. These firms represent multi-million dollar investments and construction of 1.25-million square feet of manufacturing and distribution space. To date, more than 500 new jobs have been created and by 2014 the number of jobs in the Park is expected to be some 1,400. In addition, the County working with New Albany and Jersey Township cooperated in a 180-acre annexation, enabling a 300-acre development site south of Route 161 and east off Beech Road, for potentially another major project.


This past September, your County Commissioners were joined by State officials in dedicating the Job Ready Site (JRS) Development Road running some four miles from Route 16 in Pataskala to U.S. Route 40 in Etna Township. Built with a $3.4-million State Grant and $3-million in County funds, the Road serves the prime 305-acre JRS manufacturing site, and opens for development over one thousand acres of prime commercial real estate. The State is leading an international marketing effort with the JRS site considered among the most desirable major manufacturing locations in Ohio.

Your Commissioners continue to review every county department looking for consolidations and efficiencies to trim the budget. An example now underway is the consolidation of the 9-1-1 dispatching center and Sheriff’s dispatching function into a combined safety dispatching center in the newly acquired former Community Based Corrections Facility in Newark. This budget saving consolidation will also provide the latest communication and dispatching technologies to facilitate the arrival of emergency assistance.

In a bold move to upgrade public facilities and conserve energy, this past fall your County initiated a $4.7-million energy efficiency overhaul of 12-major County government buildings, including the 1876 Courthouse, Administration Building and the Justice Center. Two energy firms have the contracts for upgrading HVAC, major systems, windows, doors, plumbing and roofs. The projects are GUARANTEED to pay for themselves with energy savings, and additional benefits include stimulus and utility rebates related to the measured energy conservation.

Another example of consolidation was the merger of transportation by the Department of Developmental Disabilities into the Licking County Transit Program. This coordination of service is saving resources for the DD program by contracting for the service as a partner, and eliminating the number of busses on the street. County Transit responded with their best year ever as measured by a 99.2-percent efficiency rate, while at the same time managing a 72-percent increase in overall trips.


A final though on efficiency is the use of GovDeals as the County’s on-line monthly auction of surplus items. This past year alone the sales of surplus items totaled over $98,800, and since 2005 the total is some $464-thousand. This represents a major increase over the old annual fixed site auction of surplus items.


Feel free to visit the County Government website LCounty.com to learn more. Your thoughts and suggestions are always welcome.


It is an honor serving with Commissioners Tim Bubb and Doug Smith, our excellent staff, and our elected and appointed officials as we move forward with the attitude that we are a TEAM that can make it through these tough economic times and continue in making our home County a better place.


Best Wishes for a happy and productive New Year!


I can also be e-mailed at tbubb@lcounty.com, and my desk phone number at the Commissioner’s Office is 740-670-5118.



Happy New Year! … Commissioner Tim and Marianne Bubb