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.