A Message from Your Trustees;Jan Heichel, Jim Welch, & Stew Flaherty

It has been a wet spring with over ten inches of rain during April and May and only a few short breaks of sunshine. Even though we had soggy days and nights, we have much to be thankful for considering the dev-astating tornados in the Midwest and the massive flooding along the Mississippi. Through the rain drops, we have managed to move forward with our construction plans. The State Route 3 Safety Project is well on its way and on schedule. The mausoleum expansion and chapel are completed and we had our official grand opening on Memorial Day. It’s our pleasure to bring you news of recent accomplishments along with up-coming plans for our commu-nity. Our vision for Blendon Township is to maintain public safety, to beautify parks, public areas and neighbor-hoods and to improve communications between township officials and residents.

Blendon Township Administrative Office 614-882-1270 www.blendontwp.org

Blendon Township and Westerville Kids Free Lunch Club The Blendon Township Trustees are excited to announce the first-of-its-kind Westerville Area Kids Free Lunch Club. Your trustees are partnering with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (W.A.R.M.) for this Summer Food Program. Learning does not end when the school summer break begins. Neither does the need for good nutrition. Free balanced and nutritious lunches will be served to children from ages 1 through 18 in Ridgewood Park in the Huber Ridge Subdivision located on Buenos Aires Blvd. just off St. Rt. 161. There are no income questions or qualifications, and no enrollment or registration is required. After lunch, an hour of organized entertainment and educational activities will take place in the park. These are also free. The supervised ac-tivities are run by college leaders and degreed educators. Parents are welcome to attend but not required. With parental permission, children may arrive on bicycles, skate boards, etc.

Location: Ridgewood Park Shelter House Dates: Weekdays June 13th thru August 12 (closed July 4th)Lunch: 11:45 am – 12:30 pm After lunch activities: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Rain or Shine, the Ridgewood Park shelter house will provide cover in case of inclement weather.The program Administrator of W.A.R.M. will be the on-site supervisor daily for the entire time. W.A.R.M. is a sponsor of the USDA Summer Food Service Program in partnership with Mount Carmel St. Ann’s. As-sisting W.A.R.M. are the Westerville City School District and the Ohio Department of Education in coopera-tion with the Blendon Township Trustees. W.A.R.M. has served the Westerville/Blendon community since 1972 not only as the community’s food pantry but also as a resource center for families, workers, seniors and the underserved. For more informa-tion about W.A.R.M, please visit www.warmwesterville.org.

BLENDON TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2011

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Memorial Day Celebration

Every year our Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony brings together members of the com-munity to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, and to remember those who have gone before us due to various circumstances. This year’s traditional ceremony took place at the Blendon Central Cemetery on Monday, May 30th. The presentation of colors by members of the American Legion Young-Budd Post # 171 began the event. A touching speech by US Army Sgt. Major Randy Martyn renewed our thank-fulness for our freedom and for the great country we live in. The township trustees also made a presentation of a wreath to honor our fallen veterans. Immediately following the ceremony was a very interesting historical walk through Blendon Central Cemetery, lead by Beth Weinhardt of the Westerville Historical Society. Following the festivities was a community picnic for all in attendance. Now would be a good time to mark your calendar and plan to attend this beautiful event next year.

Mausoleum Expansion and Chapel Grand Opening

The dedication and official opening of our new Chapel and Mausoleum expansion also occurred on Memorial Day. This beautiful structure of granite exterior that graces the central grounds of our cemetery is part of our continuing commitment to improve and expand Blendon Central Cemetery. Surrounded by professional landscaping and lush green lawns, the Mausoleum is a fitting memorial to those who have been laid to rest here. At Blendon Central Cemetery, we under-stand the significance of the celebration of one’s life and the establishment of a lasting memo-rial We look forward to serving the needs of our community in this beautiful new facility.

Blendon Township A Great Place To Live

Blendon Township Senior Center

The Senior Center is conveniently located within the Blendon Township Complex at 6330 Hempstead Rd. It offers many programs and services designed for today’s seniors. The Cen-ter is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Anyone 55 years of age or older is eligible to join. Spouses of members also can participate in activities. Annual membership fees are $10.00 for township residents or $15.00 for non-township residents. We welcome you to visit us at the Center for a tour or view our monthly newsletter online. There you will see health and wellness screenings, travel opportunities, creative arts, support ser-vices, and much more.

E-mail Alerts from your Trustees Sign Up for Email Alerts from Blendon Town-ship. Periodic e-mail alerts about events and other areas of interest are available to Blendon Township residents, business owners, and cli-ents. This is a FREE service. The information that you provide will not be sold, shared, viewed, or otherwise accessed by any business, resident, or other entity. To sign up, please visit www.blendontwp.org.

Farmers Market

April brought us May flowers, and May flow-ers give way to fresh produce starting in June. The Blendon Township Farmers Market was such a success last year that we are pleased to announce our 2nd Annual Farmers Market each Thursday from July through October between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 pm. The location is the same as last year: the back fields of the Blendon Township Complex at 6350 Hempstead Road. Our unique market offers only Ohio-grown farm-fresh produce along with a variety of Ohio vendors selling honey, baked goods, homemade soaps, detergents & scrubs, and much more. If you’ve waited all winter for some fresh home-grown fruits and vegetables, the wait will soon be over. Begin reaping the benefits of farm-fresh produce while supporting your local econo-my. To see a list of our exciting vendors already participating, please visit us online.

Blendon Township Administrative Office 614-882-1270 www.blendontwp.org

Go Green

If you wish to “go green” and view your Blendon Township Newsletter via the web instead of receiving your copy sent to you through U.S. mail, please sign up at www.blendontwp.org.

Blendon Senior Calendar “Highlights”

Below are only a few of the activitiestaking place in the Senior Center.

June 23 Informative talk about headaches & how to make them less severe. Girgis Chiro-practic, Westerville will present information on the causes of headaches. 10:00 am

June 25 Pancake Breakfast. Open to the public, no set charge, donations accepted. 8:30 am-11:00 am

July 8 Progressive Euchre. 7:30 pm July 13 Ice Cream Social. Open to the public, no set charge, donations accepted. 1:30 pm-3:30 pm

July 16 & 17 A Murder Mystery Dinner Train & Air Zoo Tour. $299.00 double Occupancy. Tour on a canal boat, 5 course dinner, 2 nights stay at Holiday Inn Express & more!

July 30 Shred It Day. On site document shredding 9:00 am-1:00 pm. This service is being provided FREE of charge, courtesy of the Blendon Township Trustees.

Rain Barrel Workshop

The Blendon Township Trustees joined with Frank-lin County Soil and Water Conservation District this past spring to conduct an entertaining yet informative workshop for the residents. This presentation demonstrated how capturing rain water in rain barrels prevents flooding and pollution downstream. Participants learned that having a rain barrel is a great means of water conservation that pro-vides plants and gardens with mineral-rich rainwater while reducing the cost of domestic water consumption by up to 40%! Each participant had the opportunity to purchase a 60-gallon terracotta-colored rain barrel for home use. The Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation Department educates homeowners, community orga-nizations, and local governments on the benefits of backyard conservation practices such as native plants

and gardening, rain barrels, mulching, reduction of fertilizer and pesticide use, and composting. Everyone in attendance agreed that rain barrels can be a cost-effective way to manage and reuse your storm water.

All About Rain Gardens

Building a rain garden in your own yard is probably the easiest and most cost efficient thing you can do to reduce your contribution to storm water pollution. By capturing rainwater from your roof and directing it into a great looking rain garden where it can slowly soak into the ground, filter contaminants and keep quantities of clean water from going down the sewer system you’ll have a great looking garden that puts water in its place. A rain garden can copy the natural absorption and pollutant removal activities of a meadow or yard and can absorb runoff more efficiently, sometimes as much as 30%. Capturing rainwater in a rain garden, holding the water for a short time and then slowly releasing it into the soil can reduce the rush of a large storm – quickly, neatly and naturally.

One small example of the beauty found in a rain garden.

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Blendon Township A Great Place To Live

Above, Habitat Conservationists from the Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District teach the values and joys of using a rain barrel.

Vendor Permit Required for Door to Door Selling in Blendon

Township

It’s that time of the year when we see an increase in door-to-door solicitations. Last year the Blendon Township Trustees adopted a proposal to regulate transient vendors. Now, ALL door-to-door sales people must register with our police department prior to knocking on doors. (Non-profit groups such as local schools, scouts, and similar organizations are exempt from this resolution.) Each is provided a temporary registration form that MUST be carried while conducting business in Blendon Township. This form is not an endorsement by Blendon Township, but does provide a record of each individual’s information. Failure to prop-erly register or comply with the rules set forth in the permit application could result in criminal action being pursued. So, if someone is knocking at your door and attempting to solicit your purchase of goods or services, they must show you their Blendon Township solicitation permit. (To view a copy of the permit please visit www.blendontwp.org). Don’t hesitate to call your Blendon Township Police Department at 889-9494 to report any high pressure, aggressiveness or suspicious activity of any vendor refusing to show proper credentials.

National Night Out “Kick Off” July 30th

9:00 am - 1:00 pm The Blendon Township Complex, located at 6350 Hempstead Road will transform into a dis-play of First Responders to include, a Blendon/Westerville Fire Truck, a Med Flight Heli-copter and many of our police cruisers for up-close spectator views. This event promotes public awareness for America’s National Night out against crime.

What is National Night Out? National Night Out is a community crime prevention awareness event. First introduced in 1984 by The National Association of Town Watch, this nonprofit, crime prevention organization works in cooperation with thousands of law enforce-ment agencies throughout the country. This year, on August 2, between 5:30 pm and 10:00 pm neighbors, friends and fami-lies across the country will turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside to-gether, demonstrating neighborhood com-mitment to fight crime. The use of timers to turn lights on and off while you are away is a simple and effective home safety tip. Also, please don’t leave valuables in your car. Sharp-Shred, a mobile document shred-ding company will be on the complex for FREE document shredding, as we promote awareness efforts to stamp out identity theft. Many of you have asked how you can help neighboring communities affected by di-sasters like the recent floods and tornadoes in the Midwest and South. We will have a drop off donation receptacle to support the American Red Cross Disaster Relief, for those interested. We invite all of you to stop by, see our emergency vehicles up close, to learn about community crime prevention awareness, and share in the fun! There’ll be a bounce house for the kids and much more!

Blendon Township Administrative Office 614-882-1270 www.blendontwp.org

Blendon Township Administrative Office 614-882-1270 www.blendontwp.org

Blendon Township6350 South Hemptstead RoadWesterville, OH 43081

www.blendontwp.org

Board of Trustees:Jan Heichel, Chairman JHeichel@blendontwp.org (614)890-0650Jim Welch, Vice Chairman Jim.Welch@blendontwp.org (614)306-8080Stew Flaherty, Trustee SFlaherty@blendontwp.org (614)882-1270

Fiscal Officer:Wade EstepWade.Estep@blendontwp.org (614)882-1270

Township Offices:Linda Harter, AdministrativeAssistant/Cemetarian LHarter@blendontwp.org (614)882-1270 (614)882-2215 (cemetery office)

Police Department:John Belford, Police Chief JBelford@blendontwp.org Emergency 9-1-1 Dispatcher (614)889-9494 Records (614)882-8500

Fire Department:Bernie Ingles, Fire Chief Emergency 9-1-1 or (614)882-2213

Road/Service Department:John Giamarco, Service DirectorJGiamarco@blendontwp.org (614)882-2673

Blendon Senior Center:Donna Jordan, Director DJordan@blendontwp.org (614)882-1260

Code Enforcement:Bryan Rhoads, Dev. DirectorBryan.Rhoads@blendontwp.org (614)839-2013

Important DatesBoard of Trustees Meetings at the Senior Center at 6:30 pmJune 22July 6 and 20Aug. 3, 17 and 31Sept. 14

Phone Numbers:American Electric Power:1-800-277-2177

Columbia Gas Company1-800-344-4077 for customer service/emergency and gas odor emergency

Franklin County Building Permits614-525-3166

Franklin County Public Health 614-525-3160

Board of Zoning614-525-3094

Ohio American Water1-800-673-5999 or 614-882-6586

Rumpke Waste Removal1-888-786-7531

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Trustee Jim Welch

Trustee Jan Heichel Trustee Stew Flaherty

Fiscal Officer Wade Estep

Blendon Township Administrative Office 614-882-1270 www.blendontwp.org