Category: johnstownindependent

johnstown, johnstownindependent, november, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Adopt-a-Child will continue through Dec. 12

Debbie
This holiday season, Johnstown residents can once again “adopt” a child to buy presents for or sign up to see if they qualify to receive presents.
The Johnstown-Northridge Adopt-a-Child program has been underway since September and will continue to accept new families and donated presents until Dec. 12.

JOHNSTOWN INDEPENDENT

Interested volunteers receive information about a child’s gender and age and sometimes even a wishlist of presents the child would like.
The present, which is to cost no more than $75, is purchased and given to the organization that will distribute it to the family in need.
The program has been helping Johnstown residents for more than 10 years. More than 200 children received presents last year from the organization.
Donors and recipients of the gifts are both kept anonymous.
Stephanie Stephens is one of the members of Faith Fellowship Church who is helping organize the event.
“We still have many applications to fill and are so appreciative of people who are willing to help,” Stephens said in an email.
“Adopt-a-Child is a communitywide effort and so many people make it successful.”
Another one of the organizers, Janie Young, said people are welcome to donate cash or gift cards and someone else can go out and buy the presents for a child.
She acknowledged not everyone likes to shop, but they can still give back and make a difference for a family.
“It’s so rewarding to see people come in and receive the presents,” Young said.
“Sometimes they have tears in their eyes,” she said. “It’s so much fun and great we are able to facilitate this.”
Young said a lot of community businesses have made generous donations to the group and those shopping locally might receive a small discount if they tell the manager they are shopping for a family in need.
“I really enjoy helping organize this,” Young said. “It’s very time-consuming, but so rewarding to hear how we are impacting people.
“It makes your heart melt.”
The group does not wrap the presents for the families so parents can see the gifts ahead of time.
They do give the families wrapping paper, tape and scissors. Young said donations of wrapping paper and tape are always appreciated.
There are six locations to pick up applications for the program and drop off presents. The locations are marked with Christmas mailboxes at: the Heartland Bank of Croton, the Faith Fellowship office in downtown Johnstown, the Pizza Place in Croton and the Homer, Mary E. Babcock and Alexandria public libraries.
Those interested in getting involved can call Stephens at 740-967-0148 or send an email tostephatfaith@yahoo.com.
johnstown, johnstownindependent, november, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Local Waste Services granted contract for refuse-hauling

Debbie

Monday November 23, 2015 3:36 PM

The new refuse hauler in the village of Johnstown will be Local Waste Services.
The company was awarded the contract for the service after a unanimous vote by Johnstown Village council members during a meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17.
In discussing potential trash providers, Mayor Sean Staneart said his favorite provider was Local Waste Services and his second choice was Shackleford.
He said he was concerned Shackleford, a smaller company, was only a 7-year-old company and might not have enough necessary experiences.
“If it was for my personal business, I’d like to support the local smaller business, but this is for the entire village so we need to go with a bigger company,” Staneart said.
Council members Sharon Hendren, Bob Orsini, Cheryl Robertson, and Bill Van Gundy all said they liked both Local Waste Services and Shackleford.
Robertson said she liked Local Waste Services because they already worked with other municipalities such as Hilliard. She echoed Staneart’s concerns about Shackleford.
Van Gundy also agreed within Staneart’s opinion and said Local Waste Services had excellent reviews.
The new contract will begin Jan. 1 and be valid for three years.
Village officials said they believe the rates residents pay for refuse collection will likely be less than the current rate.
Six months ago, the previous refuse-hauler, Big-O Refuse, was purchased by a larger company, Waste Management.
Since then, some village residents have complained they have seen a decrease in service quality, prompting the search for a potential new provider.
Concord Road update
Area residents can now celebrate seeing less orange barrels around the village.
Concord Road was scheduled to re-open Friday, Nov. 20, and the Raccoon Creek Pedestrian Bridge is completed.
Village Manager Jim Lenner said at Tuesday’s council meeting he wanted to remindpeople the speed limit of the road is 35 mph and police will be patrolling to enforce the speed limit.
Johnstown Service Director Jack Liggett said he was excited about the new road.
“That road should last,” Liggett said. “It was built properly this time.”
In his report to council, Liggett said in order for the water plant to stay compliant with new EPA regulations, new water treatment equipment will need to be purchased sometime within the next five to seven years.
Other matters
Resident Lindsey BeVier spoke to council about wanting to plant a 10-foot evergreen “Tree of Hope” in Bigelow Park.
She said she hoped the tree could become a symbol of home and stability for Johnstown.
The tree is being donated by Monroe Township and BeVier asked council for a $300 monetary donation for LED lights for the tree.
Staneart said he would like to personally foot the bill instead of asking council to pay for the lights.
Van Gundy said he thought the tree was “an awesome idea and fantastic for the community.”
Lewis Main, who was elected to council Nov. 3 and will begin serving in January, said during the public comment portion of the meeting he was not pleased with the recent change in the structure of the water bills where the breakdown of the bill amount is no longer being shown.
“It shouldn’t be concealed in a raw number,” Main said. “
People should know what they are paying and where it’s going,” he said.
Teresa Monroe, clerk of council, said the village isn’t hiding anything and the breakdown information is still available if people want to call the village office.
In an unsigned note addressed to council, a resident noted Johnstown streets have not been cleaned recently.
Council members stated the village’s street sweeper machinery is not operational right now because of budget constraints.
Previously, council members voted not to purchase a new street sweeper because the necessary money was not budgeted.
Robertson said she had learned of residents with questions about how their property taxes are being spent.
She said they should address those questions with the Licking County auditor.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at 599 S. Main St.
johnstownindependent, johnstownvillage, october, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Council passes on pursuing income tax from minors

Debbie

Monday October 26, 2015 12:35 PM

Johnstown Village Council members chose not to act on an ordinance that would pursue income taxes on those younger than 18 years old during the body’s regular meeting Oct. 20.

Village Finance Director Dana Steffan said most communities do not tax minors however the idea was still worth bringing up to council.

“Our law director brought to our attention that we could change this law so we thought we would bring it to council’s attention,” she said, “but it wouldn’t be difficult to change the law at another time.”

Village resident Brian Rose spoke during the public comment section and said one of his four children works at a Wendy’s restaurant.

He urged council to vote against the ordinance because he said, “it’s unfair to tax young kids who are just trying to make extra money.”

Village Councilwoman Cheryl Robertson said she didn’t think the proposed was worth the village’s while.

“I think it would have a negative image to the village,” Robertson said.

“If we really need it, we can do it later.”

Council did not make a motion to approve or disapprove the ordinance so it, figuratively died.

Concord Road

Construction on Concord Road is going well, according to Village Manager Jim Lenner.

“The crew is motivated and working hard,” Lenner said. “I think they have at least another two weeks of work that needs to be done.”

The last section of Concord Road from South Main Street to Central Station is closed for the next three weeks. Lime stabilization took place the road Oct. 19-23.

New police officer

Auxiliary police officer Andrew Smith was sworn-in by Mayor Sean Staneart.

Smith has lived in Johnstown his entire life, graduated from Johnstown-Monroe High School, and attended Central Ohio Technical college.

His wife and two children attended his swearing in ceremony.

“We are really happy to have him,” said Don Corbin, Johnstown police chief.

2016 budget
The 2016 budget will be presented at the next village council meeting, planned for 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at 599 S. Main St.

Steffan emphasized the village is currently operating on a “shoestring budget” and the 2015 budget is anticipated to be overspent by $70,000.

Other matters
Johnstown resident Sherman Ryan spoke at the last council meeting about concerns his daughter was living next door to a drug house.

“We never got a response from Johnstown police and we were not contacted by anyone,” Ryan said.

“The drug house is still going on. I’m wondering what’s going on,” he said.

Corbin said he, personally, has visited the house but did not observe suspicious activity.

“We have notified the Licking County drug task force about this,” Corbin said.

“There has been surveillance every day and we have found nothing yet,” he said.

“Months ago we arrested people from that house. We have been aware of this and are working with the task force on this.”

Corbin asked Ryan to speak with him in private for more specific details about the situation.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/johnstown/news/2015/10/23/council-passes-on-pursuing-income-tax-from-minors.html

election, johnstown, johnstownindependent, johnstownvillage, october, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Village Council candidates offer opinions about issues

Debbie

Monday October 26, 2015 12:38 PM

Five candidates — Ryan Green, Ben Lee, Lewis Main, Russell Sparks and incumbent Councilwoman Cheryl Robertson — are running for three seats on the Johnstown Village Council.

Incumbent councilmen David Keck and Bob Orsini are not running. The general election is Nov. 3 and the council terms will start Jan. 1.

Here’s a brief look at the candidates:

Green
Green, 27, originally from Pataskala, has lived in Johnstown for just two years, but he said he has lived in Licking County the majority of his life.

He said because he doesn’t have a lot of ties to Johnstown, he could bring a fresh perspective to the village.

“I would bring a solid work ethic and youthful exuberance to council,” Green said.

He said he has done a little bit of campaigning by going door-to-door and talking to neighbors.

Green said he has been asking people what they would like to see in Johnstown and is taking note of their answers.

“I’m learning a lot and gaining perspective,” he said. “I’m letting people get to know what I can do for them. Johnstown is great because we’re so local and people know each other.”

Green said he hopes to bring more businesses to Johnstown so people have more things to do and more amenities in the village.

“We have a lot of people moving to town right now and I want us to have an era of growth,” he said. “I want to place the framework and set things in place so people can bring businesses to town.”

Green has a degree in political science from Ohio State University and works in sales at Scott’s Miracle Grow in Gahanna.

Lee
Lee, 31, said his No. 1 concern was the village’s fiscal security for the future.

“I want to understand how the money is being spent and if there’s smarter ways of using the money,” he said. “I want to make sure the Johnstown experience is the same for my daughter as it was for me.”

If elected, he said he would work with the finance director to dig through finances on a minute level and make sure the public is informed.

“We’re all in the village together so I want to do what I can to increase visibility and interact more with the community,” he said. “I enjoy hearing what I can do to help others.”

Concerning growth of the village, he used the phrase “progress with preservation” and cited examples of new businesses such as The Crafty Garden and All Things Old filling vacant spots downtown.

Lee graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in public affairs journalism and is the Distribution Center Operations Manager at L Brands.

He hopes to continue the school liaison committee and keep the dialogue open between the Johnstown-Monroe school board and Village Council.

Lee said his passion for small town sets him apart from other candidates.

“I want to see the village succeed and for us to become a destination location,” he said.

He has spent 21 years in the village with his wife and his two daughters, ages 5 and 2.

Main
Unlike other candidates, Main, 71, has served more than 15 years on the council and Village Planning and Zoning Commission.

Main said the most important issue the village faces is handling finances.

“We aren’t underwater, but it is getting harder to breathe,” Main said in an email.

“Council set a budget and approved appropriations last year and have increased the approved spending seven times so far this year,” he said.

“We keep seeing the additional authorization to spend, but no reductions in spending.”

He suggested selling the village’s surplus water and sewer capacities to reduce costs.

Main noted the village needs to start preparing to become a city in 2020 and re-evaluating its charter in 2018.

Main was employed by Western Electric, AT&T and Lucent Technology in a variety of accounting and supervisory positions. He retired after 32 years of service.

Another one of his priorities is keeping the small town warmth and friendly atmosphere with a trained police force that provides a safe environment to live and raise a family.

If elected, Main said he hopes to increase communications from the council to the community and encourage feedback from businesses and residents.

He has worked for more than 30 years in private industry in accounting, auditing and supervision and an additional 10 years with the Ohio Department of Development.

Robertson
Incumbent Cheryl Robertson, 59, has lived in Johnstown for 34 years and previously was employed with Johnson & Johnson in sales and management managing multi-million dollar budgets for 27 years.

Now, she manages her family farms in Sandusky County.

Robertson said one of the most important issues currently facing the village of Johnstown is managing the village’s budget with limited resources as the village grows.

“We need to seek economic development opportunities,” she said. “We must retain our existing business base while recruiting new businesses.

“This would bring in additional revenue to the village without undue burden to our residents.”

She explained the importance of managing the anticipated growth of the village.

“The wonderful new schools will draw new residents to Johnstown, increasing residential development,” Robertson said.

“In turn, this creates more monetary demands on the village, such as street maintenance and police protection,” she said.

Robertson has served on the Johnstown Economic Development Commission and if re-elected, she said she wants to continue to focus on economic development opportunities for the village, to help provide jobs to residents and financial stability to the village.

“I take this responsibility seriously, as local government has a direct impact on our daily lives, Robertson said. “I look forward to continuing my service on the Johnstown Village Council.”

Robertson has a bachelor’s degree in business administration in marketing from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Franklin University.

Sparks

Recently, Sparks and his family have been enjoying supporting The Big Red Band, Johnnies football, Johnstown Youth Athletic Association Football, and camping with the Boy Scouts.

Sparks, his wife have lived in Johnstown for more than 22 years. They have three sons — Ryan, Reece and Rylee.

He said his most successful and meaningful campaign strategy is just talking to people when he is around town, at the grocery store, the football game or the gas station.

“I engage in conversation that allows me to hear the needs and concerns of my fellow community members in an environment that is comfortable to them,” he said in an email.

Sparks said he is most concerned with traffic, water rates, trash service and police protection.

“My goal is to bring our police protection back up to where it was 10 years ago,” he said.

“We have several police officers that have not had a raise,” he said.

“Also, I keep hearing complaints about the current trash service provider,” Sparks said.

“I know the contract is up at the end of this year and would like to be involved with the selection of a new provider.”

Sparks works in the emergency department at St. Ann’s Hospital and volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/johnstown/news/2015/10/23/village-council-candidates-offer-opinions-about-issues.html

johnstown, johnstownindependent, october, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Candidates want to boost success, restore magnets

Debbie

Friday October 16, 2015 5:16 PM

Westerville City School District voters will have four candidates to choose from when filling two seats on the Board of Education next month.

Incumbent appointee Richard Bird is facing challengers Jim Burgess, Gerrie Cotter and Greg Lawson on the Nov. 3 ballot. Incumbent Carol French is not seeking re-election.

Absentee voting began Oct. 6.

The top two finishers will win four-year board terms.

Richard Bird

Incumbent Richard Bird, 48, is seeking his first full term in office. He was appointed to the board in June 2014 to complete the unexpired term of Cindy Crowe, who died after a lengthy public battle with ALS.

Bird said in an email he couldn’t be happier with the course of the campaign thus far.

“I’ve received a huge amount of support, ranging from parents groups, other local elected leaders and our teachers and the Westerville Education Association,” he said.

He is the board liaison for the district’s facilities and operations.

Bird’s campaign slogan, “Bird is the Word,” is featured on T-shirts and signs.

“I can’t get a cup of coffee or pick up groceries without hearing someone say, ‘Bird Is The Word,’ ” he said. “I think this is a confirmation that a large part of the community knows that I am their voice on the Westeville school board.”

Bird has lived in the district for 14 years and is the global head of information security at Mettler-Toledo International.

Bird has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio State University and completed advanced studies in project management at George Washington University.

He described the biggest issue facing the school board as continuing the momentum they have built as a team over the past two years.

“As we’ve restored key programs and are now in the process of expanding our capabilities and focus on efforts as diverse as all-day kindergarten, significant building projects, transportation route improvements and pay-to-play scaling, teamwork is vital to the success of this board,” he said.

He stressed the importance of building upon the leadership and successes the district has achieved already.

Bird is the father of four, with his youngest son and daughter attending Westerville Central High School. He is a longtime member of Heritage Christian Church.

Jim Burgess

Jim Burgess, 49, unsuccessfully ran for the school board in 2013 and applied for Crowe’s seat last year.

He, his wife and three children have lived in the district for 11 years. His oldest son is a junior at North, but his other children do not attend Westerville public schools.

Asked what one thing he wanted to do to improve the district if elected, he said he wanted to bring back and expand the magnet program.

“The current school board cut the magnet program by 40 percent and that’s terrible. It was one of the best things the district offered and was a top-rated phenomenal program,” he said. “If elected, I would work to restore the magnet program to what it once was and expand it.”

Burgess said thus far his campaign is “going fine” and “people seem to appreciate” his message.

He said he lives in the south end of the district and so could offer a fresh perspective on issues.

“Currently, none of the board members live south of Uptown and there hasn’t been a voice for the south side for decades,” he said. “You want a board that represents all the segments of the community — whether geographic or household makeup.”

At the Meet the Candidates forum Sept. 24, he said he wanted to focus on reducing the amount of time students spend taking standardized tests and look into removing Common Core standards.

He said he wanted to focus the district’s attention on work being done inside the classroom instead of focusing on things that were not necessarily education related.

Burgess praised other districts where athletics directors pay for their departments through advertising.

He graduated from Washington State University, where he studied broadcast communications and management.

He is a manager at Ashland Inc. and is involved with the band boosters at Westerville North, where his son is a member of the marching band.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/westerville/news/2015/10/13/candidates-want-to-boost-success-restore-magnets.html

johnstown, johnstownindependent, october, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Library livens up scavenger hunt with an undead theme

Debbie

Monday October 19, 2015 12:09 PM

Here’s a clue: In the center of town stands a sturdy building in which one could hide. Don’t expect to find anyone singing anymore, but it might be a good place to lock up some zombies.

And here’s the answer: It’s the town hall/opera house.

This Halloween season, the community is invited to take part in learning about the village’s history in a Zombie Apocalypse Survival and Scavenger Hunt, hosted by the Mary E. Babcock Library.

Those interested in participating should stop by the library and pick up a clue sheet with 20 questions about spots around town.

The clue sheet, which also is an entry form, has questions about the opera house, the T.J. Evans bike trail, the American Legion Post 254 Wall of Honor and even Whit’s Frozen Custard.

Depending on how well participants know the village’s history, how long they’ve lived here and how Internet-savvy they are, the scavenger hunt could take one to two hours, said branch assistant Audrey Finkle.

Participants do not have to go to the locations for the answers.

Finkle said the Babcock library previously hosted a scavenger hunt inside the library.

When she proposed the idea in September about a scavenger hunt throughout the village, branch manager Julie McElhaney expanded upon the idea to give it a zombie-apocalypse theme for the Halloween season.

“It was a collaboration between the two of us,” Finkle said. “It sounded like a fun idea, and plus we needed extra activities for our teenagers. We originally had it open just for teenagers, but now anyone can participate.”

The library’s staff members worked together to write the 20 questions about the village’s history — all with some sort of zombie theme.

“Everyone had a small hand in the project,” Finkle said. Those who find the most correct answers will be entered to win a Halloween prize, she said.

McElhaney said it’s a great opportunity for those who live in the village to take some time to learn more about its history.

To be entered into the drawing, entries must be returned to the library by Oct. 26.

Winners will be chosen during the family Halloween party at the library Oct. 27, and the number of winners will be determined by how many correct entries are received.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/johnstown/news/2015/10/16/library-livens-up-scavenger-hunt-with-an-undead-theme.html

johnstown, johnstownindependent, october, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Council raises water, sewer fees for new buildings

Debbie

Friday October 9, 2015 9:43 PM

The Johnstown Village Council approved an amendment to the rate structures for water and sewer capacity and tap fees during its regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 6.


Water capacity fees increased by 77 percent, sewer capacity fees increased 31 percent, but the tap fees for both remained $375.

The fees only apply to new homes or commercially used buildings in the village that will be installing a new water or sewer tap connecting to the village system. It will not affect anyone currently connected to the system village officials said.

Village Manager Jim Lenner said in an e-mail fees were set when the new water plant was built 20 years ago and have not changed since.

He said the capacity fees are meant to build cash reserves to upgrade the plants when capacity becomes less than 10 percent.

“That way we do not have to borrow more money which helps keep water rates low,” Lenner said.

“Based on current prices of expanding the water and wastewater plant and to replace aging infrastructure, we had to increase the cost to connect to our system,” Lenner said.

He went on to say the analysis conducted by the village engineer actually recommended a higher increase, however, village officials do not plan to institute the higher increase until the year 2020.

The charges, passed unanimously by village council, will take effect Jan. 1, 2016.

Under the new rates, if a person installs a new sewer line they will be charged a $375 tap fee and a $6,000 capacity charge and if they connect a new water line they will have a $375 tap fee and $8,890 capacity charge.

Only two-fifths of the capacity and tap fees will be charged for locally bonded government projects.

The amendment comes after the Johnstown-Monroe Local School District Board of Education recently clashed with the village, asking for and eventually receiving lower water and sewer capacity and tap fees for the new schools.

Other matters

Johnstown resident Sherman Ryan told council members he was concerned about drugs in the Rolling Meadows neighborhood.

“My daughter is living next to a drug house,” Ryan said.

“We see the people coming and going at all hours,” he said.

“We have talked to Johnstown police about this and they said they knew what went on in that house,” Ryan said.

“It seems like there’s something we should do to prevent him from operating this drug business. I get that this may not be the police’s top priority, but it’s still an issue for us.”

Mayor Sean Staneart said he had also noticed an upswing in drug use in the village and would like to see this issue resolved.

“I hope our (police) chief is working on a proactive plan to tackle this issue,” Staneart said. We will check with the police department and see what’s going on.”

The next village council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at 599 S. Main St.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/johnstown/news/2015/10/09/council-raises-water-sewer-fees-for-new-buildings.html

johnstown, johnstownindependent, october, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Legion post plans Texas Hold ‘Em fundraiser event

Debbie

Monday October 5, 2015 11:43 AM

Area residents can try their hand at Texas Hold ‘Em poker during a new tournament sponsored by American Legion Post 254.
The tournament will begin at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in the Legion Hall, 180 W. Maple St.
Post Commander Rick Petersen said nine dealers have been practicing every other Tuesday since June. On Sept. 29 the Legion held a mini-tournament for the dealers to practice.
“We have a lot of serious players in the area so we want to be prepared and have well-trained dealers,” Petersen said. “We want people to feel good about playing with us.”
John Rinard, a Legion member, will be running the tournament. He is hoping at least 50 community members come out to play.
“It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to support the Legion as well as our community’s veterans.” he said. “The tournament will be similar to what people have seen on TV.”
Rinard has been playing the game for more than 10 years now and said he liked the strategy of the game.
“By now, I am able to almost guess what other people’s cards are,” he said.
The initial buy-in costs $40 for 5,000 in chips and $10 goes to the Legion while the rest goes into the pot.
To buy back into the tournament, before the fourth round, it costs $30 for 5,000 in chips and $15 goes to the Legion.
For those who make it to the fourth round, they can buy 8,000 in additional chips for $40 and all of that money goes to the Legion.
The money raised will be used in the general membership fund to support the community and veteran’s projects, Rinard said.
Registration is from 1 to 3 p.m. and snacks will be available during the tournament.
For additional information, call Rick Petersen at 740-901-1245.
2015, johnstown, johnstownindependent, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Fire department open house set for Saturday

Debbie
Come out and meet local firefighters at the fourth annualMonroe Township Fire Department’s open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the station, 24 S. Oregon St.
New this year at the open house will be a Christmas Tree safety demonstration.
“We’re going to light two trees on fire, one that has been watered and one that’s dried out, in order to show people the importance of watering their Christmas trees,” said Josh Martel from the Johnstown-Monroe Fire Department.
“We want to bring awareness to what can happen when trees get too close to an ignition source and become dried out.”
The fire department’s open house kicks off fire prevention week which is Oct. 4-10.
Fire Chief Dudley Wright said firefighters will be visiting elementary schools that week to teach students about fire safety.
“We try to bring fire safety into the forefront and engage the community,” Wright said. “It gives us an opportunity to interact with people in non-crisis situations.”
There will also be a search and rescue trailer from the Ohio Fire Academy there for community members to walk through and get a sense of what it’s like in a smoke-filled environment.
The fire department’s new rescue fire truck will be on display, “to show the community what they have been supporting us for,” Martel said.
At the Open House, there will be free Whit’s Frozen Custard and food from US 62 Barbeque.
Children can paint a wooden fire truck, try on fire turnout gear, watch fire extinguisher demonstrations and meet Sparky the robotic fire dog.
Usually about 150 people attend the open house, Martel said.
The Monroe Township Fire Department was founded April 1, 2000 when Monroe Township took over the Johnstown Volunteer Fire Department at the private fire department’s request.
It is a combination fire department meaning the staff consists of 13 full-time, 20 part-time, and 10 volunteer personnel.
2015, apeks, johnstown, johnstownindependent, ThisWeek, ThisWeekNews

Students, others can get hands-on manufacturing experience

Debbie

Monday September 28, 2015 11:04 AM

Johnstown’s Apeks Supercritical is hosting a Manufacturing Day, also known as MfgDay, Oct. 2 for students and the public at 150 Commerce Blvd.

Student participants will have an opportunity to work hands-on with one manufacturing area of their choice — welding, pipe and tube fitting and bending, machining or electrical controls assembly.

“It’s a great opportunity for parents, teachers, students or anyone who wants to learn about manufacturing,” said Andy Joseph, Apeks owner and president.

“It’s not a course,” Joseph said. “It’s a hands-on experience. There’s nothing better than creating something with your own two hands.”

This is the first year Apeks Supercritical is participating in MfgDay, a nationwide event where manufacturers open their doors to high school and middle school students to promote engineering and manufacturing careers.

“Previously, we didn’t have the physical space to host students,” Joseph said.

“We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and now in our new manufacturing facility, we have the space,” Joseph said.

Apeks Supercritical will host students from noon to 4 p.m. and open the doors to the rest of the public at 2 p.m.

At 1 p.m. Mayor Sean Staneart and Village Manager Jim Lenner will speak to students about what manufacturing means in terms of bringing tax dollars to the village, thus allowing for new roads and infrastructure to be built.

Joseph said they are expecting more than 200 students so far from Johnstown-Monroe schools and Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County.

“The point is to promote manufacturing for tomorrow’s employers,” Joseph said.

“A lot of other companies that participate focus on computers and automation and we wanted to focus on the hands-on basic practices of manufacturing,” he said.

“You need to understand the core basic fundamentals of manufacturing in order to be competitive.”

Apeks Supercritical will have several stations set up for the students to get real world, hands-on exposure to manufacturing processes.

Students will learn the basics of arc welding from experienced professional welders and will be able to make an arc weld on a stainless steel coupon which they can then keep.

“I’m betting 99 percent of these students have never welded before,” Joseph said.

“That’s okay. This an opportunity to weld something, keep it and show friends or family what they made,” he said.

When he was younger, Joseph had the chance to shadow at his dad’s company when there was an open house. It was his first experience with manufacturing and he said it influenced the rest of his life.

Additionally, two stations will be set up to give students an opportunity to learn about machinery to drill, tap, debur and inspect a threaded hole in stainless steel.

“Students will get to drill a hole in metal and feel what handling the machine is like,” Joseph said. “It won’t just be pressing a button.”

For those who want to learn about mechanical tube fitting and assembly, they can learn bending applications from seasoned experts and will get to measure, cut, bend and assemble tubing according to a sample part.

To get more information about electrical controls assembly, students can learn the basics of programmable logic controls from an automation expert.

Students will assemble control wires and program the PLC to put a “Knight Rider-esque” light bar in action.

Visitors should wear appropriate attire for a manufacturing facility, such as long pants, closed toed shoes, no loose clothing, and no headphones. Safety glasses, food and refreshments will be provided.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/johnstown/news/2015/09/28/apeks-supercritical-students-others-can-get-hands-on-manufacturing-experience.html