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The fourth annual Crazy Cardboard Boat Regatta is scheduled to take place July 20 at Voice of America Park in West Chester Township.
This event, which attracts thousands of onlookers, involves participants building a cardboard boat and then racing them in the lake at VOA Park. Last year, awards were given to the best show boats, fastest boats, as well as the people’s choice, judge’s choice, best theme, best sinking, most entertaining and for the craziest boats.
To register a boat, the cost is $20 for community members and $40 for organizations.
Currently, the event is offering sponsorship opportunities to local businesses.
“Sponsorship packages are designed at various levels of support to provide businesses with a wide variety of opportunities to promote their company and products, while supporting the community they serve.” said Kelly Barkley, Community Relations Coordinator for MetroParks.
Barkley and her team are also looking for volunteers. Last year, nearly 100 helped with the event.
For sponsorship, volunteering or boat building opportunities, visit www.yourmetroparks.net or call MetroParks at 513-867-5835.
To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.
Ian Mellencamp, nephew of John Cougar Mellencamp, is making a name for himself in the modeling world. The Lakota West graduate has billboards all over the world. He also appeared in commercials and been featured in numerous ad campaigns. Photo provided by New View Management Group.
WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.
Cop rounds in Butler County now include schools – There are now frequent visitors at Lakota Schools who are armed but very welcome, Michael D. Clark reported last week for The Enquirer. Butler County Sheriff Deputy Mark Gilbert pulled his cruiser into the parking lot of Liberty Early Childhood School about 1 p.m. on a recent school day as part of his daily rounds in Butler County’s Liberty Township. It’s the latest strategy to strengthen school safety, say sheriff officials, who launched the new program last week for the county’s school districts and private schools.
PHOTO GALLERY: Mellencamp making a name for himself – In 2011, John Cougar Mellencamp called his brother in West Chester to let him know he had just seen his nephew on a billboard in Los Angeles. The billboard, which was also on display in New York City, Paris and China, was part of a Calvin Klein campaign that helped launch Ian Mellencamp’s modeling career that year.
Liberty trustee: It’s ‘immoral’ to accept federal funds – Liberty Township will apply for a federal grant to pay for construction and installation of a sidewalk, Sue Kiesewetter reported last week. But if the township is awarded the grant it is uncertain whether it would be accepted. Trustee David Kern voted this week against applying for a transportation alternative grant that would help pay for construction of sidewalks from the Liberty Junior School crosswalk at the Yankee Road/Dutchland Boulevard intersection to Cincinnati-Dayton Road, a distance of 3,250 feet.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart signed autographs for fans at the Sports Gallery in West Chester Township Tuesday, April 2, 2013. Afterward, he spoke about the team in 2013 and Ryan Ludwick’s injury. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber.
VIDEOS: Zack Cozart visits West Chester – Immediately after Opening Day last season, rookie shortstop Zack Cozart admitted that he was exhausted. After the game, he went back to his apartment and crashed. This year, despite the longer day (game lasted 4 hours and 45 minutes), Cozart said he had more energy after Monday’s opener.
VIDEO: Coyotes welcome at VOA park – Six coyotes are roaming the fields of Voice of America Park. But these coyotes are there for the park’s protection. MetroParks officials are going as far to say, these coyotes are park “employees’’. These six employees are plastic and have to be moved by park staff. However, their job duties are to protecting the park’s $3 million project, which includes 22 new multipurpose natural grass athletic fields.
Six coyotes are roaming the fields of Voice of America Park.
But these coyotes are there for the park’s protection. MetroParks officials are going as far to say, these coyotes are park “employees’’.
“We initially felt that we were on a wild goose chase trying to obtain the correct employees for these newly created positions as we were looking for a very specialized skill set,” said Tony Montgomery, MetroParks supervisor of operations. “We needed a team that could work independently or as a unit to keep eyes on the fields at all times as they mature.”
Six coyotes are roaming the fields of Voice of America Park in West Chester. But these coyotes are there for the park’s protection. MetroParks officials are going as far to say, these coyotes are park “employees’’. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber.
These six employees are plastic and have to be moved by park staff. However, their job duties are to protecting the park’s $3 million project, which includes 22 new multipurpose natural grass athletic fields.
The fields, which border Butler-Warren and Tylersville roads, are expected to be available for use by September 2014. That’s if these coyotes can scare away the Canadian Geese from eating the grass seed.
“Right now is an important time for the grass to grow and the geese love the grass seed,” said Josh Torbeck, park manager of Voice of America. “We are having a problem with them eating the grass seed, so we are hoping this is the solution to the problem.”
Other solutions discussed by park officials included noise guns, dog trainers and border collies. But, in the end, they decided that the coyotes would be the most cost effective – at $99 a pup.
“This (coyote) team will work throughout the park, freeing existing staff to focus on other activities,” said Jason Shamblin, MetroParks deputy director. “Although they may be slow moving, they are very effective and they work cheap.”
The coyote crew began work this week. A release from the park system said that it would assess and share the performance of each new employee on its Facebook page.
There is a lot of pressure on these plastic coyotes. Based on a study conducted by AECOM Technical Services in Chicago, the 22 multipurpose fields are projected to bring in $20 million in indirect and direct spending, 200,000 new hotel room requests and 21,000 participants annually by 2019.
“The fields are very important to the park. It is going to be a focal point for the whole community,” Torbeck said. “Not only are we going to serve the community with practices and games, but we will also have tournaments that will have a regional and, hopefully, a national draw.
“Our goal is to make these the premier fields in the area.”
The themes in Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic horror novel are explored in the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill production of The Traveling Jekyll and Hyde Show, by playwright Russell Davis.
Photo provided.
The free public performance takes place at 3 p.m. this Saturday at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.
This show tells the story of a tiny touring theatre valiantly attempting to tell the story of the infamous scientist who learns to split his good side from his evil one.
Unfortunately, the three actresses are sabotaged at every turn by a domineering director.
As the women in the company slowly take control of the story, they also learn to take control of their lives.
The Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive, in West Chester.
Voice of America Park athletic complex to be the ‘envy of other communities’
WestChesterBuzz.com will count down the area’s top 12 stories of 2012 this month, concluding with West Chester’s most discussed topic of the year on Sunday, Dec. 30.
The Butler County Visitors Bureau and MetroParks of Butler County held an official ground breaking ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 for their $3 million project that will add 22 multipurpose natural grass athletic fields on 100 acres of Voice of America Park in West Chester Township.
Photo is of phase 1 of the MetroParks of Butler County’s enhancement plan for Voice of America Park. As part of that phase, there will be 22 multipurpose athletic fields (click to enlarge) at the park in West Chester.
The fields, which border Butler-Warren and Tylersville roads, are expected to be available for use by September of 2014.
Based on an economic impact study conducted by AECOM Technical Services in Chicago, the 22 multipurpose fields are projected to bring in $20 million in indirect and direct spending, 200,000 new hotel room requests and 21,000 participants annually by year five after the complex opens (2019).
“With all the amenities that surround the park, the new fields will be something that will be sought after and ultimately will be the envy of other communities that not only surround us, but are also in our region,” said Mark Hecquet, executive director at the visitors bureau.
Photo of the entire Voice of America enhancement plan. Click to enlarge.
Overall, this project is just phase 1 of a much larger enhancement plan for the biggest Butler County MetroPark. In comparison, fellow MetroParks Forest Run (almost 340 acres) and Rentschler Forest (almost 400 acres) are close in size to the 435-acre VOA Park. Meanwhile, in Hamilton County, Whitewater Forest with 4,345 acres and Winton Woods with 2,555 acres are significantly larger.
Other improvements that are to be incrementally added over time include the addition of softball and baseball diamonds, as well as an amphitheater and expansion to its dog park.
Park officials are also already considering changing the growing grass fields to artificial turf, which will lower maintenance cost, decrease rainouts and allow for longer sports seasons.
Currently, MetroParks is looking for other organizations or businesses to collaborate to help provide funding for the other phases.
The park has already become a destination for larger scale sporting events. Just this past August, the VOA Park hosted the USA Triathlon Youth Junior National Championships and the WWA Wakeboard National Championships.
“Fibers of the Soul,” an exhibition of the work of West Chester artist Carole Gary Staples, opens with a free public reception from 2 to 5 p.m. this Sunday at Miami University’s Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.
Staples, a native of Pittsburgh, has been designing with fabric and creating art for over thirty years. The exhibition, which will be on display at the Learning Center through Jan. 30, 2013, is from her collection of art quilts and fiber arts.
Her works are part of several touring exhibitions, including “In Celebration of Faith Ringgold” from the City College of New York, and “Textural Rhythms: Quilting the Jazz Traditions,” from the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center.
Regionally, Staples’ creations have been part of exhibitions at the Middletown Art Center, Kennedy Heights Art Center, and Northern Kentucky University. She has also been featured in the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts “Migrations of the African Diaspora” exhibition, as well as “Quilts for Change” at the Cintas Center at Xavier University.
Her training began at a very early age when she was selected to attend the prestigious Tam O’ Shanter art program at Carnegie Mellon University. She continued her artistic training at the University of Pittsburgh, and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree from Seton Hill University.
The exhibition will be on display can be viewed from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.
Miami University’s Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive in West Chester. More information is available by visiting the Learning Center’s web site, MiamiOH.edu/VOALC, or by calling 513-895-8862.
To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.
MetroParks breaks ground on VOA athletic complex – The Butler County Visitors Bureau and MetroParks of Butler County held an official ground breaking ceremony last Wednesday for their $3 million project that will add 22 multipurpose natural grass athletic fields on 100 acres of Voice of America Park in West Chester Township. The fields, which border Butler-Warren and Tylersville roads, are expected to be available for use by September of 2014.
Lakota Local Schools maintains rating – Michael D. Clark reported on the annual Ohio Report Cards – Southwest Ohio’s second-largest school system maintained its top state ranking while the area’s longest financially embattled district finally dropped a category, according to the annual Ohio Report Cards, released last Wednesday. Butler County’s Lakota Schools earned an Excellent with Distinction rating despite historically deep budget cuts in recent years.
BAE to sell commercial armored vehicles business – In a $10 million deal, defense contractor BAE Systems announced it is selling off its locally based commercial armored vehicles business that employs 134 workers, Alexander Coolidge of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last Tuesday.
Zoning Commission approves ‘high end’ apartments in West Chester – Last week, the West Chester Zoning Commission approved two proposed apartment developments that could possibly feature rents greater than $1,200 per month. One of those developments, currently called The Cascades, will have its zoning change go before the West Chester Township Board of Trustees on Nov. 13.
White House Inn becomes Casa Bianca – The owner of Symmes Tavern in Fairfield has bought the venerable White House Inn in West Chester and has turned it into an Italian restaurant, Polly Campbell of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week. The name is simply a translation: Casa Bianca. The restaurant will have traditional Italian and traditional American on the menu.
Colerain defeats Lakota West in battle of unbeatens – In a battle of the top two teams in The Cincinnati Enquirer coaches’ poll, senior quarterback Alfred “L.A.” Ramsby carried Colerain from an early 17-0 deficit to a 57-44 win against Lakota West at Cardinal Stadium on a wet and chilly night in Colerain Township.
Supreme Court OK’s Ohio early voting – The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Ohioans to cast early in-person absentee ballots on the final three days before the Nov. 6 election, Barry M. Horstman of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last Tuesday.
Bridge replacement on Rialto Road is complete – The Butler County Engineer’s Office announced last Tuesday that Rialto Road in West Chester Township is now open. A portion of the road had been closed since early July as the Rialto Road bridge over Mill Creek was replaced.
Lakota teen’s been to Barrackville and Romney – Matthew King, a 17-year-old Lakota East High school senior, recently created a Youtube Video highlighting two small towns in America, that just so happened to be named Romney and Barrackville. In the video, King talks to people on the street, through car windows, and people putting groceries in their cars about their views on the towns name, asking questions with only slight political implications.
Phoenix will phase out West Chester, Florence campuses – The University of Phoenix will phase out classes in West Chester and Florence, impacting 236 students, Cliff Peale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week. The sites have stopped accepting applications, and current students will have the choice of finishing their programs in traditional classrooms or converting to online classes.
The Butler County Visitors Bureau and MetroParks of Butler County held an official ground breaking ceremony Wednesday for their $3 million project that will add 22 multipurpose natural grass athletic fields on 100 acres of Voice of America Park in West Chester Township.
Photo is of phase 1 of the MetroParks of Butler County’s enhancement plan for Voice of America Park. As part of that phase, there will be 22 multipurpose athletic fields (click to enlarge) at the park in West Chester.
The fields, which border Butler-Warren and Tylersville roads, are expected to be available for use by September of 2014.
Based on an economic impact study conducted by AECOM Technical Services in Chicago, the 22 multipurpose fields are projected to bring in $20 million in indirect and direct spending, 200,000 new hotel room requests and 21,000 participants annually by year five after the complex opens (2019).
“With all the amenities that surround the park, the new fields will be something that will be sought after and ultimately will be the envy of other communities that not only surround us, but are also in our region,” said Mark Hecquet, executive director at the visitors bureau.
Photo of the entire Voice of America enhancement plan. Click to enlarge.
Overall, this project is just phase 1 of a much larger enhancement plan for the biggest Butler County MetroPark. In comparison, fellow MetroParks Forest Run (almost 340 acres) and Rentschler Forest (almost 400 acres) are close in size to the 435-acre VOA Park. Meanwhile, in Hamilton County, Whitewater Forest with 4,345 acres and Winton Woods with 2,555 acres are significantly larger.
Other improvements that are to be incrementally added over time include the addition of softball and baseball diamonds, as well as an amphitheater and expansion to its dog park.
Park officials are also already considering changing the growing grass fields to artificial turf, which will lower maintenance cost, decrease rainouts and allow for longer sports seasons.
Currently, MetroParks is looking for other organizations or businesses to collaborate to help provide funding for the other phases.
The park has already become a destination for larger scale sporting events. Just this past August, the VOA Park hosted the USA Triathlon Youth Junior National Championships and the WWA Wakeboard National Championships.
To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.
Photo is of phase 1 of the MetroParks of Butler County’s enhancement plan for Voice of America Park. As part of that phase, there will be 22 multipurpose athletic fields (click to enlarge) at the park in West Chester.
Voice of America Park to add 22 multipurpose athletic fields- MetroParks of Butler County and The Butler County Visitors Bureau announced last Tuesday that they will celebrate an official ground breaking Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. for the new athletic complex at West Chester’s Voice of America Park. The athletic complex will feature 22 multipurpose natural grass fields, which are projected to be open for use by the fall of 2014.
Total Quality Logistics announces West Chester office – Total Quality Logistics announced last Monday it will open a West Chester office in November. It will be TQL’s fourth office in the region, and is expected to eventually employ up to 100 people. The office will be located at 8610 Jacquemin Drive.
School report card date set for Oct. 17 – Ohio will be handing out state report card ratings for districts and schools Oct. 17, state officials said last Tuesday, now that State Auditor Dave Yost’s investigations into enrollment and attendance manipulation is winding down for 100 schools around the state.
Lakota West (8-0 overall, 5-0 in the Greater Miami Conference) is off to its best start in history and will face Colerain (8-0 overall, 5-0 in the GMC) this week.
Lakota West improves to 8-0 with win against Middletown – After defeating Greater Miami Conference opponent Middletown Friday night, the 2012 Lakota West football team became the first in school history to begin a season with an 8-0 record. In the latest win, the Firebirds took a 27-0 lead late into the third quarter before holding onto to a 27-14 win at home.
Community has open conversation about Lakota’s present and future – Roughly 40 parent council members of the state’s seventh-largest school district met at Lakota West High School Wednesday to talk about concerns with the type of education their children currently receive and will receive in the future at Lakota schools. The discussion was part of Lakota’s new “Community Conversation” program, which began in late September and involves various community members hosting forums to help inform the school district on how to better serve its students.
Weekly farmers’ market schedule wraps up – The weekly West Chester farmers’ market schedule ended this past Saturday, along with the art market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Square at Union Centre. The farmers’ market will return to The Square in 2012 on Nov. 17 and Dec. 15.
MetroParks of Butler County and The Butler County Visitors Bureau announced Tuesday that they will celebrate an official ground breaking Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. for the new athletic complex at West Chester’s Voice of America Park.
Photo is of phase 1 of the MetroParks of Butler County’s enhancement plan for Voice of America Park. As part of that phase, there will be 22 multipurpose athletic fields (click to enlarge) at the park in West Chester.
The athletic complex will feature 22 multipurpose natural grass fields, which are projected to be open for use by the fall of 2014.
“Not only will these new fields expand recreational opportunities for local residents, but the project will begin the transformation of the park into a premier athletic venue that can attract visitors from throughout the Midwest,” said Jonathan Granville, MetroParks executive director.
According to The Butler County Visitors Bureau (BCVB), VOA Park is less than a day’s drive from 65 percent of the entire U.S. population and will be able to host sizeable tournaments with more than 2,000 hotel rooms nearby.
“We are pleased to collaborate with MetroParks on this project and excited about the economic benefit it will bring to Butler County,” said Mark Hecquet, BCVB executive director.
According to MetroParks officials, the current work is the latest effort to implement the Voice of America Park enhancement plan developed with community input in 2009.
The 22 fields are just phase 1 of that enhancement plan for the entire park. This phase will cost approximately $3 million.
Originally, the athletic complex was to consist of 24 multipurpose fields, for soccer, lacrosse, football and other sports, as well as five baseball fields and four softball fields and was projected to cost roughly between $15-to-$25 million ($15 million for grass fields and $25 for artificial turf fields).
According to an economic impact study conducted in 2010 by AECOM Technical Services in Chicago, the original plan could have drawn about 204,000 people annually for tournaments, practices, games and leagues.
MetroParks could add to the athletic complex and provide additional enhancements to VOA Park, but has no timetable in place for other phases of construction at the moment.
