What's happening on the Westside

Paper recycling at Parkview
Parkview United Methodist Church, 344  S. Algonquin Ave., is providing the community with recycling bins for paper products. Bring newspapers, magazines, junk mail, etc., to the green and yellow bins in the church parking lot. No cardboard or phone books will be accepted. Questions, call 875-7231.

Exercise for seniors
Seniors are invited to exercise on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 55 Pasadena Ave. Men and women aged 50 to 90 and up have exercised at the facility since 2001. The instructor leads each session with warm-ups, play balls, resistance bands, hand weights, some low-impact aerobics and balance activities. Each participant can adapt the routine to his/her comfort level. The cost is $35 for each eight-week session. Call the instructor, Lori Vazquez, at 989-4595 with questions.

VFW Post 6065
VFW Post 6065 will hold their meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. Meetings last about one hour and are held at the Prairie Township Senior Center, 4616 West Broad St. Those interested in getting involved or volunteering time should attend a meeting. The Ladies Auxiliary meets at 6:30 p.m. The motivations of the VFW are patriotic, historical, and educational. They strive to perpetuate the memory and history of their dead, and to assist their widows and orphans. Call Will Davis at 309-0171 for further information.

Golden Age Center
The Salvation Army Golden Age Center, 2300 W. Mound St., invites anyone aged 60 or over to attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for lunch, crafts, movies, BINGO, games, health and fitness, and fun. Call Ellen Marvin, senior director, at 274-7600, ext. 108, one day in advance to reserve lunch for $1.25 per day. Fee for expenses is $9 per month.

MOPS at Cypress Wesleyan
Cypress Wesleyan Church, 377 Alton Darby Creek Road in Galloway, will host Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) on Monday evenings 6:30 - 8 p.m. and Tuesday mornings 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. For more info or to register for MOPS, go to the Web site: www.cypressonline.net/what we do/women/mops or call the church 614-878-8192.

Awana Clubs
Awana Clubs for boys and girls, from three-years-old to sixth grade, will be held Wednesdays, from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. at Briggs Road Baptist Church, 3231 Briggs Road. Call 272-7430 for more information.

American Legion Post 799

American Legion Post 799 holds their monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Prairie Township Fire Station, 123 Inah Ave. The Post is actively focusing on fund raising activities, family activities for the younger generation, setting up a Sons of the Legion auxiliary and increasing the ladies auxiliary.
The American legion is dedicated to supporting veterans and our country and is a non-profit organization. For more information, call Commander Ben Aycock at 878-0069.
 
Free meals offered
The Church of the Lamb of God, 2216 Sullivant Ave., offers free meals on the fourth Saturday of each month.

PTSC exercise programs
The Prairie Township Senior Center hosts the following exercise programs that are free and open to the public:
•Mondays - 10:30 a.m., aerobics; 2 p.m., line dance
•Tuesdays - 10 a.m., gentle stretchers
•Wednesdays - 10:30 a.m., body conditioning
•Fridays - 10 a.m., gentle stretchers
For additional information, call the center at 878-5110.

Friends Worship Center hosts senior group
Senior citizens are invited to a seniors group at Friends Worship Center, 3030 Clime Road, on the second Tuesday of each month from 12-2:30 p.m. The event will feature a light lunch, games and fellowship. There is no cost, but registration is required. Contact Martha at 875-8297, Juanita at 279-2382 or Debbie at 274-6505.

Briggs class of 1979
Briggs High School class of 1979 will hold its 30th reunion on Oct. 3. For more information, contact Kim Burke Collins at collink09@sbcglobal.net or Cindy Hale Seeley at 875-5167.

West High class of 1969
The West High School class of 1969 will hold its 40th class reunion on Aug. 29 at JP's Barbeque at Bolton Field. For more information, contact Robin (McMillen) Gray at 870-8905 or Bea (Dodson) Bailey at 871-0335.

FHHS students receive journalism award
Franklin Heights High School juniors Sarnell Breedlove and Katelyn West, along with senior Katie Littlefield, received a James L. McCann Excellence in Journalism award from the Ohio Capital Conference Academic League for their work in the 2007-2008 FHHS yearbook.

FH students take top honors at DECA competition
Fourteen marketing technology students from Franklin Heights High School competed at the state level of DECA competitions.
Arika Kesterson, a senior, placed third in the entrepreneurship event and earned a trip to the  International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, Calif., where she will compete at the highest level. This conference will attract over 15,000 students, advisors, and business leaders from all over the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Germany.
Catie Crouse, a senior, was recognized as a state finalist in the marketing test event.

FHHS class of '64
The Franklin Heights High School class of 1964 will hold its 45-year class reunion Sept. 25-27. The weekend events will include a football game, dinner at China Bell and picnic at Gantz Park in Grove City. For additional information, contact Donna Dean at 882-9369 or 499-5560.

West High class of '89
West High Class of 1989 will hold their 20 year reunion on June 5-6. Contact Cathy Skaggs at 305-1843 or e-mail at WestHighClassof89@ymail.com for more information.

West High reunion
The West High School class of 1979 will hold its 30 year reunion on June 20 at The Aladdin Shrine Center (across from Easton.) from 6 p.m. to midnight. Come as you are. Tickets are $35 per person. Contact Dino Melfi at 276-5927 for information and reservations.

TARC team at nationals
The Westland High School Team America Rocket Challenge (TARC), funded by a $1,000 mini-grant form the South-Western City School District Educational Foundation, has qualified for national competition. Team members attending the qualifying launches are: Alex Lehar,           Zhi Mai, and James Flanders;  team members who designed the craft are: Cory Wirtz, Esteylon  Martinez, Nathan Collins; other team participants: Derek Gross, Justin Harris, and Connor McGlone.

West High reunion
The West High School class of 1959 will hold its 50 year class reunion on July 10-12 at the Marriott at Tuttle Place. Members of the January class should call Joyce Pickens Fridley at (614) 836-5134; members of the June class should call Bill Clark at (740) 745-5010 or e-mail wmclark41@yahoo.com; or Nancy Graham Boehm at (614) 875-5141.

Columbus kindergarten registration underway
Columbus City Schools are accepting kindergarten registration through May 29 for 2009-10. Students must be age 5 or older on Sept. 30, 2009.  Columbus City Schools offers full-day kindergarten at all elementary schools.
A parent or guardian can register a child at the elementary school he or she will attend now through May 29 during school hours, 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Parents/Guardians can call the FACTLine at 614-221-3228 or the  Pupil Services Office at 614-365-5763 for the appropriate school and necessary information.

Stewart honored
State Representative Dan Stewart was named the Ohio Legislator of the Year by the Ohio AFL-CIO.
"Stewart has always stood up for working families and the middle class," said AFL-CIO Chief of Staff Tim Burga. "He has fought to restore collective bargaining for township firefighters, increases in the minimum wage, lower prescription drug prices, and protecting the health and safety of workers."
Accepting the award Stewart stated, "If we want to rebuild Ohio and the nation, then we need to support those who built the middle class - those working men and women of organized labor."

Prairie Township to
flush fire hydrants
The Prairie Township Fire Department will flush fire hydrants from May 4-29 in an area bounded by I-270 on the east, Sullivant Avenue on the south, Rome-Hilliard Road on the west, and Trabue Road on the north as well as the village park area off Hall Road near Alton Road. For information call the Prairie Township Fire Department at 878-7100. If you encounter rusty water, call the Franklin County Water Department at 462-3940.

Community garden
Hoge Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2930 W. Broad St., invites the community to help plant a community flower garden on the west side of the church on May 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information call 276-5433.

Ready summer sports
Bishop Ready High School will be sponsoring a series of summer camps for various sports during the months of June and July. Registration is limited and students will be accepted on a first-come basis. Camps will be offered for baseball, volleyball, basketball, football, softball, bowling and wrestling. Brochures for each camp are available online at www.brhs.org under athletic summer camps, or call the athletic department at 276-5263. 

Bean Dinner volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to help the Hilltop Business Association at the annual Bean Dinner on June 27, in Westgate Park.
Area residents will be asked to work in two-hour shifts at the festival, said HBA member Karen Whitman. Among the tasks these volunteers will be doing is assisting the HBA in getting the park ready for the one-day event, helping exhibitors get set up and helping to serve the food.
Anyone interested in helping the HBA for that day should contact Whitman at 274-1275.

Food & clothing drive
Jack's Coneys, 2384 Sullivant Avenue, is holding a food and clothing drive (non-perishable food and slightly worn clothing) on May 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to benefit the Church of the Living God, 2216 Sullivant Avenue.

Weskets wanted
Columbus West High School is looking for Weskets from the years 1961 to 1970. The group is planning a reunion in memory of Jimmy Hill, band director (2009). Contact Sally Egelhoff Harris at 740-756-4123 or Sarah Bryan Johnson at 204-2558.

Camp Chase Memorial
The Hilltop Historical Society will host the 114th annual Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery Memorial Service on June 14 at 3 p.m. at 2900 Sullivant Avenue, Columbus.
Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery is the final resting place for 2,260 Confederate soldiers and civilian sympathizers from the Civil War who could not go home.
The memorial service has been held annually since 1895. Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery is the third largest Confederate cemetery north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Renowned author Roger Pickenpaugh "Camp Chase and the Evolution of Union Prison Policy" will be the guest speaker.
 The service includes Union and Confederate (re-enactors) honor guards and Jeff Linn, Columbus bagpiper.
 The public is invited,  free admission. Dressing in period costume is encouraged.
For information, visit http://hhscampchase.tripod.com.

Memorial Day at Green Lawn
Two Memorial Day programs are scheduled at Green Lawn to pay tribute to military veterans.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will hold their program on May 23, while the American Legion program will be  May 25. Both programs begin at 11 a.m.
The May 23 program, presented by members in Civil War-style costumes, will begin at Circle M where Union soldiers are buried and proceed to Section 28 at the Ex-Soldiers and Sailors Monument where other Civil War veterans are interred.
The May 25 program will feature former Ohio legislator Steve Stivers as the speaker. This program will be held on Section 104 where World War IIveterans are buried.
Both programs are free and open to the public..

Green Lawn book sale
A silent auction book sale will be offered in July with proceeds going to the Green Lawn Volunteers.
More than a dozen books and a pair of tickets to the fall 2009 Evening with the Authors series at the Thurber House are being offered for bidding throughout the month of July. Bids will be updated every morning and posted on the Green Lawn Web site at www.greenlawncolumbus.org .
Bidding will close July 31 and winners revealed Aug. 1.
Successful bidders can pay for their books and pick them up Aug. 1 at Green Lawn, 1000 Greenlawn Avenue. Besides placing bids online, people can bid by phone or in person at the Green Lawn office.
For information call the volunteer coordinator at (614) 266-5218.

Senior luncheon
A senior luncheon will be held on June 9 at noon at Westgate United Methodist Church, 61 S. Powell Avenue. Open to the public. Donations accepted.

Hoge open house and aluminum can drive
Hoge Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2930 W. Broad St., will host an open house and aluminum can drive on June 6 from 9 to 11 a.m. Funds raised through recycling the cans will be used to buy food for the Hoge food pantry. For more information, contact the church office at 276-5433.

Hoge spaghetti dinner
Hoge Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2930 W. Broad St., will have a spaghetti dinner on June 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. The menu includes spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and a drink. Donations will be accepted. For additional information, contact the church at 276-5433.

Comet drill team places in national event
The Central Crossing High School NJROTC drill team traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla. to compete in the National High School Drill Team Championships in early May. This was an all-service competition in which the Comets finished in fourth place in the nation. The competition was among 47 JROTC units from across the country. The team captured second place finishes in the armed personnel inspection and the armed regulation drill events. The drill team commander was cadet Amberlyn Muncy, who also captured the second place commander's cup for her efforts.
 

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