By Sandi Latimer
Staff Writer
The Westland Area Commission is gearing up for its upcoming election June 24, the same day as the Independence Day celebration in the Westland area.
Three seats are opening on the commission, an arm of the Columbus City Council. Current members Dorothy Jantzen and Scott Taylor are circulating petitions for re-election, while Jeff Tanner is circulating petitions for election to the seat to which he was recently appointed.
Membership on the commission is open to residents who live, work or own a business in the area bounded by the Conrail tracks on the north, I-270 on the east, Big Run on the south and Hellbranch Creek on the west. Anyone wishing to run for a seat on the commission can obtain nominating petitions at the Westland Area Library. Twenty-five valid signatures are needed and petitions are to be returned by June 22, two days before the election.
Voting will take place at the Prairie Township Fish Fry on Saturday, June 24. That is the same day as the parade, sponsored by the Westland Area Business Association.
This year’s parade carries the theme of “Celebrating our Broad CommUNITY,” said parade chair Nancy Day-Achauer, a member of the commission.
The theme celebrates the ongoing revitalization of the community as seen by the new streetscape on West Broad Street, she said.
Returning to the celebration now that construction work is complete is a 5K race. Residents who can’t manage a full five-kilometer (3.1 miles) distance, can pick their distance, and run or walk either one kilometer (.62 mile ) or three kilometers (1.8 miles). The race begins at 8:30 a.m. and will be over by the time the parade begins at 10 a.m. on West Broad Street.
Race registration can be done through www.allsportsraces.com/community-5k.html.
One side of the street will be blocked off for the parade, while two-way traffic will be maintained on the other side of the road. Day-Achauer stressed that parade watchers are not to congregate in the new median to view the parade.
“We have something nice and we want to keep it nice,” she said.
Information about entering the parade can be obtained at waba.cols@gmail.com. Trophies will be awarded to best entries in a variety of categories.
On another topic, Day-Achauer, who chairs the commission’s public health committee, asked for volunteers from the community to help at the monthly food give away at the Prairie Township Fire Department on Inah Avenue. Tasks the volunteers would be performing include unloading the truck that brings the produce to the location, then helping recipients take the produce to their vehicles. The monthly give away is the third Saturday of each month.
