mrCharlie

Not exactly an ODOT project or news, but ODOT has a survey to help determine transportation needs across the state. I was pleasantly surprised how many of the questions were oriented towards driving alternatives (walking, biking, public transit, rail). Fingers crossed this makes a difference! https://www.odotsurvey.com

One of the main reasons I just upgraded my 13 Pro to a 16 Pro Max (besides my kid wanting my old phone to catch Pokemon with) was to gain satellite messaging capability. A few places I ride my mountain bike have spotty at best cell reception, with plenty of opportunity to get hurt, as well as breaking my bike deep into the woods or getting lost. While I considered getting Garmin InReach, I don't ride those places often enough to justify the cost of the device and service. Apple's solution may not be quite as robust, but now that it works for more than just emergencies it feels particularly valuable .

I heard about this project a few months back, and was kind of wondering what to expect since it wasn't spearheaded by the usual groups (COMBO - Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization). It's been my experience that mountain bike trails not built by mountain bike groups aren't always all that great... In this case, really glad to see this was designed by American Ramp. They did the design for Nighthawk Bike Park at Nagel Middle School in Cincinnati, and it's a pretty cool place. Nice and fun skills course, mixed natural surface and made-man obstacles- great for both beginners and established riders. This should be a lot of fun, and a great next step for those outgrowing Gators in Worthington.

I grew up in Clermont County, technically Appalachia but just barely. I graduated from high school in 1997, in a tiny class of little more than 125 or so. Though I lived on what would be consider the edge of suburban Cincinnati, my school district was huge, mostly rural/farm country with a few small struggling towns. Just from posts I've seen on former classmate's Facebook pages, I can think of at least a dozen people I went to school with who are no more. Reading between the lines (even when the cause is not explicitly posted), these seem primarily to have been opioid/addiction related - with a big spike around the time fentanyl became a thing. I don't know how common it is to not make it to (or past) your mid-40's, but it feels like a lot.

You aren't too far off! The name "Fancyburg Park" was one of the stipulations made by the man who donated it, Ben Blinn, in honor of his late wife. Fancyburg is what she called Upper Arlington, and I don't think it was entirely meant as a compliment.

Colombia-born Bernie Moreno says migrants “destroyed” Ohio cities but won’t clarify which cities or how: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/07/29/bernie-moreno-says-migrants-destroyed-ohio-cities-but-wont-clarify-which-cities-or-how/ Based on the couple of numbers I was able to quickly find (some might find better sources), Columbus has the largest numbers of migrants (7.5%) of any of the big metro area. I haven't heard of too many problems caused by the local migrant communities, indeed, the multiculturalism is probably one of my favorite things about the area.

This right here is why I pretty much only ride on the bike trial (which is fortunately only a block away), or mountain bike in the woods. I don't so much worry about the locals, but there is no shortage of lifted pickups with wheels sticking cutting through town.

So much opportunity there, especially as the area grows and the bike trial gets even more popular. As it is, I ride it several times a week, and I'm only alone if it super cold and Im the only person dumb enough to ride outside. I rarely even bother with the trail on a nice weekend day. Agreed that downtown Johnstown and Alexandria feel very cutoff from the trail at the moment, and haven't really capitalized on it being there. Along with newer businesses next to the trail, Granville has a connector trail and sidewalks along Main leading into downtown, and I do regularly see people using them.

Village of Granville has been pretty good (so far) about managing and regulating development within village boundaries. They are finally coming around to allowing smart growth, rather than the traditional no to everything. I hope that continues, including permitting more residential development (though the isn't a lot of undeveloped land within village limits). Unfortunately there seems to be an ongoing "if we do nothing, nothing will change" attitude in the surrounding townships, specifically those areas served by Granville schools which have already proven to be prime targets for annexation and service extensions. Alexandria/St Albans have the right idea going the Pataskala route and at least exploring a merger to have some additional tools to manage growth, though they need to hurry up before it no longer matters. (https://www.thereportingproject.org/st-albans-alexandria-merger-commission-granted-year-extension-for-research-writing-ballot-language/) I wish Granville and northern Union Township (Granville Schools areas) would do the same to gain some power to smartly manage growth. Absolutely correct. Kind of sad the same commissioners will get reelected, by the very people they have hurt the most, just because they have the right letter after their name on the ballot.

Lots of business happenings around Granville lately, as "downtown" is increasingly finding its way down South Main. • One Love Cafe & Bike Shop has opened on South Main in one of the old Granville Lumber spaces, next to Station and the bike trail. Long overdue, Granville is very much a bike town and I'm super excited to have a shop basically in my back yard. I've already stopped there once when I was riding on my lunch break to have my headset tightened, which they took care of for no charge. They also sell and rent bikes, plenty of demand for that since we do indeed get tourists in town. They also have Turkish coffee and Turkish pastries, which are excellent. • Steel is up for the Mill District development next to the fire station on South Main, planning to be done with the exterior by September with five spaces. Current tenants are Chipotle, Granville Vision Center, and a nail salon/hydration place. There has been some grumbling about a chain coming to town, but if it's actually a good Chipotle (since they seem to vary so much) I'm pretty happy to have the option right in town. • Chase Bank is about done with their extensive renovation of the old Brew's/Donato's building on Broadway. They've really done an amazing and extensive job restoring this building over the last year or so - there is something to be said for having bank-level money to throw at a project. I particularly like that the corner building now has windows on the alley side, instead of being a giant monolith like it was before. The real question is what becomes of their old space. https://www.thereportingproject.org/granville-business-news-new-bike-shop-and-cafe-opens-its-doors-mill-district-construction-underway/

Not looking forward to my son seeing this, and realizing you can buy a Lego version of it (for $699!).

I grew up right across the East Fork valley from the Peavine, back when it was still the N&W/NS mainline into Cincinnati. Nice to see traffic coming back to that line.

My personal favorite billboard placement, a few years back in Newark. I wanted to think prosthetic guy chose the billboard next to the Jolly Pirate parking lot on purpose...but it wasn't up for very long.

For those of us who were big fans of the late great 97X WOXY, Inhailer Radio in Cincinnati has kicked off the 2024 Indie 500. For any who missed it, last year they put together the 2023 Modern Rock 500, which was an amazing tribute to 97X complete with the original DJs and promos. I loved last year's broadcast for the pure nostalgia factor, but I think I prefer the music this year more so far since they aren't limited it to just what 97X played (or would have played). Listen online for free (including last year's show) at https://www.inhailer.com, or (if localish) at 90.9FM HD3. Despite paying for SiriusXM, I've found myself listening to Inhailer (online) the majority of the time while I'm working lately. It's a good mix of current and classic indie/alternative, but with a way wider range of other interesting stuff mixed in depending on whatever the DJ feels like playing. Never seems to get boring or repetitive, it's like how radio used to be when it was still good. Plus, lots of great Cincinnati and Ohio artists in the mix.

Addendum, since my first post was already way longer than intended - I was obviously looking at the advantages/disadvantages from the perspective of an individual (specifically me). I definitely see the downside WfH can bring to downtown areas, which need people to thrive. While I didn't always like the specific jobs, I really liked working in proper downtowns over the years. Not that it's possible for my current job, but I'd probably be a lot more willing to go hybrid if the office was actually in a proper urban location. I liked going for lunch walks with coworkers and eating at interesting places, and there is something to the whole urban vibe. That said, lots of jobs anymore are in suburban office parks or otherwise away from anything resembling a real downtown. A hybrid arraignment for that sort of location has zero appeal to me.

I worked in the office for about two years at my current company at what was then a tiny New England company, then transitioned to full-remote when we moved back to Ohio (for my wife's new job) in 2011. My title and specific role has since evolved, but I essentially do graphic design work - which is a lot of fairly independent working, with occasional meetings and checking in to get feedback/new projects. I can't imagine I'd still be working for the same company if I was still in the office. I had a long and terrible commute, the office wasn't walkable to anything, the windowless building old and uncomfortable. My computer was old and outdated, I initially (by choice) used my own computer when I went remote. I also got to use my much nicer desk and Herman Miller chair at home, instead of the $99 Staples special that hurt my back in the office. It was a little challenging at first, mainly because of technological limitations and acclimating to the change. I had to figure out a file sharing solution, made tougher by the office's 3mbps DSL line. We used build-in tools like FaceTime and Apple's screen sharing over VPN for meetings. A few years later we started using Slack, which made communication and workflow much easier. Shortly after, we were acquired by a much larger company based in a different state from me or my original office. The new company didn't have a very remote (or multi-site corporate) savvy culture at first. Eventually IT made us move from Slack to Teams (because out was free with O365), figuring that out for us turned out to be good for them when all the office staff went remote during COVID. That change made all of us offsite people site peers to WHQ, instead of an afterthought - we were all working the same way, using the same systems and technology. Most of corporate is now hybrid or back in the office, our group has stayed mostly remote. We remain one of the most productive and profitable divisions of our large company. I've only been to my "home office" and WHQ only a handful of times for various events that needed to be in person. That has been enough to get to know the people I regularly interact with, I see little benefit for me for hybrid. Downsides/challenges of working remote: • Spontaneous/non-specific conversations are tougher - good for both getting to know people, and randomly solving problems • Tougher to ask quick questions • Tougher to interact with physical product without shipping delays • Collaboration with people unwilling to adapt how they work, or adopt new tools (ie Teams) • I could see it being tough to start a new job, with people you don't know, fully remote • Potential for work/home balance problems, requiring discipline to avoid • The occasional kid or cat based interruption • I could potentially be goofing off during work hours (like posting on an internet forum...), but that was true in the office as well. Small breaks throughout the day are necessary, especially doing creative work. It would also be obvious if I wasn't hitting my deadlines. Upsides of working from home: • Fewer interruptions - in office, my boss would constantly use the intercom or yell over with questions - which is fine, but it often ruined my concentration since that requires an immediate response. Chat or email questions can wait a minute until I'm ready to answer. • No more commute - I get back two hours of my day, less wear-and-tear on the car • I get to live where I want, not where my job is (in this case, close to where my wife works, and also closer to family) • I can do things like go for a bike ride on my lunch break, or walk to food (since I chose to live somewhere walkable). I've also nibbled away at big home improvement projects during my lunch breaks. Amazing how many design solutions this change of scenery has produced. • I'm here as my kid is growing up. I'm there when the bus picks him up and drops him off. We can do things or school activities in the evening because I'm not rushing around to get home in time. I can keep an eye on him during sick days or when there isn't school without taking a day off. • I'm here for things like contractors, deliveries, etc. • I'm close for appointments. I've also probably saved at least one cat who was having a medical emergency because I was home to see there was something very wrong. • I rarely take a sick day, and only when I'm truly too sick to work. No worry about merely being contagious. • My workspace is set up exactly like I want it to be • I can listen to whatever music I want all day while I work, on my good speakers, as loud as I want • I have big monitors and a powerful desktop machine, which wouldn't be realistic working hybrid • If I have to work extra (rare), I can do it after the kid goes to bed or just take a few minutes without throwing off our whole evening. So yes, much of value is vastly-improved work/life balance. But the key there is vastly improved. I value my time and flexibility more than just about anything, and this gives me flexibility despite working a fairly defined 8-5. My early-career dream was to go freelance so I could work in sprints and have time off between projects, and work in the environment I preferred. This feels like most of the upsides without the downsides.

I stepped outside around 10:10 not really expecting to see much, or maybe a faint glow at most. The sky was very pink in every direction, even with all the lights in town, no need for the help of a camera. That seemed to be about the peak intensity, but it definitely continued for at least 45 minutes. Tried to wake the kid (who loves all things natural sciences), but he was completely out. Looks like there is a good chance for a repeat even tonight, and clouds are supposed be clearing.

We saw them on E I-270, right before the I-71 N exit. This did not help the always-present traffic disaster between 23 and 71, but my kid was pretty excited to get a good look at them stopped in the backup.

The trail here in Granville isn't as busy as Loveland (from what I recall when I lived down that way), but I've also seen some bad behavior from e-bike riders. Probably not coincidentally, most of the worst offenders also weren't wearing helmets. Our trail allows Class 1 & 2 e-bikes, and has a 15 mph limit for all users. I've seen a few very close calls from e-bikers, moving at fairly high speeds, passing walkers/runners with oncoming traffic in the other lane. I've also seen a few riders clearly pushing their e-bike's top speed wobble badly and almost go down. A lot of those bikes have tiny wheels and comfort-oriented geometry, and the motor allows a rider to skip the years of experience (and gained bike handling skills) required to go that fast on a regular bike. That said, I've also seen plenty of e-bikes being operated in a perfectly safe manner, and they are hardly the only trail users to disregard the rules. I myself am guilty of exceeding the speed limit (which I had to look up, it isn't really posted)- though I always keep it "reasonable and prudent", and am strict about calling out passes and going slow when the trial is busy. Many riders are bad about calling out passes. Runners often have headphones in, keeping to the right but getting startled (and swerving) when being passed. Walkers stay side-by-side, often in large groups, paying little attention then giving dirty looks once they finally hear me yelling (or I use my loud bell). Then there are the people with the dogs on long leashes clotheslining the trial, assuming the dog has a leash at all.

We drove past Forest Fair over the weekend. I was surprised to see it still standing, but how awful it looked was even more surprising.

This honestly seems pretty reasonable and appropriate for the area, emphasizing quality over quantity. Not all growth is good, left to their own devices developers will put in the cheapest, worst sprawl with no concerns about longevity to impact on the area. Locally-owned businesses often struggle against national chains, since they have the buying power to be more competitive. The old downtown starts to slowly die out. You get traffic problems since access isn't considered, followed by an expensive and inconvenient overhaul of whatever the main road is to solve those problems. Buildings become outdated, businesses move on, and are left empty for years or maybe (eventually) redeveloped. Force the quality and a bigger investment will be required, and perhaps businesses will be more keen to do things right stick and around for the long haul. Look local for an example of the above. Heath's sprawl seriously hurt downtown Newark - which is finally bouncing back after extensive efforts, and with people rediscovering the value of urban areas. Rt 79 had to be extensively redesigned in the last decade through Heath to solve the traffic issues caused by careless development, and it still isn't great. Many of those businesses (like the mall) are becoming outdated or unfashionable, with a fair bit of vacancy. Not dead, but not exactly thriving. I would argue that Granville resisting sprawl (with limited pressure to reconsider, since the local population is relatively small) is why Granville has (and has always had) a thriving, functioning downtown. Little choice though but to loosen restrictions a bit at this point, there isn't room for additional business development downtown. This seems very plausible. Digging through old aerial photos, that whole area was a gravel pit in the 1960's. The now-golf course portion was filled in, with the course opening in 1972. I wouldn't trust anything put in the ground around that time. The plume issue is courtesy of Granville Solvents, which had a facility right at the entrance to the village by the Cherry St viaduct - between the old and new water plants (!). They specialized in the processing and "disposal" of printing and dry cleaning chemicals, which given the timeframe (1950s-1980s) meant leaving a whole lot of really bad stuff hanging around in leaky drums and underground tanks. The site was remediated through the 1990's and contained. The biggest worry with the Intel well proposal is that it would draw a LOT of water, pulling the currently-contained plume right into the village wellfield. https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/granville/2020/12/29/eyesore-former-granville-solvent-site-sold-cleaned-up/3909442001/ Ohio didn't even have township zoning until 1947, no idea when it was adopted here. Other than having a college, Granville was mostly just another small, rural town back then - standards and restrictions were pretty low. See Granville Solvents above. Township residents gonna township resident. Per the auditor, the guy bough his property in 2022 and built a house on it. Wonder how the existing neighbors felt about that?

The lane assist on my car works okay to keep the car centered between the lines, but it's mostly just annoying. It makes it feel like the car is tramlining in the ruts on the road, or the alignment is messed up. Worse, probably in an attempt not to oversell capability, the car freaks out if I don't tug on the wheel every ten seconds or so. Can't just hold the wheel loosely and correct as needed, I almost have to actively countersteer.

Granville Village is 5,946, which does includes ~2000ish Dension students - well short of city status. Granville Township is 10,244, I'm unclear if that also includes the village (village is still part of a township, we vote on trustees). While not universal, there is definitely appetite for some development. The candidates who ran on pro-development platforms in the last village council race won pretty decisively. Generally speaking, opposition usually comes down to "maintaining our village charm" and "protecting the schools". The usual commercial sprawl (fast food places, chains, big box) isn't particularly welcome, especially close to downtown. This is in part to make sure these places don't hurt the local/independent places already in town. We've discussed it here before, but the school thing is a real problem. Our school taxes are extremely high - high-quality schools, little commercial, very little state aid - and many of the buildings are close to capacity. The last few rounds of school funding were met with organized opposition (the township people discussed above) and took multiple attempts to pass. There is a lot of concern about Newark/Heath approving huge SF housing developments in Granville Schools, forcing the entire district to pay for new buildings - a request which is not guaranteed to pass. (Sorry if any of that is rambling or unclear, I've been awake since well before we headed to the basement at 5:45am for the tornado warning.)

I live in Granville and mostly agree with this. And correct, it's almost exclusively the wealthy (largely conservative) old-money types in the township, doing whatever they can to save a few $ on their taxes and make sure nothing ever changes. We badly need a township/village merger to properly control development, but it's unlikely to happen anytime soon because of a few vocal township residents. There are also a few (also very wealthy, also in the township) people who own most of the vacant, currently developable commercial properties throughout the area. Not only do they wield their monopoly-like power to keep lease/purchase prices high (keeping lots vacant, causing tenants to struggle), but they do what they can to stop any other development in the area - because that will dilute their power. Can't wait for growth to help shift the numbers and knock these guys out of power. Granville has had a comprehensive plan for years, if not decades. The issue here is they are trying to update it for Intel and other growth, naturally some will do whatever they can to get in the way.

The Ohio Mountain Bike Alliance is looking for state capital budget funding for multiple trail projects across the state. The projects are: • Ohio Trails Vision Implementation • East Fork Session Hub • Great Seal Mountain Bike Park • The Yard At Newark Station • Clear Creek Bike Park • Nighthawk Bike Skills Park • Goltra Preserve Nature Trails Sign the petition by end of day 2/6/24: https://secure.everyaction.com/CwmvNCj1F0iy47lkCVNjuA2 More details about each project: https://coramtb.org/blog/post/details-projects-listed-our-petition