From the 11/18/05 Marietta Times:

 

Council to seek lease for Becky Thatcher

From Staff Reports

 

Marietta City Council will seek a lease for the Showboat Becky Thatcher after approving a measure, 6-1, to seek bids for a lease Thursday.  Before the measure was approved, though, Councilman Mike McCauley, R-at large, chair of the committee overseeing the issue, amended the legislation to change the lease to $1 a foot instead of $7.  The lease will last for 10 years.

 

The amendment passed 5-2, with Councilman Art Fordham, D-at large, and Councilwoman Judy Wray, 3rd Ward, voting no.  Fordham opposed the lease lasting for 10 years, saying it seemed a little excessive to him, while Wray said she was put off by the Becky’s owner and lawyers ignoring city requests to meet on the lease issue.

 

Council also approved another measure relating to a lease on the Muskingum River. The lease relates to dock space near the Washington Street Bridge, but it is not the property containing the Valley Gem.

 

...

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new87_1118200583946.asp

 

From the 12/7/05 Parkersburg News and Sentinel:

 

 

Plants question pollution numbers

By EVAN BEVINS and WAYNE TOWNER

 

BELPRE - An Ohio newspaper's analysis of toxic discharges lists three local plants as among the 10 greatest sources of pollution along the Ohio River.

 

However, the local companies dispute the way the information was presented.

According to statistics compiled by The Columbus Dispatch and reported by The Associated Press, GE Silicones in Friendly released 24 million pounds of waste in 2003, the fourth-highest total on the list. Cytec Industries in Willow Island was fifth with 22.8 million, while KRATON Polymers in Belpre was tied for ninth with 18.1 million.

 

The Dispatch cited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory, Environmental Defense and the Right-to-Know Network.

 

"The Columbus Dispatch numbers were wrong," said KRATON spokesman Mike White.

 

 

 

 

Contact Evan Bevins at [email protected] and Wayne Towner at [email protected].

 

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/story/127202005_new01_plants120705.asp

 

The Dispatch portrayed an environmental story in an unfair light?!?!?

 

I'm shocked!!!  Absolutely shocked!

From the 1/6/06 Marietta Times:

 

Becky Thatcher for sale

By Connie Cartmell

 

After only a year in private hands, the historic riverboat, the Showboat Becky Thatcher, is on the sale block again.  Located at 237 Front St., on the Muskingum River, the boat was placed on eBay Wednesday with a minimum bid of $550,000.  Its Victorian-era restaurant, 1926, and lounge on the main deck will close after regular hours (11 a.m. to closing) Saturday.

 

Long considered a downtown icon on Front Street and a Marietta treasure, the fate of this once premiere tourist attraction is now up for grabs on the worldwide Internet.  "I'm far away," owner Jeff Levin, of Delray Beach, Fla., said Thursday. "You have a plan in the beginning, and if it's not quite working out the way you thought it would, it's time to do something else.”

 

Kelly Dyar, executive director of the Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, expressed disappointment with news of the restaurant’s closing and the boat being for sale.  “The Becky has been a great asset, a unique asset,” Dyar said.  “I am very sad they were not able to make the margins they were looking for.”

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new43_16200681741.asp

 

From the 1/14/06 Marietta Times:

 

Interest in Becky encouraging

By Connie Cartmell, [email protected]

 

The Florida owner of the Becky Thatcher, Jeff Levin of Delray Beach, is encouraged by the response he’s gotten after listing the riverboat on eBay’s auction site 10 days ago.  “It’s been huge,” Levin said Friday.  “We’ve had interest from Ohio, Michigan, and Europe, and more than 250 people are ‘saving’ the site.”

 

So far, no bids and no sale.

 

Actually, there have been a lot of questions directed to the site, everything from the distance to Parkersburg, which most people got wrong, to why the Becky sank in 1984.  “I really didn’t expect any bids yet,” Levin said optimistically. “Something of this size will probably have someone calling to talk about it first. It could be up eight or nine more times on auction.”  The minimum bid on the boat, likely the most expensive currently on eBay, is $550,000.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new54_114200615559.asp

 

From the 2/21/06 Marietta Times:

 

Former business partners at odds over the Becky

By Brad Bauer, [email protected]

 

A former Becky Thatcher business partner says he is suing to prevent the potential sale of the historic riverboat located in downtown Marietta.

 

Craig Hartline, of Marietta, also contends Becky owner Jeffrey Levin, of Delray Beach, Fla., violated a partnership agreement and forced him out of their business venture.  In addition to an injunction preventing the sale of the boat, the suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages.

 

Levin recently listed the boat for sale on the Internet auction service eBay.  Although the boat did not sell, it is still being offered through a broker service.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new32_221200681749.asp

 

From the 4/7/06 Parkersburg News and Sentinel:

 

Counterclaim filed over Thatcher ownership

By Brad Bauer, Special to The News

 

MARIETTA — A response to the dispute over the ownership of the Becky Thatcher alleges a former business partner illegally contracted for services, sold property without authorization and allowed a homeless person to live on the boat.

 

The counterclaim, filed in Washington County Common Pleas Court this week, also denies there is any merit to the original lawsuit filed by Craig Hartline of Marietta.  “Anybody can file a lawsuit,” said Jeffrey Levin, owner of the Becky.  “My position is it’s just a nuisance.”  A case management hearing on the matter is set for April 27 in Judge Susan Boyer’s chambers.

 

Hartline filed suit shortly after the Becky was listed for sale on Internet auction site eBay, with a starting bid of $550,000.  Hartline claims he should be considered a partial owner of the boat and that he was unlawfully forced out of the business venture.  The suit asks the court to prevent any potential sale of the boat and seeks an unspecified amount of damages.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://newsandsentinel.com/articles.asp?articleID=3550

 

From the 7/14/06 Marietta Times:

 

Owner lowers price of Becky

By Brad Bauer

 

The showboat Becky Thatcher in downtown Marietta remains for sale or lease despite a lawsuit filed in Washington County Common Pleas Court disputing the boat’s ownership and asking the court to block any potential sale.  Former Becky associate Craig Hartline, of Marietta, filed suit over the ownership of the Becky after the turn-of-the-century showboat was listed for sale on the Internet auction site eBay, with a starting bid of $550,000.

 

Levin purchased the boat in July 2004 from the directors of the Ohio Showboat Drama Inc. for $60,000.  Court records show Levin and Hartline entered into an agreement to renovate the historic steamboat, which is moored along the Muskingum River in the 200 block of Front Street.

 

Levin said he recently lowered his asking price on the boat to $495,000.  He said he would also entertain offers to lease the boat.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new54_714200681851.asp

 

From the 7/24/06 Intelligencer and the Wheeling News-Register:

 

Experiment Set To Begin at Burger Plant

By ADAM TOWNSEND

 

Scientists around the world are devoting their careers to figuring out how to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.  Because the fuel people burn that releases carbon dioxide comes from underground, some experts think putting carbon emissions back into the earth is the best way to get rid of them in the atmosphere.

 

At First Energy’s R.E. Burger Plant outside Shadyside, the beginning stages of an experiment are under way to see how possible it really is to pump carbon dioxide into the ground.  First Energy is working with the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, a 30-member team of universities, state agencies and private companies devoted to researching the best ways to capture the gas from fossil fuel combustion, isolate the carbon dioxide and sequester it so it doesn’t leak into the atmosphere.  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Morgantown-based National Energy Technology Laboratory is conducting one of a series of carbon sequestration experiments at the Burger Plant.

 

Battelle is the contractor that will do the actual work of sequestering the carbon dioxide by pumping it thousands of feet into the earth into geological formations.  The experiment is still in its early stages, however.  According to First Energy spokesman Mark Durbin, geologists and seismologists are currently poring over old mining records, studying maps of abandoned oil and gas wells and running tests on site to determine the geologic makeup of he earth under the Burger Plant.  Even when the well is drilled, however, Battelle will only pump about 1 percent of the Burger plant’s carbon emissions into the ground.

 

MORE: http://www.news-register.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=8728

 

From the 3/21/07 Marietta Times:

 

Budget proposal helps some schools

By Kate York, Marietta Times

 

Local districts received information from the governor’s office this week, informing them how much they stand to gain in state aid if the proposed budget passes. 

 

The Fort Frye district would receive increases of 7.6 percent in fiscal year 2008 and 8.4 percent in fiscal 2009.  That would mean about $357,000 in additional funds for the first year and $432,000 for the second, bringing Fort Frye’s total state aid to $5,461,433 by fiscal 2009, the 2008-09 school year.

 

The Belpre City Schools District would see the largest increase in Washington County, with a hike of 9.5 percent the first year and 16.5 percent the second.  The Frontier Local district would have no increase the first year and a 1.5 percent increase the second, while Warren Local schools would have 9 percent and 8.6 percent increases.

 

The Marietta City and Wolf Creek Local school districts will be the only ones in Washington County that won’t receive additional state aid under Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed budget. 

 

MORE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new21_321200774850.asp

 

New business park in the works

Marietta Times, 4/18/07

 

A new Washington County business park should be ready for occupancy by the end of this year, thanks to a $500,000 award in state industrial development funds to the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority.  “This addresses one of the main problems facing economic development in Washington County, a lack of ‘shovel-ready’ sites for new businesses,” said Mike Jacoby, executive director of the authority.

 

He said $300,000 of the money comes from Ohio’s Industrial Site Improvement Fund, and the remaining $200,000 is out of the state Roadwork Development account.  The $300,000, announced by Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher on Monday, will be used to extend infrastructure and install an access road to a 27-acre tract of land along Ohio 7 North for development of a county business park. 

 

MORE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new65_418200781455.asp

ODOD press release, 3/12/07:

 

FISHER ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO BUSINESSES

Projects to Help Spur Local Economies, Generate Jobs for Ohioans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 12, 2007

 

Mondo Polymer Technologies (Mondo), located in Marietta Township (Washington County), will receive a $25,000 Business Development grant (412) for costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment.  Mondo was established in 1995 as a recycler of low-end films (polybags, shrink and stretch wraps, etc.) and became the first manufacturer of polymer guardrail offset blocks.  The company recycles low-end films, such as polybags and shrink wrap, that are difficult to recycle due to high levels of contamination and mixes in the polymer contents.  Mondo plans to construct a new 84,000 square-foot facility to be utilized as a manufacturing operation and administrative offices.  The machinery and equipment to be purchased includes fire suppression equipment, specialized recycling shredders, extruders, a mixing silo, granulators, conveyors and related equipment.  This more than $3.8 million project is expected to create 30 jobs and retain 44 positions within the first three years of the project's initial operation.

 

The Business Development Account (412) is a grant program to assist companies and communities that are creating or retaining jobs in Ohio.

 

http://www.odod.state.oh.us/newsroom/2007PR/releases/1714.asp

 

From the 6/5/07 Marietta Times:

 

MC partnership with Chinese leaders may help local businesses

By Kate York, [email protected]

 

The local business community could benefit from a new opportunity for Marietta College, which will allow greater partnerships with Chinese government employees and business people.  Marietta College has been named one of five new U.S. schools to receive government approval from China’s State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), meaning SAFEA experts will come to the college for training and those associated with MC will go to China to learn about business and management. 

 

Marietta College’s international connections have already benefited the local business community, said Charlotte Keim, president of the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce.  “Marietta College has already reached out with the students and professors from Brazil, who have helped build ties,” she said. “Any exposure we can get to countries that are doing well economically or developing economically can only be good.”

 

MORE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new43_65200781450.asp

 

Councilman’s swing vote to back ‘Y’ plan: Concerns about Indian Acres site eased

By Sam Shawver, The Marietta Times, November 1, 2007

 

It looks like the Marietta Family YMCA will narrowly have the support of City Council to move forward with plans to build a new facility at Indian Acres Park.  On Wednesday, Councilman Randy Burnworth, D-At large, said he has decided to support the measure.  Council’s final vote is not expected for another two weeks on the resolution supporting the lease of city property at Indian Acres Park to the YMCA for construction of the new recreation center.

 

 

Tourism picture changing

By Connie Cartmell, The Marietta Times, October 27, 2007

 

A decade ago, Lee Middleton Dolls was cranking out thousands of beautiful, brown- and blue-eyed baby dolls behind huge glass windows at the company’s Belpre factory.  Hundreds of people gathered each week to watch the production.  “I remember when we had the factory here, we’d get eight to 10 buses in a week,” said Lisa Walker, Middleton retail store manager. “We get a tour bus about once a week now.”

 

Although there is still a seven-room museum and café at the Washington Boulevard location, the biggest part of the manufacturing has moved far away to China. Buses came from as far as South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan and northern Ohio, she said.

Bridge funding options weighed: City could enter into easement agreement with bridge’s owner

By Sam Shawver, The Marietta Times, October 26, 2007

 

(Note: This is the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge that runs closest to the Ohio River.)

 

Marietta City Council’s finance committee was briefed Thursday on efforts to secure grant funding for the Historic Harmar Bridge.  However, members had little discussion about whether the city would enter an easement that would leave it liable for repairs to the span.

 

Members of an ad hoc committee looking at preserving the bridge want to pursue a Transportation Enhancement Grant. The state sets aside $11 million for such grants each year. “The grant application is due to the Ohio Department of Transportation in May, but a letter of intent is due in January,” said Mike Stocky, city development director.

Progress seen on fire-damaged buildings

By Brad Bauer, Marietta Times, November 23, 2007

 

Four years ago, a single match from a burglar attempting to cover his tracks gutted a group of historic Front Street buildings.  Downtown merchants say the Thanksgiving fire severely impacted holiday shopping that year — and the void continues to hurt business.  Four businesses were at least temporarily closed by the fire.  One of those businesses, Valley Beauty School, has not reopened in Marietta.

Harmar span to be turned in spring: Bridge needs to be open so Snyder can pass through

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, November 29, 2007

 

It could be spring before the Historic Harmar Bridge has to be turned to allow the W.P. Snyder Jr. to pass on its way to drydock for a $1.4 million retrofit.  The railroad bridge is designed to be opened, or turned, to allow passage of taller vessels.  The boat, Marietta’s only National Historic Landmark, was originally slated to be towed out for the badly needed repairs in November or December. But Andy Verhoff, site manager for the Ohio River and Campus Martius museums, said the bidding process for the project has to be completed.

 

 

Armory renovation discussed

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, January 9, 2007

 

The chance to move ahead with plans for renovation of Marietta’s National Guard Armory and development of the Armory Square project is an exciting prospect for Councilman Jon Grimm, R-3rd Ward, newly-appointed chairman of City Council’s public lands, buildings and parks committee.

 

 

I really didn't want to make one thread in the Transportation forum for this...

 

Planners want to minimize pain while bridge is closed for repairs

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, January 14, 2008

 

The closing of the Washington Street Bridge is 18 months away, and Marietta officials are scrambling to develop alternate routes for traffic during the two-month period it will take to repair and renovate the span. “ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) has tentatively scheduled construction for 60 days in 2009 between June 15 and Aug. 15, but a traffic maintenance plan has to be completed and submitted to ODOT District 10 by May 30 of this year,” said Dave Sands, city safety service director.

 

Tucker, Sands and ODOT representatives met Thursday with representatives from ms consultants inc., an engineering, architectural, planning and surveying firm from Columbus. The company has been selected to develop a plan to redirect traffic flow during the bridge closure.

 

The 60-year-old span will undergo some major upgrades during the shutdown, including replacement of the bridge deck, railing, sidewalk and lighting. Some rusted exterior beams will also be repaired, and work will be done on the rear abutment.

 

Harmar bridge report

City officials review options for stabilizing closed span, getting it open by summer

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, January 31, 2008

 

¯ The Historic Harmar Bridge was originally built in 1856 by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.

¯ The superstructure has been replaced at least twice (the most recent in 1914) due to flooding of the Muskingum River.

¯ B&O abandoned the railroad bridge approximately 45 years ago.

¯ In 1985, a quit claim deed was issued by the B&O Railroad to the Harmar Bridge Company for $10.

¯ In June 2001, Lock One Inc. Consulting Engineers inspected the span and recommended closure to all traffic, but the bridge remained open to pedestrians.

¯ In September 2007, Marietta city engineer Joe Tucker reviewed the Lock One report and the current condition of the bridge and issued a memorandum to City Council members, strongly recommending closing the span to all traffic.

¯ On Sept. 19, 2007, the bridge was closed.

¯ At the city’s request, Grant Cooke of Cooke Consulting Group made a site visit to assess the bridge’s condition and expressed serious concerns about the integrity of the structure. He recommended inspection of the truss members and a stress analysis.

¯ Barr & Prevost Engineers met with city officials on Sept. 28, 2007, and agreed on a scope of services that resulted in an in-depth inspection and draft report on the bridge condition issued this week.

Source: Marietta City Engineer’s Office.

 

The Historic Harmar Bridge could be reopened to pedestrian traffic as early as this summer, but stabilization of the span could cost a total of more than $100,000.  Those figures were released during a meeting of the bridge ad hoc committee and Marietta City Council on Wednesday.  A total renovation of the bridge, possibly by 2011, would cost an estimated $1.7 million. Although 80 percent of that amount is expected to come from a state transportation grant, the remaining 20 percent, about $350,000, would be required as the local match.

 

Memories of downtown ‘jewel’

History of Otto Bros. honored

By Kate York, Marietta Times, February 8, 2008

 

It was a one-room store on Front Street, started by young brothers with a $500 bank loan, but it became the crown jewel of downtown Marietta — the place where Washington County families came on Saturdays, where they could find Santa Claus each Christmas and where even getting back change was quite an experience.

 

The Otto Bros. Department Store, which opened in 1886 on Front Street before expanding into a Putnam Street store in 1893, closed its doors more than 41 years ago. But for those who worked in the department store, or just visited it, the memories still seem like yesterday.

 

Plans for trail discussed

Designers asked to reconsider turning Ohio, Post into one-way streets

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, February 12, 2008

 

Some changes are in store for Post and Ohio streets in downtown Marietta this year as the second phase of the city’s River Trail extends from the Marietta Harbor to Fourth Street.  Representatives from the Floyd Browne Group’s Akron office, designers of the second phase, provided an overview of the project with city officials at the Lafayette Hotel on Friday.

 

The estimated $883,000 project, expected to begin this summer, will extend the walking and biking trail along the west side of Post Street to Ohio Street, then north along the levee side of Ohio Street to the Fourth Street intersection.  The project will require converting Ohio Street west from Front to Post Street and Post Street north between Ohio and Butler streets into one-way thoroughfares.

 

 

Ohio Route 7 Marietta Bypass web-site

 

Bridge proposal on hold for now

Lack of funds blamed for stalling bypass project

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, February 22, 2008

 

A proposed project that would link State Routes 60 and 821 to Ohio 7 south via a bridge across the Muskingum River north of Marietta will be tabled until funding can be secured to complete environmental studies, engineering and design for the estimated $82 million endeavor.

 

The final report on the $600,000 first phase of the North Muskingum River Corridor study is expected to be completed by May, but with no additional funding available the project will have to be put on hold, according to project manager Joe Leindecker with the Jacobs Engineering Group that has been working on the study for the last two years.

 

$17.5M college library project hits milestone

Final steel beam placed, symbolizing progress on campus, jobs in the Valley

By Kate York, Marietta Times, March 25, 2008

 

As the last major pieces of steel completed the structure of the Legacy Library at Marietta College Monday, it marked a milestone in a $17.5 million project that’s provided quite a boost for local companies.  Construction began on the facility in June and since then construction workers from around the Mid-Ohio Valley have been part of the process.

 

“I went after this project as painstakingly as I could,” said Chad Smith, 31, owner of Smith Brothers Steel Erection, based in Vienna, W.Va. “It’s the biggest project our company has done and, outside of the plants, this big of a project doesn’t come along locally very often.”

 

New look on Front Street

Preliminary work begins on downtown street project

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, March 27, 2008

 

¯ Preliminary engineering for the $414,447 Marietta Front Street resurfacing and pedestrian safety upgrade project is under way.

¯ Raab Surveying of Columbus was in town Tuesday and Wednesday to take readings and measurements and help locate utilities for engineering contractor W.E. Stilson Consulting Group of Columbus.

¯ A $306,690 Ohio Public Works Grant has been awarded and will become available for the construction project on July 1.

¯ The local match for that grant is $107,757 with $67,000 coming from the city permissive tax and the remaining $40,757 from the city streets fund.

¯ The construction contract will be awarded by July 14, with work scheduled to begin by July 21.

¯ Construction is expected to be completed by Oct. 21.

¯ Work is being scheduled so it will not interfere with the Riverfront Roar in July or the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival in September.

Source: Marietta city engineer’s office.

 

Survey technicians Josh Payne and Brian Raab with Raab Surveying of Columbus were dodging traffic along Front Street Wednesday, taking measurements and locating utilities for a paving and pedestrian safety upgrade project scheduled for this summer.  Raab Surveying is a subcontractor for W.E. Stilson Consulting Group, the Columbus firm providing engineering services for the $414,447 project.

Marietta’s history chock-full of tidbits

By Connie Cartmell, Marietta Times, March 29, 2008

 

There are thousands of fascinating and sometimes obscure facts and incidences, often lost in hundreds of years of history of Washington County and especially in history-conscious Marietta.  The community and its residents are in love with history, and most are experts on facts. However, there are at least two historical places local folks never brag about.

 

Cafe opens downtown

Owner envisions a bit of New York in Marietta

By Patrick Cooley, Marietta Times, April 5, 2008

 

There is a taste of New York City in Marietta this spring.  On March 28, Steve Barros — a 40-year resident of the Big Apple who moved to Marietta 10 years ago — opened the Skyline Cafe in the 100 block of Putnam Street. “We did a soft opening with the intent to probably having a grand opening in mid-May,” he said. “We opened with gourmet coffees, teas and pastries, with the intent to add a limited breakfast and lunch menu to complement the menu we already have.”

 

Marietta turns 220

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, April 8, 2008

 

Monday’s celebration of the 220th anniversary of the establishment of Marietta and the Northwest Territory had more to do with the future than the past as space shuttle astronaut F. Story Musgrave shared some truly “far-out” experiences at the 2008 Founder’s Day Dinner.

 

State rejects bridge grant

City still hopes to repair span, reopen it in ’08

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, April 10, 2008

 

Renovation of the Historic Harmar Bridge into a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle pathway, an estimated $1.7 million project that Marietta officials hoped could be done by 2011, has been put on hold after the city was turned down for a state transportation enhancement grant this year. But plans to stabilize the span so it can be reopened to pedestrian traffic this year are still under way.

 

 

Many miss pedestrian bridge

Span may open to foot traffic by the end of May

By Brad Bauer, Marietta Times, April 21, 2008

 

The Historic Harmar Bridge could reopen to pedestrian traffic by the end of May, Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen said Sunday.  Harmar merchants and city officials have been struggling to find a way to reopen the historic railroad bridge to foot traffic after the span was closed on Sept. 19 due to safety concerns.

 

 

Green space studied

Financial hardship for small businesses weighed

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, April 22, 2008

 

Marietta City Council’s planning, zoning, annexation and housing committee continued to consider a potential ordinance requiring that green space with grass or trees be incorporated into future and existing parking lots within the city.  Steve Spilatro and Marilyn Ortt, members of an ad hoc Green Space Ordinance Commission, discussed the proposed measure with the committee on Monday.

 

The proposed regulation is aimed at enhancing the city’s downtown area and attracting businesses and customers who prefer a more open environment, as well as providing flood control by absorbing storm water into the ground instead of creating runoff.

 

 

Bridge could open by May

Work on walkway to Harmar to begin soon

By Patrick Cooley, Marietta Times, April 25, 2008

 

About the work:

¯ Steel plates will be added to several cords on the bottom of the bridge that have reportedly lost between 80 percent and 90 percent of their capacity due to deterioration.

¯ City engineer Joe Tucker will be doing further inspection next week to determine if there are any other problems which need to be addressed.

¯ The bridge could be open to pedestrians in the last week of May.

 

The Historic Harmar Bridge’s walkway could be open to pedestrians by the end of May, city officials said at a construction meeting Thursday.

 

Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen, city engineer Joe Tucker and several representatives from local construction companies and unions met at the Plumbers and Pipefitters union hall on Front Street Thursday morning to discuss stabilizing the walkway to make it safe and usable again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep the photos comin!  Gotta love how colorful some of the blocks are.

Great photos!

Absolutely beautiful photos of a great city.

Two great sets!

 

Marietta is a fasinating city.

About 6 years ago, I travelled along the Ohio River from East Liverpool down to Marietta and saw some of the most scenic terrain I found anywhere in Ohio. (wonder if this could be traveled on a bike?) The area is chocked full of historic architecture (as your wonderful photos attest) and has many nearly-forgotten picturesque old places to explore. It's interesting to note the use of many different kinds of bricks and tiles in these buildings. As most of you know, the area around East Liverpool was the pottery center of the United States in the latter half of the 19th century. The variety of ceramic products created during that era are almost limitless. The abundance of inexpensive coal, fine clays, and skilled craftsmen (and women) made that industry possible back then. Nice to see some of that legacy surviving to this day.

Thanks!

John S.

Great photos! These images are like a looking glass into the past. In more "progressive" areas, the brick streets have long been paved over, the storefronts cladded with aluminum and many unique old buildings torn down to make way for fast-food joints or discount drug stores. I know you can also find some of these modern intrusions in and around Marietta, but your careful choice of subjects provides the flavor of the past. While a lot of industry has permanently left the area, if the locals are smart, they will play up their historic architectural treasures for growing the new "green" industry of heritage tourism. Many Americans living in bigger cities (like my neighborhood of Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX) have only seen this kind of streetscape in old movies and vintage photos-to find such a slice of pure Americana still in existence would be a pleasant surprise for many. (and well worth a visit)

 

John S.

What a wonderful town!

Bridge work begins

Span to Harmar Village could re-open within weeks

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, May 10, 2008

 

The Historic Harmar Bridge could be reopened to pedestrian traffic in a matter of weeks, thanks to volunteers from a couple of local unions and material donations from area businesses.  “We’re setting up to have eight steel plates tacked to the structure so that welders can weld them in on Saturday,” Bill Hutchinson, with Ironworkers Local 787, said on Friday.  He said the Ironworkers, assisted by volunteers from Pipefitters Local 168, would be working on stabilization of the span for at least this weekend and the following weekend, depending on the weather.

 

The complete renovation of the span has been estimated to cost around $1.7 million.

Harmar bridge walkway reopens

Ribbon cutting ceremony set for today near the armory

By Brad Bauer, Marietta Times, May 19, 2008

 

Bridge timeline

v Sept. 19: The Historic Harmar Bridge’s pedestrian walkway connecting downtown Marietta to the Harmar area was closed due to safety concerns.

v May 9: Members of local labor unions began the work of reinforcing the walkway with the goal of having the bridge open to pedestrians in a matter of weeks. Thanks to the volunteer labor and material donations from area businesses, the nonprofit company that owns the bridge and the city will have to pay very little of the estimated $80,000 cost of the project.

¯ Saturday: Repair work was completed and the pedestrian bridge reopened.

¯ Today: A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 1 p.m. to officially reopen the bridge.

 

The Historic Harmar Bridge reopened to pedestrian traffic Saturday after being closed for nearly eight months when concerns were raised about its structural integrity.  Fort Street residents Bob and Judy Hill noticed an American flag flying from the top of the bridge Sunday.  It is a symbol used by trades groups to indicate when a project is complete.

 

Tourism bureau kicks off new ad campaign

Local artist’s vision of the area unveiled

By Patrick Cooley, Marietta Times, May 14, 2008

 

The Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau hopes a local artist’s vision of the area helps draw tourists to the area.  The paintings by Parkersburg resident Suzie Whitaker, part of the bureau’s new advertising campaign, were unveiled Tuesday at the Fine Art & Framing Gallery on Front Street in Marietta.

 

“The idea behind the campaign is to bring a vibrancy to our advertising,” said Kelly Blazosky, executive director of the bureau. “This is a very vibrant area, and we wanted that to be represented.”

 

 

Front Street buildings reborn

4 years after fire, a fresh coat of paint and so much more

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, May 31, 2008

 

A brown and gold metal plaque bearing the words “Brownie’s Bench” is embedded in a brick wall along the sidewalk near 258 Front St.  It marks the former site of Brownie’s Bakery, a Marietta landmark and one of at least four Front Street buildings heavily damaged by fires in 2003 and 2005.

 

Four years later it’s nearly impossible to tell that fires ravaged the neighborhood, thanks largely to the efforts of Keith Malone with Malone Renovations, who purchased the burned-out, 100-plus-year-old buildings and took on the monumental task of reconstruction.

 

Fact Box

History of Front Street buildings destroyed by fire on Nov. 28, 2003:

¯ 246-248 Front St., built around 1890. At the time of the fire, housed All-Pro Nutrition and the Marietta Music Co. In earlier years housed the Block Hearing Center, Marietta A.M. and Montgomery Ward.

¯ 250 Front St., built in 1859. At the time of the fire, housed Mad Hen Primitives. Was former location of Wendelken’s general store for more than 100 years.

¯ 252 Front St. built around 1890. At the time of the fire, housed Valley Beauty School.

¯ 258 Front St. burned July 9, 2005, and housed Brownie’s Donut Pastry Shoppe at the time. Business operated by the Brown family for 40 years.

Source: Times archives and Nancy Hoy, local architectural historian.

Pedestrian safety project under way

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, May 30, 2008

 

Plans are nearly complete for resurfacing and pedestrian safety upgrades in the first two blocks of Front Street, and construction on the project should begin around the first of August, according to a report filed with Marietta City Council’s streets and transportation committee Thursday.  “W.E. Stilson is doing the final design. Their plans are not totally complete, but they’re in progress, and we now have a better idea of what the project will look like and where the new pedestrian crosswalks will be located,” said Joe Tucker, city engineer.

 

The city has contracted with W.E. Stilson Consulting Group of Columbus for the design phase of the $414,447 project.  Expected to be completed by October, the project will include paving of the roadway in the 100 and 200 blocks of Front Street, installation of raised pedestrian crosswalks in the middle of each block, 10 bumpouts (curbs extending from both sides of the street at the mid-block and intersection crosswalks), signage and pedestrian-controlled LED signals at crosswalk areas.

Parking facility proposed

Who will pay for estimated $3 million project discussed

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, June 5, 2008

 

It’s not a new idea, but Mike McCarthy believes this may be the right time to develop a multi-level parking facility in downtown Marietta that would provide back-door access to businesses and upper-story loft areas in buildings along Front, Second, and Union streets.  The proposed two-level parking loft would be elevated about 16 feet above an existing alley at the center of the block bounded by Front, Butler, Second and Union streets. The main entrance would be from Butler Street at 11 Tiber Way which is currently a vacant building owned by Joe Fuzz Enterprises. That 4,875-square-foot structure would be razed to provide access to the parking area.

The start of a beautiful trail network along the scenic Lower Muskingum River! Who cares if the land is owned by the mayor. If it is sold at fair price, then it should proceed.

 

Grant to buy land for trail proposed

Friends of Lower Muskingum seek council’s support

By Sam Shawver, Marietta Times, November 4, 2008

 

Friends of the Lower Muskingum have asked for Marietta City Council's blessing on a grant application that could result in the purchase of approximately 14 acres of property for trail development within the city limits.  But some council members are questioning the purchase because the acreage to be sold belongs to Mayor Michael Mullen and former city safety-service director David Sands.

 

The land in question would be generally located in the Walnut Woods area between Marietta Middle School and Emerald Street.

 

Buckley House to reopen

Bed and breakfast turned into restaurant

By Connie Cartmell, Marietta Times, November 11, 2008

 

There isn't a lot that brings a smile to Marietta residents more than the opening of a new restaurant.  When the restaurant is also a local historic treasure, even better.  Add to the mix, an eclectic Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Morrocan, Turkish, and Northern Italian cuisine, along with upscale decor, and the recipe aims to please.

 

The Buckley House Restaurant, 332 Front St., which opens to the public Saturday, Nov. 22, has special significance because of the historic nature of the house and its ties to Marietta. The Buckley House was built in 1879 by Maria Woodbridge, granddaughter of Dudley Woodbridge, the first merchant in the Northwest Territory, said Ernie Thode, manager, history and genealogy department, Washington County Public Library.