Media Alert

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE   For Immediate Release:  January 10, 2011   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

 

City Council Appoints Two New Members

 

(Columbus)— Columbus City Council President Andrew J. Ginther is pleased to announce the appointments of Michelle M. Mills and Zachary M. Klein to the City Council.  Both were selected from a field of nearly 50 applicants and will immediately begin their duties as Councilmembers. 

 

“From the very onset of the application process, I was impressed with the quality and caliber of all who applied to fill the vacancies on Council,” said President Ginther.  “On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to thank those who submitted resumes and took part in the interview process.  I am certain that Councilmembers Mills and Klein will serve with distinction as we work to create an even better community to live and raise our families.

 

Resumes for Councilmembers Mills and Klein are attached. 

 

 

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Join us Jan 13 in Cleveland for a 'rail' good time

Greetings,

 

Please stop by the back room at Flannery's, 323 Prospect Avenue East, 216-781-7782, on Thursday Jan. 13 between 6-8 p.m. All Aboard Ohio will be there as will others to welcome Cleveland-native Rick Harnish back to town. Rick is director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.

 

It's an informal meet-and-greet opportunity. No reservations required. No cover charge. Just visit -- it's a short walk from the Tower City Rapid rail station and the Euclid HealthLine BRT.

 

 

Ken Prendergast
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio
12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505
Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
www.allaboardohio.org

Rec Sports Member Update Friday, January 7, 2011

Member Update

Friday, January 7, 2011

1.    Become Active with Community Programs in 2011

2.    Opening January 11: The Lounge

3.    Parking: Neil Avenue Garage Keycard Only at Certain Hours

4.    P90X and Insanity® DVDs Now Available

5.    Go Cross-Country Skiing with the OAC!

6.    Master Locks Available at Adventure Recreation Center (ARC)

7.    Snow Day Camp

8.    Upcoming Personal Training Certification Course

9.    RPAC Locker Lottery Ends January 10

To unsubscribe from this mailing list, please send an e-mail to

recsportsmembers-unsubscribe@lists.studentaffairs.ohio-state.edu

from the e-mail account to which you are subscribed for this listserv.

 

Become Active with Community Programs in 2011
Join the fun! The Department of Recreational Sports’ Community Programs has released its 2011 Program Guide. This one-stop guide explores programs such as swim lessons, yoga for kids, scuba, lifeguard training, basketball, adapted recreation, and more offered by Rec Sports to students, adults, children, and families.  Also included in the guide is a preview of Camp Recky 2011 themes, dates, and rates! Registrations for winter quarter programs are accepted now through January 19, 2011. View the guide and learn more about Community Programs at http://recsports.osu.edu/community-programs

Opening January 11: The Lounge
The former RPAC Games Room is re-opening as The Lounge on Tuesday, January 11! Many exciting events are taking place during the two-day grand opening January 11 and 12, including informal tours/gaming demos, a DJ, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Pool Tournament presented by Papa John’s, free food from Papa John’s, Raising Cane’s, and Jimmy John’s, and free beverages from Coca-Cola! The Lounge officially opens January 11 at 6 p.m., but the food and fun will begin at 7 a.m. Come check it out!

 

Parking: Neil Avenue Garage Keycard Only at Certain Hours

From 3 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily, the Neil Avenue Garage will be keycard parking only. After 4 p.m. on Friday for the weekend, the garage will be open to the public. Alternate locations to park while visiting the RPAC or McCorkle during these times are Tuttle Park Garage, the 9th Avenue East Garage, Ohio Union South Garage, or Lane Avenue Garage.

 

P90X and Insanity® DVDs Now Available
Are you interested in a different workout, but on your schedule? Have you wanted to try a P90X workout or Insanity® Workout before you bought the complete set? The Adventure Recreation Center has both P90X and Insanity® Workout DVDs available for checkout to use at the TV/DVD player located near the stretching area between the two turf fields.  Stop by the guest services desk with your ID to check out a DVD and give it a try!

Go Cross-Country Skiing with the OAC!

Go cross-country skiing with the Outdoor Adventure Center in Holiday Valley, New York, January 28-30! Cost is $230 and includes two days of ski instruction/rental, an evening of snow tubing, lodging, transportation, and all meals. This is a beginner trip. Only nine spots are available! Sign up at the Outdoor Adventure Center at the Adventure Recreation Center, or call (614) 247-8680.

 

Master Locks Available at Adventure Recreation Center (ARC)

For the benefit of our valued members, the ARC now has keyed Master Locks available for checkout at the Welcome Desk to lock up your valuables while working out.

Snow Day Camp

Winter is here! And with winter, comes snow—and school closings. Community Programs offers Snow Day Camp for children enrolled in kindergarten through age 12 when Columbus Public Schools close because of the weather and Ohio State remains open. Campers will enjoy sports, crafts, and games from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. A $10 non-refundable fee reserves your camper.  Cost is $31 for members, per child, per day, and $38 for non-members, per child, per day. Visit http://www.recsports.osu.edu/community-programs/youth-family-programs/snow-day-camp for more information.

 

Upcoming Personal Training Certification Course

The next World Instructor Training Schools (WITS) certification course to become a personal trainer will begin on Saturday, March 26, at 9 a.m. in the RPAC. Registration will open Friday, February 4. Call John Katsares at (614) 292-5153 or e-mail katsares.1@osu.edu for more details.
 
RPAC Locker Lottery Ends January 10

The RPAC Locker Lottery takes place now through Monday, January 10, at noon. Current locker holders do not need to participate in the locker lottery unless they wish to upgrade or downgrade their locker size.  Any active member may submit their name now through January 10 at noon at http://recsports.osu.edu/facilities/recreation-physical-activity-center-rpac/rpac-locker-lottery . Each member chosen for a locker will have one week to claim and pay for their locker at the RPAC Sport Shop.  After this time, all remaining lockers will be available for rent on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

 

*************** IMPORTANT CONTACTS ****************

RPAC Welcome Center – 292-7671

ARC Front Desk – 247-8686

Comments to the Interim Director – Kurt Carmen, carmen.7@osu.edu, 688-3587

Adapted Recreational Sports – Lindsay Bond, bond.217@osu.edu, 688-3693

Adventure Recreation Center & Jesse Owens Centers – Diane Jensen, jensen.8@osu.edu, 688-3988

Aquatic Center – Christine Thompson, thompson.1363@osu.edu, 247-7370

Community Programs – Marci Hasty, hasty.11@osu.edu, 292-5328

Facility/Meeting Room Scheduling - Andrea Hall, hall.794@osu.edu, 292-6481

Group Fitness Classes and Massage – Scott Holmes, holmes.508@osu.edu, 292-8755

Intramural Sports - Ken Hill, hill.521@osu.edu, 292-5292

Lockers, Sport Shop, and Welcome Center Operations - Rob Jech, jech.2@osu.edu, 688-8788

Marketing - Emily Howard, howard.778@osu.edu, 688-4185

Membership - Kris Myers, myers.785@osu.edu, 688-8461

Ohio State Swim Club – Kyle Goodrich, goodrich.89@osu.edu, 292-1303

Outdoor Adventure Center - Steve Hawkins, hawkins.264@osu.edu, 247-8063

Personal Training - John Katsares, katsares.1@osu.edu, 292-5153

Racquetball and Squash Reservations - 292-8590

Recreational Sports Learning – Brendan Greisberger, greisberger.5@osu.edu, 688-3297

RPAC Operations – Dave DeAngelo, deangelo.1@osu.edu, 247-6009

Special Assistant to the Director – Marci Harrington, harrington.69@osu.edu, 688-3983

Sponsorship – Kristin Smith, smith.1424@osu.edu, 688-4619

Sport Clubs – Charles Anderson, anderson.1859@osu.edu, 688-3879

Web Site – Katie Thomas, thomas.2407@osu.edu, 292-5287

***************************************************

 

 

A Bad Omen for News

From time to time, I am going to distribute examples of biased Mainstream Media opposition to urban, transit and rail issues -- increasingly these appear to be the result of sinister underpinnings. And each reveals why urban, transit and rail issues do not receive fair or accurate media coverage in Ohio's major cities. Here is the latest.....

Jan 06, 2011
A Bad Omen for News

In Section: Politics/Issues » Posted In: Media, Ethics, Business, Community

Posted By: Kevin Osborne

....Last year, in another move that raised media eyebrows, the newspaper named Josh Pichler — the son of Joseph Pichler, Kroger's retired chairman and CEO — as business editor. The elder Pichler remains fairly influential in business circles, including trying to drum up opposition behind-the-scenes to the city of Cincinnati's proposed streetcar system.

Now, with the hiring of Carolyn Washburn as the paper's editor in charge of all news operations, history suggests that situation could get worse.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-1652-a-bad-omen-for-news.html

 

 

Ken Prendergast
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio
12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505
Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
www.allaboardohio.org

Historic ODOT Director to step down

Historic ODOT Director to step down
First woman director led record construction investment in multi-modal transportation system

COLUMBUS (Thursday, January 6, 2011) - Historic in her position and the accomplishments she directed - including the state's largest investment in transportation construction in Ohio history - Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jolene M. Molitoris will step down from her position January 9.

Appointed in 2009 by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Director Molitoris is the first woman to lead the century-old department.

Under her leadership, ODOT made investments in every county of the state and in every major mode of travel and shipping. Most notable, she led the department's historic $2.1 billion construction program in state fiscal year 2010 - largest in Ohio history by more than 30 percent - at a time when ODOT staffing was at its lowest in 30 years.

This foundation for transforming how ODOT strategically invests in and supports a multi-modal transportation system is documented at: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/policy/Documents/ODOT-Foundation_for_Transformation.pdf.

The text of Director Molitoris' letter to Governor Strickland is below:

Governor Ted Strickland
The Statehouse
Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Governor Strickland,

Due to the transition of Administration, effective January 10, 2011, I have been notified that I will be released from my current employment with the State of Ohio as of midnight on January 9, 2011.  Accordingly, I resign effective as of that date and time.

Just two years ago - on January 6, 2009 - the citizen-volunteers of Ohio's 21st Century Transportation Priorities Task Force issued a clear challenge: "We believe that in the face of economic upheaval, strategic investments in transportation can bring new jobs and help retain the precious ones we already have. By boldly reinventing our transportation system now, we can position Ohio to stimulate and drive the growth of the future."

That's exactly what we did. Under your leadership, we redefined the mission of ODOT - to seven simple words - Moving Ohio into a Prosperous New World. The status quo was not acceptable. To create jobs in Ohio and rebuild our economy, we delivered on the largest commitment in the state's history to improving Ohio's transportation system, with more than $2 billion in construction projects in 2010 and another $2 billion in construction for 2011. With the help of transportation partners in every section of the state, we built a strong foundation for continued transformation in Ohio's multi-modal system.

Over the past four years, Team ODOT…
* awarded an historic 2,534 construction projects totaling $5.3 billion and administered 810 local-let projects for a total of $1.12 billion;
* directed more than a billion dollars to improving the safety of state and local bridges;
* documented fewer than 4800 fatalities on state roadways, with 2009 representing the safest year on our roads and the safest year at roadway-railroad crossings;
* assisted Ohio transit agencies in purchasing 1,170 new fuel-efficient and greener buses, worth more than $142.6 million;
* invested historic levels of contracted or subcontracted work totaling $575,454,791 with minority and women-owned (DBE) firms and companies;
* surpassed California as third in nation in total active freight rail miles and witnessed a 14 percent increase in Ohioans riding passenger trains;
* invested $21.9 million in new sidewalk projects and $66.1 million in new bike path projects;
* and raised $1.6 million and 44,294 pounds of food for Ohio charities through employee donations to the Combined Charitable Campaign and the Plow Through Hunger food drive.

I am very proud of Team ODOT in partnership with so many public and private entities and individuals who achieved so much return on the investment of precious tax dollars and human resources. Historic achievement occurred on so many levels. What we have undertaken during your administration was not simply 'change for change's sake' - together we have led a transformational effort to better connect Team ODOT's work to Ohio's economic engine, recognizing that transportation and the economy are inextricably linked.

It has been an honor to serve in your Administration. Because of your leadership, we have put Ohioans to work in record numbers. We have built transportation projects that are important and are MOVING OHIO INTO A PROSPEROUS NEW WORLD!

Sincerely,
Jolene M. Molitoris
Director, Ohio Department of Transportation

###

For more information contact: Scott Varner, ODOT Central Office Communications, at 614-644-8640.

Capitol Hill transport battle lines are being drawn

The battle lines are being drawn in Washington.....

 

Do Roads Pay For Themselves? Setting the Record Straight on Transportation Funding
2011-01-04

Executive Summary

Highway advocates often claim that roads "pay for themselves," with gasoline taxes and other charges to motorists covering – or nearly covering – the full cost of highway construction and maintenance. They are wrong.

Highways do not – and, except for brief periods in our nation's history, never have – paid for themselves through the taxes that highway advocates label "user fees." Yet highway advocates continue to suggest they do in an attempt to secure preferential access to scarce public resources and to shape how those resources are spent.

To have a meaningful national debate over transportation policy – particularly at a time of tight public budgets – it is important to get past the myths and address the real, difficult choices America must make for the 21st century. Toward that end, this report shows:

· Gasoline taxes aren't "user fees" in any meaningful sense of the term – The amount of money a particular driver pays in gasoline taxes bears little relationship to his or her use of roads funded by gas taxes.

· State gas taxes are often not "extra" fees – Most states exempt gasoline from the state sales tax, diverting much of the money that would have gone into a state's general fund to roads.

· Federal gas taxes have typically not been devoted exclusively to highways – Since its 1934 inception, Congress only temporarily dedicated gas tax revenues fully to highways during the brief 17-year period beginning in 1956. This was at the start of construction for the Interstate highway network, a project completed in the 1990s.

· Highways don't pay for themselves -- Since 1947, the amount of money spent on highways, roads and streets has exceeded the amount raised through gasoline taxes and other so-called "user fees" by $600 billion (2005 dollars), representing a massive transfer of general government funds to highways.

· Highways "pay for themselves" less today than ever. Currently, highway "user fees" pay only about half the cost of building and maintaining the nation's network of highways, roads and streets.

· These figures fail to include the many costs imposed by highway construction on non-users of the system, including damage to the environment and public health and encouragement of sprawling forms of development that impose major costs on the environment and government finances.

To make the right choices for America's transportation future, the nation should take a smart approach to transportation investments, one that weighs the full costs and benefits of those investments and then allocates the costs of those investments fairly across society.

READ MORE AT:
http://www.uspirg.org/home/reports/report-archives/transportation/transportation2/do-roads-pay-for-themselves-setting-the-record-straight-on-transportation-funding

 

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GOP Wants to Bring Transpo Policy Back to the 1950s
by Tanya Snyder on November 19, 2010

A top Republican transportation staffer gave some clues yesterday about the GOP's plan to drastically restructure national transportation policy and reverse many reforms of the past 20 years.

In an off-the-record luncheon with the Road Gang, a sort of "fraternity" of Washington highway executives, Jim Tymon gave the view from his seat as Republican staff director of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee. Streetsblog spoke to sources who attended the gathering.

...What does that mean for reforming our broken transportation system? Well, everyone wants to stabilize the highway trust fund – it's not sustainable to continue spending more than the fund brings in from gas tax revenues. (According to Tymon, the trust fund currently spends roughly $50 billion a year, while taking in revenues of just $35 billion.)

But if the option of raising taxes is off the table (Mica believes in VMT fees but says it'll take years to get there, and has flatly opposed raising the gas tax), the only solution is to cut spending – and that's just what Mica and his Republican colleagues seem poised to do, to the tune of $7 billion to $8 billion per year. Tymon called it "cutting the fat."

Apparently, for Republicans, the big target for cuts appears to be transit spending. Tymon suggested to the Road Gang that the current $8 billion allocated for transit annually could shrink to $5 billion. The Road Gang was, apparently, relieved to see that transit would bear the brunt of the burden of spending cuts.

READ MORE AT:
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/11/19/leaked-gop-wants-to-bring-transpo-policy-back-to-the-1950s/

 

 

Ken Prendergast
Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio
12029 Clifton Blvd., Suite 505
Cleveland, OH 44107
(216) 288-4883
kenprendergast@allaboardohio.org
www.allaboardohio.org

Media Alert

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA ALERT   For Immediate Release: January 3, 2011   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL ELECTS GINTHER

COUNCIL PRESIDENT

 

Columbus City Councilmembers have (unanimously) elected Andrew J. Ginther President of the City Council.   Ginther, a councilmember since 2007, has served as the chair of Finance & Economic Development, Public Safety, and Utilities committees. 

 

“I appreciate my colleague’s vote of confidence, and I am honored to have been chosen to lead City Council,” said Ginther. “I look forward to working with my fellow councilmembers, Mayor Coleman and community leaders to help create jobs, keep Columbus neighborhoods safe, and maintain the quality of life Columbus residents have come to expect.”

 

“We have a number of immediate challenges ahead of us, beginning with the appointment of two new Councilmembers and adopting a balanced budget for the coming year,” said Ginther. “I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead, and I am ready to get to work.”

 

A proud graduate of Columbus City Schools, Ginther holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. Before joining City Council, Ginther, spent six years on the Columbus Board of Education. A native of Columbus, he resides with his wife and daughter in Clintonville.

 

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