Police Continue Targeting Polaris Traffic - First Frog Friday
Police stops dropped sharply during the second weekend of Westerville’s targeted enforcement along Polaris Parkway, even as officers continued a third weekend of increased patrols near the Sheetz gas station and surrounding businesses.
After making 75 traffic stops, issuing 19 citations, and reporting one arrest and one failure-to-comply incident over the first weekend, Westerville police recorded 20 stops, no citations, and no arrests over the second weekend.
The increased enforcement is focused on Polaris Parkway from Africa Road to Old Worthington Road, an area where police say there have been complaints about large gatherings, disturbances, and unsafe driving. The Sheetz station on Polaris Parkway has drawn particular attention in recent weeks as a nighttime gathering spot for teens, young adults, and car enthusiasts.
Officers were again visible Friday night near the gas station, with a Westerville police cruiser parked along Polaris Parkway and other police vehicles moving through the area around the Sheetz lot.
Westerville Police Chief Holly Murchland has said the effort aims to prevent problems from escalating, especially as warmer weather brings more people to commercial areas in the evening.
“We just want to kind of be a little more proactive this year and try to make our presence known,” Murchland said when the enforcement effort began.
Police said the patrols extend beyond the Sheetz property and are part of a broader response to concerns from residents and businesses along the Polaris Parkway corridor. The department said officers are focusing on peak evening hours, including weekends, when larger groups and traffic complaints are more likely.
Murchland said businesses in the area have reported problems with large groups gathering in parking lots, which can disrupt normal business operations and pose safety concerns due to increased vehicle traffic.
The department said it responded to more than 100 disturbance calls from area businesses last summer. Police began the April enforcement effort early, Murchland said, in hopes of setting expectations before summer activity increases.
The city has said residents may notice more officers along Polaris Parkway through the end of the month. Police have also said the effort could be extended, depending on what officers observe during patrols.
Murchland has asked parents to talk with their children about where they gather and to make sure they have safe places to spend time.
Frog Friday Opens the Season at Highlands Park Wetlands
The first Frog Friday of the season at Highlands Park Wetlands usually draws its share of veterans, families who know from past summers to come prepared. Mud boots, flip-flops, flashlights, nets, and clothes that can get wet are all part of the routine when children are allowed to move freely through the shallow wetland, crossing from edge to edge in search of frogs, toads, and tadpoles.
At the City of Westerville’s restored wetland, freedom is the point. Frog Friday gives children room to step across, over, and through the marshy habitat, following the sounds and movements of amphibians as evening settles over the park.
Some parents arrive ready for what comes next and do not seem to mind watching their children abandon any fear or reluctance about the water, the mud, or the unknown things moving below the surface. Before long, the search becomes a full-body experience. One young girl, almost fishlike in her enthusiasm, was among the first to find tadpoles.
That transformation is part of the charm. Several years ago, one young girl arrived firmly opposed to the idea of stepping into the mud and lily pad cover. She told her mother it smelled bad, scrunching her nose at the foul odor. By the end of the night, she was as covered in mud and wearing as big a grin as her two brothers, who had never objected to the smell in the first place.
Hosted by MAD Scientist Associates, Frog Friday is a free, family-friendly program built around the growing amphibian population at the wetland, which was restored in 2012 and 2013. The six-event season begins in April, timed with Ohio’s amphibian breeding season, when thawed ground and warm evening rains bring frogs and toads back into full voice.
After a short educational talk, children head into the wetland with nets and buckets, hoping to catch a frog, a toad, or a tadpole, or at least get close enough to say they tried. Parents follow along the edge, holding hands, carrying gear, shining lights, and occasionally watching a child discover just how deep shallow water can feel when there is mud underneath.
By the end of the evening, the evidence is clear: wet clothes, muddy shoes, splashes of mud, and a story worth retelling. The kids come away with a greater sense of curiosity, a little more confidence around nature, and, very likely, an expanded microbiome. They also come away asking for a promise that they can return and do it again.
Parents should bring flashlights, dress kids in clothes and shoes that can get wet, and take plastic to cover the car seats.
This is not a dry-shoes kind of event, and that’s exactly the point.
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