Weather delays opening of new road through Westar Park
The planned Friday opening of the new roadway through Westar Park has been delayed because weather has prevented crews from completing pavement striping and installing road signs.
Westerville Economic Development Director David Efland told members of the Westerville Industry and Commerce Corp. Thursday that the traffic signals are ready for operation, but the roads are not.
The city expected to open the roadway Friday, Sept. 18.
Efland said weather conditions have kept crews from striping the pavement and installing the necessary road signs. He estimated it would take about two weeks to complete the work, depending on the weather.
The project includes the intersection of Africa Road and Westar Boulevard, where crews installed new traffic signals. As of Thursday, markings for the eventual lane striping were visible on the new pavement, while construction barrels and cones remained around the intersection.
Westerville Symphony to celebrate America 250 with Broadway concert
The Westerville Symphony and Westerville Parks and Recreation Civic Theatre will present “Westerville Sings Broadway: An America 250 Celebration” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Alum Creek Park Amphitheater, 221 W. Main St.
The outdoor concert will feature a full orchestra and vocalists performing selections from Broadway musicals including “Wicked,” “Hamilton,” “West Side Story,” “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” and “Anastasia.” The event also includes audience sing-alongs featuring music from “The Sound of Music” and “Wicked.”
The event celebrates the United States’ 250th anniversary.
General admission is $10. Children 13 and younger and students with a valid school ID are admitted free. Advance registration is required, and tickets will not be sold at the event.
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
Historical Society to explore Westerville’s amusement past
Westerville residents can take a trip into the community’s amusement past Friday evening, with stories of local fairs, horse racing and a long-gone amusement park.
The Westerville Historical Society will present a program on the Westerville Fair, local race tracks and Minerva Park Amusement Park at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at the Westerville Senior Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave.
Beth Weinhardt will lead the free program.
The topics reach back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when fairs and horse racing were popular attractions in Westerville and electric streetcars connected the community with Columbus.
Among the destinations along the trolley route was Minerva Amusement Park, which opened south of Westerville in 1895. During its brief run, the park offered attractions including a roller coaster, merry-go-round, boating, dancing, sports, and live entertainment.
The amusement park closed in 1902, but its name survives in the Village of Minerva Park.
The program is free and open to the public. Attendees should use the Senior Center's south entrance.
Blendon Masonic Lodge plans breakfast to support historic window restoration
The Westerville Masonic Lodge is inviting the community to breakfast this weekend while raising money to preserve a piece of its nearly century-old home.
Blendon Masonic Lodge #339 will host a fundraising breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the lodge at 130 S. State St. to raise funds to restore the building's historic windows.
The breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, milk, juice, and coffee. There is no set admission price, and donations are welcome.
The fundraiser supports efforts to preserve the lodge's heritage. The building has stood along State Street since 1932.
Blendon Lodge itself predates the building by decades. The lodge was chartered in the 19th century and takes its name from Blendon Township, the community from which Westerville developed.
The project aims to preserve the lodge’s historic windows and craftsmanship while extending their useful life for future generations.
The building’s 1932 construction also places it in an interesting period in Westerville history. By then, the community was transitioning from its small-town, agricultural roots, while State Street remained its principal commercial and civic corridor. The lodge building has remained part of that streetscape for more than 90 years.
The breakfast gives residents an opportunity not only to contribute to the preservation work but also to visit a building they may have passed many times while traveling through Uptown.
The event is open to the public, and families are welcome. Donations collected during the breakfast will go toward the historic window restoration project.
The Westerville Industry and Commerce Corp. approved funding Thursday for improvements at two local organizations, including a new awning for Talbott’s Flowers and upgraded lighting at My Very Own Blanket’s new location.
Talbott’s Flowers, 22 N. State St., was approved for an Uptown Improvement Program grant of up to $1,026 to replace its existing storefront awning. The grant represents 50% of the estimated $2,052 project cost.
According to a city staff report, the city approved the existing awning about 10 years ago, and it has since faded and torn. The replacement will match the current awning's dimensions, colors, and lettering.
WICC also approved a $2,905.30 lighting incentive for My Very Own Blanket, which is moving into the former Cord Camera building at 17 W. Schrock Road.
The nonprofit plans to replace existing interior and exterior fluorescent fixtures with LED lighting and reduce the number of interior fixtures as part of the project. The improvements are expected to reduce electricity use by about 11,480 kilowatt-hours annually, resulting in estimated annual savings of about $1,900.
The lighting project is expected to be completed by January 2027.
My Very Own Blanket provides handmade blankets to children in foster care.
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