Join us for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 1 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Commonwealth Park! National Night Out is a free community event hosted by the Bexley Police Department. This fantastic event will include free food, fun activities for the whole family, and best of all, the chance to spend time getting to know Bexley’s amazing police officers. The event will take place at Commonwealth Park. Please note that the portion of Columbia Avenue that runs through Commonwealth Park will be closed during this event. This national initiative provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together, so mark your calendars and stop by!
Notice: Mosquito Spraying Scheduled for Wednesday, July 19
Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) confirmed that a mosquito pool in Bexley in the area south of Fair (FCPH splits Bexley into two districts – north of Fair and south of Fair) has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). FCPH will be spraying in the areas of Bexley south of Fair Avenue starting at 9:00 pm on Wednesday, July 19, weather permitting. To see a spray map, please click here (spray map will not appear until tomorrow morning – July 18).
To opt out of mosquito spraying, please click here. If you have already filled out a ‘Do Not Spray’ request form this year, you do not need to submit the form again.
This spraying will not eliminate all active mosquito species in Bexley. Residents should continue to be vigilant about removing sources of standing water to discourage mosquito population growth. The chemicals being used in this spraying are Permethrin and Piperonyl Butoxide.
Fourth of July Update (published June 16)
John Barr 5K at 8:00 am at Jeffrey Park
Parade at 9:30 am throughout Bexley
Evening Activities at 6:00 pm at Capital Main Lawn
Fireworks at 10:00 pm at Capital Main Lawn
Fourth of July is just around the corner and in Bexley, there are lots of ways to celebrate! Sign up for the John Barr 5K, or grab a lawn chair to enjoy the parade. And of course, no Fourth of July would be complete without the many evening activities at Capital’s Main Lawn, including great food, games, and music from the Big Rockin’ Blues Band. If you’d like to help support the many activities and events, please consider volunteering. We can’t wait to see you at one or all of these great events on July 4! For more details, check out Bexley.org/fourth.
Elected Official Open Office Hours for June 23
Open Office Hours with Sam Marcellino
Friday, June 23 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at Bexley City Hall
Have a question or an idea for City Council? Drop by City Hall on Friday, June 23 between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm for an Open Office Hours event with City Council Member Sam Marcellino. During Open Office Hours events, one or two elected officials will be on site to chat, answer questions, or brainstorm ideas. Drop by to say hello! Learn more here.
Mayor Ben’s “Four Things Friday”
Here are a few things happening in Bexley that aren’t otherwise covered in this week’s Blast. Have a great weekend! – BK
At this week’s City Council meeting, I distributed the initial (still in development) draft of our comprehensive strategic plan update for council review and comment – you can access this early draft copy here. After we workshop with council, we’ll make any necessary changes and set up public workshops for additional feedback – throughout this process the strategic plan continue to be honed and developed, so please be engaged! More info to come in the Blast as we work towards a public workshopping process later this summer…
Tomorrow morning I’ll be at Pedal for Pancakes with our Year of the Parks traveling roadshow – stop over and say hi!
Our community Juneteenth cookout and potluck is this Monday (more details above). I’ll be cooking up a storm over on the cook line – stop over and say hi!
The Schneider Park Main Street trailhead columns have been installed. If you fancy a slightly longer stroll to Saturday’s 3:00 pm Natural Dog Park opening, park across from Rusty Bucket and admire this new connection to Main Street that is being buttoned up!
Congratulations to Art with Anna’s Anna Sokol, who was chosen to exhibit at the Columbus Arts Festival last weekend, and whose fantastic collection sold out! Bravo!
See you around Bexley!
Natural Dog Park Grand Opening is June 17!
Natural Dog Park Grand Opening
Saturday, June 17 at 3:00 pm at the Natural Dog Park
The eagerly anticipated Bexley Dog Park is finally here! All are welcome to tour the park and meet our Animal Control Officer and other City officials. Please note, space in the unleashed areas is limited and there may be a wait if a large number of dogs are present. The Natural Dog Park can be accessed from the Main Street Trailhead or from the trail entrance off of Astor Avenue.
Street Project Update – Friday, June 16
South Drexel Avenue
Work will continue on the west side of Drexel from Sherwood to Dale. While the road will remain open to two-way traffic, please expect some short delays with temporary lane closures and flaggers to direct traffic. As with any work site, please be sure to drive, walk, and bike with caution near areas of active construction.
Grandon Avenue
The block between Livingston and Charles will be closed during the day starting Monday, June 19, and preparation of equipment and materials is expected this week. Notices were sent to all residents by mail on June 5. If you are a resident of Grandon and did not receive a notice, or if you have questions, please call the Water Department at 614-559-4273.
Columbia Gas Line Replacement
The Columbia Gas Line Replacement project continues on Astor Avenue between Pleasant Ridge and College. Astor will continue to be closed during the workday to allow for the installation of the new gas main. For details, click here.
Fire Hydrant Flushing:
The City’s annual fire hydrant flushing will begin on June 20 and continue through June 23. You may experience brown or rusty water along with a reduction in water pressure during this time. If you do experience any of these issues, please run your home’s cold water until the color clears up. For lingering issues or questions, please call the Water Department at 614-559-4270.
For more details on street projects, visit the Street Projects Page.
Fire Hydrant Flushing June 20-23
The City’s annual fire hydrant flushing will begin on June 20 and continue through June 23. You may experience brown or rusty water along with a reduction in water pressure during this time. If you do experience any of these issues, please run your home’s cold water until the color clears up.
Status Update for June 22:
Central Bexley starting at Gould and heading west
For remaining issues or questions, please call the Water Department at 614-559-4270.
POSTPONED – Dog Park Grand Opening
Doggone it, the weather isn’t looking great for this afternoon’s planned Natural Dog Park Grand Opening. We’ve decided to postpone until next Saturday, June 17 at 3:00 pm – hope to see you there!
Mayor Ben’s “Four Things Friday”
Here are a few things happening in Bexley that aren’t otherwise covered in this week’s Blast. Have a great weekend! – BK
Last weekend, Love Your Alley volunteers, primarily staffed by students from the Bexley High School Environmental Club, took to the alley behind Starbucks and did a fantastic job infusing art and native plantings in this highly visible alley. And then yesterday CSG students helped remove invasives and plant more than 100 native plants in another Love Your Alley project. To take a look at this year’s Love Your Alley artwork, visit this interactive map. Thank you to the volunteers and planners for making such a special difference in our alleys!
This week the service department received delivery of our first all-electric pickup truck, a Ford F-150 Lightning. We’ve been steadily electrifying our fleet, and this model is a big and very logical step for our Service Department. The truck will be used by the urban forestry department during the week, and will be available for community events during the weekend and after hours. Its onboard outlets essentially turn it into a powerful battery-powered generator, and it will be especially helpful for community events, our cookout trailer, 4th of July floats, and more! Props to Service Director Andy Bashore, who has been on a search for an electric truck and negotiated a great deal, resulting in a truck that was less expensive than the equivalent gas-powered version despite these models being hard to find and often selling significantly above sticker price.
Every year, the Bexley City Schools athletic department designates two senior athletes who have demonstrated exceptional sportspersonship for the Annual Mayor’s Athletic and Sportsmanship Cup — an award that has been given out since 1927. This years’ awardees were Josiah Old and Sofie Sheridan, whose graciousness and humility were called out this week during the BHS senior awards ceremony. Congratulations to Josiah and Sofie!
At their annual event this week, the Bexley Community Foundation awarded their “Cornerstone Award for Philanthropy” to Dr. Barry Blank. Dr. Blank and his late wife Denise have made such a difference in our community, with giving focused on trees and beautification projects throughout Bexley. The Blank Fund was pivotal in honoring Denise’s legacy in the imagining and completion of the DGB Kindness Park — AKA the super cool chalkboard and kindness rocks park next to the Drexel — which was the first completed project of our Year of the Parks initiative. Congratulations to Dr. Blank, and thank you for the huge difference you’ve made in our community!