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www.edaso.org

Chillicothe Job Bank
www.chillicothejobbank.net

Downtown Chillicothe
www.downtownchillicothe.com

Chillicothe YPN
www.chillicotheypn.com

Visitors Bureau
www.visitchillicotheohio.com

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www.chillicothe-chamber.smugmug.com

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Copyright 2008

Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce
45 E. Main St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-702-2722

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Community help may be needed

to ensure Adena Mansion’s future

By Marvin Jones

President and CEO

Yet another community-wide effort may be needed to ensure a viable future for our Adena Mansion and Gardens. The Ohio Historical Society, owner of the restored home of Thomas Worthington, is in a deep budget crunch and already plans a one-week shutdown of all sites late next March to save money.

William Laidlaw, executive director and president of the society, said local partnerships are being explored for all of its sites around Ohio to keep them open and operating. Several already have been formed. The chamber and the Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau plan to contact Laidlaw to offer assistance in getting local talks going. Linda Litter, a member of the society’s Board of Directors, also will be involved.

Since the departure of Site Manager Jane Rupp in the early spring, Adena has been without a manager and nearly all events scheduled for the summer and spring were canceled. The site has remained open for tours.

A Friends of Adena organization formed nearly two years ago and its costume ball put thousands of dollars in a fund to be used to handle expenses not in the society’s budget.

Adena is one of the capstone tourist attractions in Ross County and southern Ohio. Along with outdoor drama “Tecumseh!”, the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and the Ross County Historical Society’s museums, Adena is a destination site and many times part of a multi-day visit by tourists. It’s a big reason there are 1,900 hospitality-related jobs in the county paying $32.8 million in wages and generating $3.5 million in local taxes, according to the latest study.

Every effort must be made to maintain this important part of our history.

Downtown parking outlook: More spaces, free spaces

A doubling of parking spaces on Paint Street, between Main and Fourth, and free parking on Fourth, from Mulberry to Walnut, got a bit closer to reality Thursday afternoon. City Council’s Safety Services Committee, chaired by Dustin Proehl, heard from business and property owners and residents urging the changes.

Another meeting is planned in November to go over some final details, but it appears the move to go to angle parking on Paint and free parking on Fourth will go to the full council before the end of the year. The free parking on Fourth represents a reversal of the committee’s decision a few weeks back when a few residents complained they couldn’t park in front of their residences.

At Thursday’s meeting, several members of the Downtown Chillicothe Partnership expressed support for both measures, citing the need for more parking on Paint to stimulate business growth and free parking on Fourth to provide places for employees to park during the day. Four residents of Fourth Street said they wholeheartedly endorsed the free parking.

Paint Street will go from 20 spaces to 44 with angle parking, Proehl said in showing the city engineer’s proposed layout. It was reiterated that the most vibrant part of downtown Chillicothe is North Paint Street from Second to Water and on Water from Mulberry to Walnut where angle parking was enacted years ago.

Free parking on Fourth Street was a specific recommendation of the HyettPalma Economic Enhancement Strategic Plan released a year ago. A six-month trial of free parking started May 1 from all accounts has been very successful. Photos taken at different times of day and on different days of the week provided the council members with proof that plenty of parking remains available on the street. There are 92 spaces available in the two-block stretch and another 20 become available next week when the renovated city lot at Paint and Fourth re-opens.

Local foreclosure rate slowing

A quick check of filings with Clerk of Courts Ty Hinton’s website shows the rate of foreclosures slowing in Ross County. In the third quarter this year, there were 88 filings versus 105 in 2007. That’s a 16 percent decline, but it’s still up 21 percent from 2005, a more “normal” year. Year to date through three quarters, there were 306 total foreclosures against 288 a year ago, representing a 6 percent increase.

Chamber Expo/BAB only three weeks away

Now is the time to reserve your space at the chamber’s Annual Expo and Business After Business set for Wednesday, Nov. 19 at Shoemaker Center at Ohio University-Chillicothe. More than 200 are expected to attend the event, giving chamber members a great opportunity to showcase their products and services in a relaxed atmosphere. More than 60 exhibitors provided plenty of door prizes that will be handed out during the evening while Celebrations Etc. provides free appetizers. Click here to join the action as an exhibitor: Expo registration

Take advantage of a new – and free – marketing opportunity

Chamber members have available a new tool to market your products and services plus become the recipient of special deals offered by other members. It’s called Hot Deals and allows members themselves to post the special promotion that is turned into a coupon that’s printable which allows you to track its effectiveness. We encourage members who take advantage of our popular email blast program (only $50) to also post a Hot Deal to extend the reach of the blast. And since Hot Deals are also available to the thousands of non-chamber guests who visit our site, it’s a good way to bring in new customers. To get started, call (702-2722) or email us for your username and password to access your account. If you visit the Hot Deals site, make sure to sign up to receive an email each time a new deal is posted.

Short takes from our members:

• Tom Smith is the new sales representative for Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Center’s Consulting Services. He is available to assist employers in any industry with a full line of customized training products, such as pre-employment assessment, maintenance training and computer training and consulting. To get a free assessment, call him at 642-1315.
• Mike Logan is the new executive vice president for Theta Pro2Serve Management Company in Piketon and Vernon Blaine is the new contracting officer. Logan has worked on U.S. Department of Energy sites for the past 18 years, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Blaine is a Portsmouth native and recently retired from USEC. Other promotions by TPMC: Elise Allison to vice president of programs, Rodger Carter to vice president of mission operations and Joe Moore to vice president of technical operations.
• Our local Kenworth Truck Company plant recently received the Global Six Sigma award for Best Project Achievement in the Health, Safety and Environment category at the organization’s meeting in Orlando. The plant was recognized for reducing the paint department’s environmental impact while enhancing paint quality, annually eliminating 21,000 gallons of paint waste from the landfill and reducing volatile organic compound emissions by more than 15 tons.

Do you have a promotion, new hire, award or new product or service you’d like to share with other chamber members? You can always submit your item by emailing mjones@chillicotheohio.com.

Commercial building permits from the city and Ross County building departments:

• Seth Brown, 51 E. Second St., signage, no value given.
• Steven Newman, 41 N. Paint St., exterior architectural features, no value given.
• Howard and Joann Cheadle, 347 S. Watt St., renovations, $5,000.
• Adena Road Church of Christ, 900 Orange St., roof, $6,000.
• Stephen Butt Inc., 187 E. Second St., roof, $24,000.
• Zane Square Apartments, 118 Whaley Place, roof, $50,000.
• Henry and Sherry Mullins, 787 N. Bridge St., fire protection, $1,000.
• North Star Development for Chipotle, 1290 N. Bridge St., fire protection, $1,400.
• Zane Plaza, 1080 N. Bridge St., alterations, $40,000.
• Scioto Oil Company, 1070 Western Ave., demolition of station, $10,000.
• Timothy Nusbaum, 1140 Western Ave., HVAC replacement, $1,900.
• Central Center, 235 Delano Road, signs, $2,000.
• DDR Ohio Opportunity, 867 N. Bridge St., addition, $3,000.
• Ohio Basic Minerals, Whiskey Run Road, electrical, no value given.
• Adena Health System, 272 Hospital Road, urology department expansion, $100,000.
• Zane Trace Schools, 946 Ohio 180, ticket booth, $12,000.

Vendor licenses issued recently by the Ross County Auditor:

• J&J Auction, 10823 Main St., Clarksburg, by Judy Payne.
• Cougar Run, 12191 Ohio 138, Frankfort, by David and Carol Peterson.
• Simpler Days, 54 N. Main St., Kingston.
• Bainbridge Auto Sales, 3978 U.S. 50, by Clark Lowe.