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Copyright 2008

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

Managing Adena Mansion could be

perfect job for the local history fan

By Marvin Jones

President and CEO

The perfect job awaits the person who has a passion for local history, who considers the Adena Mansion and Gardens one of our crown jewels, who has experience managing people and budgets and who might want some time off in the winter to regroup and plan for the next season.

This person also won’t need fringe benefits such as health care or retirement, won’t consider this a career and won’t need this as the primary means of support for a family. This person won’t be worried about job security or advancing to the next level.

If you’re comfortable with the arrangements, then you should get in touch with Executive Director Kyrsten Vogel at the Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau. The bureau is looking for that one perfect person in the community who could manage the Adena Mansion operations if the bureau decides to pursue a management contract with the Ohio Historical Society. The first order of business for this person will be to work with the bureau to develop the budget to present to OHS.

If the bureau contracts with OHS for the management of Adena, it will have much more flexibility in terms of the salary and benefits package. The bureau may well be able to reduce expenses in other areas by subcontracting some services.

The OHS said it plans to offer a yearly stipend to help with expenses while the new manager would need to generate enough other income to balance a budget. Any net income realized would go to the bureau as the contractor.

This manager would work with Vogel and the bureau to develop and market events and to set the terms to rent all or part of the facilities for occasions such as weddings, receptions or parties. This manager definitely would have assistance from the Friends of Adena organization for advice, guidance and possibly monetary support.

In essence, it amounts to taking one of Ohio’s major tourist attractions (more than 10,000 visitors in each of the past three years) and redeveloping the way it is operated and marketed. OHS retains ultimate control and the state of Ohio continues as the property owner. But the contractor will make the day-to-day and month-to-month decisions within the loose guidelines set by OHS. In essence, it’s nearly a blank slate. Any contract with the OHS will be for only one year at a time and either party can back out with 30 days’ notice.

Still interested? Call Vogel at 702-7677 or email your resume and a letter of interest to her at kyrsten@visitchillicotheohio.com. Feel very free to get this information to someone who you think would be perfect for the job. But hurry. The deadline to hear from people is Tuesday next week.

Building permit data belie the economy

Thanks to the big expansion at the Adena Health System, the value of construction projects soared in all of Ross County in 2008. Final figures from the Building Departments of the city of Chillicothe and Ross County for the year showed the number of permits compared to 2007 down 13 percent, but the value of the projects they represent increased 106 percent. The permits for the largest projects included the expansion at Adena Health, $4.5 million for Menards in the city, $1 million for the Mormon church on North Bridge Street in the county and $842,000 for the renovations to get the IHOP restaurant in Shawnee Square open. The table below details building permit activity for the past three years. The permits are for commercial activity only and do not include residential.

Annual Dinner crowd continues to grow

The reservation total is nearing the 300 mark for the chamber’s Annual Dinner that’s about 10 days away on Tuesday, Feb. 3. George Glatfelter II is bringing a message on the future of the local Glatfelter operations, Chris Manegold is going to tell us about local economic development initiatives and the newest Entrepreneur of the Year will become known. In between, guests will be treated to special presentations on the two 9-by-12 foot giant screens before, during and after the dinner prepared and served by the Old Canal Smoke House. We still have plenty of room: Annual Dinner reservations

Wednesday’s BAB was the cat’s meow

Pardon the pun, but the 125 or so who made it to this week’s Business After Business were treated to great food and networking opportunities by the staff at Petland’s corporate headquarters. The cookies shaped like dog biscuits topped off a buffet line that took care of many appetites. Many left with a door prize of an umbrella or blanket. Photos prove how much fun it was: Petland BAB photos

Seminar to explain workers’ comp claims process

Compensation Consultants Inc., a partner of the chamber, is offering “The Life of a Claim” seminar to help you better understand the hearing process, how claims affect your rates and other topics important to safety coordinators, financial officers, HR supervisors and others. Seminars are set for Columbus on both March 10 and April 28. The fee is $25. To learn more or to register to attend: www.cciworkerscomp.com or call 800-837-3200 Ext. 7245.

Universal 1 Credit Union celebrated moving into new quarters in Zane Plaza this week with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Manager Karen Saxton snipped the ribbon to officially open the operation on Tuesday. To learn more about their services, give her a call at 775-4321.

Shawnee Square open house set

Landmark Properties Group plans an open house for its Shawnee Square site from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25. Refreshments will be served and it will be a chance to ask about the free rent incentives.

Commercial building permits issued recently by the Ross County Building Department:

• Bconit Company, 1410 Industrial Drive, alterations, value $11,200.
• Chillicothe Country Club, 800 Arch St., kitchen hood, $30,000.
• DDR Chillicothe, 885 N. Bridge St., sprinkler system, $6,830.
• Henry and Sherry Mullins, 787 N. Bridge St., alterations, $30,000.
• Ron Bettin, 12 W. Water St., signage, no value given.
• The Foulke Block, 14 S. Paint St., signage, no value given.
• James Collier, 1419 N. Bridge St., signs, $7,400.
• Free Holiness Mission Church, 852 Monroe Ave., alterations, $130,000.
• Apache and Kriste Jaruwannakorn, 1532 N. Bridge St., signs, $3,600.
• Kroger, 1165 Western Ave., alterations, $30,000.
• City Centre, 126 E. Second St., HVAC, $6,550.
• Time Warner Cable, 520 Lovers Lane, 10 S. Benner Hill Road and 2706 California Hollow Road, power supplies, three permits, $4,800.
• Sharon Richter, 4661 Maple Grove Road, change of use, no value given.
• C. Walters Properties, 10238 Ohio 159, interior renovations, $1,000.
• S&C Express, 2234 Bull Creek Road, meter base, no value given.
• Jim Delong, 63 Executive Center Drive, alterations, no value given.
• Tender Years Daycare, 3685 U.S. 23, change of use, no value given.

Vendors licenses issued recently by the Ross County Auditor’s Office:

• Jeri’s Upholstery, 411 Allen Ave., by Jeri Gentil.
• Keaton Automotive, 2977 Whiskey Run Road, by John Keaton.
• Acme Comics, 94 W. Water St., by Homer Ray Brust.
• Southern Ohio Custom Automotive and Electric, 1152 Spud Run Road, by David Planton.