Volunteer for Buddy Box Packing, Sunday, 8/13

Update, 8/11/2023: Event to be RESCHEDULED

The Buddy Box Packing that was scheduled for this Sunday, August 13, at 6250 Singletree Dr, Columbus, has been CANCELLED, and the link to the SignUpGenius has been removed from this blogpost.

The cancellation is due to a water pipe bursting at the business next door, and water got into the Family Mentor Foundation (FMF) area. Cleanup will take place early next week.

This event will be rescheduled as soon as possible, and in the meantime, thank you to everyone who signed up to volunteer!

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Buddy Boxes are weekend food boxes containing kid-friendly, nutritious, nonperishable, individual sized-food items that are easy for children to eat or prepare on their own. provided to hungry children at schools in Worthington, Columbus and South-Western City School Districts.

Please visit Family Mentor Foundation for more information about additional opportunities to volunteer or donate.

Open Houses, Tuesday, 7/25, for the Age-Friendly Worthington Master Plan

Please plan to attend one of these two open house public meetings to provide feedback on the Master Plan that the Age-Friendly Worthington Steering Committee has created, a plan based on what other communities have done and previous Worthington community input meetings:

  • Tuesday, July 25, 10 AM to noon – Old Worthington Library, Owl Meeting Room, or
  • Tuesday, July 25, 5 to 7 PM – Worthington Community Center, Community Room

The Master Plan is the next step subsequent to the May, 2023 workshop planning sessions for the Age-Friendly Action Plan, which some Colonial Hills residents attended; these workshop sessions were follow-up steps to the 2021 surveys many residents returned and the 2021 focus groups some residents attended.

Background information is available in the CHCA website blogpost Register for Age-Friendly Worthington Planning Session and the Age-Friendly Worthington web page.

Your ongoing input is important — so make sure to stop by for one of these open house sessions, to discuss with Committee members how the plan incorporates some of our discussion themes, such as senior-friendly housing and ageing in place, transportation for folks who can no longer drive or don’t wish to, and connection with the community and activities to stay involved, including printed communication of upcoming events.

2023 4th of July Review and Photos

Kudos and great thanks to Event Chair Amanda Rule, her three other Park Overlook committee members Abby Wills, Ashley Chaney and Mandie DeWine, and the many other volunteers for what may very well have been the best Colonial Hills 4th of July Event subsequent to fifty years ago when the Colonial Hills 4th of July was the premier community holiday event in all of Worthington!

The best of the recent era? Yes! Amanda and her committee started planning for the event four months ago, and were able to provide many more midway games, plus a double-lane slip n’ slide (twice the fun!). the addition of the 50-50 raffle, a cotton-candy stand, both a youth and adult watermelon eating contest, plus the return of favorites such as the dunk tank, two bounce houses, face painting, Kona Ice and another delicious food vendor, Branded BBQ, with all activities seeming to flow seamlessly. The CHCA officers, along with former event chair Jenny Kendall, pitched in to help Amanda according to their roles with planning and implementation, including providing for Venmo payments, event direction, coordination with the City (Thanks, Worthington Parks and Rec and Police Departments!), putting up pop-up tents, announcing the activities, and photography — and resident Matt Steidel donated his sound equipment and play list, and former Park Overlook resident Brian Wright donated all those 2-liter bottles of pop for the ring toss game.

We estimate at least 300 or more people attended (there were 220 for Kona Ice alone!), and we suspect many of these folks hope that Amanda will be able to serve as Chair for many years to come!

The winners in our competitions were:

Race Results

The 5k Race Co-Chairs Courtney Jolley and Jeff Spain and their volunteers, yet again provided a great day for a 5k, with the greatest number of runners/walkers (201) since 2016! Courtney and Jeff’s planning and organizational expertise for the race was challenged this year much more than usual, by the ongoing excavation of Colonial Hills streets for the new water lines project, with Colonial and Foster being unavailable on race day as parts of the traditional Run Through the Hills course. Jeff and Courtney masterfully overcome this obstacle with a well-designed and well-marked alternate course, led by a Worthington Police Officer cruiser. Please see the separate 2023 5k Race Results blogpost for details.

We congratulate everyone who participated, and especially the overall winning runners, with their spectacular times: Jonathan Allen (14:59.97) and Hannah Moulton (16:53.89)! Please click on the links below to view:

Kiddie Parade Winners, by Category

Long-time Chair Mary Ann Ogle again expertly planned and conducted this joyous event for the neighborhood. Mary Ann noted that we had a great turnout, a wonderful time was had by all participants (young and older), and the kids (with maybe some parental assistance) did a great job this year decorating their mode of transportation! Mary Ann thanks her judges: Robin Ogle (Co-Chair), Jim Kidd, Julie Freeman and Kathy Moore, who selected these winners in the following categories:

Bicycles
1st Place- Ellie Armstrong Phillips (11yrs)
2nd Place- TIE Eli Thines (4yrs) and Hannah Hughes (4yrs)
3rd Place- TIE Evie Miller (6yrs) and Becka Miller (5yrs)

Scooters
1st Place- Everly White (7yrs)
2nd Place- Iris Johnson (7yrs)
3rd Place- Sophie R. (10yrs) and Zenna R. (5yrs)

Strollers
1st Place- Tillie Guerrero
2nd Place- Hudson
3rd Place- Miya Semenya

Wagons and Floats
1st Place- Goose & Maverik (aka Joey & Emily Mittelman), Noah Mertz, Eli Mertz, Cassie, Shannon, Joe, Blanche, Sean
2nd Place- Hudson Spain
3rd Place- Naomi Lemnard

Dogs and Walkers
1st Place- Anna & Kramer with dog Maude

Watermelon Eating Contest Winners, by Category

The no-nonsense judge for the two contests made sure that the following winners were the first in their age group to finish their slice so that absolutely no red was showing:

Youth- Bennett Royse
Adult- Adam Calhoon

(And now for the photos – please click the “Continue reading” link below to see these pics which have the descriptions given below – photographer credit: CHCA Webmaster)

_01 Good Morning, Colonial Hills! Jeff Announces 5K Run Through the Hills
_02 Start of 5K
_03 Race Leaders After Start with Police Cruiser Leading the Way
_04 More Runners After Start with Police Cruiser in Distance
_05 Volunteer Christine Checks Off 5k Winner Jonathan Allen
_06 Courtney and Jeff Present Award to Rachael
_07 Courtney Presents Award to Jeff Shields, Perennial Top 20 Finisher (Won 1998, 2000, 4th 2008, 2nd 2009), Who Now Owns the 60+ Category
_08 Midway Setup Almost Complete – 9:45 AM
_09 Kiddie Parade Starting Line
_10 Mary Ann (with Bullhorn) Announces Kiddie Parade Route/Rules
_11 Start of Kiddie Parade Around Selby Park
_12 Kiddie Parade Co-Chairs Robin and Mary Ann Present Awards – Event Chair Amanda at Right by Door
_13 Robin and Mary Ann Present Kiddie Parade Awards
_14 Double Lane Water Slide – Twice the Fun!
_15 Two-Lanes Water Slide!
_16 Dunk Tank – Good Throwing Form but Slightly Off the Mark!
_17 Crafts Table
_18 Face Painting
_19 Midway Games
_20 Kids Bounce House
_21 Lollipop Tree
_22 Midway Games
_23 Receiving Her Prize for Plinko
_24 Dunk Tank – Splash Down! And Kona Ice to the Left!
_25 Youth Watermelon Eating Contest – Winner Bennett Royse (Light Blue Shirt at End)
_26 More Midway Games
_27 And More Midway Games!
_28 Gone Fishing Game
_29 Adult Watermelon Eating Contest – Winner is Declared To Be Adam Calhoon – Alan at Back
_30 Adult Watermelon Eating Contest – Winner Adam with Prize
_31 Branded BBQ and Cotton Candy! It Doesn’t Get Any Better than This!

Continue reading ‘2023 4th of July Review and Photos’ »

2023 5k Race Results

It was a great day for the 44th Annual 5k in Colonial Hills! Not too humid, with a slight breeze, in our beautiful tree-lined streets. As always, the expertise and hard work of Event Chairs Courtney Jolley and Jeff Spain and their volunteers made the event appear to happen seamlessly, and thanks to their publicity efforts, we had the greatest number of runners/walkers (201) since 2016!

But this year, Jeff and Courtney also had to overcome the challenge of the ongoing, extensive water lines replacement project excavating the streets in Colonial Hills — by designing an alternate course (see diagram below), which masterfully solved the problem of the non-availability of Colonial and Foster as parts of the traditional course on July 4.

Change can be difficult, but Jeff reviewed the course modifications, which were well-marked along the way, with the runners immediately prior to the start of the race, and a Worthington Police Officer Cruiser led the way. And we suspect that many of the runners were secretly grateful for the alternate course this year, in that its difficulty declined from what the unsuspecting runner would find to be brutal to merely challenging, by removing the traditional course’s final uphill stretch of Foster-Kenbrook-Greenwich.

Accordingly, we congratulate everyone who participated, and especially the overall winning runners, who ran the following spectacular times: Jonathan Allen (14:59.97) and Hannah Moulton (16:53.89)! Please click on the links below to view:

Run Through the Hills Alternate 5K Course, Colonial Hills, Worthington, OH, July 4, 2023

2023 4th of July – Need Volunteers

Our Fourth of July in Colonial Hills at Selby Park will have something for everyone: Bounce Houses (one kid and one “adult/big kid”), a giant inflatable Slip ‘n Slide (double-lanes!), a Dunk Tank featuring local celebrities (aka teachers), Midway Games, Lawn Games, a 50/50 raffle, Face Painting, the Branded BBQ Food Truck (find their yummy price and kid-friendly menu on Instagram @brandedbbq), Kona Ice and more. And thank you to CyMack for subsidizing the cost of a Kona shaved ice cup to only $1.00 for everyone!

If you have never experienced the fun of the Fourth in the neighborhood, be sure to come on down to the legendary fields of Selby Park and participate! And please consider volunteering via our SignUpGenius, including youth volunteers who will receive credit toward their CHCA events service Scholarship Application requirement!

Here is the schedule of activities:

  • 8:30 AM Sharp! – Start of the 44th Annual 5K “Run Through the Hills.” Please pre-register here now, before you forget!
    This online pre-registration will cut off at midnight July 2 – however, you will still be able to register race day in person starting at 7:30 AM, but please note that t-shirts are “first registered, first served,” we order a limited quantity – so don’t wait any longer to register!
    And please try to come over to the Selby Park Shelter House between 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM on Monday, July 3 to pick up your race number bib the evening before the race, to lessen the intense activity during the hour before the race starts on July 4.
    This race is open to everyone, so bring your friends, co-workers, and random people you see running on the street :-)! Speed doesn’t matter; it’s all about challenging yourself and having fun. Hope to see you there; it will be a great day for a 5k!!

  • 10:00 AM – Kiddie Parade: The annual kiddie parade is available for children of all ages. We encourage decorating bikes, trikes, wagons, children, pets, scooters and anything else with wheels in patriotic décor. Those participating will circle the park while the judges and community enjoy their “parade” around the park.

  • 10:30 AM – The midway games, bounce houses, face painters, food trucks and more will open for all to enjoy. Because of our good relationship with the City of Worthington Parks and Recreation Department, they are generously granting us permission to keep cool on a hot day by allowing us access to running water. Thank you to those who have worked hard over the years to develop this relationship with the city.

  • 11:30 AM – Watermelon Eating Competition – One competition for youth under 18 and one for adults.

  • Around Noon to Maybe 1:00 PM – Depends on how hot it is! – End of activities – But don’t be late!

$5.00 wristbands for anyone over age three will be sold, to allow for unlimited access to the water slide, bounce houses, dunk tank, midway games and face painters, with all funds generated going for the CHCA scholarship awards and for support of all the other CHCA activities and services throughout the year. Note that children age three and younger are free for all activities. Also note that the watermelon eating contest is free to everyone, and Kona Shaved Ice Cups are only $1.00!

And remember all these wonderful events will require wonderful volunteers, to sign up via our SignUpGenius — and soon-to-be high school seniors, we’re also talking to you!

Dunk Tank – Ready, Aim, Toss! Get ready for a splash! See you there!

5k Race Registration is Now Open for 2023!

The Run Through the Hills 5k Race Registration is now open, for our 44th Annual 5k Race, 8:30 AM on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, starting and finishing at Selby Park in Colonial Hills.

Please register now before you forget, to receive our special early bird reduced registration fee of $25.00 (plus sign-up fee of $2.50) before 11:59 PM May 31st. Starting June 1 thru the close of online registration at midnight July 2, the fee will be $30.00 (plus sign-up fee of $2.50).

Also, you can register race day in person at 7:30 AM, but please note that t-shirts are “first registered, first served,” we order a limited quantity – so don’t wait any longer to register! And you can pick up your race number bib the night before, July 3rd, at the Selby Park Shelter House between 5:30 and 7:30 PM.

This race is open to everyone, so bring your friends, co-workers, and random people you see running on the street :-)! Speed doesn’t matter; it’s all about challenging yourself and having fun. However, for those of you who are super competitive and thinking about going for the course record, we invite you to browse our Race Results Archive from the last 25 years for inspiration for your training regimen.

Regardless of whether you run, walk or jog, we hope to see you there; and we’re sure it will be a great day for a 5k!

Colonial Hills Garage Sale – Saturday, 6/10/2023

All Colonial Hills residents are invited to host their own garage sales on Saturday, June 10th, 9am-3pm, and communicate their participation to the event coordinator RachaelRDorothy@gmail.com, 614-406-6391.

Or, you can sign up online here, but please e-mail Rachael or sign up online by the deadline of June 3, in order to have your place listed on the neighborhood map of garage sale locations, which again this year is being paid for by The CyMack Group.

This list of homes hosting a garage sale will then be communicated online the week before the sale, and also, hard copies will be available to be picked up at the Selby Park shelter house the morning of June 10.

Also please note: Sellers will be responsible for obtaining their own free Garage Sale permit online from the city of Worthington: Garage Sale Permits.

Register for Age-Friendly Planning Session

Please register for one of the two free Planning Sessions for the Age-Friendly Worthington Action Plan, by clicking the red “Select a Date” button shown on the linked-to web page. Next, select either of the two red “Tickets” buttons, to select your choice of session which will be at either of these two different locations depending on the date selected:

  • May 9: 10:00 – 11:30am – Old Worthington Library
  • May 22: 10:00 – 11:30am – Griswold Center

Then, on the General Admission Tickets page, just click the red Register button (there is no fee and the number of tickets counter is disabled; just click the red Register button to register). Finally, on the next page (Checkout), fill in your Contact information, check the box to Accept the Eventbrite Terms of Service and un-check the other two boxes as you wish, and (again) press the red Register button (at the bottom of the page). Your registration ticket will be e-mailed to you. Make a note for your ticket to remind you of which location you will be attending. (Scanning the QR Code on the flyer below will also bring up the registration page.)

Background Information, including the explanatory flyer shown below, is available at the Age-Friendly Worthington web page. You will note that the Action Plan to be developed, which will consider your input at these planning sessions, is the final step in this initiative. The action plan will be the result of ongoing community involvement, including the survey many of you took, and the focus groups you attended, in 2021 as publicized in the CHCA’s October 17, 2021 blogpost on this topic.

Lastly, those of you in attendance at the Selby Park Shelter House Age-Friendly focus group on November 5, 2021, may remember our request to prepare a List of Age-Friendly Resources, which the Worthington Community Relations Commission has completed and archived in the City’s Document Center.

Please plan to attend one of these sessions by Registering now!

*** Flyer for the Planning Session ***

Reminder – CHCA Scholarship 2023!

Colonial Hills graduating seniors or Colonial Hills residents pursuing continuing education – please review the detail requirements on page 2 of the 2023 scholarship application – MS Word format here or PDF format here) (or use the links at the right).

As specified on page 1 of the application, your completed application must be received by April 6 (if you deliver it in person or e-mail it), or postmarked by April 3, if you mail it to our P.O. Box.

The January 2023 Colonial Hills Courier Scholarship Application article, on pages 9 and 10, specifies exactly the same requirements as are specified in the above-referenced scholarship application forms, but with a more easily visualized graphic display for the requirements. Therefore, you may optionally print out, cut out, copy, etc., this article from the Courier, to use as your application form, if you wish.

Thanks to the membership dues residents so generously pay, the sponsorships for our events so graciously donated, and the ad space sold in the Courier, and the high quality of our winning applicants, the CHCA was able to award total scholarship amounts of $2,500 three years ago, $3,000 two years ago and this past year $6,000 in scholarships! But we cannot award any scholarships unless you apply – so apply now, before you forget!

2022 Colonial Hills Holiday Decorating Contest and Photos

Luckily, the super cold and snowy weather held off until after our contest! The winners are:

  • Best Overall – First Place: 244 Colonial – The judges gasped, then squealed with delight at the wonderful Whoville display.
  • Best Overall – Second Place: 291 E Selby – BIG Santa and Frosty.
  • Best Overall – Third Place: 212 Colonial – Although the address is hard to see in the dark, it sure is pretty with the unique colorful lights.
  • Best Front Door – First Place: 63 Southington – With its simple, sweet and heartfelt “Merry Christmas door”.
  • Best Front Door – Second Place: 384 Colonial
  • Best Front Door – Third Place: 581 N Selby
  • Best Retro: 322 Loveman – Hula Santa and friends. Hawaii sounds good right now, yes?
  • Most Artistic: 551 Park Blvd – Our judges called this one “HO HO HO Ha Ha Ha” with its 3 bushes dressed up as Santa. So creative!
  • Most Lit Up: 287 Loveman – A wonderful yard full of “Island of Lost Toys” figures and plenty of sparkle!

(And here are the pics, with photo credits to the Secret Judges – please click the “Continue reading” link below to see these photos)

_01 Best Overall – 1st Place
_02 Best Overall – 2nd
_03 Best Overall – 3rd
_04 Best Front Door – 1st Place
_05 Best Front Door – 2nd
_06 Best Front Door – 3rd
_07 Best Retro
_08 Most Artistic
_09 Most Lit Up

Continue reading ‘2022 Colonial Hills Holiday Decorating Contest and Photos’ »