The Colonial Hills Civic Association

Although our recent Colonial Hills Civic Association’s 4th of July Extravaganzas have been spectacular and flawlessly executed, we have to say that our over 60 volunteers this year truly knocked it out of the park for our CHCA’s 80th 4th of July celebration and our nation’s 250th birthday!

Such a wonderful event took months of preparation, with the following Event Chairs spending countless hours planning, and then managing and performing various key tasks for our event: Overall Event Chair Alan Miroslaw, CHCA VP/Events; Amanda Rule, Mandie Dewine and Ashley Chaney, Planning and Logistics Chairs; Jeff Spain and Courtney Jolley, 5K Race Chairs; Ron Sears, Midway Pavilions and Activities Chair; and Mary Ann Ogle and Robin Ogle, Kiddie Parade Chair and Co-Chair.

All the activities from last year were back – a double lane slip ‘n’ slide, little kids bounce house, big kids bounce house, dunk tank, face painting, and a plethora of fun midway games and activities including Plinko, Go Fish, Duck Pond, Ring Toss, Lollipop Tree, Bubble Whack, Riot Ball, Gravity Well, Axe Throw and Color Your Own Stickers. And Randy Sanders graciously provided the very special addition to our midway of displays of authentic Ancient Artifacts made during the 10,000-year prehistoric period, which promoted the local Columbus Archeology Chapter. And the eats were also delightful: the Colonial Hills Cub Scout Pack 331 provided wallet-friendly and delicious burgers, hot dogs, chips and pop; the Cotton Candy Lady was here, and new for this year, there were cold DQ treats, which were even more wallet-friendly – free! – due to the most generous sponsorship of our event by Cynthia MacKenzie CYMACK Real Estate!

The winners in our competitions were:

Race Results

The 5k Race Co-Chairs Courtney Jolley and Jeff Spain and their volunteers again made this event run like clockwork, where Courtney and Jeff first successfully obtained a new race timing company, and then expertly managed publicity and signup, such that the runners could again have a first-class competition, where everyone could enjoy the 47th running of this event through our beautiful Colonial Hills course.

We congratulate everyone who participated, runners and walkers, and especially the overall winning male and female runners, with the following outstanding times:

• Jason Mehalic (16:09.32)
• Emily Banthin (21:01.42)

Please search the Race website Results tab for searchable and age group results: https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Worthington/RunthroughtheHills.

2026 Kiddie Parade Winners, by Category

Kiddie Parade Chair Mary Ann Ogle, along with her Co-Chair Robin Ogle, again planned and conducted this traditional 4th of July event, which started after the 5k Race awards had been handed out. Every year Mary Ann and Robin turn what could be exuberant chaos into an orderly parade circling Selby Park, deftly maintaining safety for all, from the smallest paraders to the older would-be speedster bicyclists.

And to ensure safety for the regular Kiddie Parade modes of transportation, but let kids with e-bikes and e-scooters participate this year, Mary Ann let these kids line up after the traditional parade was over and the course was cleared, and then zoom two laps around the park.

Mary Ann and Robin thank their judges: Kay Hoffman, Kathy Moore, Kris Wethington, and Jessica Eloringer, for taking the time to come out and perform the very hard task of selecting the most festive decorations in the parade. These difficult decisions resulted in these winners in the following categories:

Bicycles
1st place tie- Eli Thines (7yrs) -Bald Eagle, and Hannah Hughes (7yrs) -Lady Liberty
2nd place – Annalise (9 yrs) and Reily Sherman (7 yrs)
3rd place tie- Marin Reed (4.5yrs), and Joey (5yrs) and Emily Mittelman (3yrs)

E-Bikes and E-Scooters (New Category this Year)
1st place- Jack Kaumeyer (6 yrs)
2nd place- Beckett Klopfer (13yrs)

Strollers
1st place- Merritt Bednar (2yrs)
2nd place- Clark Bednar (8mo)
3rd place – Makayla Waters (1yr)

Scooters
1st place- Reis Cheidley (4yrs)
2nd place- Jude Lochlear (6yrs)
3rd place- Stella (3yrs)

Wagons and Floats
1st place tie- Rowan (6yrs) and Massie (2yrs) Best
2nd place tie- Noah Mertz (17yrs) and Eliza Hardin (19mo)
3rd place- Jasper Blake (2yrs)

Dogs and Walkers
1st place- Mod and Tommy Schraff
2nd place- Betty Klopfer

Notes: If you did not collect your prize ribbon at the awards presentation on the 4th, Mrs. Ogle will give your ribbon to you at any Civic Association meeting at the shelter house. If there are any corrections to this information please e-mail the CHCA webmaster at willpearce@columbus.rr.com.

Watermelon Eating Contest Winners, by Category

The firm, but immensely entertaining, 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, and indisputably, no red was showing:

Youth- E. Mertz
Adult- Dan Everhart

(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 Selby Park, 7:38 AM
_02 Volunteers (top to bottom) Co-Chair Courtney, Lis and Christine check in runners
_03 Runners are being checked in – #2
_04 Officer Farmer will lead the race
_05 The runners gather at the starting line
_06 The start of the 47th Annual Run Through the Hills 5k!
_07 The runners and walkers are on their way
_08 Jason wins the race!
_09 Wesley crosses the finish line in second place
_10 David crosses the finish line in third place
_11 Emily wins female overall first place
_12 Jeff and Courtney present a medal
_13 Courtney presents medal to Jeff, male 60+ first place
_14 Ready to start the Kiddie Parade
_15 Mary Ann and Chris direct Kiddie Parade traffic
_16 Mary Ann prepares to start the E-Bike Parade
_17 The E-Bike Parade has started
_18 The CHCA 4th of July midway has opened! Jessica manages the double-lane Slip ‘n’ Slide
_19 Dunk Tank Low Ball
_20 Meredith gets dunked!
_21 Karen manages the Big Kids Bounce House
_22 From left, Brittany and Sema at the Duck Pond
_23 At the Lollipop Tree
_24 The inscrutable results of the traditional game Plinko make it a favorite, year after year
_25 The Gravity Well game
_26 Randy Sanders, Columbus Archaeology Chapter, presents authentic Ancient Artifacts made during the 10,000-year prehistoric period
_27 Randy Sanders presents authentic Ancient Artifacts which Mary Ann and Leslie are viewing
_28 The Riot Balls are rarely all stationary, but contestants are allowed prizes anyway
_29 Axe Throw is one of Ron’s new games from 2025
_30 The mayhem of Bubble Whack, one of Ron’s new midway games from 2024
_31 Go Fish is a traditional favorite
_32 Barret helps with the new activity Color Your Own Stickers
_33 Under the Big Tent
_34 Colonial Hills Cub Scout Pack 331 provided delicious burgers, dogs, chips and pop!
_35 The Colonial Hills Cub Scout Pack 331’s burgers and dogs grilling operation — thank you!
_36 Ashley in front of the Cotton Candy Lady
_37 Volunteers Mandie, David and Chris take a break
_38 Volunteer Lindsy at the Ticket Booth — VP/Events Alan at left
_39 Volunteer Sema at the Ticket Booth – at right, Planning Chair Amanda and VP/Events Alan
_40 Face painting
_41 Girl Scouts booth
_42 Volunteer Max at the DQ freezer
_43 Emcee Chris
_44 Colonial Hills Neighbors
_45 The Midway — Thank you, Ron!
_46 No-nonsense Judge John explains that the winner will be the first to have absolutely no red showing on their slice!
_47 Judge John points at the youth winner of the watermelon eating contest
_48 Judge John presents the adult winner of the watermelon eating contest with his prize package

Discussion will be held whether the Boundless Elford Ordinance No. 19-2026 – Rezoning 445 E. Granville Road be approved by the Worthington City Council at their meeting Monday, July 20, at 7:00 PM at City Hall, 6550 N. High St.

Colonial Hills residents who determine that the information in this ordinance is relevant to them might wish to review the meeting agenda with all its included documentation, which has been downloaded in its entirety from the City of Worthington website as the following PDF: Meeting Agenda Packet 07.20.26.pdf.

This PDF includes the following information:

• Agenda: Pages 1-6
• Boundless Elford Ordinance No. 19-2026 documentation: Pages 7-138. The summary for the Traffic Impact Study (TIS) is at pages 90-96; the full TIS is here: Boundless_TIS_Full_Report_w_Appendices-6-17-2026.pdf
• City Charter Review: Pages 139-259
• Other Agenda Items: Pages 260-373, including the Northeast Area Plan – Correction – Pages 328 – 332

Join local author Sharyn Talbert and Colonial Hills neighbors at the Shelter House at 2:00 on Saturday, August 1st for a group reading of Sharyn’s new novel, Memory’s Compass, coming later this summer from Manhattan Book Group. Critics are calling it “a breathtaking family mystery,” “an unforgettable portrait of the lost and the found,” and a “tour de force.” Based on true events and set in a neighborhood reminiscent of Colonial Hills, this is a story about every family’s greatest fear. Refreshments and the beagle Gemma will be on hand. Mark your calendars!

Note: Due to Worthington Parks & Recreation regulations, absolutely NO sales of actual books can occur at the talk.

We know, last year’s Fourth of July celebration was a home run. This year we are going for bottom of the ninth, Grand Slam! DO NOT MISS the 80th celebration of the Fourth of July in Colonial Hills (on the 250th birthday of our country!). This year we plan on having:

• Bounce houses, blow up water slip and slides, dunk tank and face painters!
• A watermelon eating contest.
• Local exhibitors, hot dogs & burgers & snacks at reasonable prices!
• Midway Games!
• An exhibit with displays of authentic artifacts made during the 10,000 year prehistoric period graciously provided by Randy Sanders and promoting the local Columbus Archeology Chapter. Turns out this land has been around longer than 250 years.

So, if you haven’t already volunteered, please volunteer now for one or both of these areas:

1) Click our SignUpGenius link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E45AEAE28AAFF2-64000568-4thofjuly#/ for the midway and related activities – games (classic and new), bounce houses, slip ‘n’ slide, dunk tank, setup and cleanup

and/or

2) Email Jeff Spain jspain01@cscc.edu to volunteer for helping with the 5K Run Through the Hills (please see the separate 5K Volunteers blogpost for specific activities you can help Jeff and Courtney with).

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Register for the 5K Race to run/walk in the race.

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The overall schedule for all events for the 4th of July is:

• 8:30 AM Sharp! – Start of the 47th Annual 5K “Run Through the Hills”
• Around 10:00 AM – Gather for the Kiddie Parade – Circles Selby Park
• Around 10:30 AM – The midway games, bounce houses, food services and more will open for all to enjoy. Purchase your midway activities wristbands before the parade to avoid the lines!
• Around Noon to Maybe 1:00 PM – Depends on how hot it is! – End of activities – But don’t be late!

For those of you new to our neighborhood, please see the blogpost recapping the 2025 4th of July. You will see that you will be enjoying a fun, festive celebration for everyone in the neighborhood – games, food, decorations, and the great company of everyone having a fun time!

Note: Teens, and especially rising seniors – you could volunteer for more than one activity over the period of the 3rd and 4th and thus get your two events credits for the CHCA scholarship! For instance, you could volunteer for setup and/or cleanup plus one shift for the midway and/or contact Jeff Spain for volunteering for the 5K. Don’t be disappointed at the last minute that you have not met the minimum 2-events qualification for scholarship consideration during your senior year! And also, try to attend a CHCA meeting this summer before your hectic senior year schedule kicks in – the meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM at the Selby shelter house, so why not attend in either July, August or September?

A meeting of the Worthington ARB/MPC will be held on Thursday, June 25, at 7:00 PM at City Hall, 6550 N. High St, where discussion will be held that the Elford Development / Boundless PUD Preliminary Plan PUD 01-2026 be recommended to City Council for approval.

Colonial Hills residents who determine that the information in this PUD is relevant to them might wish to review the agenda and updated Boundless PUD application documentation for this meeting, which has been extracted from the Worthington website into this PDF: ARB-MPC-Agenda_and_Boundless_PUD-06-25-2026.pdf.

This document includes updates to the PUD Preliminary Plan incorporating discussion requests from the January 22, 2026 ARB/MPC meeting. This document also contains the first seven pages of the Traffic Impact Study, Revision 1, 6/17/2026, down through the conclusion. The full Traffic Impact Study with Appendices has been downloaded from the Worthington website into the PDF Boundless_TIS_Full_Report_w_Appendices-6-17-2026.pdf.

The Run Through the Hills 5K has been a beloved tradition in Colonial Hills for decades. If you’re not planning to run or walk this year, we’d love for you to join us as a volunteer!

We’re looking for enthusiastic helpers for:

• Course setup and preparation
• Packet pickup (July 3 and the morning of the race)
• Water stops along the route
• Post-race tear down and cleanup

This is a great way to support your community, cheer on friends and neighbors, and be part of an unforgettable Fourth of July morning.

Interested? Email Jeff Spain at jspain01@cscc.edu to learn more and sign up to reserve your favorite race volunteer position. Let’s make this year’s event the best yet!

PS. Any one of the above race volunteer activities goes to fulfill one of the two CHCA event requirements to be eligible for the CHCA scholarship – so e-mail Jeff now!

All Colonial Hills residents are invited to host their own garage sales on Saturday, June 13, starting at 9:00 AM, and e-mail their participation to the coordinator Rachael Dorothy at RachaelRDorothy@gmail.com.

Or, you can sign up online using the Google form but please e-mail Rachael or sign up online by the deadline of June 6, in order to have your place listed on the neighborhood map of garage sale locations and receive a garage sale sign from this event’s sponsor CYMACK Real Estate.

Please note: Sellers will be responsible for obtaining their own free Garage Sale permit from the city of Worthington: www.worthington.org/596/Garage-Sale-Permits.

A list of homes hosting a garage sale will be communicated the week of the sale online and via a list available at the Selby Park Shelter House.
Note, 6/9/2026: The map and list of homes as of today is shown below.

Post Garage Sale Donation Pick Up: A Volunteers of America (VOA) truck will be parked at Colonial Hills Elementary School (CHES) June 13th, 2:00pm-4:00pm, the day of the Garage Sale, to pick up your unsold items. Just last year, our neighborhood loaded almost 2,300 lbs of donations into the truck! So good luck with your garage sale, but remember you can then head over afterwards to CHES for a feel-good charitable donation!

The Colonial Hills Civic Association is pleased to announce that we have awarded a $1,000 scholarship to the following well-qualified candidates: Alex Chomos, Lauren Curran, Lucy Darbaker, Jack Jolley, Sean Roche and Francis Scardina. All six applicants have been shaped by living in Colonial Hills and have given back and helped shape our community.

They are shown below, in alphabetical order, accepting their awards at the Thomas Worthington HS Local Scholarship Ceremony May 21, presented to them on behalf of the CHCA by Will Pearce. Photo credits to TWHS.

In their own words, from their CHCA scholarship application essays:

“This consistent kindness from the people around me did not just make the neighborhood a pleasant place to live; it actively taught me how to treat others.” – Alex Chomos

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“Colonial Hills is a place where I have felt a strong sense of community and love. It has shaped me into a person who understands how important these things are and who wants to create that same feeling for others anywhere I go.” – Lauren Curran

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“I used to wonder why “The Friendly Community” was included in the sign. Was it a reminder for residents to be friendly to one another? Was it a way to distinguish Colonial Hills from the other neighborhoods? … I realized that it was neither. It was simply the truth – Colonial Hills is a friendly neighborhood. I believe growing up in Colonial Hills has positively influenced me and made me who I am today.” – Lucy Darbaker

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“One friend that grew up elsewhere was surprised when I explained how we used to walk around the neighborhood just trying to find people to hang out with. This togetherness and type of community are something you see very rarely and we are lucky enough to have them in Colonial Hills.” – Jack Jolley

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“On top of the events, the people in my community have helped me grow as a student, a worker, and a person overall. I have had great teachers, neighbors, and role models who pushed me to do my best and treated me with respect.” – Sean Roche

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“In my neighborhood, people don’t hesitate to reach out, offering empathy and support to ensure the well-being of others. It was at that moment that I began to understand just how special my community truly is.” – Francis Scardina

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As a reminder, community service is one required part of this scholarship application so if you want to get in on the action, the Fourth of July is a great time to sign up and learn the joy of giving back!

Do you believe in Easter Bunny? I sure do; I saw Bunny, hopping along with the Bestest Easter Egg Hunt maker EVER — Annie Schuster — over at Selby Park, for the annual Colonial Hills Egg Hunt. Annie and Bunny sprinkled more of those colorful eggs than ever before in the history of egg hunts!!! It was Eggstra Amazing — Bunny, who also resides in a lovely cottage here in Colonial Hills was a big hit with the throngs of kiddos who came up to say hello and get a picture.

Thank you especially to Bunny’s Bestie (and Hunt Chair) Annie, who knocked it out of the Egg Park with lots of special touches to make this year absolutely Speggtacular — thank you Bunny and Annie, for being YOU, and for making this community so special!!

The CHCA also wishes to thank our generous sponsors for the Egg Hunt event Meacham Real Estate Company and Equitable Mortgage Corporation.

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

_01 2026 Egg Hunt #1
_02 2026 Egg Hunt #2
_03 2026 Egg Hunt #3
_04 2026 Egg Hunt #4
_05 2026 Egg Hunt #5
_06 2026 Egg Hunt #6
_07 2026 Egg Hunt #7
_08 2026 Egg Hunt #8
_09 2026 Egg Hunt #9
_10 2026 Egg Stuffing #1
_11 2026 Egg Stuffing #2
_12 2026 Egg Stuffing #3
_13 2026 Egg Stuffing #4
_14 2026 Egg Stuffing #5
_15 2026 Egg Stuffing #6

Update, 5/28/2026: The agenda item for Rezoning for the Elford Development/Boundless PUD 01-2026 was tabled in advance of the meeting due to Elford’s notifying the ARB/MPC that Elford was not prepared to present at the meeting.

A meeting of the Worthington ARB/MPC will be held on Thursday, May 28, at 7:00 PM at City Hall, 6550 N. High St, where discussion will be held that the Elford Development / Boundless PUD Preliminary Plan PUD 01-2026 be recommended to City Council for approval.

Colonial Hills residents who determine that the information in this PUD is relevant to them might wish to review the agenda and updated Boundless PUD application documentation for this meeting, which has been extracted from the Worthington website into this PDF: ARB-MPC-Agenda_and_Boundless_PUD-05-28-2026.pdf.

This document includes updates to the PUD Preliminary Plan incorporating discussion requests from the January 22, 2026 ARB/MPC meeting.