this issue - Piqua City Schools

ISSUE
10
Q1-2015
QUARTERLY
UPDATE OF
POSITIVELY
PROMOTING
PIQUA
PPP NEWS
this issue
Downtown Piqua Ripe for Revitalization P.1
Pittsburgh Mayor to Address Cycling Summit P.2
Group Formed to Accentuate the Positive P.2
Loving Your Community P.3
Rock Piqua! Announces Plans for 2015 P.3
Honoring William H. Pitsenbarger P.4
Calendar of Events P.4
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Downtown Piqua Ripe for Revitalization
By Sharon Semanie
Downtown Piqua is an area which is “ripe for
revitalization”, according to City Planner Chris
Schmiesing, who recently updated members of
the Piqua Fortnightly Club on the city’s proposed
Downtown Riverfront Redevelopment Project.
Mission
statement
We are Positively
Promoting Piqua, a
diverse group of Piqua
citizens, including
wage earners, retirees,
responsible property
owners, and local
business, professional
and civic leaders,
united to help Piqua be
the best it can be and
focused on positive
efforts to help Piqua
improve and grow
as an outstanding
community in which to
live and work.
Schmiesing, who’s been employed by the City of
Piqua for nearly 25 years, is clearly enthusiastic
about the revitalization effort lauded by City
Manager Gary Huff as “an economic game
changer”. Buoyed by the fact that the Great Miami
River meanders through the community along a 90mile corridor between Piqua and Fairfield and 300
miles of paved trails is definitely recognized as an
asset and that’s where the focus has been targeted.
“We’ve already witnessed success in redevelopment
efforts such as the Fort Piqua Plaza,” Schmiesing
noted. “Piqua is on the radar and has a positive
perception. The riverfront project is focused on
buildings and how we go from obsolete to new
purposes….and position Piqua as a place to work
and play” thereby enhancing the community’s
quality of life.
In an effort to get things moving, the city engaged
the services of CityVisions of Louisville, KY. in 2013
to assess buildings and properties along the
riverfront and provide a conceptual plan for
potential redevelopment.
Equipped with schematic renderings of proposed
projects which would include dining, boating/biking
and civic space, Schmiesing cited three “catalytic”
pieces which require action in the not-too-distant
future: the renovation of former Mo’s Lounge into a
restaurant and boat/bike outfitter business; relocation
of Piqua Granite and redesign of Lock Nine Park; and
rehabilitation of the former Zollinger’s building into a
residential development.
Properties specifically targeted for the redevelopment
include the following:
-100 E. Water St.-presently a gravel parking lot.
-114 E. Water St.-Edison Illuminating Co.
(aka Weaver’s)
-117 E. Water St.-Old Laundry Building; scheduled to
be demolished
-123 N. Main St.-Piqua Granite-to support
redevelopment/.redesign efforts of park.
-111 N. Main St.-Piqua Milling Co.
-111 S. Main St.-Mo’s South Seas Building
-123 S. Main-Piqua Power Substation
-110 S. Main St.-DP&L Substation
-101 S. Wayne St.-Zollinger Building-a 20-unit
residential development.
Schmiesing indicated the city has been engaged in
numerous conversations with property owners and
interested parties to spearhead revitalization efforts.
“To do it requires a partnership,” he added, noting
the Piqua Improvement Corporation (PIC) and civic
investment fund known as iPiqua Fund has been
created to bring the project to fruition.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MIKE GUTMANN,
Piqua’s latest Order of George honoree;
Mike is a founding member of PPP and has
served on our Steering Committee from
our beginning. Well deserved!
We Believe In
Striving To Be an Outstanding
Community
Piqua needs a comprehensive
Positive Piqua News!
PITTSBURGH MAYOR TO ADDRESS CYCLING SUMMIT
By Sharon Semanie
program to make our community
a great place – and a more
attractive community for our
The summit, the fourth since 2009, will be held at the Fort Piqua
Plaza on May 29 and is free and open to the public. Previous
summits have been held in Springfield, Dayton and Kettering.
citizens, our businesses, their
employees, and business
leaders.
Peduto, the 60th mayor of Pittsburgh (PA.), assumed office in
January 2014 after winning his seat ihn the November 2013 election.
According to Schmiesing, he previously served as a member of
the Pittsburgh City Council (2002-2014). He is described as an
“unabashed advocate of alternative forms of transportation” and
particularly geared toward making Pittsburgh a “bicycle friendly”
city.
Keeping Piqua on a Path Forward
We need to keep our City on
a positive, progressive path –
poised for economic development
“This is very exciting news,” Schmiesing noted, in making the
announcement. “As many know, Mayor Peduto is leading the way
in transforming Pittsburgh into a pro-walk, pro-bike, livable city”.
He added (Mayor) Peduto will “bring enthusiasm, insight and
encouragement to the Miami Valley Cycling Summit”. Additional
announcements about the programming and pre- and post-event
activities are expected soon.
and providing an excellent quality
of life for our citizens.
Speaking Up for Positive
Solutions
Affirmative, positive action by the
Summit Coordinator Mike Gutmann indicated the MVCS is a regional
initiative aimed at transforming communities in the Miami Valley in
regards to cycling. “It’s the planning committee’s goal to create a
program that illustrates stories-both nationally and regionally-of the
benefits of cycling”, he explained.. For more information about the
MVCS event in Piqua, contact Gutmann at (937) 773-3212.
many Piqua citizens who agree
with our principles is needed to
oppose the forces of negativity
in our community. Remaining a
silent majority on Piqua’s future is
not a viable option.
A Well-Informed Community
We need to work together to
provide the community with
accurate information on issues
that affect the citizens
of Piqua.
Forward-Thinking Leadership
Committed to Working for Piqua
as a Whole
We need elected representatives
and city officials who are
intelligent, well-informed,
experienced and forward thinking,
who are committed to working for
the benefit of Piqua as a whole,
who face our problems squarely,
who want Piqua to be a strong,
clean, and safe community in
which to work and live, and
who develop and implement
innovative programs to achieve
these objectives.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is scheduled to deliver the keynote
address at the 2015 Miami Valley Cycling Summit (MVCS) to take
place in Piqua, according to Piqua City Planner Chris Schmiesing.
THE EVENT
The Miami Valley Cycling Summit is
coming to PIQUA, OHIO in May, 2015.
The event will be held at Fort Piqua Plaza,
a nationally recognized historic building
housing a public library, a conference
center, restaurant, and
coffee shop.
The Miami Valley Cycling Summit (MVCS)
is a regional biennial forum facilitated by
Bike Miami Valley, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit
advocacy organization dedicated to
promoting, enabling and creating safe
bicycling for recreation and transportation
in the Miami Valley region. The summit is
conducted as an interactive, conferencestyle program and includes presentations
from nationally respected speakers
and professionals in the field of bicycle
advocacy.
The theme for the 2015 summit is
CYCLING CULTIVATES ...
The idea behind this theme is that
cycling “cultivates” or helps to nurture
and grow business, community health,
economic development, tourism,
wellness, and more!
Group Formed to Accentuate the Positive
By Sharon Semanie
Nineteen Piqua residents have organized a grassroots organization
Citizens for a Better Piqua in an attempt to accentuate the positive
within the community and tackle issues whether they be drug and
alcohol abuse, property crimes or housing conditions.
Led by the Rev. Kazy Hinds, pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian
Church, the citizens’ group is comprised of local citizens anxious
to “champion causes” identified as needing support. Its formation
came about as the result of members’ involvement in last
November’s successful levy to retain firefighters and hire new
police personnel.
“The Safety Services Levy Committee morphed into Citizens for a
Better Piqua,” explained Hinds. “When we met for the final time
after the levy passed, folks wanted to continue to meet and look
at some of the issues that were raised during the levy campaign.
Our feeling was that, as citizens, we could help bring an awareness
and tackle some of the important issues that were uncovered here
in our community.” She cites the heroin problem as one such hot
topic and the group’s willingness to gather facts about its usage
and how it impacts Piqua.
Citizens for a Better Piqua members, in addition to Hinds, include
City Manager Gary Huff, Fire Dept. Chief Mike Rindler, Police Chief
Bruce Jamison, Brett Baumeister, Bob Bloom, Doug Haines, Peggy
Henthorn, Rhonda Meckstroth, Scott Miller, Frank Patrizio, Brent
Pohlschneider, Mary Frances Rodriguez, Kathy Sherman, Lorna
Swisher, Jim Vetter, Jeremy Weber, Gordie Wise and Sharon
Semanie.
“The one thing we have in common is that we love our city and
will do whatever we can to make it the best that it can be not only
for us but for future generations as well,” noted Hinds. Monthly
meetings are open to interested residents. Contact Hinds at
KazyBH@gmail.com for more information.
We Believe In
Positive Piqua News!
Loving Your Community
By Sharon Semanie
Rock Piqua! Announces
Plans for Summer 2015
By Dan Ramer
Author Peter Kageyama has a “love”
connection with the nation’s cities. For that
reason, the writer of “For the Love of Cities:
The Love Affair Between People and their
Places” followed up by “Love Where You
Live”, plans to bring his message to the city
of Piqua on June 2, according to City Planner
Chris Schmiesing.
“Peter is a successful author and speaker
whose message focuses on what happens in
a community when we ‘love’ our city,” noted
Schmiesing who, along with City Manager
Gary Huff, have heard Kageyama speak on
separate occasions. “We believe his message
is one that would be received positively in our
community and, to that end, we’ve invited
him to come to Piqua to share his message.”
Plans tentatively call for a one-day format
with one-half day dedicated to a community
workshop that targets directors, staff,
members and leaders of local non-profit
agencies and other organizations and
businesses interested “in making Piqua a
better place”. The remainder of the day will
be dedicated to having Kageyama speak
at a meeting of the regional chapter of
International City Managers Association.”
In his address, Kageyama talks about the
importance of an emotional connection
between cities and their residents.
According to Schmiesing, he (speaker) is an
“internationally sought-after community
development consultant and grassroots
engagement strategist, who speaks
worldwide about bottom-up community
development and the amazing people who
are making change happen.”
Additional details for this exciting June 2
event are forthcoming. Be sure to mark your
calendars now!
Supporting Our Public
Amenities
Our public amenities, including
our streets, our city parks
and other recreational areas,
The Rock Piqua! riverfront concert series is
gearing up for its second season this summer,
following an exceptionally successful inaugural
run in 2014. Rock Piqua! provided an exciting
addition to Piqua’s cultural scene last summer,
drawing thousands of people to three
concerts staged at Lock Nine Riverfront Park
in downtown Piqua, on the Great Miami River
waterfront.
our schools and our public
For 2015, Rock Piqua! is once again planning
three free outdoor summer concerts, to take
place on Saturday evenings, from 7 to 11 PM, at
Lock Nine Park. The dates tentatively selected
for 2015 are June 13, July 18 and August 8. A
new twist this year is that Rock Piqua! will
also be providing a Canal Walk Music Series,
to coincide with selected Mainstreet Piqua
Farmers’ Market events.
The Importance of Great
The Rock Piqua! series is presented by the
Piqua Arts Council and Mainstreet Piqua, with
some key assistance from the City of Piqua,
PPP, and a number of other local organizations
and individuals.
For 2015, Jordan Knepper of the Arts Council
notes that the planning committee is right now
lining up its musical acts. Knepper commented
that the format will be “similar to what we saw
in 2014 but better! We’re looking for a bit more
of a rock and roll tilt to the music than last
year.”
To keep current on Rock Piqua!’s plans as spring
approaches, you can check out the Rock Piqua!
web site, www.rockpiqua.com. You are also
encouraged to visit Rock Piqua! on Facebook.
library, make up an important
part of the fabric of the Piqua
community. We must work
together as a community to
support them and keep them
in good condition and appropriately funded.
Neighborhoods
We want Piqua and its
neighborhoods to be the best
they can be. The appearance
of our neighborhoods, and our
willingness as a community to
stand up for their appearance,
are vital. The majority of
Piqua people take pride
in their property and our
neighborhoods. But we cannot
afford to ignore neighborhood
blight and its negative effect on
our community as a whole. For
this reason, Piqua
needs to continue its
focus on improving
our neighborhoods.
Putting Our Best Foot Forward,
to Help Grow Piqua Now
We need to constantly
recognize that Piqua competes
with many other communities
for businesses, jobs and
people. We need to act and
look our best, to help Grow
Piqua Now succeed.
A Great Future for Piqua
We see Piqua as a community
with a great future before it.
We need to work together,
in a positive and cooperative
manner, to achieve this vision
and sustain it, for Piqua’s
citizens today and those coming
after us.
HONORING AIRMAN WILLIAM H. PITSENBARGER
July 8, 1944 - April 11, 1966
By Sharon Semanie
In tribute to U.S. Air Force Pararescueman
William Pitsenbarger of Piqua who was killed
during the Vietnam War, Friends of the Piqua
Parks and Piqua Central High School Class
of 1962 have partnered to erect a statue in
his honor at Pitsenbarger Sports Complex.
According to Fundraising Committee Chair
Ruth Koon, the hometown hero is among
3,500 recipients awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor.
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The Piqua native reportedly gave his life aiding and
defending a unit of soldiers pinned down by an enemy
assault in Vietnam. Following graduation, “:Pitts” joined the
Air Force and became a pararescue and medical specialist.
On April 11, 1966 at his own request he “descended into the
dense jungle of Vietnam to aid his wounded comrades. He
unselfishly refused to evacuate and that day saved the lives
of nine solders but later was fatally shot and died on the
battlefield” and later awarded the Air Force Cross for his
heroism.
More than a dozen facilities around the world are named
after Pitsenbarger. His high school classmates reportedly
convinced the City of Piqua to rename its largest park after
him, Pitsenbarger Sports Complex.
To date the Friends of the Piqua Parks have raised in excess
of $35,000 to erect a statue and pedestal estimated to
cost $90,000. Interested individuals can forward their tax
deductible contribution to Friends of the Piqua Parks, P.O.
Box 270, Piqua, OH. 45356.
Contributing Editors
Daniel Ramer
Mary Frances Rodriguez
Sharon Semanie
Stacy Scott
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Calendar of Special Events
Sports Cards & Collectibles Show | February 13-15 | 10am-9pm
Sports cards and collectibles show with vendors throughout the Miami Valley Centre Mall located at 987 E Ash St in
Piqua. Even is free to the public. For more information please call 937-773-1225.
The Lincoln Funeral Train - Author Talk | February 17 | 6:30pm
The Miami County Historical Society invites the public to hear author and lecturer, Scott Trostel, giving a presentation
based on one of his books, The Lincoln Funeral Train. The program is free, and held at the Piqua Public Library (Louis
Room) located at 116 W High Street in Piqua.
Routes for Roots | March 7 | All Day
Find your roots with the help of expert genealogists and learn techniques for researching your ancestors. This annual
spring workshop is for anyone interested in researching where they came from. Registration is required. For more
information please contact the Piqua Public Library at 937-773-6753.
For information about
commission and other public
meetings held in Piqua visit
www.piquaoh.org.
Wednesday Morning Birding | March 11 | 9-11am
Scour the trails with park district naturalist Meadowhawk Mandy. All sightings will be submitted to eBird, an online
community of birders, conservationists and citizen scientists. Meet in the parking lot of Farrington Reserve, 1594
W. Peterson Road. Register for the program by going to the program calendar at MiamiCountyParks.com, e-mailing
register@miamicountyparks.com or calling (937) 335-6273, Ext. 104.
Race Cars & Future Stars Expo | March 13 | 10am-9pm
Race cars, up-and-coming drivers, and various vendors will be at the Miami Valley Centre Mall, 987 E Ash St in Piqua.
This event is free of charge. For more information please call 937-773-1225.
All Stars vs. OSU Basketball Game | March 27 | 7pm
Piqua Rotary sponsors basketball fundraiser at Piqua High School Gymnasium. Admission: $5 Adults, $2 Students.
2nd Annual Evening of Impact Fundraiser | March 28 | 5:30pm
Fundraiser benefiting SafeHaven. Catered dinner, silent auction, live music and singing contest.