Website Update!

Just this past weekend, the www.germanvillage.com website folks were hard at work upgrading the online membership sign up/renewal form.  The new components will enhance the capabilities of the German Village Society to engage the community as they ease through the sign-up steps.  No one has to login any more to update their personal info – all of it is collected up front when they join.  Hopefully, new members will agree that it is a streamlined process to join the Society! 

A major addition is that members may now have more than one username and password per household – i.e. up to two different usernames/passwords can be created for each membership in the Society!!

You may also note that member’s personal bio info will no longer be within their GVS member page – that info will be coming soon by way of a social forum.  This is an exciting new addition we are looking forward to….wouldn’t it be neat if members were able to communicate via the website?  How about starting a GVS rent/borrow/buy forum, i.e. a mini-craigslist?  The possibilities are endless and we are eager to tackle this new phase in the coming months.  Thoughts, ideas, let us hear ‘em – comment below

-GVS Website Committee
        Roy Beiber, Brian Santin, Crystal Seamon

It’s been awhile since I’ve entered a new blog entry but as we all know, this time of year can become quite hectic for a lot of folks in German Village – with Haus und Garten Tour, Caretaker’s of a Legacy Awards, Board of Trustee elections, etc. Needless to say, the waters have begun to calm a bit and hopefully many are enjoying the wonderful weather on this holiday weekend. 

As I reflect back on the past few months of the German Village Society’s progress in numerous fronts I am happy to say that the German Village community is as energetic and engaged as ever!  Neighbors are constantly impressing me by their ‘neighborly’ ways, helping each other out when a hand is needed, offering assistance to their fellow Villagers, and just being themselves – those who make up the life blood our of neighborhood.  Not to applaud my own behaviors, but merely as true examples of doing a good deed – within the last two months I have found two cell phones while walking through the community.  While I was fortunate enough to find their respectful owners and return the phones safe and sound, it is slightly perplexing how one can lose such an integrated piece of our daily armament?  Either way, these are just examples of acts of kindness that I think really embody the nature of our community and so on this holiday weekend, I’d like to thank the German Village community for their continued efforts to be the ‘good neighbors’ that we are and to continue to impress upon each one of us the wonderful human spirit we employ that makes this an unprecedented neighborhood. 

Kudos to you – German Villagers! 

Since the new website has been revamped over the past few months, we have received hundreds of emails from our local community and visitors from afar!  The feedback has been very helpful as we continually modify the website to make it the ‘go to’ website for everything German Village.  One of the often heard comments is that the website tends to upload slower than is desired by some folks.  We agreed and so we’ve just completed the biggest move the site has seen since its inception earlier this year. 

Back in January when we converted to the new website, we changed the server from which the website is based to a new one – hosted by GoDadddy.com  We weren’t sure exactly how popular the site would be and thought it reasonable to utilize a shared server – basically this means that our website would share server space (not actual ’webspace’ – I’m not even sure that is a word?) Fortunately for us, the site has turned out to be a huge hit with alot of people and has become quite a busy website.  Subsequently, prior to just a few weekends ago, our website shared a server with over 1000 other websites!  That’s pure craziness, especially considering the huge volume of traffic we are seeing on a daily basis.  The website committee reviewed the feedback and the logistics of making the switch to our own dedicated server and it just plain made sense.  So with the help of some more technologically gifted individuals (thank you, thank you!) we now run on own our server – still hosted by GoDaddy.com. 

Hopefully what you will find now is that the images display quicker and the site runs smoother all around.  We like to think it runs at lightning speed! Long story short – you let us know what was and wasn’t working for you and we listened.  Keep the feedback and comments, we appreciate them and truthfully, we rely on them to help us, help you enjoy this wonderful community we call German Village. 

Thoughts/comments….let us know.  Thanks!

- GVS Website Committee

A few weeks ago I was at a meeting for one of the German Village Society’s various committees when the discussion began to take a drastic curve off topic and head towards man’s best friend and the mess (literally) that our loving four-legged friends can produce.  Specifically, folks were discussing cleaning up defecation on the tree lawn of some unsuspecting ‘neighbor‘.  One individual (who shall remain nameless)  was quoted by saying “If you can remember your dog, you can remember the bag!”  

Up until a few months ago I was slightly oblivious to any issue with folks not picking up after their furry four-legged children, however now I am the proud father of an adorable Australian labradoodle and I can better appreciate this issue – and the serious issue it is for some folks.  Check out the recent Dispatch article focusing on the mess some people tend to leave behind after a pleasant walk with ole Sparky.  I imagine most German Village ’neighbors‘ can sympathize (albeit we may not all go to this extreme – I do appreciate his humor though!).  

Long story short – if you have choosen to make a home for Rover and love him/her unconditionally then you have also accepted the responsibility of cleaning up after them.  So do your part and help keep our community just as clean and tidy as it was when you woke up this morning – before you took Kibbles for that first walk of the day. 

After all, “If you can remember the dog, you can remember the bag”.  

Interestingly, after the Dispatch article ran, a German Village neighbor has made a generous offer to cover the expense of placing a doggy bag dispenser in the community (similar to that which is already in place at Schiller Park).  We’ll have to wait and see where and when this is accomplished but I think the offer is nice all the same.

 Thanks for listening.  Comments, we’d love to hear ‘em…

**Yes, I am aware that the picture and title of this blog entry were slightly misleading

***No, I am not apologetic for misleading you into reading this.

****Thanks for reading through all of these end notes :)

I don’t usually tend to read forwarded emails, especially those that consist of anything more than a one liner but a fellow German Villager whom I respect quite a lot sent this to me the other day - and seeing as how I’ve never really received an email from them (other than a request to post something online) – I figured I would take a look and read on……let us know your thoughts

**Obviously, it should go without saying (but I’ll say it anyways) the views expressed herein are not endorsed by the German Village Society nor represent any formal political/satirical viewpoints of this body** Its just something to think about. I hope you enjoy.

“A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn’t slow a train very much, a billion of them would.   

I was in Lowe’s the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in  China . The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in  USA . Start looking.

My grandson likes Hershey’s candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked made in  Mexico now . I do not buy it any more . My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in  Mexico now.  I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything..

This past weekend I was at Kroger. (Can be true for any store.)  I needed 60W light  bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets . I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value..” I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price.

The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in  MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the  USA in a company in  Cleveland,  Ohio .

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.

So on to another aisle – Bounce Dryer Sheets . . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in  Canada .. The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!”

Maybe we could consider supporting our local German Village merchants more often.  They certainly play an intricate component of the vibrancy and unique nature that is German Village – so go ahead stop by one of our businesses today, we’ll all thank you…..

Interesting, yeh?  Let us know your thoughts – send us a comment.

The Go Green Go Grün Committee would like to highlight Chris Hune’s recent appeal in N4N to avoid salt products on icy sidewalks.  The newer, non-corrosive products are salt-free, organic chemical compounds or fertilizer derivatives.  They don’t corrode bricks or concrete; they don’t destroy plants, grass, shrubs and trees when they melt into them; and they don’t harm pets or irritate their paws.  Equally important – they work!! 

There are a growing number of products and they’re available at hardware stores, grocery stores and pet stores.  You can easily identify them by labels such as “Safe for Children and Pets”, “Environmentally Friendly” and “Won’t harm trees and plants”.  Sue Meigs at DogWorksCats2 has a product called Ground Works. 

Please replace any salt-based products with these newer, environmentally friendly products that will protect our Village now and when our trees and plants start to bloom!

The current project is to develop a comprehensive streetscape Masterplan design concept.  The implementation and engineered drawings are to be subsequent steps addressed only after the design concept is completed. This is an important point to be stressed here and one which may be misperceived by some people…the current project is only charged with developing a Masterplan design.  KKG will not present the Society with engineered drawings or specific recommendations on how to implement the design, this is only to provide us with the Masterplan.  Over the course of subsequent years we may reference the Masterplan as we complete various aspects of the plan.  This will ulitmately help us achieve a cohesive design once everything has eventually been funded, engineered, and finally implemented.  Specifics on exactly how each individual property will be addressed regarding sidewalks, curb locations, etc. is beyond the scope of services here and again those details will be looked at closer once we find funds to implement portions of the project and of course, property owners and residents will continue to have their input included as we reach those milestones.
KKG’s current plan consists of four phases – Research German Village Historic Streetscape, Comprehensive Streetscape Masterplan Design Concept, Implementation Plan, Identify Resources and Secure Funding.  To progress through the phases of the project, the city provides KKG with an Authorization to Proceed.  We are currently in the Masterplan Design Concept phase in which KKG is drawing up a few versions, each with slightly altered components, i.e. different street lamps, sidewalk and curb designs, etc.  On Wednesday, January 27th @ 6pm in the Fest Hall, KKG will present their current concepts to an open forum for the German Village community.  This is an opportunity for everyone in the community to comment on and provide feedback to KKG regarding specific ideas, fixtures, etc. of the Masterplan.  The focus of this forum will not be to debate when or how the Masterplan is to be carried out – that is an issue we, as a community and specifically for the Streetscape Committee, to research and develop in the future – not on the evening of January 27th.  My apologies if I appear to have re-iterated this point, but in an effort to host the most effective and efficient meeting possible on January 27th, I just want to try and clarify these issues beforehand.
After the open forum in January, KKG will go back to the drawing table with our comments and suggestions in an effort to achieve a Masterplan which not only maintains our historic integrity but also speaks to the uniqueness of our community and focused on the vision of German Village for years to come – this is obviously not an easy task.  KKG will then continue to work in collaboration with the Streetscape Commitee as well as incorporate the opinions of the German Village Commission and Board of Trustees in the process of creating the Masterplan.
Lastly, as we continue to move forward in collaboration with both KKG and the City of Columbus on this vitally important project for our neighborhood, we are looking forward to the open public forum on Wednesday January 27th @6pm in the Fest Hall.  Please encourage all of your neighbors to attend so we can include as many voices/concerns as possible.  In regards to the remaining aspects of the project, our hope is to have a deliverable date in April at which time KKG will present the final product in a similar open forum.

Of course, if anyone has any questions about any aspect of the Masterplan, Streetscape Committee, etc. please, please do not hesitate to email me (briansantin@gmail.com).  I’d be more than happy to help explain things in more detail.  I sincerely hope this answers many of the questions folks have about the Masterplan, how we got here, where we are going, and how each and every neighbor can participate in the process.  Again, any comments please send my way.  I hope this finds everyone well, Respectfully, -Brian.

Dear Neighbors,

As you may already be aware, the German Village Society’s website – www.germanvillage.com is nearing the final stages of a complete overhaul.  Before we explain all of the new features, gadgets, and gizmos of the new site, let us take a minute and explain when this all began and why.  This way, the end product will hopefully have much more meaning and significance to everyone in the Village.

Approximately one year ago, we thought it was important for the German Village Society to step up to the plate of modern networking capabilities, engage more of our community members via the internet, and remain an attractive site for visitors searching online for tourist destinations.  The four short-term goals we established were to improve the visibility of the GVS, revolutionize the sense of community, increase community participation in society sponsored events, as well as possibly survey the membership regarding the desires/concerns, etc. of the members.  Unfortunately, our old website was exactly that – old and outdated.  Aside from issues of not having the capability of modifying the site on our own, but also the platform upon which the site was built was outdated and unable to accommodate software upgrades easily.

After searching a number of website design firms, we solicited proposals and eventually selected Orbit Design to collaborate with as we built the new website.  Of course it should go without saying that all of this was accomplished with the full support of the Board of Trustees and office staff.  Amongst the numerous reasons for choosing Orbit Design was their experience in working with organizations such as ours and their inherent understanding of what we were trying to create – a website that becomes the homepage of every member of our community.

In keeping with this driving force, you will notice features on the page dedicated to each of us – the members of the GVS – that speak to everyday life here; you’ll find the weather, current headlines of the German Village Gazette, as well as any safety alerts posted appropriately to keep everyone ‘in the know’.  You’ll notice a calendar with GVS related events posted as well as current Tweets sent out by our neighborhood tweeter ‘germanvillage’.  From this page you will be able to login to the members-only side of the website where you can enjoy the ability of staying connected and appreciate the wonderful sense of community the German Village Society embodies.  The various committees and interest groups will each have their own web page which can be easily updated to include meeting minutes, current topics of conversation, list of members, etc.  If you have a lost pet, there will be a page where this can be posted so folks know where to go when they find a furry friend.

Of course it would be ideal if all of the aspects we have envisioned for the site will be ‘full go’ from the start.  However, we anticipate that it may take a full year or more to complete the various phases of the entire project – other phases include the opportunity to archive the history of the Society as well as each home’s history via photos and articles.  One major aspect of the site which we will have up and running will be related to the membership drive.  When you establish your login for the site you may pay your member dues via a safe and secure connection utilizing PayPal.  You will also be directed to completing your member profile – yet another way to help us stay connected with you and learn what particular interests you have so that we may help serve you better.

In terms of being able to find out who our membership is more clearly, you’ll notice there maybe occasions when a random poll/survey/question may be posted on the site – take the few seconds and give us your feedback, this will only help the Society better address the needs and concerns of the membership, ultimately adding an enormous benefit to Society members.

Lastly, as everyone may imagine, this will be an exciting transition for the Society and its members. However, if there are aspects of the site that you feel are missing or could be modified – shoot us an email and let’s work on it together.  We are certainly open to feedback, we ask that you help us and explore the site, become familiar with it and of course, it would be the best compliment to our dedicated work if you made www.germanvillage.com your homepage (you can do this by simply clicking on the link).

We hope you enjoy the new site!

- GVS Website Committee

• Roy Bieber
• Brian Santin
• Crystal Seamon