As everyone knows, it takes a lot of hard work and diligence to keep our wonderful village homes in shape.   And we all know that it takes a village to keep our beloved GVS Meeting Haus the pride of the community.   It is our civic theater, our society meeting place, the tourist’s stop, our social stomping ground, the symbol ofGermanVillage   It is indeed our home away from home and we are so proud of it.

But this wonderful haus comes with a price.   We inherited a mortgage free legacy, but no endowment to cover the operation and maintenance costs.   Therefore, your membership dues and other revenues must cover these annual costs such as cleaning, painting, insurance, heating, etc. Every year, the budget must include estimates for these expenses. It is the Meeting Haus Maintenance committee that has the responsibility, along with the staff, to ensure these tasks are completed.

In addition, there are the major maintenance costs such as new carpeting, furnaces, etc.  Just a few years ago, the outside of the building was in neglect.   Over $40,000 was spent to “catch up” by painting the outside trim, caulking, new flat roof (yes, portions of the roof are flat and covered with special fabric), etc.   TheVisitorCenterwas also freshened (some of you may remember that the flat roof leaked into the center ceiling).   It is a never-ending job and it is the responsibility of the Meeting Haus Maintenance committee to oversee and schedule this work.

A few years ago, the Board had the foresight to create two funds for our Meeting Haus.   There is a Meeting Haus Replacement Fund, based upon a lifetime replacement schedule of major assets (four furnaces, air conditioners, roofs, elevator, etc.).   The source of this fund was the sale of the Third Street rental a few years ago.    In addition, there is a Warner Maintenance Fund initiated with a bequest from Brent Warner.   This fund is used to pay for major “non-annual” maintenance items (our new alarm system, new phones, and others too numerous to mention).   This legacy of giving to the upkeep of our Meeting Haus continues today with a very generous gift in memory of Gene Owen in his will.

There are others who give funds for very specific needs.   Who hasn’t been aware of the sad condition of the office and kitchen area over the past few years?   Thanks to another generous set of donors, led by one major donation, who funded a major upgrade to the areas, the staff has a wonderful environment to work.  Be sure to take advantage of the building tour at the May 15 Open House before the Caretakers of a Legacy Awards ceremony to see what has been remodeled.   It is like night and day! The Open House begins next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. with the award to begin at 6. We will reveal the donors’ names at that event!

The Maintenance Committee has been extremely active for the past couple of years.   By going from room to room, an inventory list was created for everything that needed fixed, upgraded, replaced or cleaned.   This list has safety issues (furnace clearance, emergency lighting, grab bars, etc.).  Upgrades will keep our insurance costs low and the building efficient.   Cleaning involves steaming years of grime off the tile and grout.   Did you ever notice the musty smell in the elevator during the summer?  Well it is a problem with a badly designed sump pump system.   Who knew?  But it will soon be fixed, thanks to the diligence of the Maintenance Committee.

The list of work goes on and on and it is a never-ending labor of love by the staff and committee to take care of our Meeting Haus, our collective legacy.   So the next time you run into Mary Ross, David Schooler, Ned Merkle, and Jeff Ruff – the committee members – as well as Russ and Shiloh, be sure to thank them!   And of course, if there is anyone who would like to join this band of legacy caretakers, just give Shiloh a call.   Preservation is not cheap nor easy and the committee can always use more help.

The German Village Society recently was honored to learn that it was the beneficiary of a $10,000 bequest in the will of Gene Owen.  This was presented to the Society during a memorial for Gene on Saturday, April 28.

As the chair of the Development Committee of the German Village Society and as a resident of the Village, I am regularly reminded of and impressed by the level of commitment and true affection that many people have for German Village.  This attachment and loyalty is based on the beauty of the community but more so is based upon the connection and sense of belonging and caring that residents have during the time that they have lived here.

Gene Owen celebrates at PreTour 2009.

The Village and the Society have benefited from financial contributions from many of these people over the years.  Obviously this is shown by the regular commitments that people make to the success of the Society and its programs through membership, sponsorships, donations and volunteerism.  But another avenue of contribution that has led to some wonderful gifts to the Society by means of bequests in wills. In addition to Gene, Cloene Samuels is another example of this generosity and continued support for the Society and its charitable mission, goals and programs.

Gene and Cloene were important to the Society and active members in their lives, and they saw that they could continue that tradition even after their deaths. This is what we do for charities we believe in and organizations we love.

This is, in part, a chance for me to say thank you to those generous donors.

But I also wanted ask you to consider this avenue for support for the Society.  Planned giving to a charitable organization such as the German Village Society – either in a will or during your life – can result in a wonderful benefit to an organization that you value.  It can also lead to real tax advantages to you as you develop your estate plan.  For example, through planned giving with certain assets you can create income tax deductions today for gifts that pass at your death.  You may also be able to eliminate capital gains tax on the sale of appreciated assets.  You can also structure gifts over time and avail yourself of current tax benefits thereby avoided the risk of these benefits being eliminated in the future.

The Development Committee is now working with the Marketing Committee to help you navigate this process. We have secured the in-kind guidance of an estate attorney – my partner at Frost Brown Todd, David Kauffman. The Marketing Committee will now take that legalese and make it more user-friendly so that, as you are ready to have this conversation with the Society and with you own estate planning attorney or tax professional, we will have the tools to help you make it happen.

We appreciate all that everyone does to support the Society and its mission.  Some thought to estate planning and planned giving might provide a strong mutual benefit to you and the Society in the future.  Let us know if we can help!  Thanks.

Recently the German Village Society adopted a set of brand guidelines created by a volunteer marketing committee, along with the pro bono expertise of some generous marketers and designers.

Why? Because a strong brand can create connection with all of our many target audiences, build loyalty, differentiate us from competitors and align goals and actions. The German Village brand guidelines were developed to help create clear, consistent and compelling communications that will authentically and effectively connect our neighborhood with others and with one another.

The elements of the brand guidelines include logos, fonts, a color palette, graphic elements and a pattern that all convey the essence of our neighborhood, the promise we make, the experience we create and the personality we have.  These were designed and chosen with an eye to creating a balance between our traditional and historic foundation (such as our architecture and streets) with our modern, contemporary community and its vibrant, creative energy and people.

LOGOS: The primary logo is the Open Door, representing the neighborhood and its welcoming spirit. This logo is usually accompanied by the tagline, “Character lives on.” The German Village Society seal, in use for many decades now, and the German Village Business Community’s logo are secondary logos intended to serve as endorsements.

FONTS: The primary font is Gotham. It has a contemporary feel which denotes our vibrant, engaging community. The secondary font is Vanden Keere. It is a little more traditional; acknowledging the historical foundation of our community.

COLOR PALETTE: Our color palette consists of dark, bright, and neutral tones split into primary, secondary, tertiary, and accent colors. This was done to allow for creativity in usage, and provide options based on the purpose of the communication.

 GRAPHIC ELEMENTS:  Photography, imagery, artwork, and graphics should be used to support and advance the purpose of the communication and achieve a balance between tradition and history with our vibrant, contemporary community. It is easy to focus on the beauty of the beautiful buildings in our community, but visual elements also should incorporate people to demonstrate the diversity, vibrancy, and active nature of our community. Illustrations – drawings, watercolors, oil paintings, etc. — are a great way to convey the personality and vibe of German Village.

PATTERN: A pattern was developed to represent the iconic bricks of German Village, and add texture and visual interest.

In order to create consistency in how German Village events are marketed, event chairs are encouraged to leverage the brand elements in the guidelines.  The same applies to German Village Society committees that create materials to promote projects or initiatives.

There is some flexibility to our brand, in a nod to our vibrant spirit. There are also a few things

that are “fixed” in an effort to create consistency. Our goal is to become a brand that is recognized and authentically connects our community with others, whether they are people living in German Village or those we are inviting to visit.

None of this could have happened without the generous contributions of Ologie, the agency that worked with the German Village Marketing Committee to develop the German Village brand strategy and guidelines. Also, special thanks to Jeff Smith of DesignSmith for his assistance with the German Village logo.

To see the complete German Village brand guidelines, they are below. We have made two tweaks to the PDF you should note: On page 4, there is one version of the house logo that we have replaced with “House-House” attached; on page 7, it recommends black-and-white or two-tone photography and the final version adopted by the Board calls for full-color photos where appropriate.

Branding Guidelines

The German Village Society is pleased to offer a slate of children’s programming (with an adult opportunity thrown in for fun) starting in June 2012! Learn more here.

Check out BuckeyeKids.com, a resource website for families in search of community youth programs in central Ohio. The website provides information about a variety of year-round and seasonal youth programs and camps including, art, science, sports, mentoring, educational enrichment, and family activities.

Columbus Museum of Art

480 E. Broad St.

Columbus, OH 43215

Doodles

May 19^th   1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Enjoy fun, interactive gallery activities and create unique art projects together.  Each month, we feature a different gallery, theme and activity.  In January, make your own walking stick after checking out the unique folk art exhibition.  Recommended for families with children 6 and over. http://www.columbusmuseum.org/visiting/calendar-and-events/

Main Library

96 S. Grant Ave.

Columbus, OH 43215

Family Storytime

May 19th

11:00 am

Story Cove

Reading is a family affair. Join us and share in stories, songs, and fun! All ages

http://www.cml.lib.oh.us/events

The North Market

59 Spruce St.

Columbus, OH 43215

Farmers Market Saturday

8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Live Music

May 19

Island Breeze from 10AM-12PM

May 20

Artisan Sundays

Columbus’ creative class of artisans and crafters converges on the farmers’ market on the first and third Sundays from May through October peddling their handmade wares.

http://www.northmarket.com/activities-and-events/a-year-of-events

Grange Insurance Audubon Center

505 W. Whittier St.

Columbus, OH 43215

Audubon Afternoons

Every Saturday and Sunday

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Hike with an educator though out the park, participate in activities inside and outside the center and just have fun.

http://grange.audubon.org/

Lowes Home Improvement

FREE DIY projects for children every Saturday at 10:00 am

3899 South High Street
Columbus
(614) 497-6170

If anyone is looking for a great website for your kids about Ohio’s history and programs through the Ohio Historical Society:

http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/portal/ohiokids-p.shtml

COSI: Center Of Science & Industry

333 W. Broad St.

Columbus, OH 43215

Various events and programs

http://www.cosi.org/

http://www.cosi.org/families

Nationwide Children’s Hospital has a Community Education Calendar at www.nationwidechildrens.org/edu.

Steve Morbitzer

Call or Text
Mobile: 614-329-1662
http://www.facebook.com/steve.morbitzer

During the March meeting of the German Village Society Board of Trustees, Board members gave approval for a long-time project of the Long-Range Planning Committee to spin off and become its own entity. What had been called Aging in Place is a concept to help keep seniors in their homes in the Village by pooling resources to provide a slate of services for a membership price. It’s a concept that’s taking hold around the country, and Long-Range Planning has spent hours learning from and talking to other successful, similar programs.

At that March BOT meeting, Judy Neidig and I represented the committee and helped the Board to outline the process for evaluation of Long-Range Planning’s efforts to that point.  Our committee had recommended that German Village find a way to create programming we’d learned about, and we asked the Board to help us shape the next step. GVS President  Bill Case said at the meeting that the Society would offer its support to the project spinning off as its own entity by providing access to office and meeting spaces, as well as communication support via N4N, etc.

We now call ourselves Village Connections, and we’re endeavoring to honor the Society’s wishes and the community’s need.

Here’s where we stand:

• We have a small working group that is meeting every two weeks on Village Connections.
• We are in the process of forming a founding board, and we are very excited about the talent that has already stepped up to volunteer themselves.
• Our first board meeting will be June 7 in the Meeting Haus.
• We are completing our founding documents to present to the Society’s Board, and that includes incorporation and formation of a 501(c) 3.
• We are “in line” for a grant from the Ohio Department of Aging after a very successful meeting last month with leaders in that state agency.

April 9, 2012

Spring in the Village means so many pleasant things and events.  One event is the start of the annual process the Society has for the nomination and election of candidates to fill open board seats as existing terms expire.  As a long-time board member and chair of the Nominating Committee for a third year allow me to provide you some insight to the process and how vital the nomination of qualified candidates is to ensure a board that is responsive to the membership and the Village.

It is a fairly simple process—but one that seeks and needs input from the membership.  Under the Society’s By-Laws the Nominating Committee— three board members and three non-board members appointed by the president of the Society is required to ask the membership to provide names to the committee of members to be considered  as board candidates.  That happened last week—we sent a special notice in Neighbors for Neighbors and any member can propose herself or other member with a short written statement in support.   The deadline for this is June 1.  Any member of the Society who has been a member in good standing for not less than one year prior to the election is eligible to be a candidate.  Likewise a board member whose first three-year term is expiring can be considered as a candidate for a second term if she or he chooses to do so.

Shortly after June 1, the committee will meet and consider all names submitted by the membership as well as other potential candidates the committee has chosen to consider based on the committee’s meetings.  This year—as is the case in most years—there are four board terms that expire.  The committee is required to propose at least one candidate for each vacancy and intends to propose a slate of six or more candidates for the four positions.  The four candidates receiving the most votes would be elected.   While the committee can find qualified candidates without membership input, that likely means other qualified persons unknown to the committee will not be considered.  Thus YOUR input is important!

The committee  is required to submit its proposed slate of candidates to the board at the July board meeting.  At the July meeting, the board approves the slate for circulation to the membership and any member then has another opportunity to nominate additional candidates—by submitting  a petition no later than 2 weeks after the July board meeting.  Such a petition must be signed by not less than 10 members supporting the proposed candidate.

At its August meeting the Board makes final approval of the slate—including any qualifying petition candidates from the membership and submits the slate to the Election Committee—also appointed by the president.  That committee sends the ballots and related information to the full membership with all votes to be returned or postmarked within three weeks after distribution of the ballots.  The elected trustees are then seated at the October Board meeting.

So as you see—you have lots of opportunity to help the committee and the Society make sure that we continue to have Board members who are active, creative and committed to help the Society be all that it can and should be in representing you—the membership as a vital part of the unique and wonderful German Village community.

Wearing my “historic preservation consultant” hat has been a lot of fun over the last few months and I feel like I’ve had a pretty seamless transition from working with German Village residents to now working largely with the Society board and staff. I’ve been able to keep my finger on the pulse of German Village from afar and still manage to feel like I’m contributing something to my beloved 43206.

I’ve been working with the German Village Commission on the Caretakers of a Legacy awards and have been helping the Friends of Schiller a bit with some grant opportunities to commemorate the Bicentennial and celebrate all that’s great about Schiller and his park. These particular projects weave together our constant wish to honor the good work already completed in the Village with the desire to plan for the future in a responsible and appropriate way that still indulges our flair for the dramatic. I’ve also helped out with Haus und Garten Tour program copy, which was great because it meant interviewing Villagers about why they love their homes ~ tough job, right? As always, I’m happy to be a wall for the Historic Preservation Committee to bounce some ideas off of, and thrilled to still be a piece of the puzzle that is German Village.

And while it’s great to still feel a part of German Village, I do so miss being there in person. Spring always means more visitors on the street, Haus und Garten planning buzz, and Village gardens in all their glory. Since I can’t do it myself, I’ll trust you to walk a little slower and soak in all that our historic streetscapes have to offer. An acute sense of hyper-gratitude comes standard with living in German Village, but if you’re feeling that yours is a little neglected, consider what other communities celebrate spring with pats on the back and tours of inspiration, or welcome upward of 10,000 visitors to their doorstep with unrivaled enthusiasm. Think about why you moved to the Village and why you’ve stayed. And always, always think about all those who have walked our streets before you since they are the reason there is a German Village and German Village Society today. Be grateful, be joyful, and simply be a Villager.

I have been active on the Historic Preservation Committee, ably chaired by fellow Board of Trustees member Chris Hune. This committee is engaged in a host of great projects.

One in which  I have taken particular interest  is an effort to record  stories and remembrances of those who lived and worked in German Village a generation or more ago. The idea is to conduct interviews similar to those you hear on the  ”Story Corps” segments featured on National Public Radio.  The folks  engaged in the project include immediate past HP committee chairman Will Eylar, my wife Lisa Case, Jeff Jaynes, Bruce Savage, and Mary Yarbrough.

We are currently identifying residents and others with connections to German Village for the first round of interviews. Another aspect of our work is forming  questions to ask the interviewees. The intent of these  questions will be to elicit responses  that convey a sense of what life was like both prior to the revitalization efforts in the ’60s and thereafter. We still have available several of the “pioneers” who played a part in the creation of the German Village Historic Society, the German Village Society, and the German Village Commission,  and we are excited about hearing their recollections.

Our Director Shiloh Todorov, who considers historic  preservation her “core mission,”  is also using her background in television to help us shape interviews and story topics.

The T42 subcommittee in March OK’d dedicated spending to send one member of the oral histories project to a seminar at Kenyon College this summer, and the information there promises to help  all of us in learning techniques and strategies in conducting these interviews as well as creating and maintaining a usable database for historic storytelling.

The resourceful John Clark, already the consummate German Village volunteer, has agreed to help us with the video recordings.You can help with these historic preservation preservation efforts by helping us to identify persons who we should interview. Historic preservation is what defines German Village, and  this storytelling  will further this mission.

So, you want to be a RECYCLING star? 

Be Part of the Columbus Recycling Video! Get everyone excited about citywide recycling.

Show your support of this great new initiative!

What

City of Columbus seeks Columbus residents of all ages, ethnicities and walks of life to participate
in a fun, upbeat video. Everyone will stand across from each other to form two lines. As music plays,
people take turns dancing/strolling/moving down the aisle carrying a recyclable item to the recycling bin at the end.
People drop in recyclables in a variety of fun ways. Be creative as to how you want to drop it in the bin!

Watch these videos to get in the mood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbvogS3ins&feature=fvst

Who

When:   Thursday, February 16 from 5-8pm

Where

Grange Insurance Audubon Center
505 W. Whittier Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Columbus, OH 43215

Directions – The center is at the very end of Whittier Street, all the way in the back.

Free Parking

RSVP

Please let us know if you plan to attend and if you’re bringing others. Also what you’re coming as:

everyday person, basketball player or whatever.  Send email to: cbyington@murphyepson.com

Make Up

Please no theatre or stage make up. Please look natural and just wear whatever make up you’d normally wear day to day.

Wardrobe – Everyday

Please come dressed in something you’d wear day to day. If you wear suits, wear a suit. If you wear jeans wear those. Lots of color will make the video more inviting so color is fine. We want you to wear what you would normally with a few exceptions:

• NO slogans or logos
• NO cartoon characters or words
• Avoid solid black tops
• Stripes, patterns and solids welcome

Wardrobe – Special Roles

If you are a basketball player, a school marching band member, model, doctor or some other role we need filled, please dress accordingly and bring any props that go with your outfit. Wear your band uniform and bring your instruments, wear your basketball uniform etc. If  you’re coming as a college student, wear your backpack. If you’re a nurse, wear scrubs and a stethoscope

Weather

Unless there is a snow emergency level 2 or 3, which makes travel unsafe, the taping will go on as scheduled.

Food & Restrooms

There will be restroom access. If you’d like snacks or bottled water, please bring your own.

Release Forms

Everyone will be required to sign a media release form. Parents must sign for children under 18.

If you have any questions, email cbyington@murphyepson.com

Thank you again and we look forward to meeting you!

German Village residents owe a big thanks to the extraordinary commitment of time, skill and eloquence exhibited by Bill Case over the last few weeks relating to the opposition to the Cooper Park project.  President of the German Village Society is a volunteer position and Bill assumed that role in October.  When it became apparent that the Board of Zoning Appeals was going to have a hearing on this matter Bill went beyond the call of duty in his efforts to learn about the issue, research the zoning laws and proposed restrictions, and meet with city officials and the developer.  I know that these meetings took hours and hours of his time.  He became well-versed in the details of this project and was well-prepared to represent the concerns of the residents of German Village.

I attended the hearing on December 20.  This hearing lasted until near midnight and Bill Case was a resolute and strong voice to oppose this project and to offer reasonable and thoughtful suggestions on future management of the project if approved.  Others from German Village participated in the hearing, offering comments and suggestions.  I appreciate their involvement and don’t intend to minimize their efforts.  I just had the opportunity to know personally of the commitment of Bill Case and wanted to express my thanks to him for his efforts for all of the residents of German Village.