One of the parking lots at Hoff Park overlooks a fishing pond with fountains.
Gary Budzak | The Gazette
The Westerville Parks Board is presenting a block party from 6-8 p.m. on April 20 in Hoff Woods Park, 556 McCorkle Blvd., filled with food trucks, music and activities.
“Come out and meet your Parks Board representatives at one or all event and enjoy the party,” the city’s website said. “Activities will include a DJ and other entertainment, games, inflatables and food trucks. Parks and Recreation staff will be demonstrating exciting program opportunities, as well.”
The second block party is from 6-8 p.m. on May 18, also in Hoff Woods, which is just over the border in Delaware County. A third block party is from 6-8 p.m. on June 15 to the south in Franklin County at Huber Village Park, 362 Huber Village Blvd.
Huber Village Park is one of four free food waste composting locations. The others are at the former Senior Center Building, 310 W. Main St.; Parks Maintenance, 460 Westdale Ave.; and Public Service, 350 Park Meadow Road.
Items accepted include baked goods, beans, coffee grounds, cooked meat, dairy, eggs, eggshells, fruits, grains, pasta and plant/animal-based materials. Don’t place food containers unless they are biodegradable.
Westerville officials like to call their community a “City within a Park.”
The city also owns and maintains three cemeteries: Olde Methodist Cemetery established in 1849 on West Lincoln Street, Otterbein Cemetery and Mausoleum established in 1856 (the mausoleum in 1924) at Knox and Walnut streets, and Pioneer Cemetery established in 1817 on South State Street.
This spring, the Public Service Department began doing maintenance work in Otterbein Cemetery in mid-March.
“Two trees in the cemetery are being removed due to poor health,” the city said. “The city will plant new trees in a safer location. Additionally, the Public Service team has identified several unapproved plantings in the cemetery that have become unkempt and are encroaching on nearby grave plots. As such, some of these plantings will be marked for removal.”
In other city news, Westerville’s Planning Commission recently rejected a proposed K-8 charter school in an office building at Ceramic Place near the busy intersection of Cooper and West Schrock roads. There were concerns about the school having only one driveway to enter and exit. The majority of the students would have been bused in from Columbus and Westerville. The vote was 5-2 against.
For more information, visit www.westerville.org.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak covers the eastern half of Delaware County and surrounding areas. He may be reached at [email protected].
