Thursday, July 2, 2009

Happy Pre-4th of July!

All of the Life After VC Sites have been updated with July postings / info.

Here are some of the updates, be sure to check out the Blog, the Web Page and the VC Facebook group for all the new info!

The Web Page: WWW.LIFEAFTERVC.WEEBLY.COM

The July 09 Newsletter has been posted!

No July Flyer to post- no new VC info to share

July Birthdays & Anniversary's added!

Summer Special Edition Newsletter added!

Email list updated 7-01-09

4 th of July page added!

My Twitter page added!

"Your Forums" added ( feel free to start a topic to discuss with the group)

Photo Gallery Added

Current & Post World News pages added

In the works & under construction still.............................

Search engine - to be able to search the site for specific info

Online Classified & Items wanted / for sale (if you have anything you would like to have posted that you have for sale or are looking to buy, please send me the info.) This page is still in the works and looking for ideas!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Blog: WWW.LIFEAFTERVC.BLOGSPOT

Updated with 4th of July postings! Several postings have been added for the 4th of July Holiday!

Stop by the Blog and see what is NEW!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VC Facebook Group:

We are up to 98 members of our group, just need 2 more to hit our "100" member goal!

Please help us to connect with others you may be in contact with from VC!

http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=66420967034

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter Updates:

If you would like to follow me on my Twitter updates, they are posted on the Blog & Web page sites.

Or if you would like to follow me directly on Twitter send me your Twitter link and I will add you.
I have set mime as private due to all the strange followers that have click my site that I do not know.

http://twitter.com/Twobust

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have posted the latest updated email list.

Check out the lastest update of the email list. Remember you must be a part of the group to have access to the password for the file.

www.lifeaftervc.weebly.com

The July 09 Newsletter has been posted!

Check it out!

WWW.lifeaftervc.weebly.com

4th of July page Added to the webpage site!

4th of July page Added to the site!

I have added a 4th of July page to the site. Special Holiday Music is included! Local firework days & days are also on the page as well as other information. Stop By, check it out and enjoy the music!!

www.lifeaftervc.weebly.com

Life After VC Blog - Updated with 4th of July postings!

Life After VC Blog - Updated with 4th of July postings!

Several postings have been added for the 4th of July Holiday!

Stop by the Blog and see what is NEW!

www.lifeaftervc.blogspot.com

July 4th

Thanks Trudi for this special holiday one!

Happy 4th of July!....

Let ' s get this started now,
So it will be out there on the fourth!!!!

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG,

OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ,

AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS,

ONE NATION UNDER GOD,

INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY

AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!

KEEP IT LIT!! KEEP IT LIT!

For
All of our other military personnel, where ever they may be

Please

Support all of the troops defending our Country.

And God

Bless our Military who are protecting our

Country for our Freedom.

Thanks

To them, and their sacrifices we can celebrate the 4th of July

We must never forget who gets the credit for the freedoms we have,

of which we should be Eternally grateful.

I watched the flag
Pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine
Saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at
Him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square
And eyes alert
He ' d stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men
Like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign
Soil
How many mothers ' tears?

How many pilots ' planes
Shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers '
Graves ?
No, freedom isn ' t free

I heard the sound of Taps
One night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler

Play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That Taps had meant ' Amen, '

When a flag had draped a
Coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the
Children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and
Husbands
With interrupted lives.

I
Thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in
Arlington .
No, freedom isn ' t free.

Enjoy Your Freedom
&God Bless Our Troops

When
You receive this,
Pplease stop for a moment
And

Say a Prayer for our servicemen.

Of all the gifts you could give
A US Soldier, Prayer is the very best one.

THE ONLY FLAG THAT DOESN'T FLY

Thanks Sandy for this great one!

Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB. Check out the dimensions of the flag. The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers.

Aerial photo courtesy of Bill Morson
For our soldiers.... Please don't break it

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our servicemen. There is nothing attached..... Just send this to all the people in your address book. Do not stop the wheel, please....

ShareThis Holiday parades, fireworks - Columbus Dispatch

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/28/fourth_events.ART_ART_06-28-09_B6_Q5EAJFN.html?sid=101

Holiday parades, fireworks

Sunday, June 28, 2009 3:38 AM

All events are Saturday except where noted.

DELAWARE COUNTY

• Delawar e : 11:30 a.m., parade begins at the county fairgrounds; 8 p.m., Central Ohio Symphony outdoor concert at Ohio Wesleyan University, followed by fireworks at 10 p.m. Detailed schedule

• Sunbury: 10 a.m., parade at Big Walnut High School; 10 p.m., fireworks at high-school football field Detailed schedule

FAIRFIELD COUNTY

• Lancaster: 10 a.m., parade begins and ends at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds; 10 p.m., fireworks at the fairgrounds

• Pickerington: 4 p.m., Victory Park opens with rides, concessions and other entertainment; 6 p.m., parade north on Lockville Road, west on E. Columbus Street and south on Hill Road; 8:20 p.m., Paradise Island concert at Victory Park; 10 p.m., fireworks at Victory Park

FRANKLIN COUNTY

• Bexley: 9:30 a.m., parade along Roosevelt Street; 5 p.m., children's activities at Capital University front lawn; 9:45 p.m., fireworks at Capital soccer field Detailed schedule

• Columbus: 6 p.m. Friday, Red, White & Boom parade, COSI to north on Front Street; 10 p.m., fireworks, riverfront; 1 p.m. Saturday, Doo Dah Parade, Buttles Avenue (starting at Park Street) to Neil Avenue to 2nd Avenue to High Street to Russell Avenue to Park Street. Red White and Boom Web site and Doo Dah Parade details

• Dublin: 11 a.m., parade down Bridge Street; 5:15 p.m., the Four Tops & Boyz II Men headline "Red, White, Rhythm and Soul" at the Dublin Coffman High School; 9:50 p.m., fireworks, Dublin Coffman stadium Detailed schedule

• Gahanna: 10:30 a.m., parade, Gahanna Lincoln High School; 5:30 p.m., Freedom Festival at Gahanna Municipal Golf Course; 10 p.m., fireworks at festival Detailed schedule

• Groveport: 1:30 p.m., parade on Main Street; dusk, fireworks, Groveport Elementary School Detailed schedule

• New Albany: 11 a.m., parade at Village Center; 9:45 p.m., fireworks, New Albany High School Detailed schedule

• Reynoldsburg: 2 p.m., parade down E. Main Street; 9:45 p.m., fireworks, Reynoldsburg Civic Park Detailed schedule

• Westerville: 8 a.m., Rotary 5k Run & Walk, Alum Creek Park; 1:30 p.m., parade, State Street to St. Paul's Church; 10 p.m., fireworks, Alum Creek Park South

• Whitehall: 10 a.m., parade from E. Broad Street and S. Yearling Road to John Bishop Park; noon, amusements and rides open in John Bishop Park; 7 p.m. concert, John Bishop Park; 10 p.m., fireworks, John Bishop Park Detailed schedule

• Worthington: 5 p.m., Worthington Family Picnic, Thomas Worthington High School lawn; 9:30 p.m., fireworks, Thomas Worthington football stadium Detailed schedule

LICKING COUNTY

• Buckeye Lake: dusk Friday, fireworks, Fairfield Beach; noon Saturday, boat Parade from Liebs Island to Captain Woody's Detailed schedule

• Granville: noon Thursday, opening of celebration on Broadway Street from Main to Pearl streets. Broadway will be closed until end of the celebration on Saturday; 8:15 a.m. Saturday, Firecracker 5k run, Denison Field House; 10:45 a.m., parade from Wildwood Park to Granger Street; 10 p.m., fireworks, Wildwood Park

• Heath: 5 p.m. Thursday, Star Spangled Celebration, Geller Park; 10 p.m., fireworks, Geller Park

• Johnstown: dusk Thursday, fireworks, high school

• Newark: 6:30 p.m. Friday, concert at the Martha Grace Reese Amphitheatre at Ohio State University Newark; dusk, fireworks, OSU Detailed schedule

MADISON COUNTY

• London: 4-8 p.m. Friday, various activities at J.J. Hartley Athletic Complex and London Elementary School; 10 p.m., fireworks, J.J. Hartley

PICKAWAY COUNTY

• Ashville: 11 a.m., parade, downtown; 10 p.m., fireworks, community park Detailed schedule

UNION COUNTY

• Marysville: 10 a.m., parade through downtown; dusk, fireworks, county fairgrounds

Check out WNCI 97.9 | Columbus, Ohio |

http://www.wnci.com/pages/rwb/index.html

Check out past RWB photos right here. Make sure to check out this page on July 3rd to see live updates from RWB 2009!

People	2009	2008
Boom Central	2009	2008
Dave & Jimmy	2009	2008
Parade	2009	2008
Fireworks	2009	2008
Random	2009	2008

Click here for more galleries!

Make sure to check out our video page on July 3rd for up to date videos from Red White & Boom 2009!

Check out The Columbus Dispatch : Soundtrack keeps the beat for Red, White & Boom!

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/weekender/stories/2009/07/02/9_SPORTS02.ART_ART_07-02-09_T5_K9EAIVE.html?sid=101

Soundtrack keeps the beat for Red, White & Boom

Thursday, July 2, 2009 3:00 AM

By Amy Saunders

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Kyle Robertson | Dispatch

The fireworks are set to music - this year, including that of AC/DC and the Jonas Brothers.

Enlarge image " src="/wwwexportcontent/sites/dispatch/weekender/stories/2009/07/02/rwb02.jpg" border="0">

Enlarge image

The schedule

Red, White & Boom festivities will take place all day Friday, with the
fireworks scheduled for 10 p.m.

10 A.M. WNCI (97.9 FM)
starts broadcasting from Long
Street east of Neil Avenue.

11 A.M. Vendors open on
Washington Boulevard.

NOON Entertainment starts
at Genoa Park, as do vendor
sales at Long Street Boom, and
the Children's Park at Battelle
Riverfront Park.

1 P.M. Long Street Boom
performances begin.

3 P.M. The Taste of Boom
street party opens in the Arena
District, with bands, games and
food. Huntington Park opens to
spectators, with a concert by
McGuffey Lane and Phil Dirt and
the Dozers at 6 ($10).

5 P.M. WCMH-TV (Channel 4)
starts broadcasting at Broad
Street and Washington
Boulevard.

6 P.M. The parade begins at
Broad and Belle streets.

10 P.M. The fireworks start.

10:30 Entertainment
resumes at various stages.

More 4th fun

For a list of holiday activities beyond Red, White & Boom, click here.

Red, White & Boom fireworks that match the beat of Boom Boom Pow are hardly a coincidence.

The musical efforts behind the highly choreographed display date from January, when Program Director Michael McCoy of WNCI (97.9 FM) began working on the 16-track playlist.

Selections change each year to provide variety and to reflect the station's popular music -- such as the Black Eyed Peas single, which McCoy considers "one of the best songs ever made for fireworks."

The list also boasts central Ohio favorites -- an Ohio State fight song, such as Across the Field -- and, of course, the patriotic music that salutes the holiday's existence.

Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA will return after it was excluded last year -- a decision that prompted many complaints.

"That was not a good move on our part," McCoy acknowledged. "We're never going to make everybody totally happy. . . . We try to put something together that most anybody, regardless of age, can relate to."

Playlist specifics will remain a secret before the 10 p.m. Friday show, but McCoy said the Jonas Brothers, AC/DC and Motown acts would be featured.

Such upbeat music works best with fireworks, produced in this case by Pyrotecnico of New Castle, Pa.

Upon receiving the WNCI playlist in April, the company began using a computer program to set fireworks cues with the musical selections.

Pyrotecnico choreographs about 90 of its 600 Independence Day shows -- which can pose challenges.

A rapid succession of fireworks set to a fast, rap-heavy playlist, for example, could exhaust a show's budget.

The company was once asked to match fireworks to a song featuring barking dogs.

"We didn't get super-creative with that one," general manager Christopher Mele said.

But with good music, designers carefully coordinate explosions with the songs' tempos.

The process requires detailed fireworks expertise, given that each product has its own timetable for bursting in air.

"(Designers) try to be as creative as they can, to make sure the fireworks actually match the music," Mele said. "They treat each song like an act in a play."

Red, White & Boom takes up to 30 hours to choreograph, plus a week's worth of work to pack the fireworks, he estimated.

On Friday night, computer equipment will trigger the fireworks' ignition and synchronize the music on loudspeakers, broadcasting via WNCI and WCMH-TV (Channel 4).

As they were last year, the fireworks will be launched from the north side of Veterans Memorial, north of the previous site at COSI Columbus.

That means that some traditional viewing spots work better than others: Berliner Park and the Whittier Peninsula are no longer recommended, said Mike Collins, executive director of Red, White & Boom.

Good locations include areas north of Broad Street -- such as Long and Spring streets, and Nationwide Boulevard -- and Arena District parking lots.

"Those places are, by far, the best places," Collins said.

Columbus police have encouraged spectators to travel in buses rather than cars because fewer officers on-site might lead to heavier traffic.

Collins suggests that people not leave the show too soon: Entertainment will resume at 10:30 p.m., after the fireworks show.

McCoy, like the 400,000 other people expected Downtown, won't know how the music lines up with the fireworks until the 25-

minute show begins.

"That's the fun part for me," he said: "watching how they paint the picture with fireworks."

asaunders@dispatch.com

Bus service

Most local routes will have Downtown service extended until 9 p.m. One-way fare: $1.50; 75 cents for children younger than 12 and 4 feet or taller, and Senior/Key/ADA cardholders; or free for children shorter than 4 feet (limit three with an adult relative).

From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., express Downtown service will be offered from these Park & Ride locations:

Crosswoods (No. 31): 7460 Huntington Park Dr., near I-270 and High Street

Dublin (No. 58): 4450 Dale Dr., near Rts. 33 and 161

Gahanna (No. 41): Agler and Stygler roads

Grove City (No. 64): 2321 Old Stringtown Rd.

Reynoldsburg (No. 45): 2100 Birchview Dr. S.

Upper Arlington (No. 60): Brandon Road between Ridgeview and Zollinger roads

Westerville (No. 36): W. Main Street and Collegeview Road

Round-trip fare: $4; $2 for children younger than 12 and 4 feet or taller, and Senior/Key/ADA cardholders; or free for children shorter than 4 feet (limit three).

Buses will leave Downtown at 10:45 and 11:30 p.m. as well as midnight from designated boarding zones.

Call 614-228-1776 or visit www.cota.com.

Parking

Parking will be offered at nearby lots and garages.

A fireworks viewing area for people with disabilities will open at the Columbia Gas portico; wheelchair seating for the parade will be provided next to City Hall on Front Street.

Boating

Boats will be permitted on the Scioto River but restricted between the I-670 overpass and the Main Street bridge -- with all nearby boat ramps closed.

Call 614-645-3300.

Check out July 4th/Memorial Day

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/july-4th/?ordersrc=google9July4_cgy&cobrandId=ww5&s_kwcid=TC

From Better Homes and Gardens - BHG.COM

4th of July/Memorial Day Crafts

Show your pride in being American with our creative ideas for crafts, decorating, and food.

Features in Crafts

4th of July/Memorial Day Decorating

Show your patriotism with festive red, white, and blue decor.

Features in Decorating

All-American Decor

4th of July/Memorial Day Recipes

Celebrate patriotic holidays by planning the perfect picnic or barbecue bash.

Features in Recipes

Desserts

Menus

See More Outdoor Grilling Recipes

Grilling

4th of July/Memorial Day Traditions

Show your pride in your American heritage with these songs and displays.

Features in Traditions

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Check out The Columbus Dispatch : Holiday parades, fireworks

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/28/fourth_events.ART_ART_06-28-09_B6_Q5EAJFN.html?sid=101

Holiday parades, fireworks

Sunday, June 28, 2009 3:38 AM

All events are Saturday except where noted.

DELAWARE COUNTY

• Delaware: 11:30 a.m., parade begins at the county fairgrounds; 8 p.m., Central Ohio Symphony outdoor concert at Ohio Wesleyan University, followed by fireworks at 10 p.m.

• Sunbury: 10 a.m., parade at Big Walnut High School;

10 p.m., fireworks at high-school football field

FAIRFIELD COUNTY

• Lancaster: 10 a.m., parade begins and ends at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds; 10 p.m., fireworks at the fairgrounds

• Pickerington: 4 p.m., Victory Park opens with rides, concessions and other entertainment; 6 p.m., parade north on Lockville Road, west on E. Columbus Street and south on Hill Road; 8:20 p.m., Paradise Island concert at Victory Park; 10 p.m., fireworks at Victory Park

FRANKLIN COUNTY

• Bexley: 9:30 a.m., parade along Roosevelt Street; 5 p.m., children's activities at Capital University front lawn; 9:45 p.m., fireworks at Capital soccer field

•Columbus: 6 p.m. Friday, Red, White & Boom parade, COSI to north on Front Street; 10 p.m., fireworks, riverfront;

1 p.m. Saturday, Doo Dah Parade, Buttles Avenue (starting at Park Street) to Neil Avenue to 2nd Avenue to High Street to Russell Avenue to

Park Street.

• Dublin: 11 a.m., parade down Bridge Street; 5:15 p.m., the Four Tops & Boyz II Men headline "Red, White, Rhythm and Soul" at the Dublin Coffman High School; 9:50 p.m., fireworks, Dublin Coffman stadium

• Gahanna: 10:30 a.m., parade, Gahanna Lincoln High School; 5:30 p.m., Freedom Festival at Gahanna Municipal Golf Course; 10 p.m., fireworks at festival

• Groveport: 1:30 p.m., parade on Main Street; dusk, fireworks, Groveport Elementary School

• New Albany: 11 a.m., parade at Village Center; 9:45 p.m., fireworks, New Albany High School

• Reynoldsburg: 2 p.m., parade down E. Main Street;

9:45 p.m., fireworks, Reynoldsburg Civic Park

• Westerville: 8 a.m., Rotary 5k Run & Walk, Alum Creek Park; 1:30 p.m., parade, State Street to St. Paul's Church;

10 p.m., fireworks, Alum Creek Park South

• Whitehall: 10 a.m., parade from E. Broad Street and S. Yearling Road to John Bishop Park; noon, amusements and rides open in John Bishop Park; 7 p.m. concert, John Bishop Park; 10 p.m., fireworks, John Bishop Park

• Worthington: 5 p.m., Worthington Family Picnic, Thomas Worthington High School lawn; 9:30 p.m., fireworks, Thomas Worthington football stadium

LICKING COUNTY

• Buckeye Lake: dusk Friday, fireworks, Fairfield Beach; noon Saturday, boat Parade from Liebs Island to Captain Woody's

• Granville: noon Thursday, opening of celebration on Broadway Street from Main to Pearl streets. Broadway will be closed until end of the celebration on Saturday; 8:15 a.m. Saturday, Firecracker 5k run, Denison Field House; 10:45 a.m., parade from Wildwood Park to Granger Street; 10 p.m., fireworks, Wildwood Park

• Heath: 5 p.m. Thursday, Star Spangled Celebration, Geller Park; 10 p.m., fireworks, Geller Park

• Johnstown: dusk Thursday, fireworks, high school

• Newark: 6:30 p.m. Friday, concert at the Martha Grace Reese Amphitheatre at Ohio State University Newark; dusk, fireworks, OSU

MADISON COUNTY

• London: 4-8 p.m. Friday, various activities at J.J. Hartley Athletic Complex and London Elementary School; 10 p.m., fireworks, J.J. Hartley

PICKAWAY COUNTY

• Ashville: 11 a.m., parade, downtown; 10 p.m., fireworks, community park

UNION COUNTY

• Marysville: 10 a.m., parade through downtown; dusk, fireworks, county fairgrounds

Columbus SWAT team adds paramedics to treat wounded officers immediately

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/28/TEMS.html?sid=101

Sunday, June 28, 2009 5:31 PM

By Suzanne Hoholik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

These are not your typical paramedics.

These guys wear body armor and helmets and join SWAT teams during raids, shootings and hostage situations.

"We used to have Columbus EMS come to the command post (from a block away), but history shows us, across the country, that's too far away if an officer gets shot," said Lt. David Wood, who leads the Columbus police SWAT squad.

"It's key to have the medics up close to the situation."

Columbus created a 24-member tactical EMS team late last year. Two members go out with the SWAT team as needed.

The medics don't carry guns. Same goes for Cleveland's tactical medic team, founded last year.

"Now we can do immediate lifesaving interventions on the scene," said Mark DePhillips, a tactical paramedic with the Cleveland Fire Department.

Tactical medics, like those in war zones, learn how to better control bleeding and shock, said Capt. Shawn Koser, a member of the Columbus tactical EMS team.

Over the past decade, police agencies across the nation have trained paramedics to work with SWAT and narcotics teams. Some carry guns.

No one is sure how many tactical medic teams are in Ohio because no agency keeps track. Training and education also vary.

The Ohio EMS board, which oversees training and education of emergency medical workers and firefighters, wants to make sure there are uniform rules for tactical teams.

"You see a lot of SWAT teams putting tactical medics into their teams, but there really were no standards, no regulating authority that oversaw the development of this medical community," said Mark Resanovich, a board member and a tactical medic in Akron.

The board is considering an advanced-practice paramedic level that would include tactical teams, bomb squads, flight medics and dive teams. Creating this would require legislation.

"As we were starting to look at the time and resources of the board, we thought, 'Do we build this little thing and step back, or is there this advanced-practice medic component that would work for all of these?'" said William Vedra, executive director of Ohio Homeland Security and a state EMS board member.

shoholik@dispatch.com

Ohio's rules of the road change this week

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/28/trafficlaws.html?sid=101

New traffic laws include giving space to tow trucks on roadside, using headlights along with wipers

Sunday, June 28, 2009 9:05 PM

By James Nash

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Beginning Wednesday, drivers who see a tow truck at the side of the road will have to move over or slow down, just as they must for stopped police or fire vehicles.

The requirement is one of several changes to Ohio traffic laws that the General Assembly approved as part of the transportation budget three months ago.

Other changes include a higher speed limit for trucks -- 65 mph on rural interstates instead of 55 mph -- and a requirement that the state establish transition zones when posted speed limits drop by 20 mph or more.

The transition zones guard against speed traps when rural highways enter populated areas and speed limits drop suddenly.

The law also requires drivers to turn on their headlights when they use windshield wipers in the rain. However, violations of that provision will result only in warnings this year; tickets may be issued beginning in 2010.

The tow-truck requirement is intended to protect workers servicing vehicles stopped on the side of the road. In the past two years, two tow-truck drivers have been killed by passing cars in central Ohio.

"A lot of people see a flashing yellow light, and they don't think anything about it," said Tom Gary, owner of Southwest Towing and Recovery in Fairfield County. "If you pull over, you could be saving someone's life."

The law carries fines of $300, plus court fees, for first-time violators. A second violation in a year carries a fine of $500.

State troopers will be out in force on the July Fourth weekend, although not necessarily looking for violations of the new laws, said Sgt. Karla Taulbee, a spokeswoman for the State Highway Patrol.

Patrol Lt. Shawn Davis said troopers have discretion on whether to issue tickets or warnings to violators. Troopers might be more inclined to issue tickets to truck drivers who exceed the new, higher speed limit because it's gotten a lot of publicity and speed-limit signs have been changed to reflect the higher limit, he said.

"Troopers do try to use the first few months after a law takes effect as an educational period," Davis said. "A lot of it depends on how much publicity the law change gets."

The tow-truck requirement has received relatively little attention. If a driver sees a stopped tow truck or other service vehicle, such as a utility repair truck, with yellow lights flashing, the driver must either move out of the lane next to the truck or, if that's not possible, slow down.

jnash@dispatch.com

Ohio's rules of the road change this week

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/28/trafficlaws.html?sid=101

New traffic laws include giving space to tow trucks on roadside, using headlights along with wipers

Sunday, June 28, 2009 9:05 PM

By James Nash

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Beginning Wednesday, drivers who see a tow truck at the side of the road will have to move over or slow down, just as they must for stopped police or fire vehicles.

The requirement is one of several changes to Ohio traffic laws that the General Assembly approved as part of the transportation budget three months ago.

The transition zones guard against speed traps when rural highways enter populated areas and speed limits drop suddenly.

The law carries fines of $300, plus court fees, for first-time violators. A second violation in a year carries a fine of $500.

State troopers will be out in force on the July Fourth weekend, although not necessarily looking for violations of the new laws, said Sgt. Karla Taulbee, a spokeswoman for the State Highway Patrol.

"Troopers do try to use the first few months after a law takes effect as an educational period," Davis said. "A lot of it depends on how much publicity the law change gets."

jnash@dispatch.com

Columbus Zoo's executive director dies of apparent heart attack at age 51

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/28/swanagan.html?sid=101

Jeff Swanagan came from Georgia Aquarium to take over in July

Sunday, June 28, 2009 10:00 PM

By Bruce Cadwallader and Jim Woods

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Jeff Swanagan, the executive director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, died tonight of an apparent heart attack suffered at his Muirfield-area home, sources said.

He was 51.

"Right now, I'm in a state of shock. I'm jumping on a plane in Montana to get home," said Jack Hanna, the zoo's director emeritus. "It's just awful news."

Hanna said he was informed that Swanagan collapsed while mowing his lawn and was rushed to Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Zoo officials and members of the board of directors confirmed Swanagan's death as they were trying to locate his family members out of state.

Swanagan was lured to Columbus from Atlanta in July to run the day-to-day operations of the zoo. He followed Jerry Borin as executive director.

Swanagan oversaw final development of Zoombezi Bay and Jungle Jack's Landing and allowed the public to share in the birth of a baby elephant; it was only the second elephant birth in the zoo's history.

Borin served 23 years as a sidekick to Hanna and helped mentor Swanigan, who most recently had been president and executive director of the $290 million Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. He also was CEO of the Florida Aquarium from 1998 to 2002 and was deputy director of Zoo Atlanta from 1992 to 1998.

The Columbus Zoo executive director oversees a budget of $55.2 million. The attraction draws nearly 2 million visitors each year to its facilities spread over 340 acres.

Swanagan is a former Columbus Zoo employee and camp counselor in the 1980s. In an interview last year after agreeing to come back, he called himself the "third J" behind Jerry and Jack.

His first job was to localize marketing of the zoo, and he had begun planning for the next zoo expansion, a polar-bear exhibit scheduled to open later this year.

Swanagan achieved a reputation as an aquatic conservationist and world-class scuba diver. He had studied aquariums in 13 countries before coming to Columbus, according to his bio.

Swanagan is survived by his wife and five children.

bcadwallader@dispatch.com

jwoods@dispatch.com