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Project focusing on west side moving ahead

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 8:18 PM Sunday, June 21, 2009

Middletown City Council received an update at its June 16 meeting on the progress of the place matters , a community partnership that includes the United Way, the city of Middletown, Miami University Middletown and a number of other stakeholders.

The project, which has been in the works for several months, is focusing on three areas on the city’s west side — downtown, Damon Park and Douglass Park.

The west side of the city is the focus of the project because of its historic significance, it has stakeholders willing to work together, common interests and issues, and a balance to the development of the East End, officials said.

Other partners in the project include the Middletown Community Foundation, the Middletown City Schools, the Salvation Army and the city’s faith-based sector.

In Douglass Park, the focus of activity includes better communication, family development and other parent-child supports, and developing youth leadership through a mentoring network.

Priorities in Damon Park include focused activities at Amanda Elementary School and its gardening program. The focus of activity in the downtown area includes marketing and promotion of downtown’s assets and events, improving the appearance of specific downtown buildings and targeting buildings that are occupied by tenants.

Among the next steps in developing this community investment strategy are the creation of an implementation plan by mid-2009; developing a program and a three-year budget; creating partnerships; and convening the players to implement the project.

Weatherwax back in the top 10

Golf Director Dave Tieman told council last week that Weatherwax Golf Course recently returned to the top 10 list of Ohio’s top public golf courses. Tieman said the local golf course had dropped from the list but regained a spot in the top 10 this spring.

More asphalt repair work set

City Council approved an emergency ordinance for a contract modification with J.K. Muerer Corp. for an additional 300 tons of asphalt repair/pothole patching.

The company was contracted last month to use about 500 tons of asphalt for the 2009 street maintenance pothole patching program at a cost of $90,000. The additional 300 tons will cost $51,000, bringing the total to $141,900 this year.

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