By Bruce Kettelle
The asphalt jungle of Trotwood’s Main Street will get a little makeover this summer. Plans developed by zoning administrator Carl Dougherty will insert landscaping between the sidewalk and big parking lots dotting the stretch.
For over 50 years commercial centers were built along the Main street east of the trailer park with minimal landscaping requirements. This led to an asphalt jungle feel in the area according to Daugherty.
“This plan calls for five scattered landscape areas to provide a visual breakup of the large parking lots,” Daugherty explained to the city council during a presentation Monday.
Landscaping and grass will be cut into the asphalt in front of the Broadmoor Plaza (Foodtown), Headliners, Trotwood Barbers, Beeber Center (Subways), and Greater Works Plaza (License Bureau).
“This will impact about 1,000 feet of frontage area,” said Daugherty.
In addition to the landscaping new overhead streetlights and pedestrian amenities will be added.
Daugherty said several Main St property owners and the Trotwood Madison Historical Society deemed the design of the new overhead lights acceptable. The teardrop design with scrollwork arms are similar to the lights used in the area during the early 1900s.
Dayton Power and Light will install the metal halide streetlights replacing the existing high pressure sodium lights. Daugherty said the sodium lights have an orange glare people find unappealing. He also expects the new lights will cure some under-illumination issues in the corridor.
The $75,000 cost of the entire project will be paid for from a federal community block grant. The only cost to the city will be an additional $1,248 annually to pay the electric bill for the streetlights. The new total lighting bill for that area will be $8326.
Daugherty hopes to find additional funding to help leverage additional improvements for Main St in the future. He believes these types of improvements will help attract private developers to also invest along Main Street with new residential and commercial projects.
Showing posts with label olde town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olde town. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Friday, December 11, 2009
Big Boom Rocks Olde Town
By Bruce Kettelle
A loud explosion startled Trotwood residents Wednesday afternoon. Reports of windows rattling and activated car alarms were wide spread in the Olde Town area.
The explosion created by the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Bomb Squad detonated some old military ordinance found in a shed in a nearby neighborhood.
Police Sergeant Fred Beck said the department was called to the home of a recently deceased retired US Marine. Family members were cleaning out the home.
“They did the right thing, they didn’t touch the munitions and immediately called us for assistance,” said Beck.
Police were able to identify a rocket-powered grenade, five smoke bombs, and a phosphorous grenade from the Korea and Vietnam Wars that were stored in a bucket. “They were pretty crusty (rusted) and since they were military devices we called Wright Pat instead of the Dayton Bomb Squad,” said Beck.
A Trotwood officer moved the items to nearby Sycamore State Park where the items were detonated. Beck said they chose the deserted horsemen’s area for safety reasons.
The explosion set off car alarms nearly two miles away along Trotwood Boulevard and elsewhere. Beck said dispatchers received about two-dozen calls from residents after the explosion mostly from the Stauffer Plat.
A loud explosion startled Trotwood residents Wednesday afternoon. Reports of windows rattling and activated car alarms were wide spread in the Olde Town area.
The explosion created by the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Bomb Squad detonated some old military ordinance found in a shed in a nearby neighborhood.
Police Sergeant Fred Beck said the department was called to the home of a recently deceased retired US Marine. Family members were cleaning out the home.
“They did the right thing, they didn’t touch the munitions and immediately called us for assistance,” said Beck.
Police were able to identify a rocket-powered grenade, five smoke bombs, and a phosphorous grenade from the Korea and Vietnam Wars that were stored in a bucket. “They were pretty crusty (rusted) and since they were military devices we called Wright Pat instead of the Dayton Bomb Squad,” said Beck.
A Trotwood officer moved the items to nearby Sycamore State Park where the items were detonated. Beck said they chose the deserted horsemen’s area for safety reasons.
The explosion set off car alarms nearly two miles away along Trotwood Boulevard and elsewhere. Beck said dispatchers received about two-dozen calls from residents after the explosion mostly from the Stauffer Plat.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Halloween Family Fun Walk Tonight
The Halloween Family Fun Walk is 4-6pm tonight at Madison Park in Trotwood (next to Madison Park Elementary School.) Dress up your kids and bring them out for over twenty trick or treat stations around the walking trail. Don't miss the Trunk n' Treat in the parking lot. And of course there are free hayrides with Farmer Bruce, Kenny, Phillip and Michelle. This is a rain or shine event, showers should end by start time and temps will be in low 50's.Read More
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Iams Pioneer Harvest Fest Saturday Oct 10
The 11th Annual Iams Pioneer Harvest Fest on October 10th is an antique farm equipment exhibition fun for families and all ages. In our cornfield out back you will see live demonstrations of actual corn harvesting with vintage equipment including a one-row corn picker and corn binder. The hours are 10-5 and admission is free.
Over 30 antique tractors are on display or in use as the corn is brought in to the belt driven ‘Corn Husker Shredder’. This year’s feature tractor is a 1919 Rock Island Heider tractor model 9-16D beautifully restored by the Flora Family.
Hayrides, and open fire cooked chili will keep you warm. The Iams Homestead Museum is full of local and regional exhibits where you can discover some great memories of the past.
New this year is a little live bluegrass music in the afternoon with western Ohio’s own Rock Island Plow Co. Band. They will start after the 2pm corn shelling contest.
Children always enjoy the hand cranked corn shellers and scavenger hunts. The nature trail behind the barns include an up close visit to the oldest Bur-Oak tree in Montgomery County estimated at over 500 years old.
In the barn are displays of tobacco drying, old equipment, and tools. Plan to spend at least a few hours at the Iams Pioneer Harvest Fest and you will find yourself stepping back in time. Our country store will be open with unique one-of-a-kind items and our delicious homemade pies.
Hot dogs, chili and drinks are available for a small donation. The Trotwood-Madison Historical Society is easy to find just a few blocks south of Trotwood’s historic Olde Town at 349 S Broadway. The hours are 10-5pm and admission is free.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Legacy Businesses Are Not Born Overnight
By Bruce Kettelle
As the Dayton region loses one legacy business after another from Frigidaire, to Delphi and now NCR it makes one wonder what the next Dayton legacy will be.
Legacies like these are not built overnight, they grow so gradually that most would not realize they have become a legacy until they start to downsize.
Fire destroyed Trotwood’s legacy business back in 1981. Thousands of campers and travel trailers were built on North Broadway for delivery all across the country. Trotwood Trailers were respected for their innovative features and high quality construction. Many still survive today but the company does not.
Now almost 30 years later Trotwood still searches for its new legacy business. Right now, somewhere in town, someone might be inventing something in their garage like Ray Kuntz and Warren Wagner did back in the late 1920’s. These schoolteachers occupied their summers in a garage on Grand Av designing a prototype canvas tent on wheels to take camping.
Despite the economic gloom of the Great Depression in 1932 they opened Trotwood Trailers and by 1950 they grew to control 20% of the camper trailer market in Ohio. There were many models to choose from and one of their largest models can still be seen in the mobile home park on E Main St. It was a regular sight to see 12 trailers rolling out of town every day on their way to customers across North America.
Their neighbors tolerated the pair working long hours from their ‘home office’ not realizing the impact their inventions would have on the trailer world from innovative axle systems to the first side entry door trailer. Like the bar owner in Dayton that invented a cash register to keep his employees honest to the brothers experimenting with aerodynamics with a wind tunnel in their bicycle shop, ideas that become legacies can be born just about anywhere.
No one knows what Trotwood’s next legacy will be but the timing is right to see a new idea nurtured amidst the ashes of the current recession. So the next time you see your neighbor burning the midnight oil offer a little encouragement. They just might be defining the direction of Trotwood’s economic future.
This Trotwood Trailer is the last one located in the mobile home park on East Main St in Trotwood, Ohio. It was being renovated when this picture was taken in August 2009.
As the Dayton region loses one legacy business after another from Frigidaire, to Delphi and now NCR it makes one wonder what the next Dayton legacy will be.
Legacies like these are not built overnight, they grow so gradually that most would not realize they have become a legacy until they start to downsize.
Fire destroyed Trotwood’s legacy business back in 1981. Thousands of campers and travel trailers were built on North Broadway for delivery all across the country. Trotwood Trailers were respected for their innovative features and high quality construction. Many still survive today but the company does not.
Now almost 30 years later Trotwood still searches for its new legacy business. Right now, somewhere in town, someone might be inventing something in their garage like Ray Kuntz and Warren Wagner did back in the late 1920’s. These schoolteachers occupied their summers in a garage on Grand Av designing a prototype canvas tent on wheels to take camping.
Despite the economic gloom of the Great Depression in 1932 they opened Trotwood Trailers and by 1950 they grew to control 20% of the camper trailer market in Ohio. There were many models to choose from and one of their largest models can still be seen in the mobile home park on E Main St. It was a regular sight to see 12 trailers rolling out of town every day on their way to customers across North America.
Their neighbors tolerated the pair working long hours from their ‘home office’ not realizing the impact their inventions would have on the trailer world from innovative axle systems to the first side entry door trailer. Like the bar owner in Dayton that invented a cash register to keep his employees honest to the brothers experimenting with aerodynamics with a wind tunnel in their bicycle shop, ideas that become legacies can be born just about anywhere.
No one knows what Trotwood’s next legacy will be but the timing is right to see a new idea nurtured amidst the ashes of the current recession. So the next time you see your neighbor burning the midnight oil offer a little encouragement. They just might be defining the direction of Trotwood’s economic future.
This Trotwood Trailer is the last one located in the mobile home park on East Main St in Trotwood, Ohio. It was being renovated when this picture was taken in August 2009.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Broadway Café Gets a Makeover
By Bruce Kettelle
Broadway Café was looking a little tired, relatively unchanged since it was Copperfields in the 90’s and Deb and Rick’s before that. After buying the Olde Town restaurant in 2005 owners Alex and Donna Kup have been saving up for a makeover.
This spring the gradual effort has paid off with oohs and aahs from customers.
Even with the slow economy Donna said it “it needed it” and the couple plunged into the work. A little here, a little there done after hours at night and the new look took shape.
“First thing we did was get rid of the partition wall in the center of the dining room,” said Donna, “It opened everything up, made it a brighter restaurant.” A few weeks later new carpet appeared and then the walls were painted.
“We hired our customers to do the work,” stressed Donna about the importance of supporting the local community.
The finishing touches came from Jim Foster. He operates his national branding and design firm from Olde Town.
Jim tackled the bathrooms and selected a theme for the art displayed in the dining room.
Covering the walls is a photo history of Trotwood. Many photos are on loan from the Trotwood Historical Society. “The customers really like the pictures on the walls, they start a lot of conversations and we’re learning more about Trotwood history all the time,” says Donna.
Donna says so far the improvements haven’t resulted in many more customers but now it feels more like a home.
“I think of our customers as family.”
Broadway café is open from 6:30am to 10:00pm every day. There’s a steady crowd for breakfast specials and their popular wings and pizza. They even deliver.
Donna has a few more plans for the restaurant but wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag just yet. “If the good Lords willin and the creek don’t rise we’ll be in Trotwood for a long time.”
Broadway Café is located at 203 N. Broadway. Give them a call at 837-6555.
See pictures at http://www.totallytrotwood.com/home_6-8-09.htm
Broadway Café was looking a little tired, relatively unchanged since it was Copperfields in the 90’s and Deb and Rick’s before that. After buying the Olde Town restaurant in 2005 owners Alex and Donna Kup have been saving up for a makeover.
This spring the gradual effort has paid off with oohs and aahs from customers.
Even with the slow economy Donna said it “it needed it” and the couple plunged into the work. A little here, a little there done after hours at night and the new look took shape.
“First thing we did was get rid of the partition wall in the center of the dining room,” said Donna, “It opened everything up, made it a brighter restaurant.” A few weeks later new carpet appeared and then the walls were painted.
“We hired our customers to do the work,” stressed Donna about the importance of supporting the local community.
The finishing touches came from Jim Foster. He operates his national branding and design firm from Olde Town.
Jim tackled the bathrooms and selected a theme for the art displayed in the dining room.
Covering the walls is a photo history of Trotwood. Many photos are on loan from the Trotwood Historical Society. “The customers really like the pictures on the walls, they start a lot of conversations and we’re learning more about Trotwood history all the time,” says Donna.
Donna says so far the improvements haven’t resulted in many more customers but now it feels more like a home.
“I think of our customers as family.”
Broadway café is open from 6:30am to 10:00pm every day. There’s a steady crowd for breakfast specials and their popular wings and pizza. They even deliver.
Donna has a few more plans for the restaurant but wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag just yet. “If the good Lords willin and the creek don’t rise we’ll be in Trotwood for a long time.”
Broadway Café is located at 203 N. Broadway. Give them a call at 837-6555.
See pictures at http://www.totallytrotwood.com/home_6-8-09.htm
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