STATEHOUSE NEWS

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In honor of the life and services of Ohio State Representative Don Manning and Springdale Police Officer Kaia Grant, the flags of the United States & the State of Ohio shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Mahoning County, Hamilton County and at the Ohio Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center, & Rhodes Tower until sunset on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will begin Phase 3 of the Ohio Statehouse parking garage repair project Monday, March 30, 2020.

The Ohio Statehouse Garage is a three level parking structure built in 1964. The last restoration project was completed in 1993 during the Statehouse renovations. The parking garage is U-shaped with seven stair towers and four elevators located throughout.

The garage services both daily and monthly parking customers, accommodating approximately 1,200 vehicles daily.

During Phase 3 of the repairs, the garage will remain in service, however at a reduced capacity. Approximately 25% or 300 spaces will be under construction throughout the entire project. The reserved spaces will be moved in this phase. The area for charging electric vehicles is included, so the charging stations will not be available during Phase 3.

During construction, traffic flow will be maintained, and access to each level will be provided. Vehicles MUST use the Broad Street entrance on the north side of the garage. The Third and State Street driving entrances will be closed.

Driving exits will be open from the garage to Broad Street, Third Street and State Street. When one of the State Street exits is under repair, the other exit will be open to traffic. Signage will notify drivers either to exit west or to exit east onto State Street.

All stairs and elevators will be open. The stairway near the tunnel to the Huntington Building will be under renovation for a brief time.

The walking entrance to the Rhodes Tower is open to those with security badges. Please, no pedestrian traffic on the ramps. This is especially dangerous during construction. Please use caution when driving or walking in the garage.

Many variables can affect the timing of a construction project. A map is attached, and updates about the Ohio Statehouse parking garage repair project can be found at http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/announcements.

Please, contact Mike Rupert at mrupert@ohiostatehouse.org or 614-728-4185 for project specific questions.


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With the increased attention being placed on public health recently, the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) has decided to suspend all guided tours from March 11 through March 25, 2020. UPDATE: Guided tours are suspended until further notice.

Self-guided tours and cell phone tours are still available to the general public. Descriptions of the rooms and monuments on Capitol Square are also available in audio recordings. Paper brochures describing the rooms and artworks in the Ohio Statehouse and on Capitol Square are provided in the Map Room for those who are interested.

CSRAB continues to monitor the coronavirus situation, and will coordinate with the Ohio Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the office of Governor DeWine. More information about the coronavirus situation is available on the Ohio Department of Health website at https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Novel-Coronavirus/welcome/.

For questions about CSRAB tours scheduled to resume on March 25, please contact Katie Montgomery, Educational Services and Museum Collections Manager, at 614-728-3726. UPDATE: Guided tours are suspended until further notice.

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(Columbus, OH)—The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a free historical performance each Tuesday at noon.

Living history performances will be presented each Tuesday at noon throughout February in the Atrium of the Ohio Statehouse. Visitors will meet first-person interpreters who portray prominent African Americans in U.S. history. Each 45-minute vignette will focus on African-American history as part of Black History Month at the Ohio Statehouse. There will be a short question and answer session following each performance.

The programs are presented by “We’ve Known Rivers,” which is a partnership of dynamic storytellers with a passion for history and education. The programs are free and open to the public. Click here for more information about We’ve Known Rivers. If you or your organization would like to schedule a group to attend a performance, please contact Katie Montgomery at 614-728-3726 or kmontgomery@ohiostatehouse.org.

Scheduled living history performances include:

Feb. 4- “John Randolph’s Freed People: You Can Hear Me Now” by Paisha Thomas
Music and stories are on the path to freedom for these families.
Feb. 11- “The Henry Box Brown Show” by Rory Rennick
The enslaved Henry Brown mailed himself to freedom, and became a magician.
Feb. 18- “Of Memory and History: An Affrilachian Storyteller Speaks” by Lynette Ford
Humor and heart are in stories rooted in her family's storytelling traditions.
Feb. 25- “Courage in the Skies: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen” by Anthony Gibbs
The first African-American military pilots served in World War II, and were later stationed near Columbus, Ohio.


Watch past living history presentations here.

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For Immediate Release:
January 30, 2020

Ohio Statehouse Contact:
Mike Rupert: 614-728-4185
Communications Manager, Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board
mrupert@OhioStatehouse.org

The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial Contact:
Mike Strahle: 419-551-0335
www.EyesofFreedom.org
BACKGROUND VIDEO: https://youtu.be/IbuEFEM09kw

WHAT: The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Co. Memorial Returns to Ohio Statehouse Rotunda

(Columbus, Ohio) This traveling memorial, delivered to you by R+L Carriers, depicts the fallen Marines and Navy Corpsman of Columbus, OH based Lima Company 3/25, one of the most heavily engaged units of Operation Iraqi Freedom. These 23 life-sized portraits have become a powerful traveling veterans tribute “honoring ALL who answer our nation’s call; then, now, and tomorrow.” These eyes reflect the hundreds of thousands of men and women that have sacrificed defending our freedom.

WHERE: Ohio Statehouse, Rotunda – 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215

WHEN: Friday, January 31 thru Friday, February 7, 2020
Public Exhibit Hours: Friday 1/31 – 10am to 5pm
Sat-Sun 2/1-2/2: 11am to 5pm
Mon-Fri 2/3-2/7: 8am to 5pm
(Friday 2/7 begin taking down at 2pm)

QUOTES FOR PRESS:
“We’re honored to return once again to the very site where it all began. The Statehouse Rotunda was home for the initial public unveiling back in May 2008 for artist Anita Miller’s amazing work.”
~ Mike Strahle, Director and Lima Co. Vet

“It is so important that this mission keeps traveling. It keeps our boys’ legacy alive and helps veterans everywhere.”
~ Keith Wightman, Gold Star Father

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial was created as a result of an Ohio artist’s vision, in which she saw the finished memorial and felt she was being asked to create it. With the help of the families of the fallen and the returned Marines of L3/25, artist Anita Miller created and unveiled the work in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda in 2008, as the vision foretold.

The Ohio-based Marine Reserve unit, once known as “Lucky Lima,” was one of the hardest hit units in Operation Iraqi Freedom, suffering casualties of 22 Marines and their Navy Corpsman. Created by artist Anita Miller, the memorial contains life-sized paintings of each of the 23 fallen heroes. Names and statistics of each of the fallen men, an ever-living candle, boots and space for visitors to leave mementos will be part of this moving memorial installation.

The Fallen heroes include:
Private First Class Christopher R. Dixon
Lance Corporal Christopher P. Lyons
Staff Sergeant Anthony L. Goodwin
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Youngblood (Navy Corpsman)
Sergeant Justin F. Hoffman
Staff Sergeant Kendall H. Ivy II
Lance Corporal Nicholas William B. Bloem
Corporal Andre L. Williams
Lance Corporal Grant B. Fraser
Lance Corporal Aaron H. Reed
Lance Corporal Edward A. Schroeder II
Lance Corporal William B. Wightman
Lance Corporal Timothy M. Bell, Jr.
Lance Corporal Eric J. Bernholtz
Corporal Dustin A. Derga
Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy
Lance Corporal Wesley G. Davids
Sergeant David N. Wimberg
Lance Corporal Michael J. Cifuentes
Lance Corporal Christopher J. Dyer
Lance Corporal Jonathan W. Grant
Sergeant David Kenneth J. Kreuter
Lance Corporal Jourdan L. Grez

Although the paintings in this Memorial specifically depict the 23 fallen Marines from Lima 3/25, it has become much more. The mission of the nonprofit, Eyes of Freedom Traveling Memorial is to honor the service and sacrifice of all who answer our nation’s call. Behind each portrait one feels the spirit of the thousands of men and women who have served our country, in every branch of the armed forces, not forgetting the returning veterans now suffering from post-traumatic stress. As of 2018 this Memorial also includes the same artist’s newest creation: a life-sized, bronzed sculpture of a serviceman seated with head down, his face depicting emotions of the internal Silent Battle, as the touchable work is aptly named. He represents our nation’s veterans who struggle with suicide and post-traumatic stress, as they navigate life after combat. This powerful offering brings awareness, hope and a dose of healing to all who come in contact with him.

This traveling tribute is supported by a board of directors consisting of retired military, business men and women and clergy. The full time touring team has a personal connection to the men in the paintings; Mike Strahle is a purple heart combat veteran who fought alongside these men and was badly injured in one of the attacks. Sean Flaharty was personal friends of the fallen and helped support painter Anita Miller as a volunteer for years before becoming part of the touring team. Both men offer personal insight into the history and experience of this powerful memorial.

The Eyes of Freedom Memorial’s exclusive transportation provider is R+L Carriers, Inc. based in Wilmington, OH. R+L is a leading less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation company, providing guaranteed, day-definite regional and transcontinental service through a network of more than 100 service centers in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

For more images and more information about the Lima Company Memorial: The Eyes on Freedom exhibit, visit www.limacompanymemorial.org.

To view this press release and others, visit ohiostatehouse.org.

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(Columbus, Ohio) – The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) and the Capitol Square Foundation announce the recipients of the 2020 “Great Ohioan Award.” The 2020 honorees were presented by the Capitol Square Foundation and unanimously approved by the CSRAB recently at the Board’s first meeting of 2020. The individuals were selected from nominations submitted by citizens and organizations from across Ohio.

The 2020 Great Ohioan awardees are Ephraim Cutler and the first women elected to the Ohio legislature.

Ephraim Cutler, an early Ohio political leader opposing slavery and favoring state schools, was a pioneer and the first librarian of the Coonskin Library.

Biography: https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Ephraim_Cutler

Ohio’s first women legislators, elected in 1922, include these Ohio Representatives:

Nettie McKenzie Clapp from Cuyahoga County. Rep. Clapp was the first woman legislator to sponsor a bill that was enacted into law.

Biography: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/museum/ladies-gallery/nettie-mackenzie-clapp

Lulu Thomas Gleason from Lucas County was most noted with her campaign being managed entirely by women and being backed by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

Biography: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/museum/ladies-gallery/lulu-thomas-gleason

Adelaide Sterling Ott from Mahoning County served three terms in the Ohio House. She was the first woman member of the House to preside over that body when she was asked by the Speaker to occupy temporarily the chair during a session.

Biography: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/museum/ladies-gallery/adelaide-sterling-ott

May Martin Van Wye a member of the House and Senate from Hamilton County. She served in the House for three terms and the Senate for one term.

Biography: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/museum/ladies-gallery/may-martin-van-wye

Serving in the Ohio Senate were:

Nettie Bromley Loughead of Hamilton County was the first woman to receive a nomination to run for state Senate and the first to introduce a bill.

Biography: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/museum/ladies-gallery/nettie-bromley-loughead

Maude Comstock Waitt from Cuyahoga County served four terms in the Ohio Senate. She introduced three bills that became law.

Biography: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/museum/ladies-gallery/maude-comstock-waitt

“In recognition of the Centennial of the Women’s Suffrage movement we honor the first six women elected to the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate in 1922. These groundbreaking women set an example for women everywhere to be truly part of representative government,” said Capitol Square Foundation Chairman Charles Moses.

Moses added, “Ephraim Cutler’s role in shaping Ohio's Constitution in 1802 set the course for the prohibition of slavery in the United States. Among his many accomplishments, through his work, Ohio became the first state to prohibit slavery, effectively drawing a line in the sand, stating for all that Ohio would not allow slavery within its borders.”

The Great Ohioan Award commemorates Ohioans who have played a significant role in an event or series of events of lasting significance in world, American or Ohio history. To be selected for the Great Ohioan Award, the nominee must have resided in Ohio for a minimum of five years. In addition, at least 25 years must have passed since the event in which the nominee participated is being commemorated.

Since 2003, 51 Great Ohioans have been recognized with the award for the special roles they played in history.

“This year is the centennial of the 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It’s the perfect time to note the Ohio women who led the way for women’s suffrage,” said Laura P. Battocletti, CSRAB executive director. “Ephraim Cutler’s influence against slavery and for education formed our state in its early days. He deserves to be known as a Great Ohioan.”


GREAT OHIOAN AWARD RECIPIENTS

Great Ohioan honorees and their achievements are archived in a permanent Great Ohioan exhibit, which is part of the Ohio Statehouse Museum. While countless Ohioans have performed great actions for their community and beyond, only a select few have been named a “Great Ohioan.” This exhibit allows visitors to have a greater understanding of the recipients of the Great Ohioan award and discover how they affected local, national and world history. The exhibit uses videos, photos, facts and web based technology to explore the life and legacy of each Great Ohioan.

Opened in 2009, the Ohio Statehouse Museum features high-tech, interactive exhibits that make learning about state government immersive. The museum is packed with historical artifacts and images that detail how government works and who has come to serve their fellow citizens. The new Ohio Constitution exhibit utilizes the original 1802 and 1851 Ohio Constitutions, in conjunction with visitor-interactive displays, to answer the questions, what is the Ohio constitution, what does it do and how does it impact Ohioans in the 21st century?

The Museum includes 5,000 square feet of exhibit space on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse that enriches the experience of schoolchildren and visitors. The Museum offers exhibits that encourage visitors to participate in the government process by making choices, expressing their opinions, comparing viewpoints and even becoming a part of an exhibit by giving a State of the State address. The museum’s “deep dive” approach to education enables visitors to better relate to the governing process.

Photos are available at ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/great-ohioans. To view this press release and others, visit ohiostatehouse.org.


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(COLUMBUS, OH) — Members of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will meet Thursday, January 16, 2020 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. The business meeting will be held in the State Room (room #108) and will begin at 10 a.m. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting agenda is available upon request.

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In honor of the lives lost on December 7, 1941 in the attack on Pearl Harbor, the flags shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the State of Ohio from midnight to midnight on December 7, 2019. Older Posts Newer Posts