Link Ahead with the City of Dublin, Ohio

23 million albums, multiple Grammy nominations and a four-time Female Vocalist of the Year who's recorded more than 20 top 10 singles including six number one hits! We're talking country music royalty - the legendary Martina McBride. She headlines our 2024 Independence Day Celebration at Coffman Stadium. So, what goes into planning one of Dublin's signature events and how are we abl...

According to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the 15-county Central Ohio region is expected to have a population of 3.15 million by 2050.  It's not a typo – 3.1 million.  And that number is actually an increase from previous projections.  In 2023, Columbus was the fastest growing city nationally according to the Bank of America Institute.    Even if regional leaders wanted t...

There are many famous names in golf, but only one stands above all others in collective contributions from the game and to it - Nicklaus.   Jack Nicklaus won more majors than anyone in history, and his legacy and his family's legacy are spread worldwide in everything from golf course design to leading edge health care.   His son, Jack Nicklaus II, leads many of those efforts, including servin...

In Dublin, we truly live our mission every day to be the most sustainable, global city of choice.   Think about these numbers:  our world-class Dublin City Schools teach students from more than 70 countries who speak more than 100 languages.  Residents in more than 20% of homes in Dublin speak a language other than English.  Our more than 4000 businesses contribute to worldwide commerce every sing...

From exclusive, never-before-seen productions to Disney musicals to Green Day's 'American Idiot', the award-winning Abbey Theater truly has something for everyone this season. Check out the performance line-up because the 200-seat venue is sure to fill up night in, night out and matinees, too. Lindsay and Bruce walk you through the season with Dublin's Theater Supervisor, Joe B...

Each Dublin City Council member brings their own perspective, strengths and goals to the job.  We're fortunate and so are our residents to have member, Andy Keeler, watching many things including our tax dollars and local creativity!  Andy is a certified financial planner and by nature a goal-setting planner.  And yet, he's a master woodworker and furniture maker.  His works are on displ...

Be honest, have you thrown one of those plastic clamshell containers for strawberries or blackberries in your recycle bin?  That's a recycling no-no, and that's why this episode is so timely.  April is Earth Month, and as our residents know and practice themselves, Dublin is becoming greener and more sustainable every day.  But it's always important to review and update the do'...

Those are the words of City Manager Megan O'Callaghan from the 2024 State of The City address .    You can absolutely take her word for it, but you can also hear from many people who joined Megan that night to explain how and why:  City Council members, City executives in public safety, economic development, transportation, sustainability, finance, and parks and recreation plus residents who...

To be a global city of choice, Dublin constantly listens to residents, employs city staff with world-class expertise and coalesces outside leaders who also help us evolve and grow.   All of these entities came together recently for one of Dublin City Council's goals to 'Realize the Metro Center Revitalization Vision'.     Lindsay and Bruce lead the conversation with our panelists wh...

Do you know how Dublin funds our pristine parks, the Recreation Center, our miles upon miles of paved paths and so many more world class amenities?   Yes, it's by collecting taxes but there's way more to this story than you may know.  Thankfully, we have the City's Direction of Taxation, Tammy Lehnert, to walk us through the details.  For example, the difference between income taxes...

When newly sworn in Mayor (for a second time) Chris Amorose Groomes was 8 years old, she'd ride her bike down Sawmill Road to Tuller Fruit Farm for a delicious apple fritter on Saturday mornings.   She'd see maybe 10 or 12 cars on the long ride as Sawmill, then, was just a two-lane road.  Today, we know how busy Sawmill is and Home Depot now stands on the fruit farm property.    It'...

Did you know Dublin has a wildlife expert who can answer your questions on everything from plants that deer love and hate to how a skunk smell gets in your house or car?   She's Dublin's Nature Education Coordinator, Barbara Ray, and her work comes from a natural and passionate place.  Barbara first started 'rescuing' tarantulas as a kid and grew up loving the outdoors and all...

Call it planning mixed with some luck as we drop this episode on the very week when we see a wintry mix of precipitation, school delays and our Dublin city crews on the job making sure our roads, bridges and walking paths stay clear and safe.   The person leading that charge is Dublin's Public Service Director, Jay Anderson, who joins Lindsay and Bruce to talk about plans for winter 2024.   ...

2023 encompassed Season 2 of Link Ahead and when we look back at the year of two dozen episodes and guests, it was as varied as you can get:  from World Series champ Kent Mercker and 10TV's Dom Tiberi, (both Dublin residents) to leaders from just about every sector of government talking about our tremendous city services and amenities.   Plus, who could forget Lindsay's co-hosting duties...

Who says you can't come home again? Not Jeremiah Gracia! In October, our City announced Jeremiah had accepted the position of Director of Economic Development. He brings nearly two decades of economic and business development experience, relationships throughout the region, plus two degrees from his alma mater, Bowling Green State University. Engrained in that experience are the nine years (2...

Want to sport your ugliest Christmas sweater and see if it competes with, well, other ugly ones?   Come grab a favorite beverage and enjoy Holly Days in Historic Dublin throughout much of December.     Or, just enjoy the tradition while seeing your friends and neighbors at Dublin's annual Coffman Park tree lighting!   Everything kicks off this week across our city and there's seriously a...

Veterans Day is Saturday, Nov. 11, and we're so proud to welcome U.S. Navy veteran and Dublin Veterans Committee member, Steve Dickman, to Link Ahead.  Steve shares with Lindsay and Bruce the fascinating and demanding lifestyle of serving our country on a Navy submarine.  And how's this for serendipity?  He's an Ohioan who served aboard the USS Toledo!  Steve's public service d...

Did you know you can ask our great city to study traffic and speeds in your neighborhood?   You can also get trained to use a speed laser and even go on a ride-along with Dublin police to see how speeds are enforced.   It's a serious topic because speed is a leading factor in all types of crashes from fender benders to fatalities.  The City's Director of Transportation & Mobility, Je...

You may scratch your head after hearing Dublin Public Services Administrator, Michael Darling, say our recycling numbers are going down. That’s why context is so important on just about anything, right?  Don't worry, Dublin still outpaces Ohio and the nation when it comes to recycle rates but overall, we're recycling less because packaging is getting lighter and lighter.  It's a ton...

Dublin's Director of Engineering, Paul Hammersmith, is often at the center of it all: big projects with potentially enormous residential impact so he's always lending a careful eye and ear to how residents feel.  He’s been to countless community meetings, armed with data, expertise and plenty of information to share. He views citizen input as just that - valuable input from an engaged pu...

This is NOT your dad's arcade.  Think popular video games like Minecraft and Valorant on blazing fast computers, modern headsets, lush chairs (you could take a nap in) and certified coaches who welcome all levels of players!   That's the Respawn Lounge inside the Dublin Community Recreation Center.   Parents, we have activities covering a wide swath of ages from eight years old on up to...

How do you start a conversation with a sports legend who's interviewed everyone from Michael Jordan to Jack Nicklaus and virtually every Buckeye football player and coach over the last 40 years? Actually, it's pretty easy; Lindsay and Bruce start with the calendar because it's FOOTBALL SEASON! 10TV's Dom Tiberi goes in-depth on the 2023-'24 Buckeyes plus talks about the pr...

Sure, Dublin's Field of Corn snags the Facebook and Instagram posts but did you know our great city has 70 public works of art? Get the scoop on the newest artwork – the Boat in the Field. Another one currently getting a lot of attention sits right outside Cameron Mitchell's newest restaurant in Bridge Park, Valentina's. That tremendous work was created by a local couple, but artist...

Dublin, Ohio's Ian Montgomery had a momentous phone call to make; some 3,560 miles away to his mother in Dublin, Ireland. He was flat-out giddy to share the news, that he was named the 2023 Honorary Chair of the Dublin Irish Festival.  It's been quite the journey the last 20 years for Ian, and he shares it all with Lindsay and Bruce in this episode. Ian was on the beat 10 years as a poli...

The most robust high speed fiber optic network Dublin residents have ever seen -- or had access to - is coming starting next year!    The City's Chief Information Officer, Doug McCollough, joins Lindsay and Bruce for a wide-ranging discussion on the when, where, and why.   You'll hear about the three-year build phase and why the city is investing in fiber optics.   (Hint: it blows away w...