victory in World War II. His legacy inspires us to advance science, technology and global cooperation for the greater good of humanity.
In August, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Smith Gardens, a gift to the city from Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Smith. We also celebrated the 50th anniversary of Carol Collins’ 50 years of public service in our city. Congratulations Carol.
Schools/Library
Oakwood City Schools unveiled their new mission statement: “Together We Learn. Together We Achieve. Together We Prepare Students for Tomorrow.”
Oakwood Schools received a Purple Star designation from the State of Ohio for their major commitment to serving military-connected students and their families. They currently support about 260 military students and their families.
Yes, they did it again. The OHS Academic Decathlon team won the Division III National Championship for the 12th year in a row. This scholastic competition is unique because the team is tested in art, social science, economics, language and literature, mathematics, music and science and participates in judged events in speech, interview and essay. Congratulations to all the students and advisor Lori Morris, now in her 19th year as coach. She and her assistants deserve major kudos for their efforts on behalf of our students.
City Council and city staff look forward to continuing our cooperative relationship with Oakwood City Schools.
Wright Memorial Public Library celebrated its 85th anniversary. Under the leadership of Director Kristi Hale, it is one of the most heavily used libraries in the county. Their mission is to provide diverse opportunities for lifelong learning, personal growth, education, and enjoyment, in the heart of Oakwood.
City Services
The primary purpose of local government is to provide for public safety, refuse services, water and sewer services and other governmental and infrastructure services. We also have the obligation to create a community ambience that encourages citizens to want to live in our fine community.
Public Safety
Formed in 1927, our Public Safety Department is the second oldest consolidated department in the United States. It is unique because all our officers are cross-trained and state-certified in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical services. Our first officer on scene response time for any emergency is two minutes, by far the fastest in the region. Our fire engine response time is 4.5 minutes; the national standard is 6 minutes. Our medic response time is 4.75 minutes; the national standard is 12 minutes. Oakwood has the lowest crime rate and fire loss in Montgomery County.
Under the leadership of Oakwood Public Safety Chief Alan Hill, we have the best group of public safety officers in our history. We provided our seventh annual Citizens Police Academy (CPA). Chief Hill describes the program as a unique opportunity for citizens to better understand the job of a public safety officer and serve as a way for Safety Department personnel to hear the needs and expectations of the community. Graduates of the Academy have been very impressed with the professionalism of our Public Safety personnel.
Public Works
Public Works is often overlooked in our city as people take most of these services for granted. They should not!
Our Public Works employees handle our weekly household waste collection and disposal, our comprehensive recycling program, special pickup program, year around yard debris pickup, a dumpster program, fall leaf pickup and a spring mulch delivery program. They also provide routine repairs of our asphalt and concrete streets and alleys, provide snow and ice removal and maintain our traffic signals and street signs.
Public Works staff also operate our water system, sanitary sewers and storm sewers. They are on call 24/7 for storm events, snow events and water main and other broken pipe events. Please thank them for their service to our city.