Category Archives: Beagles
At left, Donut poses next to a statue of Fala at the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 2010, and at right, by the Day Lodge porch in John Bryan State Park in 2017.
At left is Ziti at the Lathrop House in 2020, which is in Harroun Park in Sylvania and at right she is in front of the Meade House in 2021, which is in the Meade Historic Preserve in Symmes Township.Ziti Looks Back on a Productive 2021
Ziti always looks as if she’s having a blast at The Gated Dock (left). Ziti looking not too impressed at the ribbons she’s racked up for 2021 (right).
Ziti participated in 32 FastCAT races and earned enough points to achieve BCat, DCat, and FCAT levels! She is currently the fastest beagle in the country with her fastest three runs averaging 26.07 MPH. Ziti, however, looks much happier actually running the races than posing with her awards.
Click HERE for a copy of the 2022 Ziti Motivation Calendar
Happy Holidays from Hardlines Design Company (and Ziti)!
Ziti is the Fastest Beagle in the Country!
Ziti’s personal best is 7.85 seconds in the 100-yard AKC Fast CAT course. When converted to miles per hour, Ziti clocks in at just over 26 miles per hour!
Ziti’s official ranking on the AKC website
Meanwhile, Ziti also racked up more points toward her FCAT ribbon by participating in four races at the National Beagle Convention, which just happens to be in Wilmington, Ohio, this year. Although she was a little off on Saturday, only running at about 8.4 seconds, it still qualified as the fastest time of the day. Ziti was awarded a bright pink ribbon for her time!
Photo of Ziti flying toward the finish line from official event photographer Dean Lake Photography (left) and Ziti posing with her ribbon (right)
Spring 2019
HDC President Charissa Durst presents at Circleville Rotary Club
After the article on Ohio’s historic theatres appeared in the Ohio AAAMagazine in November, HDC received a call from Bob Sneed to give a presentation on historic theatres to the Circleville Noon Rotary meeting in January.
Woodward Opera House featured in Revitalization Magazine
HDC’s opera house project appears in the Spring 2019 edition of Heritage Ohio’s Revitalization Magazine.
HDC completes drawings of the Ballville Dam
In 2017, HDC was asked by Commonwealth Heritage Group to join their team to provide Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) documentation of the Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River, which was scheduled to be demolished. After the team was awarded the project, HDC conducted research at the city engineer’s office in Fremont, Ohio, and looked through construction drawings, historical photographs, and inspection reports of the dam. The team documented the dam prior to its demolition and during demolition in the summer of 2018, and in the first quarter of 2019 completed the drawings
Construction of the dam started in 1912 to provide hydroelectric power to the area, but the Great Flood of 1913 almost destroyed the dam. The dam was rebuilt and expanded in 1914-1916 with a steam plant added in 1916 to boost production needs. The steam plant closed in 1929, was reactivated during World War II, and then was demolished in 1954. The City of Fremont purchased the dam in 1960 to divert fresh water for storage and renovated it in 1969 to treat fresh water. The City constructed a new water treatment plant in 2013, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources made plans to remove the dam to allow the Sandusky River to revert back to its natural state.
HDC historic architect Charissa Durst completed the drawings, Commonwealth Heritage Group historian Elaine Robinson wrote the background history, and Dietrich Floeter took the large-format photographs before and during the dam demolition.
Devon Pool Bath House nears completion
With a Memorial Day pool opening closing in fast, the work on the Devon Pool Bath House is nearing completion. All of the exterior walls and and the roof structure are up, and the remaining work consists of installing exterior wall and roof finishes and interior work. The wet weather delayed construction, but work is still expected to be completed in April with the pool scheduled to be open Memorial Day weekend. Some last-minute, change-order work included adding a manhole to access an unknown sanitary line tap and providing a new tap and pipe for a future pool equipment building, which HDC has also been commissioned to design.
HDC starts work on Devon Pool Phase III
In January, HDC started work to design the final phase of improvements to Devon Pool. The project consists of replacing the two existing pool equipment buildings (one built in the 1930s and the other in the 1960s), replacing any pool equipment near the end if its life cycle, replacing the remaining old concrete deck, and making repairs to the toddler pool. The new equipment building will sit on the foundations of the existing buildings and enclose the space in between to create additional indoor storage space. Later this spring, the City of Upper Arlington will decide whether to retain the toddler pool as is, upgrade it to meet state health code, or replace it with a new amenity, such as a sprayground or splash pad.
OSU Cockins Hall Fourth Floor also nears completion
The renovation of the fourth floor in Cockins Hall at The Ohio State University for the Statistics Department reached substantial completion in March. The project started off as a fire alarm replacement project, but the scope expanded when OSU required the abatement of the asbestos-containing plaster ceiling between the fourth floor and the attic. OSU then required that the replacement ceiling not bear on any of the partition walls, to make future floor plan modifications possible without major construction. The Statistics Department then requested the renovation of the fourth floor to include a conference room named for a recent alumni donor. HDC was already working with Monks Engineers, a TEC company, on the fire alarm project and was tasked to lead the renovation work. This project consisted of alterations to the floor plan and new floor, ceiling and wall finishes along with the named conference room. During design, the existing 40-year-old air handling unit in the attic failed, and replacement of the HVAC system for this floor was added to the project, requiring alterations to an attic dormer and a new attic plenum to bring in sufficient outside air. Construction is scheduled to be completed by May to allow the Statistics Department to move back in over summer break.
Retrospective of HDC’s office beagles
The first office dog at Hardlines Design Company was Bagle the Beagle. Bagle came from the Delaware County Humane Society and of the six dogs available for adoption that day in 1993, she was the only one who didn’t bark. Bagle had previously been adopted but was returned because she was too afraid of the family’s son, and the shelter thought her original owner probably included males who beat her. Bagle was about a year old when she joined HDC, and it soon became evident that she was an alpha dog who loved to track rabbits.
At the end of 1996, a client in Athens, Ohio, who knew we had a beagle kept calling to see if we wanted to adopt a second beagle that was at Athens Pound Rescue. Sadie the Beagle came to the office over Christmas break and tried soooo hard to be Bagle’s best friend, but Bagle was not having any of it. As the alpha dog, Bagle expected Sadie to acknowledge her lead and do what she was told. I think Bagle expected this of the humans as well! Over the next few months, it was evident that Bagle was very unhappy at not being the only dog anymore, and she started limping and dragging her rear leg. Don’s mother’s daschund had died the previous year, so Don’s thought was to train Sadie to be a replacement dog for his mother. The Monday after Don took Sadie to Akron for the weekend, Bagle’s limp was cured and HDC’s employees were amazed at the spring in her step and the shine in her eyes, which they had never seen before. Bagle was perfectly happy to host Sadie for visits, as long as Sadie went home afterwards.
Bagle died of a heart attack in April 2004 at just over 12 years of age, probably as a result of chemotherapy for the thyroid cancer that was diagnosed in February 2004. Donut came from the Franklin County Dog Shelter in May 2004 as a wild eight-week old puppy who had been found on the street when she was four weeks old. However, she was so cute we spent the first year in weekly puppy training classes, trying to get her domesticated. Sadie actually came to the office for a visit and met Donut as a puppy, but you could tell Sadie was expecting to see Bagle. Just before she turned 12 in 2006, Sadie left us after developing a fast-growing stomach cancer.
Unlike Bagle, Donut had no concept of how to track rabbits. Donut’s DNA test indicated that she was 10-20 percent rat terrier, and I think the terrier portion was all in her brain. Donut loved to chase chipmunks and catch mice and play with them by tossing them in the air, which apparently is what rat terriers do. We said goodbye to Donut in December 2018 after her kidneys started to fail when she was almost 15.
Who will be the next HDC office beagle? That still remains to be seen, but it will likely be a puppy since Donut was the only beagle who was able to be trained to (mostly) come when called off leash. Stay tuned for updates!
Winter 2018
HDC President Charissa Durst an honoree at WELD calendar reception
Each year, Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) recognizes a diverse group of 12 women in the central Ohio community who are high-impact leaders within their organizations; support the leadership development of other women; give time, talent and resources to their community; and invest in the growth of women-owned businesses. Charissa Durst was one of 12 women honored at the WELD calendar reception on November 1.
The 2019 honorees group photo (left) with Charissa Durst in front row far right and the September 2019 calendar image (right)
HDC completes draft report for Louisville airport sound insulation project
Since 2007, HDC has been working with the Louisville, Kentucky, office of C&S Engineers, Inc., on the sound insulation project for the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, part of the FAA’s Airport Noise Program to reduce the number of people exposed to significant aviation noise. Buildings around the airport located in an area above a certain decibel level are eligible to receive sound insulation to reduce noise levels inside their home. HDC’s role has been to inventory and evaluate buildings within the targeted decibel level zone and determine if the homes are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. If the homes are deemed eligible, then HDC works with C&S Engineers to ensure that any modifications to the property for sound insulation will not adversely impact the historic property. All survey and design work is reviewed and approved by the Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office. HDC previously completed seven phases of work and is currently working on the eighth phase in neighborhoods adjacent to those previously surveyed.
An intact example of a Tudor Revival style house (left) and a building associated with the Keneseth Israel Cemetery (right)
Devon Pool Bath House project in Upper Arlington is getting out of the ground
The underground utilities are in, and the floor slab has been poured at the locker room building, which houses the toilets, showers and changing rooms. The masons worked outside until the temperatures dropped into the 40s during the day and 20s overnight, at which point a tent was erected over the structure. The sun alone has kept the interior temperatures comfortable enough for everyone to continue working. As the masons built the walls up, the plumbers and electricians followed close behind to install piping, drains and conduits.
View of the front of the Locker Room building (left) and view of the men’s locker room (right) looking toward the entry
Indian Mound Recreation Center is coming down and going up!
The Indian Mound Recreation Center was supposed to be a new facility, but the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department did not have enough funding for a completely new facility. Instead, HDC persuaded the city to keep the old gym — since it was in good shape — and repurpose portions of the remaining building for storage, mechanical space and some programming space. The new addition would house a second gym, new lobby space, expanded administrative offices and additional programming space. Due to the presence of poor soils that had to be replaced, an unusually wet summer, and changing municipal power requirements, this project got off to a slow start. The cold weather means this project will also have to be under a tent soon!
View of the partial demolition of the old facility (left) and the new floor slab with new wall going up at addition (right)
HDC says goodbye to Donut the Beagle (2004-2018)
Donut picked up an intestinal bug after Thanksgiving thanks to the melting ice and a not-so-robust immune system. She was then stricken with pancreatitis. This one-two punch was too much for an almost 14 ¾-year-old beagle. An unknown neurological issue was causing lameness in her rear legs, and then it turned out she was in kidney failure on December 14 after testing OK for it just the week before. She had spent an hour at a holistic vet clinic getting blissed out with a chiropractic massage, acupuncture, and magnetic pulse treatment, and it was time to let her go.
Two favorite activities in 2018: snoozing at the office (left) and having fun at the park (right)
Click here for a copy of the 2019 Donut Memorial Calendar.
Fall 2018
HDC Staff News
Although Megan Claybon was born and raised in Atlanta, her mother grew up in Upper Arlington and learned to swim at Devon Pool. So it seemed only fitting that Megan coordinate the construction documents for HDC’s project to replace the 1950s pool house with a new building. Just as the project was going into construction after the pool closed before the first day of school, Megan gave birth to Phoebe in August! So, instead of attending progress meetings at the construction site, she is keeping busy with her new daughter at home. We are all thrilled for her adventure in life, but we will greatly miss her at the office!
Prior to coming to HDC, Cathie Senter taught building conservation and preservation at Belmont Technical College in St. Clairsville, Ohio. While she was wrapping up her teaching and housing situation, it seemed logical for Cathie to coordinate the construction documents for HDC’s projects in eastern Ohio: an expansion to the existing paper packing plant at nearby Belmont Correctional Institution and the replacement of exterior stairs at Noble Correctional Institution. In July, Cathie’s dog Casey passed away at the age of 15-1/2 years. Several people at the Harrison County Dog shelter, where Cathie often volunteers, forwarded her information on three Lab/Sharpei mixes that had recently been rescued. Cathie took a fancy to one she called Murphy. Murphy and his brothers ended up at the “Save a Puppy” program at Belmont Correctional Institution, where inmates provide obedience training and socialization. Cathie was able to meet with Murphy and his trainer while attending job meetings on site, and after Murphy graduated in August, she brought him to his forever home in Columbus.
Murphy alone (left) and with Cathie (right)
For their 13th wedding anniversary, Charissa Durst and her husband took a driving trip north to Michigan. They attended the Cherry Festival and visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and then Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula. Bookending the trip was the initial stop at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo and the final stop at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, where there was an exhibit on Charles and Ray Eames.
Air Zoo exhibits (left) and an Eames furniture exhibit (right)
HDC works with Commonwealth Heritage Group on the Ballville Dam
HDC continues to work with Commonwealth Heritage Group on the historic documentation of the Ballville Dam, which was proposed for demolition to restore the natural flow of the Sandusky River near Fremont, Ohio. HDC is providing the drawings. Charissa Durst visited the site in 2017 to obtain information and start the drawings. The dam was demolished in July and HDC visited to check conditions that were not previously visible. The drawings are scheduled to be completed this fall.
The dam before demolition in August 2017 (left) and during demolition in July 2018 (right)
HDC Starts Work on the USAF Alert Facility Cold War Museum in Blytheville, Arkansas
In 2016, a pilot and volunteer interested in saving the 1950s Alert Facility on the former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville contacted HDC about preparing a study to determine the costs to rehabilitate the abandoned building into a museum. HDC visited the site and provided information on the costs needed for a study. The project moved forward in the April 2018 when HDC made a presentation to the board about the work needed to complete the study. In three months, the funds were raised to commission HDC to prepare the study, and Charissa Durst and John Creasy drove down to Arkansas to conduct field work. By happy circumstance, at the WPO conference in Los Angeles, Charissa Durst sat next to A.J. Goehle, the executive director of Luci Creative, who happen to be museum designers with military project experience. HDC has partnered with Luci Creative to provide recommendations and budgets for the museum’s future exhibits. The goal of the museum is to provide a memorable experience on what it was like to be on 24-hour alert to defend the United States from a Soviet attack.
Alert Building from the Guard Tower (left) and one of the security gates that will be part of the visitor experience
Donut Runs (Almost) Free in the Park
Throughout the summer, Donut often goes to the Prairie Oaks Metro Park on the weekend. In June, before it got really hot, she happily ran down the mowed paths on the prairie section. Donut has always been an unusual beagle in that she doesn’t wander off on her own. We often drop her 40-foot leash and let her run ahead before calling her back for a treat—her absolute favorite park activity. Later, when it became really hot, Donut would end up in Big Darby Creek getting a drink and cooling off, her second favorite thing to do at the park.
Donut running with ears flapping
Spring 2018
President Charissa Durst Honored as a Progressive Entrepreneur
Charissa Durst was named a 2018 Progressive Entrepreneur Honoree at the Smart Women Breakfast on April 17, 2018. The award recognizes female entrepreneurs who have forged their own path and developed a company that has achieved substantial growth. Charissa was honored for establishing herself as a leader in her field and among other women business owners, as well as for building Hardlines Design Company (HDC) from the ground up into an award-winning company that has earned an excellent reputation for its creative approach to architectural design and its love for the renovation of historic buildings.
Demonstration of D/2
Cathie Senter gave the office a demonstration on how to clean masonry using D/2 Biological Solution, which is a non-toxic cleaner that can be sprayed onto masonry at full strength or diluted with water. We used bricks obtained from the Dawn Theater during the last field visit and confirmed that the brick featured black speckles that matched the original black mortar. The longer the brick was in contact with the solution, the cleaner it became. D/2 is also commonly used to clean historic gravestones in cemeteries.
Bricks from the Dawn Theater in a D/2 bath
Woodward Opera House Gets Partial Occupancy Permit
After 17 years, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! The Woodward Opera House project received partial occupancy at the end of March, which allowed portions of the building (the commercial sections) to be leased and occupied. Areas still under major construction include the theatre areas, which likely will not be ready until the fall season at the earliest. Charissa Durst and Brad Curtis have been working through the federal historic tax credit reporting forms as well as responding to issues brought up by the contractors and state inspectors. Many people have been asking about a grand opening, and we hope to have some news on that soon!
View of new main stair in the Promenade, April 2018
View of the Stage (left) and view of the Balcony (right)
HDC works with Commonwealth Heritage Group at the St. Louis Arsenal
Last fall, Commonwealth Heritage Group asked HDC to team with them on a project at the historic St. Louis Arsenal in Missouri for Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. HDC’s portion of the project was to conduct a conditions assessment and prepare repair and mothballing recommendations for when the Air Force transferred ownership of the buildings to the General Services Administration in the near future. Cathie Senter conducted the field work and recently contributed to the executive summary currently under review.
The Arsenal has a long history that began in 1827, when the site was used to manufacture and repair small arms and gun carriages for the Army as well as territorial militias west of the Mississippi River. It played a key role in settling the American West from arming U.S. troops during the Indian Wars of the 1830s to being a Union outpost during the Civil War. The Arsenal property is today a satellite to Scott Air Force Base and is highly secure, and all field team members had to be escorted and could not take photographs. However, the following historic images are already in the public domain and can be shown here.
Historic photo of Building 7, built 1849-50 as the Ordnance Coal House and now the Visitors Center.
Historic photo of Building 6, built in 1852 as the Carriage-Maker’s Shop and now demolished.
When the Boss is Away, the Dogs Will Play
When HDC President Charissa Durst attended the Women Presidents Organization annual conference in Los Angeles, Donut the Beagle stayed home to be tended by Charissa’s husband, Don Durst. Meanwhile, back at the office, the staff’s dogs made guest appearances.
Brad tries to teach Baxter the building code.
Megan’s Sherlock refuses to do any work and prefers to watch traffic.
Donut, who turned 14 on March 25, goes to Prairie Oaks Metro Park the weekend after the WPO conference and would rather be splashing in the water than posing for a photo.
Winter 2018
It’s Called a WHAT?
While attending Heritage Ohio’s 7th Annual Appalachia Heritage Success Stories meeting in December, Charissa Durst, Megan Claybon, and Cathie Senter got a tour of the Ohio statehouse. From the floor of the atrium connector you could see the underside of the soffits of the Greek Revival annex building, and what appeared to be Lego pieces on the underside. Cathie was able to identify these pieces as mutules, since she once taught a restoration class where they cleaned and restored so many wooden versions that they were all sick of the word.
Officially, a mutule is a rectangular block that hangs from the soffit of the cornice in the Doric order and appear over the triglyphs. They are likely a stone translation of the round pegs used to fasten structural pieces together when Greek temples were made entirely of wood. Even so, they still look like Legos pieces to me!
HDC Commissioned to Rehabilitate the Dawn Theater
The City of Hillsdale, Michigan, commissioned HDC in December to rehabilitate the Dawn Theater, a vaudeville/movie house that opened in September 1919. The building was renovated in 1938 with the addition of “Nu-Wood” acoustical paneling and again in 1970 when the brick façade and windows were covered with cement panels, which also unfortunately removed the stepped parapet. The theater’s latest use was a nightclub, where tiers infilled the sloped floor to make room for dining tables. Two rows of original movie seats still remain in the balcony. The goal of the rehabilitation is to restore the front façade and rehabilitate the interior for continued use as a banquet and meeting space.
The facade of the Dawn Theater as it looks today
The facade of the Dawn Theater when it opened in September 1919.
HDC employee Cathie Senter measures the slope of the parapet
Devon Pool Project Out to Bid
In Spring of 2017, the City of Upper Arlington commissioned HDC to make improvements to the existing pool house constructed in the 1950s. After a series of public meetings and presentations, the City decided to replace the existing building. The new building is scheduled to be open by Memorial Day 2019 with new shade structures and deck furniture provided this Memorial Day 2018. The new pool house will contain enlarged facilities for the staff, dressing rooms and interior showers, a concession stand with kitchen, and ample storage.
REVIT rendering of the new pool house
Clark County Exterior Work Almost Completed
When HDC was commissioned by the Clark County Commissioners to renovate their administration buildings in 2015, all parties knew that the wish list of work exceeded the available budget, especially at the historic courthouse and A.B. Graham building. HDC’s prioritized the work by securing the exterior envelope before considering interior improvements. HDC saved the county money by creating separate bid packages for roofing, windows, and masonry, negating the need for a general contractor and their markup. With the completion of the exterior work, County agencies are meeting to decide where the remaining funds should be spent and whether to appropriate additional money for the entire wish list.
Exterior of the A.B. Graham Building
Exterior of the Clark County Courthouse
Exterior of the Jobs & Family Services Building
Donut Defies the Cold!
Right after Christmas the temperature dropped to the teens and single digits. When it gets this cold, Donut’s paws usually start hurting after a few minutes when she walks through snow/ice. However, when she sees the sun shining through the window she just wants to go outside and run. Spraying her paws with non-stick cooking spray seems to buy more time outside when it’s cold. Here’s a picture of her enjoying the sunny weather and facing down the wind.
Donut on a rock at Prairie Oaks Metro Park
Holiday 2017
Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous 2018 from all of us at Hardlines Design Company!
Cathie, Brad, Megan, John, Charissa, and Donut
And here are our canine companions, who also want to chime in:
Charissa’s beagle Donut, in 2017
Brad’s buddy Baxter, dressed up in 2016
Sadly, John’s dog Roscoe passed away in 2017; here he is in 2011
Megan’s baby Sherlock, in 2017
Cathie’s 14 years old Casey, in 2017
If you would like a copy of the 2018 Donut calendar, click HERE.