Piland, Richard N.: - Author Richard N. Piland, a former college teacher, owns the community survey research firm, which he started in 1983. He is an amateur historian and an avid model railroad enthusiast. Piland grew up in Independence and now resides in Fairfield, Ohio, with his wife, novelist Kathryn R. Blake. The Friends of Sugar Creek, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995, is dedicated to preserving the city s history and invites all interested individuals to visit the Sugar Creek Historical Center at 606 North Sterling Avenue.