ThisWeek CW 1/7/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2016/01/04/groveport-schools-district-officials-eye-partnerships-improvements-in-2016.html

Improvements, support and service are three words that figure prominently in plans for 2016, according to Groveport Madison school district officials.

“Our greatest challenges of 2016 will be focused around improving partnerships for learning and building understanding in our community of the benefits a strong education can bring to our students,” Superintendent Bruce Hoover said.

Hoover sees three “core components” that go into achieving educational excellence: student engagement, parent support and rigorous instruction.

“We are using the investment the community has made through the passage of our 2014 operating levy to expand programs and opportunities which engage our students in high-quality learning opportunities,” he said. “We are committed to raising achievement and preparing our students for life’s challenges.

“To complete this effort, we will need to increase the roles that parents play in developing successful learning and build better relationships between our schools, businesses and parents to maximize our instructional progress.”

Board members Libby Gray, Mary Tedrow and Bryan Shoemaker all have keeping an eye on the $30.4 million project to build a new high school high on their lists of priorities for the new year.

“We must remain vigilant in monitoring the construction progress of the new high school,” Shoemaker said. “We need to ensure that all of the many moving parts are working as they should and that we are on budget and on time.”

To go along with that, Gray said Groveport Madison officials need to “continue to be good stewards of the resources that have been provided by our taxpayers, and to be transparent in all of our financial dealings.”

Gray, who served as the board’s vice president in 2015, said it will be important to “strengthen the level of support provided to all students at all grade levels” and to “closely monitor data from our intervention programs to ensure we are meeting students’ needs, wherever they are, and taking them to the next level of achievement.”

Tedrow sees renovations now underway at 4400 Marketing Place as a way to transform the building into “a true ‘District Service Center’ where we will improve the level of service provided to our schools and community through the consolidation of all of our district support functions into one location.”

Nathan Slonaker, who was board president in 2015, did not seek re-election. Before he left the board in December, he said it would be important for the district to keep the high school construction work on time and on budget, to strengthen the Career Pathways and College Credit Plus programs and to develop “strong partnerships with the various constituencies within our community.”

ThisWeek CW 12/31/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/28/year-in-review-development-led-by-brewdog-was-2015-top-story.html

In a city where development is booming, BrewDog easily earned top-dog status as the most important story of 2015 in Canal Winchester.

The $30.4 million BrewDog project will include a 100,000-square-foot building at 96 Gender Road that will house the Scottish craft-beer company’s U.S. headquarters, a brewery, a restaurant and a taproom.

“This was a project the entire country was seeking and is major to the entire region,” Mayor Michael Ebert said.

“Just the idea of BrewDog coming to Canal Winchester has spurred other businesses to now look our direction for expansion or new startup.”

Canal Winchester City Council members Joe Abbott and Steve Donahue agreed with Ebert that overall development in 2015 — not just the arrival of BrewDog — was significant for the city.

“I think the amount of development and positive growth that has happened over the last year is the biggest accomplishment,” Abbott said.

Ebert’s list of projects included construction of Primrose School, slated to open early in 2016; the July opening of the Inn at Winchester Trail assisted-living facility that he said “has the look and feel of a five-star hotel,” and the spring groundbreaking by Buckeye Power Supply for its first standalone residential and commercial generator sales and service center in central Ohio.

“The city’s new public works facility is under construction and will be ready for use in the spring of 2016,” Ebert said.

“A few dozen or so new homes were constructed within the city in 2015, filling in some of the empty lots in our subdivisions which were leftovers as a result of the recession from a few years ago,” he said.

“Additionally, Manifold Phalor has begun a 30,000-square-foot expansion of their five-year old facility on Busey Road,” Ebert added.

“This expansion will more than double the size of their current footprint and will result in additional job opportunities for our area.”

Groveport officials identified a development-related project as that city’s biggest accomplishment in 2015.

The Groveport Rickenbacker Employee Access Transit system is a joint venture of the cities of Obetz and Groveport.

It’s designed to provide transportation from the closest area Central Ohio Transit Authority bus stop and Groveport-area businesses in the Rickenbacker industrial area.

“The GREAT has to be our biggest accomplishment because the program, which provides a long-needed connection between Groveport businesses and COTA, affects not only the riders, but also continues to strengthen our businesses, which in turn provides revenue for the many services offered to our residents,” said Marsha Hall, Groveport city administrator.

It didn’t take long for the GREAT system to have an ancillary effect in Groveport: Shortly after the service became available, City Finance Director Jeff Green said he met with representatives of a company considering a move to the area.

“They said the difference between the two communities they’re considering is that I said we can guarantee we have advanced transportation options to bring workers to their doors,” Green said.

“They were very intrigued by that.”

ThisWeek CW 12/24/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/21/city-will-fund-more-than-11000-in-bed-tax-grants.html

Canal Winchester officials are once again considering how to divide bed-tax grant funds among local organizations.

Out of $17,000 in requests, Canal Winchester City Council was expected to approve grants totaling $11,825 at its Dec. 21 meeting.

Council provides upwards of $20,000 total in grants each year to groups that apply prior to the November deadline. An additional $30,000 per year is granted to Destination: Canal Winchester, which acts as the city’s convention and visitors bureau.

Council members provided initial feedback at their Dec. 7 meeting to city Finance Director Amanda Jackson regarding how much funding they would be willing to give each of the 12 groups that filed applications and under what conditions.

The American Cancer Society, which oversees the city’s Relay For Life event for cancer awareness, requested $2,500 — the same amount it was awarded in 2014.

However, in 2015, council chose to limit each individual request to a maximum of $2,000 with a stipulation that a report be provided to the city detailing how the funds were spent, and the return of any unspent funds.

As of the Dec. 7 meeting, the American Cancer Society had yet to submit its 2015 report.

Council agreed to fund the request at the maximum of $2,000 as long as the required report and any refund due is provided first.

The Canal Winchester Alumni Scholarship Association requested $500 to help host its annual Labor Day 5K fundraiser.

Councilwoman Bobbie Mershon said she was “disappointed they held the 5K at Blendon Woods last year instead of in Canal Winchester.”

Other council members agreed, stating they would support funding the full $500 only if the event returns to Canal Winchester.

The Canal Winchester Art Guild applied for two separate grants: $500 for the annual Art Stroll and $1,000 for the group’s second annual downtown mural project. Council approved both of these amounts without question.

Similarly, the Canal Winchester High School After Prom Committee will receive its full $2,000 request.

“As an old principal trying to keep the kids there at prom and the after party so they aren’t out drinking and driving, I think I’m all for it,” Councilman Steve Donahue said.

The Canal Winchester-Groveport Area Rotary Club made two project requests: $675 for the annual dictionary distribution to third-graders and $1,325 for another Harlem Wizards basketball fundraiser.

Council opted to provide the group with a total of $1,325 which members stipulated must be used for one of the projects. It will be up to the Rotary Club to decide which project to fund.

Mershon pointed out that the Canal Winchester Human Services and Community Food Pantry request included multiple projects in one application instead of being broken into individual applications. She noted that rules require separate applications for each request.

“They can submit up to three applications for three projects,” Mershon said. “Other than just not considering any of the four on here, I suggest we just give them $1,500 for the Football for Food project.”

The original request had been for a total of $2,000 for the Souper Bowl, Pack the Pantry, Football for Food and Pizza for Food.

Donahue argued that these are all related events but ultimately, all of the council members agreed to the $1,500 grant.

The Canal Winchester Senior Citizens Club once again requested $1,500 for its Veterans Day celebration which council agreed to fully fund.

Faith United Methodist Church submitted a request for $2,000 to help pay for a new organ. Council members felt that this crossed the line between church and state and opted to deny the application.

Similarly, council denied a request from Kathy Binner for $2,000 to update rooms in a bed-and-breakfast she wants to operate.

“She’s not open as a B&B yet, so it would be like asking us for money to upgrade your living room at this point,” Donahue said.

Finally, council approved a full $1,000 grant request from the Friends for Life Animal Haven to trap and neuter stray dogs and cats in the city.

“They come into our city and capture feral cats and spay or neuter them and that is helpful to us,” Councilwoman Marilyn Rush-Ekelberry said.

ThisWeek CW 12/24/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/21/space-designed-to-prepare-children-for-kindergarten.html

Groveport Madison and Canal Winchester families now have another resource to help prepare children for kindergarten and future educational success.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library has opened its new Ready for Kindergarten area, the fifth of its kind in the library system, at the Southeast Branch, 3980 S. Hamilton Road.

The Southeast Branch joins the Driving Park, Karl Road, Linden and Whitehall branches in providing areas that include interactive whiteboards with literacy learning applications, magnetic word walls, toys meant to assist with motor and cognitive development and more.

According to Kathy Shahbodaghi, the library’s early childhood learning expert, customer response to these areas has been tremendous and the impact on children has been proven by study after study.

Those who participate in the kinds of skills training available at the centers “are much more likely to read on grade level or higher in the third grade,” she said.

In particular, Shahbodaghi said, these students are more skilled in particular letter knowledge, producing rhyming words and initial letter sounds.

In Ohio, this is an important measurement given the state’s Third-Grade Reading Guarantee testing, which may be used to hold underperforming students back.

“Families love the idea of these areas and the children love coming in and ‘playing school,’ especially with the smartboard,” Shahbodaghi said. “Their excitement about this turns into excitement about starting school and getting to ride the school bus and things like that.

“Parents can also learn how to weave the skill-building, such as knowing the upper- and lower-case letters, into everyday life, such as looking at traffic signs or reading labels while grocery shopping.”

The Ready for Kindergarten areas are not being specifically staffed but trained staff members are available at each branch to assist families in using the various tools.

“Kindergarten readiness is such a critical need throughout our community,” library CEO Patrick Losinski. “While this is a fun and attractive space, it’s not a play area. Everything is intentional and instructive.”

Library officials hope that using this innovative area will familiarize children with a kindergarten environment before they enter school.

“This is not just about having children gain skills, but it is a learning opportunity for the parents on how to support them,” Shahbodaghi said. “This is hands-on modeling of important early literacy skills. Literacy is, of course, the library’s bailiwick.”

The Ready for Kindergarten Area at the Southeast Branch was supported by a gift from PNC Bank.

ThisWeek CW 12/17/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/12/14/three-reappointed-to-planning-zoning-commission.html

Three Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission members will start new four-year terms Jan. 1 after City Council approved the mayor’s appointments.

Mayor Michael Ebert asked council members Dec. 7 to consider the reappointment of longtime planning and zoning commission member Bill Christensen, along with two recent appointees, June Konold and Brad Richey.

According to Ebert, Christensen has served for the past eight years and has been chairman the past two. Michael Vasko currently serves as vice chairman of the seven-person board.

Konold was appointed to the commission June 1, following the sudden death of her husband, Dr. Dan Konold, who had served on the commission on two different occasions for a total of almost 14 years.

Richey was appointed to the commission to replace Jim Knowlton in August.

“Brad moved into Canal Winchester in January and he came in to my office right away and asked if there would be somewhere for him to get involved, so when Jim Knowlton’s seat became open, I’d asked you to approve him for the seat which you did, and now I’d like to appoint him to a full four-year term,” Ebert said to council.

Richey is a construction supervisor for Turner Construction.

Council members unanimously approved the reappointment of all three members.

The seven-member commission is responsible for oversight of the city’s zoning code and zoning map, reviewing all proposed development plans and providing recommendations to City Council. The commission also oversees Canal Winchester’s comprehensive plan, including the layout of streets, bridges, utilities and public land.

Besides filling these seats, council also heard the second reading of an ordinance authorizing the hire of a new construction services technician to assist in various inspection and recordkeeping duties with the Department of Public Works and Construction Services Administrator. The salary range for the job is between $18.20 and $25.73 per hour with full benefits.