ThisWeek CW 11/18/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/16/meeting-community-needs-more-requests-expected-for-adopt-a-family-program.html

With the holiday season fast approaching, many families in need will turn to Canal Winchester Human Services Adopt-a-Family program to help bring a little cheer to what otherwise could be a stressful time.

The annual program administered by Human Services assisted 320 people last year. Administrator Penny Miller anticipates an even greater need this year, based on the increased number of families requesting help from the Community Food Pantry.

“Requests for emergency assistance have increased and the number of people using the Community Food Pantry keeps growing,” Miller said. “Many of the folks we are serving are employed, but there is not enough in their paychecks to cover all of the basic needs of their families. The holidays add additional stress and they turn to Human Services to help get them through.”

The Adopt-A-Family Program provides a variety of assistance, including food, winter clothing and Christmas gifts, she said.

“Certainly, the fun of Christmas is providing toys, but our program is much more,” Miller said. “If a child has new toys but returns to school wearing clothes that don’t fit, shoes with holes, and has no winter coat, we have failed that child.

“Our program is much more than just what Santa might put under the tree.”

All children in the program will receive new clothes and shoes, as well as a few wishes from their list.

Everyone seeking assistance will be able to take good, used coats for all members of their family, along with hats and mittens. Each family will also receive a food basket to help them through the holidays.

To meet the goals of the Adopt-A-Family program, Human Services is asking for community support and donations.

“We need everything,” Miller said. “We need children to be ‘adopted,’ contributions of toys — which can be given to Santa during Christmas in the Village — donations of food and household items for food baskets, and good used coats with new hats and mittens.

“We also need donations of gift cards and financial contributions to help support the 30 to 40 children we may not be able to find sponsors for,” she added. “This is the biggest seasonal project we coordinate each year and we need everything.”

Adopt-A-Family is available to residents of the Canal Winchester School District, Lithopolis and qualified, underserved Bloom Carroll families living in rural Fairfield County.

Applications to participate in the program are available on Human Services’ website, cwhumanservices.org, or can be picked up at the Frances Steube Community Center, 22 S. Trine St., or at the Community Food Pantry, 360 W. Waterloo St. The deadline for submitting applications is Nov. 30.

Those who want to support the program should email Miller at penny.cwhs@gmail. com. Financial donations to Canal Winchester Human Services are tax-deductible.

ThisWeek CW 11/19/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/16/groveport-city-projects-bond-sale-will-raise-funds-to-demolish-water-plant.html

Following action by Groveport City Council on Nov. 9, residents can expect to see work on a few improvements they’ve been requesting.

Plans to tear down the old water plant and upgrade the recreation center parking lot were originally included in the city’s park master plan.

Thanks to council approval, City Administrator Marsha Hall said the city plans to sell bonds in 2016 for the demolition of the old water plant. That facility will be replaced with a new building to house the parks and transportation departments.

Council also gave Hall permission to seek an additional $450,000 for improvements to the lower parking lot at the recreation center.

If funded, Hall said, both projects will be completed in 2017.

The parking lot project, as laid out in the park master plan, includes paving the lower lot, creating a total of 108 parking spaces, with curbing and paved connections to the walking paths as well as additional lighting.

The city does not yet have an estimated budget for demolishing the water plant and building a new structure.

Playground grant

Council also approved emergency legislation allowing administrator Hall to apply for a matching grant through PlayCore Inc., doing business as GameTime, to install playground equipment in the Founders Bend neighborhood.

Over the summer neighborhood residents approached council to inquire when a 5.3-acre lot originally slated for a playground by the developer might actually become a playground.

Since that meeting, Hall found a grant opportunity through GameTime which would provide 50 percent of the cost of playground equipment purchased through the business, if the city qualifies.

Hall said the grant requires a project budget of at least $75,000 but the city would only be responsible for half that amount. She added that the grant application is due by the end of November and the equipment would have to be purchased before the end of the year.

“I’ve worked on this grant in the past and had success. We put money aside this year already as a placeholder for parks improvements that we can use if you approve it,” Hall told council. “The issue is if we can purchase that this year, it will save us a lot of money. If it works with the Founders Bend people, we’ll purchase it and store it over the winter and then install it in the spring.

“Our hope is that it will be installed by a combination of our staff and the neighbors, so there’s some ownership of it and it becomes a true community project.”

ThisWeek CW 11/12/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/09/work-with-food-pantry-earns-shirley-volunteer-award.html

Groveport resident Steven Shirley has won the 2015 Columbus Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award for his work with the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs and its summer lunch program.

The annual award is presented by Direct Energy and ThisWeek Community News and includes a donation to the organization associated with the winner.

Christine Boucher, executive director of the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs, said the summer lunch program wouldn’t be the success it is without Shirley’s efforts. Because of his work, the organization has received a much-needed $5,000 award from Direct Energy and ThisWeek.

“Steven put in countless hours months before the program started and many, many during the program. He was always hands-on where needed to make sure that the kids got food,” Boucher said.

Boucher said Shirley also was responsible for volunteer management and for applying for additional grant money that not only helped make almost 20,000 meals available to children during summer break over the last two years but also provided backpacks and other items.

“The service he has provided for this program over the last couple of years is extraordinary,” Boucher said.

Shirley said he got his start with the program a few years ago as a once-a-week volunteer, until a previous coordinator got sick and had to step down.

“I stepped in and took over the role just as many changes were being made,” Shirley said. “This program is very much needed. Our community has many children who do not know when their next meal will come and school is the only place they get food.

“When summer break comes around, these students are left without a consistent, nutritional source,” he said. “With this program, we deliver food to these students so they don’t have to worry about their next meal.”

Approximately 75 percent of the students in the Groveport Madison Local School District qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

According to Shirley, the time the children spend at the lunch program leads to new friendships, and is one of the perks of his efforts.

“The value of volunteering is that it’s a very rewarding experience, putting others first and knowing you are there to help someone regardless of who or what they may be going through. Seeing a happy kid with a big smile as you give them a meal is wonderful and so is making so many new friends.

“The summer lunch program takes a lot of volunteers to make it a success and I have had the good fortune of meeting some very outstanding people along this journey. Every year, the number of kids that need this program increases,” Shirley said.

Direct Energy U.S. North General Manager Cullen Hay said it was Shirley’s vision to grow the program and support more students that both greatly benefited the community and led to the decision to reward his efforts this year.

“Steven Shirley has been a driving force behind the success of the summer lunch program in the Groveport Madison school district,” Hay said. “His effort has left a positive impact on many lives.”

ThisWeek CW 11/12/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/09/groveport-accepts-companys-donation-of-3-5-acres.html

The city of Groveport will gain approximately 3.5 acres after Groveport City Council agreed last month to accept the donation from Evans Capital Investments.

Council members unanimously approved emergency legislation Oct. 26 to allow the company to sign over 20 parcels of land located just northeast of the Greenfield Place Senior Citizen Apartments at 283 Green Ave. The site is otherwise surrounded by single-family houses.

According to City Administrator Marsha Hall, the company had offered to sell the property to the city in the past, but due to the location and drainage issues, it wasn’t considered a worthwhile purchase.

“They’d come to us a while back to ask if we wanted to buy it but we weren’t interested in buying, and they are required to maintain the land while they own it,” Hall said. “They recently came to us to offer it as a donation, which would then mean we’d maintain it and could decide to do something in the future, like maybe a park; but for now, it would just be left as it is.”

Law Director Kevin Shannon said in addition to the drainage issues, the parcels are considered landlocked, making them unmarketable.

Originally, the land had been platted for as many as 20 single-family residences.

Now that city has agreed to accept the donation, Evans Capital Investments can sign over the title for the land at any time, although it is not required to.

Councilwoman Jean Ann Hilbert suggested the city consider using the land for a natural prairie park.

ThisWeek CW 11/12/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/09/saving-money-improving-service-on-new-trustees-agenda.html

Newly elected Madison Township trustee John Kershner has his eye on the bottom line as he prepares to take office in January.

Kershner came out on top in a five-way race for one trustee seat, besting longtime incumbent Gary McDonald and three other candidates Nov. 3.

He said he was humbled by the win and thanked McDonald for his service and hard work.

“I’ve learned so much through my discussions with so many people over the past few months and am looking forward to working with Victor Paini and Ed Dildine to continue to move our township forward,” Kershner said. “I am excited about the possibilities and will work to help find areas where efficiency may be gained, services improved, and tax dollars saved or invested wisely.

“There were many great choices for trustee and all the candidates should be proud of the positive, well-run campaigns they spearheaded,” he said.

McDonald said he was disappointed not to be elected to another term but promised to remain active in the community.

According to unofficial final results from the Franklin County Board of Elections, Kershner won with 1,692 votes. McDonald was next, with 1,481 votes, followed by Sharon Whitten with 1,183 votes, Kathleen Walsh with 753 votes and Kimberly J. Jordan with 522 votes.

“This community has been good to me and I appreciate everyone’s support while in office,” McDonald said. “I think we’ve all worked together to make good improvements over the last four years and I remain committed to the township.

“I’m proud of the partnerships we’ve built with Groveport and with the schools and I think we’ve got a talented group of people to keep us heading in the right direction.”

Groveport Madison

Newcomer Christopher Snyder will join incumbent Mary Tedrow, who won re-election Nov. 3, on the Groveport Madison Board of Education.

Tedrow received the most votes – 4,103 – to retain her seat, with Snyder gaining 3,637 votes and Maria J. McGraw receiving 3,574.

Tedrow said she hopes to continue pushing for higher academic achievement across the district.

“My biggest concern for the schools is to improve our academic performance,” she said. “It’s my hope that the building of the new high school, improved career and college preparation programs, and making preschool available so that our students will enter kindergarten ready to learn will help accomplish this.”

She said her goals are to remain active in not just board meetings but school activities as well.

Groveport

In Groveport, Mayor Lance Westcamp held off newcomer David Gale to retain his seat. Westcamp received 981 votes to Gale’s 799, according to unofficial results.

He said he was grateful for the “tremendous amount of support” he received from voters and looks forward to continuing to work to improve citizens’ quality of life, maintaining the city’s “excellent financial rating” and completing the historic district’s redevelopment.

Incumbent council members Sean Cleary and Jean Ann Hilbert, who ran unopposed, both said they are excited to be able to serve the city for another four years.

“I’m very grateful for the support that voters have given me again,” Cleary said. “I look forward to being available to any citizen who wants to approach me for any type of issue.”

He said he is available to talk in council chambers two hours before every regular council meeting.

“We’ve done a tremendous amount of building with industry and next I’d like to see more money invested in infrastructure and financial security for the future by increasing our rainy day funds,” Cleary said.

Hilbert said she will remain focused on responding to the needs of residents and businesses.

“I’d like to see the remainder of the town center developed, with an anchor restaurant being the main focus at this time,” Hilbert said. “I believe we’ve evolved as a leader in central Ohio with our transportation programs and we are a model others will follow. We saw that need and responded with positive action.”