ThisWeek CW 10/22/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/10/19/dinner-concert-will-benefit-groveport-food-pantry.html

The Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs will kick off the holiday season with its fourth annual Evening of Dinner and Gospel to help raise funds for families in need.

The Evening of Dinner and Gospel features a dinner catered by Posh Nosh Catering and a concert of contemporary Christian music by the Ladies of Grace, hosted by the Asbury United Methodist Church, with all proceeds going to the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs.

“We started out at Groveport Town Hall and filled the place so we had to relocate,” executive director Christine Boucher said.

“Fortunately, one of our community partners is Asbury United Methodist Church and they have a great facility for us to be able to accommodate a large crowd.

“Attendees at this event should expect superb service from some outstanding students from the high school, a delicious dinner and beautiful Christian worship music from Ladies of Grace from Madison Christian Church.”

Student council members from the Groveport Madison High School will serve guests at the event, which also will include a silent auction and a raffle.

Tickets are available online at center4gmhn.org. The cost is $10 for adults, $7 for children 12 and younger.

Dinner tickets must be purchased ahead of time but tickets for the concert only may be purchased at the door; those cost $3 each.

Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 4760 Winchester Pike, with the concert at 6:30 p.m.

“Last year, we provided assistance to 260 families and distributed over $50,000,” Boucher said. “We don’t necessarily have a budget for assistance because we only distribute what we receive. So when times are lean for us, like now, there is little assistance that we can provide, and unfortunately, we have to turn many families away.

“We had a really good start to 2015 and were able to keep up with the requests until August, when our funds were exhausted,” she said. “The impact of the Evening of Dinner and Gospel will be a huge help to get us back up and operational with assistance for residents of our community.”

The Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs recently participated in a fundraising competition for a piece of a $10,000 grant through Thrivent Financial’s Share the Vote program, and is waiting to see how that effort may benefit the organization, Boucher said.

Craft bazaar

Besides the Evening of Dinner and Gospel Boucher said the organization will host its annual Holiday Craft Bazaar Nov. 14 at Groveport Zion Lutheran Church, 6014 Groveport Road. She said the organization is still soliciting for vendors.

“The event is small so we can make sure there is no duplication of vendor or craft types,” Boucher said. “We’re also soliciting Angels for our Adopt-A-Family program to help families in the community at Christmas time this year.”

More information about these programs and other services is available from Boucher at info@center4gmhn.org.

 

ThisWeek CW 10/22/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/10/19/madison-township-aqua-ohio-customers-to-see-another-rate-increase.html

Madison Township residents once again will see an increase in their water and sewer services bills following the Oct. 7 approval of a rate case filed by Aqua Ohio with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

According to a notice sent to the township from Aqua Ohio, the company submitted a rate case on May 1 seeking approval to collect a “system improvement charge” in the Franklin County Sewer District to fund the replacement and rehabilitation of infrastructure associated with the county’s water services.

“Improvements totaling more than $862,000 have been made,” according to the notice, which said the PUCO-approved surcharge of 3 percent to the monthly sewer bill will result in a per-month increase of $1.48 per 4,000 gallons of water, which the company said is the average residential use in the county.

Township Administrator Susan Brobst said all of the associated documents have been posted to the township website, madisontownship.org, for residents’ review; if they have further questions or concerns, customers may contact Aqua Ohio directly at 877-987-2782.

“Improving any utility system comes with a cost, and unfortunately, any increase in rates will cause some residents additional hardship,” Brobst said. “Residents should be aware the PUCO staff did extensive review of the Aqua Ohio requests and many of the items were denied by the Commission. These include new meters, liners, valves and nearly $82,000 worth of smoke tests on the infrastructure.”

At least one township trustee, Gary McDonald, has asked Aqua Ohio representatives to attend a board meeting to address the findings.

Brobst has also been in touch with the PUCO liaison, who indicated the agency would be happy to attend a future meeting as well.

“I had the opportunity to speak with state Rep. Heather Bishop’s aide recently and our discussion included the hardship and additional impact this will have on our residents and that enough is enough,” McDonald said. “Madison Township families are already financially strapped.

“This additional charge is adding insult to injury to all those residents struggling to survive and meet their obligations in paying their bills,” he said. “I have been contacted on several occasions by residents asking what relief and assistance can be offered on their water bills, and I don’t have an answer for them.”

McDonald called the increase heartbreaking.

“In late 2014, Aqua Ohio received an increase of 9.7 percent for the construction and implementation of the reverse osmosis system and this was to include the system improvement cost,” he said.

“The system improvement charge will now be a separate bill, consisting of a charge based on the 4.5 percent, which equals $2.11 per 4,000 gallons of water, and now a sewer rate (increase) of 3 percent or $1.48 per 4,000 gallons.

“Shortly after Aqua Ohio purchased Ohio American Water, they revised their billing consumption rate from 4,500 gallons down to 4,000 gallons, allowing them to collect more dollars. This revision should have paid for any additional improvements, or at least lower future rate increases,” McDonald said.

The new charges will appear on all bills postmarked after Oct. 7. However, the company stated the charges may be adjusted or eliminated based on any future PUCO findings.

ThisWeek CW 10/15/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/10/12/groveport-madison-district-one-incumbent-two-challengers-vying-for-2-board-seats.html

Residents in the Groveport Madison Local School District will have the chance to elect at least one new member to the school board Nov. 3 with current board President Nathan Slonaker declining to run again.

That leaves incumbent Mary Tedrow and challengers Maria J. McGraw and Christopher Snyder competing for two open seats.

Both Tedrow and McGraw have spent most of their lives in the school district, while Snyder has lived in the district for five years and was employed by the district for another seven years.

Tedrow has been a board member for 23 years and has held several other positions in the community, particularly in leadership with the Girl Scouts. Both McGraw and Snyder co-chaired the district’s recent successful levy campaign and McGraw continues to serve as chairwoman of the Committee for Better Schools.

 

Effect of levy approval

Snyder and Tedrow both see voters’ approval of a 6.18-mill operating levy, a $33.3-million bond issue and a 0.5-mill permanent improvement levy in May 2014 as a positive and as one of the primary challenges for the school board when it comes to improving students’ academic performance.

“Our current issues stem from our greatest recent blessing,” Snyder said. “We have money to spend on our district due to the levy. The issue is going to be figuring out where to spend that money, and where to apply our resources.

“I believe that I can help to form the vision and mission of our district, alongside our other board members and administration.”

Tedrow said implementing several programs approved by the board since the levy was approved is important to meeting the challenge of responsibly investing in academic improvement.

“Improving our academic performance is the biggest challenge. The passing of the levy should be of great assistance,” Tedrow said. “We’ll be able to build the new high school, offer digital preschool instruction, institute programs for the gifted students, provide school improvement coordinators in each school, have sports programs in each middle school and provide College Credit Plus and the pathways programs at the high school. One more service I hope we can soon provide, if we can find room, is preschool education so our students can come to school ready to learn.”

 

Communications gap

McGraw said while she is proud the community elected to build a “state-of-the-art facility,” one of the biggest issues facing the district is a lack of communication and inclusion of community members in goal-setting and decision-making.

“The Groveport Madison community has shown that they want to be involved in meaningful change and progress,” McGraw said. “The district will need to modify communication techniques to keep the community apprised of the changes that are underway and the changes still needed.

“This way, community members will become stakeholders in the district when they know where we stand and their input is genuinely sought for questions involving the direction the school district is moving.

“As a mother, I understand the importance of improving the future for our students,” she said. “I’ve worked to move the district forward while fostering community relations and hearing concerns and ideas. I have a vested interest in seeing our school district improve.

“As we develop new plans to address the needs of our students, tough questions need to be asked and results will need to be succinctly conveyed to the community. Professionally, I have extensive experience with marketing and I will use those skills to guide the district in this endeavor,” McGraw said.

Snyder similarly believes in “bridging the communication gap.”

“I believe that I can be an asset in the community, helping people know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” Snyder said. “I believe I can help lead our district and I believe that I can help bridge the communication gap that exists between the district and the community.”

Incumbent Tedrow said she hopes her past leadership has earned the voters’ confidence.

“My many years of services as a school board member and Girl Scout leader, my education, my desire and ability to serve, my respect of children and education, my knowledge of the community, my experience as a parent, and my desire and time available to serve should qualify me for school board member,” Tedrow said.

ThisWeek CW 10/15/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/10/12/madison-township-five-way-race-for-trustee-seat-includes-one-incumbent.html

This year’s highly contested Madison Township trustee election is for a seat currently held by incumbent Gary McDonald, who is hoping to fend off challenges from Kimberly J. Jordan, John Kershner, Kathleen Walsh andSharon Whitten in the Nov. 3 election.

Jordan did not respond to multiple requests from ThisWeekfor information about her campaign.

* Kershner, who previously served on the board of education and is president of the Canal Winchester-Groveport Area Rotary Club, said he sees the township’s safety services as a primary asset for the community but believes maintaining and improving those services are important issues to tackle, as is addressing property blight.

“Madison Township’s fire calls continue to decline due to rigorous building codes and excellent supervision of home improvements,” Kershner said. “However, calls for medical assistance and transport continue to rise. We must investigate and address these increases to ensure that we maintain excellent services within the confines of our budget.

“Our police have lost a valuable K-9 officer who was responsible for numerous arrests and prosecution of illegal drug activity,” he said. “They were also responsible for the continued growth of relationships with schools and students in our community. These services made them an excellent resource and community partner and they need to be restored without raising taxes.”

Kershner said Madison Township’s problem with “eyesore properties” is similar to those in other communities, but the township needs to do more to address the situation.

“We need to be more dedicated to stepping up code enforcement on these properties and increasing responsiveness, to help eradicate them,” he said.

In addition, he said, trustees “have repeatedly promised to improve communication between residents and the board, We need to use available services more efficiently to keep that promise.”

Kershner said he hopes voters see him as the right candidate for these budgetary times.

“I feel I am the right candidate at this time, because the processes I want to work with others to implement will create more efficiency, transparency and effectively address the specific problems in Madison Township,” Kershner said. “I am aware of those problems not only because I live here, but also because I have had the opportunity to work with various levels of government in Madison Township. I am passionate and invested in Madison Township because my roots are here you won’t find anyone who will work harder or more enthusiastically to fill this position.”

* McDonald said the effect of budget issues on township services would be at the forefront for him if he is re-elected. He noted the township’s partnerships with Canal Winchester, Groveport and the school district are its greatest asset.

“I’m worried about our loss of revenue from state tangible personal property taxes and alternative funding,” McDonald said. “At our July trustees’ meeting, an open discussion ensued regarding the township’s finances and potential cuts in state funding, as reported by our fiscal officer and fire chief. Currently, Madison Township receives about $1.2 million-plus in state money.

“At a glance, we face a loss of $40,000 on streets and administrative programs, $350,000 to the police department and an estimated $820,000 to the fire department,” he said. “I will continue to be a good steward of tax dollars and continue to listen to the citizens and their suggestions in how their money is being utilized. Our financial reports and budgets are available upon request and our budget meetings are open to the public.”

McDonald said he is proud to say he’s kept his word and hopes voters agree and keep him in office.

“When I first ran for trustee, I placed emphasis on the following principles: putting residents first, open government and transparency, fiscal responsibility, and open communications. I am proud that I have kept my word,” McDonald said. “I, along with my fellow board members, have instituted many changes to improve all services within Madison Township. I realize there is much more work to be done and will continue to strive to improve all services provided to the taxpayers of Madison Township and the cooperative relationship that has been established with our citizens and local entities.”

* Walsh said Madison Township’s best assets are “strong, hard-working families,” natural resources and parks, agricultural land and access to major transportation infrastructure including U.S. Route 33.

Walsh said Madison Township needs to embrace technological solutions to communications issues.

“With today’s technology, the sharing of information is different,” she said.

“We need to update our Madison Township website, highlighting community resources, and develop a financial transparency portal to give the Madison Township stakeholder a transparent view of how their funds are invested in the delivery of services. We should also embrace social media and use it to the township’s benefit.”

Walsh said she believes Madison Township needs its own defined vision, developed through better communication with residents.

“Without a publicly defined vision, there can be no direction,” she said. “I have personally experienced the frustration of the lack of communication within Madison Township. Columbus is closing in on Madison Township and the development they allow needs to be continuously monitored.

If elected, Walsh said, she will make sure the people of Madison Township know they are both her boss and her customers.

“I would like to implement monthly town hall gatherings,” she said. “These would be informal social gatherings for networking, sharing of ideas and voicing concerns. I would encourage the participation of the community, including student of all ages. With the information obtained from the gatherings, I’ll work with the other trustees to write a vision statement and set solid goals.”

Walsh said she wants to make Madison Township the best township in Ohio.

“I have the time, resolve and dedication to this task,” she said. “I’ve spent the past 20-plus years in the construction industry as a cost estimator, project manager and owner. I have worked on multimillion-dollar projects that were completed on time, on budget and to the satisfaction of the customer.

“I have experience with fundraising and managing volunteers with Easter Seals and the parochial schools,” Walsh said. “I have experience working with government agencies. I will work tirelessly as a team player, to ensure that they are satisfied with my work ethic, honesty and integrity.”

* Whitten said she has held several PTA offices over the years and has been active in athletics booster organizations. She said she believes the community’s residents and excellent public servants are its greatest asset.

She said focusing on budgeting, primarily related to the fire department, would be the township’s biggest issue in the near future.

“Spending our tax dollars wisely is our biggest issue,” Whitten said. “We need to make certain the promise made to build and adequately staff our new fire station per the fire levy that was passed happens.

“I definitely have the skills, knowledge and ability to tackle the tough issues that our township has with the budget.,” she said. “One possibility is finding ways to bring in more revenue and working together with our surrounding municipalities.”

Whitten said she would help the township in finding partnerships and will expand outreach to residents, if she is elected.

“I will add diversity with the elected trustees,” she said. “I have contacts in federal, state, county and local agencies that may prove useful to assist the township. I have negotiated contracts with companies. I will establish weekly meetings with residents in different parts of township to discuss concerns and suggestions, as well as working with veterans, seniors and youth to provide resources not currently being made available.”

ThisWeek CW 10/15/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/10/12/county-sheriffs-office-issues-warning-about-phone-scam.html

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office has issued a fraud alert about a phone scam in which the caller claims to be a deputy.

“There are always phone scams going on and … this involves a caller identifying themselves as a sheriff’s deputy and saying that we have a warrant for your arrest for missing a jury duty summons,” Sgt. Marian Devault said at the Oct. 5 Canal Winchester City Council meeting.

“First of all, if we have a warrant for your arrest, we’ll just show up at your door, not call on the phone.”

Devault reported that one city resident lost $1,100 to this scam recently and she’s concerned others will be taken in as well.

She said she hopes to get the word out as widely as she can because once the scam is complete, it becomes very difficult to track down the perpetrator.

“One lady lost $1,100 because she was so convinced by them. They kept her on the phone all the way from her house to Kroger, where she bought two Kroger Recharge Cards and then gave them all the numbers over the phone,” Devault said. “Once she’d given the numbers, they had what the needed and they hung up on her.

“The problem is, they use these untraceable money services and the throw-away cellphones so it makes it very difficult to track them down once they’ve got the money.”

According to the sheriff’s report, two people, one identifying himself as “Deputy Mike Scott” and another as “Lt. Zach Miller” had pulled off the fraud by claiming the victim had been charged with “failure to report” and “contempt of court.”

“We had another man who fortunately didn’t fall for it but did call us and file a report,” Devault said. “That’s important for us because when we catch them, we need to have reports filed to prosecute.”

She said residents should notify the sheriff’s office if someone calls or comes to the door “demanding money for something that is a surprise to them or doesn’t seem right.”

“Please call us,” she said. “We’ll be more than happy to send someone out right away to verify if it’s a scam or not.”

The phone number for the sheriff’s office Canal Winchester substation is 614-837-7913. Any jury-related questions should be directed to the Fairfield County Common Pleas Court jury manager at 614-652-7433.