January 6, 2011
Liberty delays payment in Walmart case By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Liberty Township trustees on Jan. 3 voted to issue a surety bond for the $750,000 in damages it owes to Wedgewood Limited Partnership in a U.S. District Court case over a proposed Walmart store. The surety bond is required by the court and will allow the township to delay payment until it learns if the U.S. Supreme Court will hear its appeal of a federal judge’s de-
cision that the township violated Wedgewood’s due process rights. In December, a jury awarded the damages to Wedgewood in the civil lawsuit filed by the partnership’s president Charles Ruma in 2004, after the township denied Wedgewood a zoning permit for a Walmart. Still to be decided is how much Liberty will pay in legal fees and costs. U.S. District Court judge Algenon Marbley will decide those costs at a later date. Documents Wedgewood filed in October with
the U.S. District Court show a request for compensation from the township for the partnership’s attorney fees, court costs and interest on both, in all totaling $1.7-million. Marbley ruled in 2008 the township violated Wedgewood’s constitutional right to due process regarding a proposed 220,598square-foot Walmart Superstore. The 34-acre site at 10600 Sawmill Parkway is in Wedgewood Commerce Center. Wedgewood was
A closer look Still to be decided is how much Liberty will pay in legal fees and costs. U.S. District Court judge Algenon Marbley will decide those costs at a later date. Documents Wedgewood filed in October with the U.S. District Court show a request for compensation from the township for the partnership’s attorney fees, court costs and interest on both, in all totaling $1.7-million.
See LIBERTY DELAYS, page A2
Olentangy yet to resolve operating levy millage By THOMAS SHEEHAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The system includes 20-million birth and death certificates, said House. The centralized data base is securely accessed through the web, said Pam Shears, vital statistics registrar with the Delaware General Health District. “Our records were digitized about five years ago, so it was easier for us to pull up records and issue them quickly. Not all counties had digitized records. Some would have to pull paper records and make copies,” Shears said. While all counties’ records are in the data base, whether to provide the extended service is up to the individual counties, House said. Ohio is an open records state. Anyone can request and purchase a birth or death certificate.
The Olentangy school board is expected to vote Jan. 12 to resolve the question of how much millage it will seek in a May operating levy. The board voted 3-2 on Dec. 22 to seek a combined 7.9-mill operating levy and bond issue. Later the board learned such issues require at least a 41 vote for approval, under state law. Board member Scott Galloway and Kevin O’Brien voted against the 7.9-mill levy. Unless once changes his mind, the board will have to compromise on a lower millage amount. Both O’Brien and Galloway have said they support a 6.9- A closer look mill levy. Galloway said before a special For each $100,000 of home board meeting valuation, a 7.9-mill levy on Dec. 28 that costs about $30 a year he has not re- more than 6.9 mills. The assessed his po- 6.9-mill levy would cost sition on a mill- $211.31 a year while the 7.9-mill levy would cost age amount. “We’ll have $241.94. The district estimore discussion mates that 6.9 mills would at our Jan. 12 raise about $22-million a meeting,” Gal- year versus $24-million for 7.9 mills. loway said. O’Brien was out of state and did not attend the Dec. 28 meeting. For each $100,000 of home valuation, a 7.9-mill levy costs about $30 a year more than 6.9 mills. The 6.9-mill levy would cost $211.31 a year while the 7.9-mill levy would cost $241.94. The district estimates that 6.9 mills would raise about $22-million a year versus $24-million for 7.9 mills. Board president Julie Wagner-Feasel, superintendent Wade Lucas and treasurer Becky Jenkins were unaware that at least four “yes” votes were needed. Wagner Feasel said all levies in recent memory were authorized by 5-0 board votes. Julie She said she received an e- Wagner-Feasel mail from a Hilliard board member advising her that the Olentangy vote was apparently invalid. She and other district officials investigated and learned that was true. Olentangy wants to place a combination three-year operating levy and no-new-millage Wade bond issue on the May ballot. Lucas There is no disagreement over the bond issue, which would require no new millage because the current bond debt in the district would be restructured. The proposed bond issue would raise about $24million to build a new elementary school and pay for some other things including new textbooks and capital improvements.
See HEALTH DISTRICT, page A2
See OLENTANGY YET TO RESOLVE, page A2
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
Fitness instructor Christy Heckle leads an exercise class at the Powell-Liberty YMCA, 7798 N. Liberty Road., on Tuesday, Jan. 4. The Y will be hosting a health fair on from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9.
Powell-Liberty YMCA slates third health fair By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The Liberty Township-Powell YMCA will hold a health fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, at its facility at 7798 N. Liberty Road. The fair will feature health care professionals, vendors and YMCA program instructors. “This is the third year for the fair,” said Michele Cannell,YMCA health and wellness director. “We like to have it in January because that is when people make those New Year’s resolutions to get healthy and we like to provide them with information at the health fair so they can have a more well-rounded healthy lifestyle.” This year attendees will be able to get health related information from a variety of professionals including: • Ophthalmologists who will per-
form basic vision testing and talk about eye health. • Chiropractors who will discuss healthy spine alignment and bring a machine that analyzes a person’s spine alignment. • A massage therapist who will provide free 10-minute chair massages. • A meditation counselor who will teach people how to relieve stress. • The Delaware General Health District, which will provide healthrelated information including its walking program for senior citizens. • The YMCA staff, which will provide free blood pressure and fitness tests, and answer basic questions about fitness. Fair visitors also can get information and orientation about the Y’s exercise programs and equipment at the facility.
Every January, the YMCA gives away three-day passes for people to try out the facility and classes, Cannell said. Whether people’s resolutions are to start exercising or to add rigor to their current program, the YMCA has programs to help meet those goals, said Lolita Haverlock,YMCA program director. New members can take a “Healthy Start Class” and meet with trainers to develop a personalized fitness program. The seven-week class meets once a week. “We have a very non-threatening, comfortable, family oriented environment, where (members) can come in for a small group setting and learn how to put together a (fitness) program and start out their wellness on the right foot,” said Haverlock. The YMCA group exercise classes — such as Zumba dancing, Bosu
stability exercises, cycling and Pilates — are fun and can be modified to the beginning or well-trained level. For the well-trained person, the YMCA is offering small group training classes such as “Insanity Boot Camp” and “P30X,” which is 30 minutes of high-intensity workout. Overall physical activity is important, Haverlock said. “That piece of the healthier body is important, but it also reduces stress. We’re spirit, mind and body at the Y,” said Haverlock. “The biggest thing with the Y is the community piece of it. We’re familybased, so when you are here working out, there’s also stuff for your children. It can be a family event.” For more information on the health fair or other YMCA offerings, visit www.ymcacolumbus.org/liberty or call (614) 839-9622.
Health district joins new birth certificate program By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Getting a birth certificate for an Ohio-born person just got easier for Delaware County residents. “No matter where you were born in Ohio, you can now get your birth certificate at the Delaware General Health District,” said health district spokesperson Jesse Carter. Previously, the local health department could issue certificates only for persons born in Delaware County, Carter said. The health district is participating in a newly launched database of Ohio vital statistics dating back to 1908. The program is provided by the Ohio Department of Health. “This was an effort by ODH to make it easi-
“
No matter where you were born in Ohio, you can now get your birth certificate at the Delaware General Health District.
JESSE CARTER — health district spokesperson
”
er for people to have access to their records,” said ODH spokesperson Jen House. “As technology has progressed, we’ve been looking for ways to streamline our processes to make things more efficient.” The scanning of such records began in 2006 and was completed earlier this year, House said.
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