January 20, 2011
All-day kindergarten
Future of district program is uncertain By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Worthington is one of only a few central Ohio school districts that offer allday kindergarten. But unless Ohio legislators act quickly, that program could be gone next year. House Bill 1, part of former Gov. Ted Strickland’s education reform package approved two years ago, mandates that
all Ohio districts offer a full-day kindergarten program to all students beginning next school year. It also requires that the program be free, which puts a strain on districts like Worthington that charge a fee. Currently parents pay $220 a month for the full-day program, called K-plus. Without that tuition, the program would cost taxpayers approximately $1-million a year.
With further cuts in state funding looming, finding that much money for the kindergarten program would be difficult, Superintendent of Schools Melissa Conrath said. Educators are counting on a bill being prepared in the Ohio House that would cancel the all-day kindergarten mandate, and would allow districts like Worthington to continue to charge tuition. “This is an avenue we want to make
sure we support,” she said. “It would return control back to local school districts.” Timing is crucial. Parents begin registering children for kindergarten in March. Currently, they are being told to prepare both for a tuition-based, all-day program, and for the possibility that K-plus may not be offered next year. While lobbying for the bill being sponsored by Rep. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, school officials are also ready-
ing their own back-up plan. At its meeting next Monday, the school board will consider a motion to request from the Ohio Department of Education a waiver relieving the district of the allday, tuition-free mandate. Though the district still would not be permitted to charge a fee to parents, a waiver would allow it to offer the fullSee KINDERGARTEN, page A2
City, township, county trying to address corner eyesore By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek
St. John A.M.E. Church praise dance ministry members Melita Sanders, right, and Olivia Moyler perform during the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration at Worthington United Methodist Church on Jan. 17.
Watts challenges audience to honor King through service By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Honor the legacy of Martin Luther King by serving others in your daily life. That was the message of Eric J. Watts, a Worthington resident who shared his thoughts on the King legacy — and how to leave one of your own — at the Martin Luther King celebration on Monday at the Worthington United Methodist Church. Watts received a standing ovation from the approximately 250 community members who filled the pews
to hear his inspirational words and to celebrate King through music and dance. New this year was a performance by the St. John AME Church Praise Dance Ministry. The eight young women dressed in colorful African dress honored King’s legacy with movement and grace. The Con Brio Children’s Choir, led by Emily Gil, and Capriccio, an adult choir led by Larry Griffin, sang. Griffin performed a solo of the song River Jordan, then brought the crowd to its Eric J. Watts was the keynote speaker at the Martin
See KING, page A3 Luther King Jr. Community Celebration on Jan. 17.
Batting cage, splash pad approved by ARB Besides providing practice space fountains, sprays, jets and other
BY CANDY BROOKS
ThisWeek Community Newspapers for ball players, it will provide of- special features without standing
An indoor batting cage and an outdoor splash pad were approved by the Architectural Review Board (ARB) at its Jan. 13 meeting. The batting cage/office building will be located on the south side of the baseball field at Thomas Worthington High School, the splash pad a few hundred yards away at the Worthington outdoor pool complex. The baseball facility will be a 6,704 square-foot concrete block and white metal building. It will replace the current outdoor batting cages.
fices for coaches and public restrooms. The $250,000 facility will be paid for by the TWHS Diamond Club. The 2,150 square-foot splash pad will provide additional play area at the Worthington pools. It will be located at the southeast corner of the pool complex. The chain link fence will be moved to make room for the pad. Splash pads are the most popular features being constructed at pools, parks, and malls across the country, according to Swiminc general manager Dick Rabold. They are aquatic play areas with
water. All of the water immediately drains and is filtered, treated, and recycled. A new wood 16 feet by 20 feet building will house filtering and metering equipment. It will be painted beige with green shingles to match the picnic shelter. Landscaping will separate the splash pad from the adult pool. The splash pad will cost approximately $220,000. Worthington City Council has agreed to adjust the repayment schedule See ARB, page A2
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A closer look The Worthington Division of Fire and the Franklin County Code Enforcement agency both inspected the property and found violations.
“The condition of the property is not indicative of the character and quality of most of the properties in the Worthington area,” he said. The issue was brought to the attention of government entities last summer, when AEP cut down trees and left trunks and debris on the property. That was eventually cleaned up, but discussions took off from there. The Worthington Division of Fire and the Franklin County Code Enforcement agency both inspected the property and found violations. Greeson and Oberle point to the progress as a good example of governments working well together. “We’ve got a responsibility to keep our neighborhoods safe and nice,” Oberle said. “It can’t happen overnight, but a path to progress has been identified.” As for the neighbors, they will continue to keep an eye on the property and continue to oppose any rezoning from residential that would negatively affect the area. “They would love to see it gone,” Weislogel said. cbrooks@thisweeknews.com
Staats worked behind the scene to promote market, downtown BY CANDY BROOKS
mid-1990s and as market mas- many projects to bring attention
ThisWeek Community Newspapers ter of the farmers market since to and people to the downtown
Next time you visit the Worthington farmers market, think of Jan Staats. Without her drive and enthusiasm, one of the community’s most prized events might never have been. Staats died this past Sunday night, succumbing to the cancer that she had fought for many months. “We knew she had been ill, but we were very saddened to hear the news today,” said city spokesperson Anne Brown. Staats retired in early December after serving as director of the Olde Worthington Business Association since the
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Forty years ago, neighbors worked together to halt a rezoning request that would have resulted in a service station on the southwest corner of West DublinGranville and Olentangy River roads. There have been other battles over the years, but the primary concern has been the appearance of the long-vacant house and abutting wooded lot on what should be one of the community’s premiere gateway properties. “It’s just been disgusting to look at,” said neighbor Jane Weislogel, who is pleased that the city of Worthington, Sharon Township, and Franklin County are finally addressing the neighborhood’s concerns. So far, the county has issued two letters of code violation to the property’s trustee, said township trustee John Oberle. There was no response by the deadline cited in the letters, therefore the issue has been turned over to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, he said. “Eventually, if the code violations are not corrected, the trustee could be ordered to clean it up or raze the property,” he said. The trustee listed on the deed is attorney Thomas Maloney, said city manager Matt Greeson. The property is located in the township, but its proximity to the city and its appearance are concerns, he said.
1988, just one year after it started. She kept the summer market thriving for many years, then worked with Sustainable Worthington to get the indoor winter market started approximately four years ago. “The farmers market is a wonderful living legacy to Jan Staats, that was her passion,” said Kathryn Paugh, director of the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce. Staats also worked hard to organize downtown events and to bring merchants together for the good of all, Brown said. “She really spearheaded so
area over the years,” she said. Mindy Mace worked closely with Staats on the board of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Worthington (CVB). Mace is the director of the bureau. “Worthington has lost someone who loved this community and worked tirelessly on its behalf,” Mace said. “I, personally, will miss my colleague and friend.” A funeral service will be this Saturday, Jan. 22, at Epworth Methodist Church, 5100 Karl Road, at 3 p.m. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church.
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