021011_ThisWeek_Dublin

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February 10, 2011

District weighing timing of next levy

LESSON IN ISLAM

By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers

A levy is in the future for Dublin City Schools. Treasurer Stephen Osborne isn’t sure when the district will ask voters to approve its next operating levy, but said he and Superintendent David Axner are discussing it with community stakeholders. “We’re just starting that. A lot has been postponed because of the weather,” he said last week. “We’ll start with the senior council and talk to the business advisory council.” Discussions will revolve around the timing of the next operating levy and the need for it, although Osborne said he hasn’t looked at figures yet. “We were last on (the ballot) in November 2008 for a levy that was to last three years,” he said. “Collection began in 2010.” Dublin voters passed the combined 7.9-mill operating levy and $50-million bond package with 54 percent of the vote. Any levy that goes on the ballot will not begin collecting until 2013, Osborne said. When the disSee DISTRICT LOOKING, page A2

By Tim Norman/ThisWeek

Salwa M. Ali teaches Islamic studies and history during the advanced studies class at the Alef Ba Arabic Learning Center, 5935 Wilcox Place, on Feb. 6. The school is under new ownership. See story, page A5.

Dublin has battled harsh winter thus far

‘Les Miserables’

Show brings challenges, enjoyment to students

By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers

“Les Miserables” is proving to be a challenge for the Jerome High School students involved, but they love it. The show, based on Victor Hugo’s novel of the same title, has more than 80 Jerome High School students singing, dancing, building sets, playing music and working on lighting. The major undertaking will take the stage of Jerome High School, 8300 Hyland Croy Road, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17-19 and 2 p.m. Feb. 19. Theatre teacher Patricia Scott said the production includes 50 actors, but with a live orchestra, sound, lighting and other work to be done, 85 students in all are helping to run the show. For junior Matt Dunn, “Les Miserables” will be his first time on the stage. “This is my first lead in a production or a musical,” he said. Dunn is usually working behind the scenes on lights and other technical aspects of Jerome’s theatre productions, but the character of Thendardier drew him to the stage.

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Dublin Jerome High School senior Dan Stevens rehearses on Feb. 3 for his role as Jean Valjean in the school’s performance of “Les Miserables.” Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 19.

“I just love this character. It attracted me,” he said. “It’s not like playing myself at all.” The part of the crooked innkeeper that introduced Dunn to the stage could keep him there in the future. “I love it. It’s an absolute blast,” he said. “There’s nothing quite like getting out in front of an audience and playing off

each other.” And the actors have several people to play off. “Working with a huge cast has its benefits and difficulties,” senior Dylan George said. “You get to work with passionate people, but it’s hard it get everyone in one place See ‘LES MISERABLES,’ page A2

If Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of an early spring is right, Dublin could end this winter with salt in the barn. If he’s wrong, streets and utilities director Ron Burns said, more can be ordered. Either way, Dublin has faced a much harsher winter than usual this year. “We have used more (salt) than usual because we had a really snowy December,” Burns said. “There’s not a lot of accumulation, but events have required treating the roadways.” The streets and utilities department is still within budget, but Burns said hours clocked in cleaning Dublin’s 500 lane miles have been more than usual, too. “We are definitely within budget, but as early as it is in winter we have utilized more (man hours) than I would consider normal for this time of year,” he said. To fight last week’s winter storm that brought ice, Burns said the city pretreated streets to keep residents safe. “We pretreated hills and bridge decks with salt brine and we went

We are definitely within budget, but as early as it is in winter we have utilized more (man hours) than I would consider normal for this time of year.

RON BURNS

— streets and utilities director

off shift yesterday at midnight and we will continue on shift through probably tomorrow at noon, depending on how the storm finalizes itself,” he said Feb. 2. While high winds followed the first part of last week’s storms, and AEP reported thousands of customers without power, Burns said Dublin didn’t see an “extreme” number of calls about downed branches. “It’s been much less than I expected,” he said. “We had a few, but it hasn’t been anything extreme by any means. We got really lucky because it got up to 38 degrees overnight and ice melted off trees See DUBLIN, page A2

Dublin Foundation to honor chamber at Emerald Celebration By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Dublin Foundation will honor an organization with which it shares a goal. The Feb. 26 Emerald Celebration will honor the 35-year-old Dublin Chamber of Commerce as it raises money for the Dublin Foundation, which will benefit the community through grants.

The Emerald Celebration, scheduled at the Columbus Marriott Northwest, is the biggest fundraiser for the nonprofit group. Lisa Garner is taking the helm of this year’s celebration and said the chamber of commerce was an “obvious” choice for the annual honoree. “We go through a selection process of evaluating people that have given back to the community and have a mis-

sion in alignment with the Dublin Foundation,” she said. “Last year, we celebrated the city because of the bicentennial and this year it’s the chamber. Without the chamber, Dublin wouldn’t be what it is. I sit on the (chamber) board and it is phenomenal to have an organization like that that is vital to the success of the community.” Margie Amorose, chamber executive director, has helped with the Emerald

Celebration since its start, and said she’s honored the chamber will be recognized. “This year the decision was to have the chamber honored and it took me aback,” she said, noting that individuals — even herself — are often honored. “The (Dublin Women’s Philanthropic) club was last year’s honoree, but it was their anniversary. Honest to gosh, this is the year we’re going to put in the books.”

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Amorose said she asked Garner to get involved at last year’s Emerald Celebration, which was her first. “I think the Dublin Foundation does so much for the community, and running a hotel in the community, I think it’s important to the community the work the foundation does,” Garner said. “That’s inspired me to get involved. This See FOUNDATION, page A8

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