February 10, 2011
Mall will be big business news in ’11 By CANDY BROOKS
center is also on the horizon, Gree-
ThisWeek Community Newspapers son said. Marketing efforts are
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Worthington City Schools’ Superintendent Melissa Conrath speaks during the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Groundhog Day Forecast Breakfast at Brookside Country Club on Feb. 2.
Conrath: Schools must ‘refocus’ to meet future challenges By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Worthington City Schools has a history of excellence and a future of challenges. That was the message Superintendent of Schools Melissa Conrath presented to the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce at its Groundhog Day Breakfast on Feb. 2. “We have to refocus what we are doing,” she told the audience at Brookside Country Club. Over the past year, the district continued to attain recognition for its performance. It was again rated “excellent” on state report cards, and graduates went on to study at nationally ranked colleges. Last year’s graduates earned $12-million in scholarships. And 75 percent of high school students participate in extracurricular activities, she
said. In December, Phoenix Middle School teacher Tim Dove was named Ohio Teacher of the Year and Evening Street Elementary School teacher Kellie Ehlers was one of four finalists chosen from 1,000 nominees. “A key to our success is our highly trained and experienced teaching staff,” Conrath said. But even high achieving school districts must adopt new programs to remain competitive in the 21st century, she said. Among Worthington’s new programs are International Baccalaureate programs being launched at Slate Hill Elementary School and Worthington Kilbourne High School; a leadership development program at Worthington Estates Elementary; the highly regarded Phoenix Middle School program; and specialized learning academies at Thomas Worthington High School.
“We also have to refocus how we manage tax dollars,” Conrath said. A 15 percent to 20 percent reduction in state reimbursement is expected next year, and the phase-out of the state tangible tax will cost the district $15-million a year when it is fully enacted. “We can cut expenses or increase taxes,” she said. “We are looking at making reductions where we can.” A state audit pointed to $2.6-million in possible reductions. The district requested the audit, and has made $1.5-million in reductions so far, Conrath said. But even the full amount suggested by the audit is only one percent of the district’s budget. “It’s not fun work, but we regard it as the work we need to do,” she said. cbrooks@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNews.com
Godown Park going to the dogs By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Worthington’s first dog park will have areas for small and large dogs to run and play, and benches for owners to sit and watch. Plans for The Dog Park at Godown Road were unveiled Feb. 3 at a meeting at Linworth Baptist Church before a crowd of about 25 dog owners eager to see Worthington get a dog park of its own. Actually, it will be shared with the city of Columbus, which will partner with Worthington to build and operate the park, which is owned by Worthington but located in Columbus. The vacant land is on the north side of Godown Road, just west of the railroad tracks. It is bound on the north and west sides by Don Scott Field. Worthington purchased the land about 20 years ago, when the need for soccer fields was growing. It was never developed for soccer, however, and it is used only as a nursery for trees for Worthington’s parks. The east edge of the park, along the railroad tracks, will continue to be used as a nursery. Construction of the dog park is to begin this summer and be complete by the end of the year.
The proposed revitalization of Worthington Square may be the best business news coming out of Worthington in recent years. City manager Matt Greeson summed up the city’s response in three words. “We are ecstatic,” he told the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce at the annual Groundhog Day Breakfast on Feb. 2. Asked to forecast the coming year in business, he of course began with the plans to bring back the mall, which has been failing for many years. This past December, it was purchased by Worthington resident Tom Carter and a group of Texas investors. Plans for renovation are expected to be submitted to the city in the spring, with construction set to begin in the summer. The Wilson Bridge Road corridor study is also due in the spring. The land use and market analysis will be a blueprint for what the city hopes will be the redevelopment of East and West Wilson Bridge roads. The plan will signal to the development community that the city is ready to work with them, he said. A new era at the community
being redesigned and group membership options for businesses are being explored. A new web site will launch in 2011. A collaborative effort of the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Olde Worthington Business Association, it will focus on downtown and community activities. “We’re hoping it becomes the preeminent site for what to do in Worthington,” Greeson said. New development manager Jeffry Harris introduced himself to the audience and brought them up to date on what he is doing to retain and attract business to Worthington. He began with the city in December. The city’s economic development program is already sound, but he would like to update it as he becomes more familiar with the city’s needs, Harris said. Targeted areas for redevelopment, besides the mall and Wilson Bridge Road, are Huntley and Proprietors roads, the old CVS site, and the United Methodist Children’s Home site, he said. He has already begun reaching out to current businesses and congratulating those who are central Ohio market leaders, he said.
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
going to want to explore the nooks Worthington Economic Development Director Jeff Harris speaks and crannies,” said Kathy Spatz during the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Groundhog Day Foreof the Columbus Recreation and cast Breakfast at Brookside Country Club on Feb. 2. Parks Department. There will also be benches, a hydrant for filling water bowls and walkways winding through the park. At the entrance will be a paved parking lot for 50 vehicles. Columbus has budgeted $250,000 for construction. Worthington will be responsible for operating and maintaining the park When asked to rate the curBy CANDY BROOKS for 10 years. The park grew out of the efforts ThisWeek Community Newspapers rent business conditions in central Ohio, “fair” continued to be of WOOF, an organization that Worthington business own- the majority response, the same formed in March 2009 with a goal of establishing a dog park in Wor- ers saw 2010 as a “turnabout as the results of the 2010 surthington. WOOF raised funds and year,” according to Kathryn vey. Fifty-five percent rated constudied other dog parks to decide Paugh, director of the Worwhat it wanted Worthington’s park thington Area Chamber of Com- ditions as “fair,” 36 percent as merce. “good” and 4 percent as “exto be. It then worked with WorthingShe reported the predomi- cellent.” Six percent chose ton’s Parks and Recreation De- nantly optimistic results of the “poor” to describe economic partment to find and evaluate nine chamber’s annual survey of conditions in central Ohio. potential sites, deciding that the member’s opinions on the econRespondents said that condiGodown site had most of the fea- omy at the Groundhog Day tions in Worthington are better tures it desired. Breakfast held Feb. 2 at Brook- than in the surrounding central Columbus decided to join in side Country Club. Ohio area for the third consecthe effort because it was looking Sixty-three percent of those utive year. for a site for a dog park on the responding said their forecast Fifty-two percent rated Wornorth. city’s north side, Spatz said. for business conditions in cen- thington’s economic conditions The large dog area will have For now, the park is being called tral Ohio was better than 2010. as “good,” with 34 percent ratseveral elevations and variations the Dog Park at Godown Road, Another 34 percent said it was in landscaping. but a contest may be held to come about the same as 2010. See SURVEY, page A2 “Both you and the dogs are up with a new name.
Chamber survey: ’11 will be a better year for business
It will feature a one-acre small dog area at the front, nearest Godown Road. It will be divided with a fence from the four-and-ahalf acre large dog area to the
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