February 13, 2011
Plan would give schools extra calamity days By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers Ohio public school districts may get a reprieve on snow days from the Ohio General Assembly. The Ohio Legislature is considering a bill to allow schools five canceled, or calamity, days, said state Rep. Casey Kozlowski, of the 99th district. He represents the 99th House District. For the 2010-11 school year, schools
are allowed to have three canceled school days. Any school days canceled after that number must be made up. Two buildings in South-Western City Schools have used three calamity days. Two buildings have used four. One is Darbydale Elementary School,
which closed on Nov. 11 when a boiler room fire was caused by what was called naturally occurring methane. Darbydale will make up its fourth day on Feb. 21, Presidents Day. Finland Elementary School had to close on Oct. 7 when a burned-out electric motor sent smoke into the building. Its makeup day is not yet scheduled, said district spokesperson Sandy Nekoloff. House Bill 36, if approved, would in-
crease the number of calamity days from three to five. It also has an emergency clause that would make it effective immediately, said Kozlowski, whose constituents are in northeast Ohio. “I have a few school districts that have used six calamity days. We’ve had a long harsh winter and we still have the rest of February and March to get through,” Kozlowski said. Local districts have also used the maximum of allowable canceled school days.
Though the Ohio Department of Education does not have an official count, spokesperson Patrick Gallaway said that the majority of school districts have used their allotment of three calamity days because of the extreme winter Ohio is having. During Gov. Ted Strickland’s administration, the number of allotted calamity days was gradually decreased, See PLAN WOULD, page A2
Prairie Township
SENIOR APPRECIATION
Firefighter honored on retirement By CARLA SMITH ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek
Logan Horn, right, the lone senior on the Westland High School girls basketball team, receives a hug from team member Brooklyn Harris during a ceremony to honor Horn before the game against Upper Arlington on Tuesday, Feb. 8. See Sports, page A5.
Operation Buckeye
Founder hopes to top 25,000 boxes this year By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Operation Buckeye started out on the dining room table of founder Jim Caronis’ Worthington home. It moved into his garage when his late wife, Nancy Priode Caronis, wanted someplace to serve Thanksgiving dinner. The nonprofit organization, which packs and ships boxes of snacks, candy, Girl Scout cookies, playing cards and other items to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to help lighten the burden and gloom of being far from home, now has its headquarters on North High Street in Clintonville, a post office box for donations in Westerville and volunteers from throughout central Ohio. Caronis said last week that he was inspired to launch Operation Buckeye back in 2006 after reading a piece by the late Dispatch columnist Mike Harden about a local Army officer and his soldiers who, instead of coming home from South Korea, were diverted instead to further duty in Iraq. Caronis immediately told his wife he wanted to send boxes of goodies to those poor military personnel, who so abruptly found themselves diverted from reuniting with loved ones to putting their lives on the line. They decided to pledge $10 for each of their 13 grandchildren and match that figure with their own money, expecting to send perhaps 20 gift boxes to soldiers. They wound up sending 94 that first time around, Jim Caronis recalled last week. The letters of appreciation received in return were heart-warming, so when Nancy asked her husband if they were going to do it again the next year, he replied: “You betcha!” With the help of a growing number of like-minded people, Caronis said that the second year’s batch of boxes increased to 184.
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Mim Strait organizes items that will be boxed and sent to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of Operation Buckeye. The organization is staffed only by volunteers and 100 percent of the donations goes to items for the boxes as well as shipping.
To date, the total is 18,000 boxes. Caronis hopes that figure tops 25,000 by the end of 2011.“Each and every year we’ve grown, and we continue to grow,” Caronis said. Nancy Caronis passed away this past Nov. 3, and her husband now carries on with Operation Buckeye in her honor. On Feb. 18, Jim Caronis will be receiving the 2011 Community Volunteer of the Year honor during the annual awards dinner and silent auction of the Clintonville Area Chamber of Commerce. “I just wish my wife could be there, too, to also receive that award,” Caronis said.
Operation Buckeye depends upon a network of Army chaplains, the National Guard and occasionally Ohio State University head football coach Jim Tressel to come up with the names of soldiers in need of the pick-me-up one of the boxes could provide. Caronis was a member of the same fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, as Tressel and his brother, OSU running backs coach Dick Tressel. The latter has served as honorary chairman of Operation Buckeye and Caronis said that on one of his visits to the war zone with other college football coaches, Jim Tressel returned with 500 names for the organization. Often, these are enlisted men and women with little in the way of family support back home, according to Caronis. “If you’ve got nobody writing a letter to you, you’re sure as heck not getting a box,” Caronis said. Girl Scout cookies and beef jerky have been among the most requested items on the part of soldiers serving in war zones, according to the Operation Buckeye chairman, but the volunteers who pack the boxes also include things like magazines donated by Half Price Books, wet wipes offered by Buffalo Wild Wings and playing cards among the 45 to 50 items contained in each. “We call them care boxes,” Caronis said. “They’re sort of like snowflakes; there’s no two alike.” A small American flag and, as the name implies, a buckeye are among the “signature items” contained in each. Those packing the boxes often include a personal name with their name and address. “Many of the soldiers write back,” Caronis said. Volunteer packers have included school children from throughout central Ohio, the members of 11 different athletic teams at OSU, Girl Scouts and See OPERATION BUCKEYE, page A2
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Mayoral, council races
Long list of candidates could result in primaries By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers Primary battles could be looming in the race for Columbus mayor and city council. As expected, four Republicans and as many Democrats filed petitions for four seats on council. But the addition of three Libertarians and an independent candidate could force a primary election. A primary also is possible in the race for mayor. Republican Earl Smith, a retired police sergeant, will face two-term incumbent Mayor Michael B. Coleman, a Democrat. However, Paul Nerswick, who is not affiliated, also has entered the race. The Franklin County Board of Elections will certify candidates by Feb. 14. Republicans include Matthew Ferris,Alicia Healy, Joseph Healy and Daryl Hennessy. Meanwhile, the Democratic ticket includes incumbent council members Andrew Ginther, Hearcel Craig, Zachary Klein and Michelle Mills. Zachary Roberts and Donald Klco, whose names See PRIMARIES, page A2
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Prairie Township paid homage to one of its longtime firefighters who made his retirement official this week. Prairie Township Fire Captain Jeffrey Routte was honored for his contributions to the fire department and to residents at the Feb. 9 board of trustees meeting. Chris Snyder, assistant fire chief, said Routte began his career with the township as a volunteer in 1983 and progressed through the ranks quickly. By 1984 Routte was a full-time firefighter with the township. He was promoted to lieutenant by 1992 and received the rank of captain in 2005. “He has made many contributions to the fire department,” Snyder said. “Those contributions include outstanding excellence and dedication. He will be deeply missed and will always be a member of this fire department.” Trustees approved and accepted Routte’s letter of resignation and bestowed on him a resolution thanking him for his years of service. Surrounded by his fellow firefighters, Routte received a special gift from them: a gold-plated axe engraved with his name. “You do know they have chainsaws now,” Routte said as he wiped tears from his eyes. “I want to thank the board of trustees. They have been good to my family for 27 years.” In other board matters, trustees approved a threeyear agreement with the Franklin County Board of Health for the continuation of its mosquito management program. Cost of the program is $12,730 annually. The board also approved entering into a threeyear agreement with AEP Retail Energy in an effort to save on energy costs throughout the township. The township hall, road department and fire department will be the locations included in the agreement.
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