February 17, 2011
Study: Historic Dublin parking inconsistent By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Another look at parking in Historic Dublin has identified some areas going unused while other lots are full. Dublin City Council this week received a preliminary report on a new
study of parking in Historic Dublin that is close to wrapping up. The study looked at parking supply, operations and locations through “a number of studies, surveys, public meetings and interviews,” said Steve Langworthy, director of land use and long range planning.
“A very thorough job was done,” he said, noting that the study was extended to survey every business in the historic district. The study found 963 privately controlled parking spots in Historic Dublin, which accounts for 73 percent of parking in the area. Only 27 percent of park-
ing in Historic Dublin is public. Consultants Rich & Associates normally recommend 50 percent of parking be public. “We need to make a determined effort to increase the available supply of public parking,” Langworthy said. While public parking is sparse, the
study found there are areas going unused, while others such as the Darby lot are close to full. “Between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the Thursday observation,” the study said, “the Darby Street Lot was nearly See STUDY:, page A2
District sets later start times for next school year By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Dublin City Schools students can sleep later in the next school year. At the recommendation of the School Reform Task Force, Dublin’s elementary, middle and high schools will all start later for the 2011-12 school year. The high school day will run from 8 a.m. to 2:54 p.m. Middle school will run from 8:43 a.m. to 3:23 p.m. Elementary school will begin at 9:28 a.m. and end at 3:58 p.m., Dublin administrators announced at the Feb. 14 school board meeting. “I can guarantee you that these start and end times aren’t perfect
for every parent” or staff member, Superintendent David Axner said. “Our decision-making process is driven by what is best for students.” The task force, a committee of parents, teachers, staff, administrators and other representatives met for more than a year to look at best practices and research on school-day times. They originally recommended pushing back the high school start time by 45 minutes, but Axner pointed out that the research supports 30 minutes. The new 8 a.m. start time is 35 minutes later than the current high school start time. Studies have shown more sleep means better grades and fewer auto See START-STOP, page A6
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
Chi Weber, Dick Termeer, associate minister Lisa Bowersock and Herb Jones discussed history prior to the Dublin Community Church’s bicentennial celebration. The church is at 81 W. Bridge St. Pictured below is one of the church’s stained-glass windows.
Dublin approves Church celebrates ban on texting 200 years in Dublin while driving By JENNIFER NOBLIT
See related story, page A3
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Dublin is the latest central Ohio community to take a stand against texting while driving. Council members voted unanimously Feb. 14 to add language that beefs up its full-time-attention law to specifically include texting. The amendment adds language that prohibits “sending, reading or writing a text message or accessing the Internet while driving.” The new law also makes texting while driving a primary offense, which means “a police officer may initiate a traffic stop based solely on a violation,” the city staff report said. The ordinance was amended slightly since its first reading Jan. 20. The city was contacted by AT&T with the suggestion of putting “manually” before “write” and replacing language that identifies GPS units. See CITY APPROVES BAN ON TEXTING, page A3
One year after the city celebrated its bicentennial, the Dublin Community Church will do the same. The Historic Dublin church will celebrate its bicentennial with two events this year, and continue to spread information on its long history. The Washington Gladden Chapel that sits on West Bridge Street, with its iconic bell tower, was built in 1877, but the Christian Church was founded in Dublin in 1811. With 200 years in Dublin, the church has a lot of roots in the community. Dublin Community Church member Barb Rizzo is helping with the bicentennial celebration and said several notables have attended the church
over the years. “A lot of people the schools were named after were members here,” she said, noting that the Karrer, Sells, Coffman and Pinney families had attended the church. “The Frantz family of Frantz Road came here,” church historian and longtime Dublin resident Chi Weber added. The collection of church history began with Emmett Karrer; church historian, Dick Termeer, said he gathered information on the Dublin Community Church and the longtime Dublin church St. John’s. The church’s anniversaries have also helped. “Each time we’ve gone through an See BICENTENNIAL, page A6
Literacy, service contribute to ‘good time’ for students By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Tim Norman/ThisWeek
Science fair
Dublin Scioto High School sophomore Rathisha Pathmathasan (left) and her sister, Dublin Scioto High School freshman Cynthia, talk to Courtney Devries, Ph.D., an Ohio State University professor of neuroscience and psychology, who was judging the Dublin PROUD science fair at Deer Run Elementary School on Saturday, Feb. 12. The sisters presented their science project on the offset of temperature on photosynthesis.
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The “Good Books, Good Times” literacy festival came from two separate activities planned by teachers in Dublin City Schools. West Bridge Academy teacher Ryan Walton was planning a community service festival for his group, Grow to Serve; Indian Run Elementary teacher Dawn Boerger was planning a literacy event to kick off Read Across America week. The combination of both is a literacy festival planned for 2 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at Indian Run Elementary, 80 W. Bridge St., for students in kindergarten through grade five, with high school students serving as volunteers. “We were each planning our
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A closer look The combination of literacy and service events is a literacy festival planned for 2 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at Indian Run Elementary, 80 W. Bridge St., for students in grades kindergarten through five, with high school students serving as volunteers.
own festivals,” Walton said. His was going to focus on the Grow to Serve organization, which combines high school students from all over the district for service projects. The group is in its inaugural year and has anywhere from six to 32 students at each meeting, Walton said.
“I wanted to get our name out there and do some service projects,” he said. Boerger, inspired by a literacy event put on by a Dublin City Schools librarian, approached Indian Run principal Janet Rinefierd to reserve the school for the afternoon and found Walton had beat her to it. “Janet said West Bridge is doing something, so we decided to work together,” she said. The Good Books, Good Times festival will have several stations set up around Indian Run Elementary for the younger students. High school volunteers will man the stations. “(Kindergarten) through fifth (grade) is our target group,” Boerger said. “The high school kids are pretty much our manSee LITERACY, page A2
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