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February 17, 2011

Council eyes infrastructure decisions Pump station, fiber-optic access needed for opening of business park east By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspaper With several new facilities scheduled to open this summer in New Albany’s business park east, village council was on the clock earlier this week to finalize components of the area’s infrastructure. One of the concerns included the installation of a pump station and an underground water system needed to fight fires in the area.

“There’s insufficient municipal water support in that part of the village of New Albany, not enough volume and pressure in the mains to supply that complex, given the size of the facilities out there and the sprinkler system requirements,” said Chief Dudley Wright of the Monroe Township Fire Department. New Albany’s business park east is along the east and west sides of Beech Road. The land north of state Route 161 in Licking County is served by the Monroe Township Fire Department.

Wright explained that the pump house would pull water from large ponds and run the water into a 16-inch underground water main that would provide water for sprinkler systems in the buildings and fire hydrants in the area. The municipal water system will be used to operate sinks and restroom facilities, he said. Wright said Columbus, which provides water service to the area through an agreement with New Albany, would have to build a water tower in the area at some point. But he said the pump

station and water system would suffice until that happens. “We’ve spent a lot of time down there during the construction process, doing daily inspections,” Wright said. “We anticipate there will be a demand more for EMS (emergency medical services) than fire, but we have good cooperation with our neighbors. If there’s a major emergency, several departments will respond.” The Plain Township Fire Department, with a station on U.S. Route 62 (John-

stown Road), would also be called when Monroe Township is dispatched to the area, Wright said. “We’d certainly like to address the travel distance with a fire station down there, but we would need a revenue stream to fund that,” Wright said. He said tax abatements granted to local companies building in business park east do not favor fire departments. Abatements reduce the amount of propSee INFRASTRUCTURE, page A2

Phone survey

District to dial up residents for their opinions By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Eric George/ThisWeek

(Above) Eighth-grader Ethan Fox waits for his entrance on stage during a Feb. 10 rehearsal for New Albany Middle School’s production of “Oh, What a Tangled Web!” (Below) Jess Flowers (left) and Natalie Wotring rehearse for the play, which was the first production by middle school students in recent memory.

Middle school revives theater program By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers New Albany Middle School’s first theater production in several years was a one-act comedy that kept the audience laughing throughout the performance. “The whole thing is like crazy, confusing and funny and I love it,” said seventh-grader Alex Sines, one of the young actresses in “Oh, What a Tangled Web.” Eighth-grader Jordyn Fina, another of the eight cast members, agreed. “It is very, very out there,” she said. “It’s loud and it’s got a lot of different elements in it.” Director Sara Reichley, who is in her first year teaching Spanish at the middle school, said she had hoped to revive the school’s theater program when she came to New Albany last year. She said she hoped to start a theater program during her interview when she first saw the stage in the cafeteria. Principal Andy Culp said it has been awhile since the middle school had such a program. “It’s been at least five or six years since there’s been a middle school drama performance at New Albany Middle School of this nature, that rests outside of the school day,” he said. Even though the stage wasn’t used much outside of some community productions in the sum-

mer, Reichley didn’t forget about it. Her instincts about potential interest in theater “Three months ago in my Spanish class, we must have been right: About 70 students showed were doing an impromptu skit and the students up to audition for the play’s eight parts. were great,” Reichley said. “It was unbelievable,” Reichley said. “We had She said it reminded her of the stage and she 20 come back (for second readings).” asked administrators if the school could start a See THEATER PROGRAM, page A6 theater group.

The New Albany-Plain Local School District is conducting a phone survey to gauge the community’s perception of its performance. “Conducting a community survey has been an interest of the (school) board for some time,” said communications director Jeff Warner. “With the development of a new strategic plan and the hiring of a new superintendent, the timing is perfect.” Warner said the survey would start Feb. 17 and will involve asking a random sample of community members about their opinions on the strategic plan and how the district is performing in general. Other questions will involve such topics as academic performance, fiscal responsibility and diversity training. “This will provide us with a strong baseline of data, not only on our current performance but on their priorities for improvement, as well as their vision for the future,” said Superintendent April Domine. “This is critical data for planning priorities and strategic planning and it will guide us on how to move forward with the strategic plan.” The district’s strategic plan was developed last year with input from more than 130 local people, including a 38-member planning committee and 10 action teams that developed strategies for reaching the planning group’s objectives. Warner said the district is working with Columbus-based public-opinion research firm Saperstein Associates to complete the survey. Questions were developed by the board and Domine and the district’s leadership team added their input before the final questions were determined. The district is paying Saperstein Associates $15,000 for the project, which includes pre-testing and survey development, completing the survey, analyzing the data received and putting the data into a final report, WarnSee PHONE SURVEY, page A6

Organizers of local Special Olympics team off to a fast start By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers Several local parents and teachers are organizing a Special Olympics team for New Albany. “Special Olympics is a year-round ongoing program of training and athletic events for people aged 8 and older with intellectual disabilities or cognitive delays,” said Amy Thomas, one of the parents organizing the team.

To answer questions and explain more about the Special Olympics, Thomas has scheduled an information session for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23, at the New Albany branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library on Market Street. Thomas said her son, Matthew, has participated in Westerville’s Special Olympics program and when New Albany teacher Barry Ward suggested forming a local team, she responded. Ward is a wellness teacher and adapted phys-

ical education specialist for New Albany-Plain Local schools. “New Albany continues to have a growing population of adults and children with disabilities,” Ward said. “However, in a small community there are limited opportunities for participation in sport competition that is developmentally appropriate and specific for people with disabilities. “Some of New Albany’s residents with special needs currently have to trav-

el to other local communities to fulfill the desire to participate in sports programming. Having a Special Olympics program within New Albany will allow residents with disabilities the opportunity to participate and compete in sports within the community where they live.” Thomas concurs. “To have a local team can be the pride of a small town, plus it’s more convenient getting to practices and stuff,” she said.