February 20, 2011
Johnstown-Monroe school board
Recall petitions initiated by resident By JENNA GANT ThisWeek Community Newspapers Johnstown resident Patti Norris handed Johnstown-Monroe Board of Education president John Davis and member Terry Holter letters of intent to recall their positions at the board’s Feb. 14 meeting. Norris also gave the board a 70-page compilation of testimonies as part of the continuing effort to save the job of high school football coach Mike Carter. The school board is considering not renewing Carter’s contract next month.
Carter is also the athletic director and dean of students and would lose those positions as well. Norris said she spoke to Robin Hovis, president of the Ohio State Board of Education, who told her that “local school board members are accountable to the citizens of the district.” To hold the members accountable, a group called “Concerned Citizens on behalf of Johnstown-Monroe School District and its Students” is collecting signatures to recall the two board members. Davis said the letter and petition weren’t
surprising, but said unless Norris is able to collect enough signatures he doesn’t think he would be removed from the board. “There’s a very narrow field of how you can remove an elected official from office,” Davis said, “and certainly I don’t feel that me or Mr. Holter have violated anything as far as the Ohio revised code.” He said he realizes why the community has so many questions about the possibility of not renewing Carter’s contract. “As a board member,” Davis said, “you know more of the story than the
public does. It’s just unfortunate that a lot of this can’t be discussed in a public setting.” A score of residents at Monday’s meeting pleaded with the board to renew Carter’s contract. Vicki Franklin, whose son is on the football team, said she spoke to superintendent Damien Bawn, “who assured me that Mike Carter was not involved in any egregious behavior. “I have read every one of his performance evaluations and in those there is absolutely nothing to warrant a non-
renewal,” Franklin said. “Mike Carter truly sees the potential greatness in all the students and helps to instill Johnnie pride.” Mayor Kevin Riffe also spoke in support of Carter, saying the community needs more answers. “If a reason other than ‘going in another direction’ would be brought forward, then maybe this group might better understand the situation. But as of now that is not the case,” Riffe said. See RECALL PETITIONS, page A2
Fire chief: Intersection upgrades could cause congestion By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers Monroe Township Fire Chief Dudley Wright is concerned that a major reconfiguration of traffic lanes and traffic signals at Johnstown’s primary intersection will worsen a traffic congestion problem in front of the fire station on Oregon Road. Village officials and engineers at the Ohio Department of Transportation disagree, saying computer models show that traffic should be alleviated after work has been completed at Main and Coshocton streets. The proof will be in the pudding, Wright says. “I don’t agree with that (ODOT’s position),” Wright said. “I think people are in the habit, and if you are coming out of the slanted parking lot (adjacent to the old township hall), you don’t really have a choice. You’re going to turn onto Oregon. You’re not going to turn around and go back to Main Street. It’s our position the traffic (on Oregon) will back up even farther.” Part of what worries Wright is that currently, Oregon Street has two westbound lanes, a left turn lane and a straight through lane. With the new roadway configurations, the intent is to eliminate the left turn lane. This is a major problem in the afternoons, Wright said, when nearby schools let out. During those times, cars attempting to turn left on Coshocton end up waiting an entire light cycle, so that only one car per light can make the turn. With only one lane, Wright worries that this will back traffic up even more. “Even a single car trying to turn left, one car could hold up 20 cars for an entire light cycle,” Wright said. “When Oregon Elementary or Searfoss Elementary is letting out, you have all these cars going down Oregon Street.” Wright said the village had planned at one time to install slant parking on Oregon Street, which would have made the problem even worse. He said he was happy when that plan was dropped, giving fire trucks space to pull into the roadway. Acting village manager Jim Lenner said traffic counts suggested that most of the congestion came not from the schools but from drivers on Main Street who had the same congestion problem at the primary intersection. To avoid that traffic, drivers cut down Phalen Way, next to the slant parking lot, then to Oregon, where the left turn is easier.
By Eric George/ThisWeek
Northridge superintendent John Shepard stands with Sylvia Malcuori, an exchange principal from Uruguay, on Feb. 15. Shepard will travel to Uruguay in July to observe the country’s schools.
Exchange principal visiting Northridge By JENNA GANT ThisWeek Community Newspapers Traveling from Uruguay to Licking County, elementary school principal Sylvia Malcuori says she’s learned several things from Northridge Local Schools during her two-week educational trip. “The learning of the children is the same,” Malcuori said. “Just the physical set up, the operational, organizational set up is just a little different.” Speaking as her interpreter, Northridge superintendent John Shepard said he and Malcuori are participating in a U.S. Department of State sponsored fellowship. Malcuori spent two weeks in Johnstown during her “summer” break. She was to head back Saturday, with school starting up in Uruguay on March 1. During the North American summer break in July, Shepard will travel to Uruguay’s capital city of Montevideo, where he’ll observe Malcuori’s school. Shepard said the program helps unite educators from different countries.
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What I’ve noticed the most is the kids here are very independent. They are able to work on their own. In Uruguay, I see more dependence on the teacher.
SYLVIA MALCUORI exchange principal from Uruguay
“We are sharing ideas and trends that are occurring here in our schools,” Shepard said. “It’s been a great program that has opened up our doors to the world.” Montevideo is home to about half of Uruguay’s population of 3-million, but Malcuori said there are only about 190 students in her school. While class sizes are similar, Malcuori described Northridge students as more self-reliant.
“What I’ve noticed the most is the kids here are very independent. They are able to work on their own,” Malcuori said, “In Uruguay, I see more dependence on the teacher.” Malcuori she is impressed with how all students have a chance to learn together. “What I hope to take back with me is how they integrate their students more, no matter what level of learning that student has,” Malcuori said. “Those with physical challenges and emotional or social challenges or even academic challenges, they aren’t really equipped to deal with that,” Shepard said. Malcuori said she also wants to take back more ways to involve parents in schools. “I think a challenge for a school like Sylvia’s is that typically both parents work,” Shepard said. “What I think is unique here is the excitement of entering school and you get the grandparents involved, we have a great volunteer base in our schools.” Shepard said they’ve had great dialog discussing ways to get parents and even grandparSee EXCHANGE PRINCIPAL, page A2
See INTERSECTION UPGRADES, page A2
Northridge levy campaign preparations are under way By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Northridge Local School District Board of Education met Thursday to discuss its third attempt in three elections to pass a 1 percent income tax levy, now scheduled for the May ballot. Parent Jayma Bammerlin, coordinator of the levy campaign last fall and this spring, said the levy committee had met once, and that voter registration efforts were being made throughout the district.
Board president Mark Dann said Thursday’s meeting was to provide board feedback to the levy committee. “One of the reasons I thought it would be a good idea to get together is so that the board could give the levy committee some feedback on any messaging, as well as the work of the budget committee, and how board members can participate and help in the levy.” Dann said. Bammerlin said the school booster organizations would be sponsoring voter registration the next three Saturdays.
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“We’ve been registering to vote at the basketball games, and for the next three Saturdays we’re going to meet at the Hot Spot from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.,” Bammerlin said. “The Athletic Boosters and the Music Boosters are taking charge of this.” School board treasurer Jim Hudson said he was preparing a summary booklet that would give answers to the questions he most frequently receives about district finances. “A lot of people want detailed infor-
mation and a lot of people just want some information,” Hudson said. “I’ve started to put together a booklet of what we spend it on and how and why we are doing the reductions.” Hudson said another difficulty is simply a generational one, where younger parents are inclined to support the levy and retirees are inclined to feel they have done enough supporting of levies. “I’ve had a lot of conversation with people who said their kids went to Northridge but they don’t think they’re
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going to vote for it,” Hudson said. Bammerlin said the current trend is to shift more costs to the local level from the state and that would require more local support, not less. “We’re going to need tax support moving forward, no matter what,” Bammerlin said. “We are losing money. We are cutting certain things, and we need the community to help, whether the levy passes or does not pass.” See LEVY, page A2
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