0303tw_worthington by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

March 3, 2011

Board declines to take stand on S.B. 5 By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Worthington Board of Education officially steered clear of the fiery waters of Senate Bill 5 (S.B.5) on Monday. Though board member Charlie Wilson chimed in with Abramo Ottolenghi’s strong words on the damage that will be done if the bill is passed, the board did not entertain Ottolenghi’s request for a resolution. He wanted the board to officially oppose the proposed state legislation that

would curtail the collective bargaining rights of Ohio public employees, including teachers. A former board member who frequently shares his Charlie opinions with the Wilson board, Ottolenghi predicted that an end to collective bargaining would be detrimental to freedom and would increase work for school administrators. “I think you will rue the day when

you lose the ability to deal with the staff collectively,” he said. Wilson said he has testified against S.B. 5, an issue he believes is critical to the district, the state, and the David future of democracy. Bressman Teachers are discouraged and demoralized by the rhetoric emerging from the discussions surrounding the bill, he said. “We’ve had excellent labor relations in Worthington,” Wilson said.

Board president Marc Schare said the collaborative environment in the district will continue regardless of the outcome of the vote on the bill. Board member David Bressman did not state his opinion on the bill, but made clear that no one has the right to speak on behalf of the board on the matter. “If anyone testifies on this board, they speak as individual board members,” Bressman said. Also on Monday, the board heard a complaint about the increase in cost of K-plus, the all-day kindergarten program.

The district expects the state to pass a bill that will allow the continuation of the popular program next year. It also expects to continue to charge parents, with the cost increasing from $220 to $290 per month. Amy Krohn of Cross Country Drive will have a kindergartner at Bluffsview Elementary School next year. In speaking with other parents, she has learned of a concern about the cost increase. Some parents in her neighborhood may not be able to afford the See BOARD, page A1

Telhio allowed to build in Holiday Inn lot By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Anastasia Schomaker and Veronica Nuñez present their projects to judges Raksha Adhikari and Trudy Tuttle during the annual Thomas Worthington High School Science Fair on Feb. 24.

Sophomores look science in mouth to win Thomas Worthington event By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Mercury from dental fillings really is released into the body over time, according to two award-winning Thomas Worthington High School science students. Samantha Williams and Achinthya Sivalingam, both sophomores, won first place at the Worthington Science Day held Feb. 24 at Thomas Worthington. The two researched the controversial question of the safety of mercury fillings, using sophisticated equipment that could calcu-

late even small amounts of the dangerous metal. Being allowed to use the equipment at Ohio State University was a very valuable experience, they said. The amount of mercury released into the body is small, but could build up over time, especially in the body of a petite person, they concluded. “These fillings aren’t 100 percent safe,” Williams said. She and Sivalingam are planning careers in medicine. They will take their first-place experi-

ment results and presentation to the district science day at Columbus State Community College on March 19. Top winners that day will go on to the state science day at OSU on May 7. Nineteen other Worthington projects will also advance to the district event. Winning fourth place at the Thomas event was sophomore Casey Keegan, who experimented with over-the-counter pain killers to see which ones dissolved fastest. She placed each in test tubes of hySee SCIENCE, page A5

A new building in the front parking lot of the Holiday Inn will house the Worthington branch of the Telhio Credit Union. The Worthington Architectural Review Board and Municipal Planning Commission did not hesitate to grant permission for the construction at their Feb. 24 meetings. Telhio has been located on West Wilson Bridge Road at the main entrance to Worthington Square for the past ten years. It has been in Worthington for 25 years. The agency’s lease with mall owners ends in December. An attorney for the credit union said he believes the new mall owners have plans for the Telhio space. There have also been issues with the drive-up windows at the current location, said Telhio spokesperson Karen Davis. The current nine employees, plus personal banker B.J. Stone, plan to move into the new, 3,100square-foot building. It will occupy the 1.1-acre parking lot in front of the hotel at 7007 N. High St., which is the northwest corner of Caren Avenue and North High Street. According to a statement provided to the city, Telhio will lease the land with the intent to purchase it at a later time. The building will face North High Street, with three drive-up windows on the north side. Current curb cuts on both streets will

A closer look The credit union and hotel will share a total of 65 parking spaces. Telhio is open only during the day, leaving parking available to the Inn during the evening.

remain, and none will be added. The credit union and hotel will share a total of 65 parking spaces. Telhio is open only during the day, leaving parking available to the Inn during the evening. The red brick building will include cast stone accents. Divided light, double-hung windows were included to help the building blend with surrounding buildings. Only ARB/MPC member James Sauer expressed any reservations about the applications for architectural review and a conditional use permit. When Walgreen’s applied to build in the same location a few years ago, the city and neighbors were concerned about traffic generation and about the large size of the proposed drug store. This time, Sauer said the Telhio building might be too small, especially since it will be set back behind other buildings on the street. “It seems like it’s going to be an insignificant little thing swallowed up by the parking lot,” he said. cbrooks@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNews.com

Dunaway hops on schools’ runaway retirement train By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers The retirement vacuum at the top of the Worthington school district took another sweep on Monday. The newest resignation came from Ed Dunaway, principal at Worthington Kilbourne High School, who announced he would be leaving at the end of the year.

That makes eight administrators who will not be returning next school year, and whose positions must be filled in the next few months. “People are retiring,” said Trent Bowers, coordinator of human resources. “In every case, these are people who have served the district well.” At the top, of course, is superintendent Melissa Conrath, who plans to retire in October. School board president Marc Schare said three search teams will be interviewed this Friday. One will help find