ThisWeek Grandview 3/24 by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

March 24, 2011

Grandview Heights High School

Principal steps down without notice By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Grandview Heights High School kicked off spring break with a surprise March 18 when the principal stepped down, citing personal and family reasons. “Jesse Truett gave the superintendent a letter of resignation on Friday,” board president Kathy Lithgow told ThisWeek March 21. “The reason he stated in the letter was family and health reasons, but he did not elaborate any

more than that. We were not aware anything was going on, so it was a surprise.” SuperintenJesse dent Ed Truett O’Reilly spent the day Friday making inquiries about an interim principal, Lithgow said. “When I last talked to our superintendent on Friday afternoon,

he had been networking to see what the possibilities were for an interim principal,” she said. “He indicated to me he thought he had somebody who could step in and be the interim, at least for a while. That was pretty encouraging. “He was feeling some pressure to try to get something at least started before he went away for spring break,” Lithgow said. She said that because the district is small, with only three buildings and three principals, it is not possible to immediately name

someone within the district to the position. Curriculum director Katie Maxfield, a former principal, will be carrying some of the administrative load in the meantime. “She is well versed,” Lithgow said. “If there is anything that needs to be done she can handle it. Ed O’Reilly himself was a principal; he came up through the ranks. It’s not like the high school will be set adrift.” The most recent principal to be hired was Truett, in 2008. The

district is high performing, small and stable and attracts many candidates for open jobs, Lithgow noted. “In the past, and it seemed to work well, what we have done is advertise the position through professional journals,” Lithgow said. “The word tends to spread quickly. We are very lucky that Grandview has a wonderful reputation in the education world, so we tend to have a lot of applicants for all jobs.” Candidates would likely be pre-

screened and narrowed down to a final pool of applicants who would be interviewed by a committee made up of teachers, parents and administrators, Lithgow said. Truett worked for five years as a math instructor at Westerville North High School before becoming an assistant principal for three years and then three years as principal at Newark High School before joining Grandview Heights. Truett could not be reached for comment by press time.

Planning Commission

Site plan OK’d for Open Door’s Goodale studio By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Photos by Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Stevenson Elementary third-grader Anna Holliday, portraying Clara Barton, goes over her report before visitors arrive at the school on March 16. Each third-grader picked a famous person to research and dressed as that person for a “wax museum.” Every student had a button visitors could push that made them come to life and share their story.

Students turn Stevenson into wax museum By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers The halls, media center and third-grade classrooms at Stevenson Elementary were turned into a wax museum on March 16, when the third grade held its annual Wax Museum project. Each student selected a famous person and researched and wrote a report on that person’s life story. They dressed up as their subject and students from other classes and parents toured the “wax museum.” When a visitor pressed a student’s “button” they came alive and recited their report. “This project is a highlight of third grade,” said third-grade teacher Susan Falk. “The students visit the wax museum starting in kindergarten and they really look forward to doing it themselves.” Although the students can pick their own See WAX, page A2

Stevenson Elementary third-grader Ginny Haupt portrays Abraham Lincoln as her parents, Will Haupt and Judy Grant, listen. Haupt says she chose to portray Lincoln because she feels it is important for people to have equal rights. Each third-grader picked a famous person to research and dressed as that person for the annual “wax museum.”

Grandview Heights Planning Commission March 16 approved a major site plan of the building and site at 1050 W. Goodale Blvd. The approval of the site plan will allow Open Door Art Studio to proceed with its plan to move its operations to the Goodale site. Open Door is an adult day rehabilitation center that operates as an art studio for adults with developmental disabilities. The studio is now located at 1365 W. First Ave. Open Door is a program of Columbus Center for Human Services, Inc., which was the applicant requesting the approval of the major site plan. The center is purchasing the building on Goodale. In November, the planning commission approved a conditional use and parking variance for the site. The commission was presented the major site plan application at its February meeting, but tabled the measure because of concerns about the art studio’s plans for the building’s exterior. Those concerns included the studio doing more to make its operations more noticeable to those traveling along Goodale. On Feb. 24, three planning commission members and representatives of the applicant held a workshop meeting to discuss the case. The applicant brought revised plans for the exterior of the building to the commission’s March 16 meeting. In response to suggestions commission members made last month, the exterior design now includes larger windows and places the front entry door more to the center of

the building, said Shawn McAllister, an architect working with the applicant. Open Door art director Courtney Yoakum presented more information about a mural that will be painted on a portion of the front of the building. The mural will be painted on individual panels, with the panels being in the shape of the object they are depicting and attached to the building, she said. The mural design is “a collaborative effort” featuring the input of about 30 of the 52 people who participate in Open Door’s programs, Yoakum said. “We’re absolutely thrilled” with the mural design, she said. “We had a great time going through hundreds and hundreds of (drawings) and doodles. “We feel this is much stronger than what we have (now),” Yoakum said. “(It) will add to the interest and aesthetic” of the building. “I appreciate your moving the door to where you did,” planning commission member Robert Wandel said. “I think it’s a better signal to people coming by as to how to get into the building.” “I’m pleased that you are pleased,” Yoakum said. afroman@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNEWS.com

Council approves incentive offer for Columbus firm By CHRIS BOURNEA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

A closer look

During a special meeting Monday night, Grandview Heights City Coun- Currently located at 3763 N. High cil approved an economic development St. in Columbus, Portfolio Creative and incentive agreement with market- is considering relocating its heading and graphic design firm Portfolio quarters to 777 W. Goodale Blvd. in Grandview Heights. Creative. Currently located at 3763 N. High St. in Columbus, Portfolio Creative is “If the company generates a taxable considering relocating its headquarters city income (in the) amount of $250,000 to 777 W. Goodale Blvd. in Grandview in 2011 and $530,000 in any calendar Heights. year beginning Jan. 1, 2012, and end-

ing Dec. 31, 2017, the city will provide the company with an economic inducement in the form of a credit and a refund, if necessary, in an amount equal to 30 percent of the total municipal corporate net profit taxes paid plus employee withholding taxes remitted to the city’s taxing authority in that calendar year from the company,” the agreement states. In other business, council took up the first reading of an ordinance that would bring the city’s ballot deadlines into compliance with state and federal

laws. The ordinance will require all candidates seeking election in Grandview Heights to submit their ballot petitions 90 days prior to an election, an increase from the current 75-day requirement. During a Planning and Administration Committee meeting before the council meeting, council member Steve Gladman explained that the city’s charter outlines deadlines for the filing of ballot petitions. Once council approves the new ordinance, the legislation will be referred to the city’s Charter Review