May 11, 2011
Council candidates ready to move forward By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The candidates in the May 3 Hilliard City Council Republican primary election are looking back on their campaigns and ahead to the future. Councilman-elect Nathan Painter was gathering his yard signs when he was contacted last week. The 33-year-
old attorney was the urday and Sunday self, so I’m tired.” top vote-getter with since February exPainter said he 1,820 votes, or 23 cept for one weekend thought his commupercent of the vote when I was out of nity involvement, in his first run for town, and Easter. I which includes servelected office. think we’ve knocked ice on the Board of “I’m completely on every single ReZoning Appeals and exhausted,” Painter publican household bringing the Hilliard Joseph Erb Albert Iosue Nathan Painter said. “I’ve been out in Hilliard, either me Farm Market to Old every weekend campaigning both Sat- or people on my behalf. Mostly my- Hilliard, helped him win.
“It gave me a good strong foundation to work from. I think people in these types of races want to see involvement in the community,” Painter said. He plans on attending nearly every council meeting prior to his term, which commences Jan. 1, 2012. See CANDIDATES, page A2
School levy won’t return until at least November By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Photos by Chris Parker/ThisWeek
(Above) Counter-protesters hold up signs across the intersection and motorcyclists rev their engines as they pass members of the Westboro Baptist Church who were picketing in front of Hilliard Darby High School on May 10. (Bottom) Demonstrators and counter-protesters hold up their signs. For a slideshow of the demonstrations, visit www.ThisWeekNews.com.
Students stage peaceful counter-protest By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
See SCHOOL LEVY, page A4
Three members of the Westboro Baptist Church who were picketing Hilliard Darby High School were met with peaceful opposition from more than 100 students May 10. The WBC, a group from Topeka, Kan., known for its anti-gay and anti-military protests, was not permitted on school grounds, so its members held their signs at the northwest corner of Leppert and Scioto Darby roads for about an hour and sang “God Hates America.” As students were heading to school, some counter-picketed. They held signs across from the WBC and, in some cases, in front of them. They sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and chanted, “OH-IO.” Riders from the Iron Guns Motorcycle Club revved their engines as they repeatedly drove by, and others honked. Members of the Hilliard Police Department were stationed at the intersection and escorted the WBC members from the grounds. No arrests were reported.
Hilliard takes another look at quiet zones By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
City revises plans for community garden By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
It’s still uncertain whether Hilliard’s proposed community garden will take root this year, but whenever it does, it will be in multiple locations. According to Steve Mazer, director of recreation and parks, the city’s
plans have changed. Instead of a single 200-plus plot community garden off Cosgray Road, there will only be 30 plots close to the water tower. The garden plots will take up one acre instead of the four originally planned, giving residents of the Estates at Hoffman Farms subdivision more space between their property and the plots.
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Time Matters
The Hilliard City School District won’t bring its request for an operating levy back to the voters until at least November. Board member Paul Lambert said during the board’s May 9 meeting that the deadline has passed for the levy to go back on the ballot for a special election in August. However, the district had until Aug. 10 to decide whether the levy would go on the November ballot. “I sent all of you a proposal for a way to go forward in making our decision,” Lambert said to the board members. “I think we’ve got a lot of work to do, and hope we can discuss that soon.” On May 3, Issue 7, a 6.9-mill tax levy was defeated by Hilliard voters 8,206 (57 percent) to 6,284 (43 percent). According to the district, the levy failure will result in $3,890,279 in budget reductions for the 2011-12 school year, including eliminating 51.5 positions. Three people spoke during the public participation portion of the meeting. “I was of a mixed mind about the levy, but overall I’m kind of glad it went down,” Mark Freeman said. “Maybe I’m an idealist, but I’ve seen in other school districts and corporations when faced with the kind of budget pitfalls we have, that rather than face layoffs of their peers, many employees, union and non-union, have agreed to salary concessions to save the jobs of their friends and co-workers.”
The city is also looking at one or two other locations for additional garden plots on land it owns, Mazer said. Mayor Donald Schonhardt first brought up the community gardens during his state of the city address, but some residents near the proposed site were worried about the amount
of traffic on one access road and parking. Following a meeting between the city administration and the residents, the compromise was reached, Mazer said. “When you look at 200-plus plots, it was a lot,” Mazer said. “The neighbors had a lot of concerns. What the See GARDEN, page A2
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Hilliard is re-visiting the idea of creating two railroad “quiet zones” within the city. City council’s public safety and legal affairs committee listened to an update at its May 9 meeting from director of public service Clyde Seidle on what steps would still need to be taken to create quiet zones at the Davidson Road and Leap Road railroad crossings. Quiet zones are sections of railroad track where trains are not required to sound their horns with signs reading, “No Train Horn” posted. “Back in late March, we received inquiries from some residents on the status (of creating quiet zones), and were asked to draft some legislation and schedule a meeting to see what else needs to be done,” Seidle said. See HILLIARD TAKES, page A4
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