May 19, 2011
Olde Reynoldsburg
Residents oppose rerouting trucks By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Some residents who live on Graham Road say they do not want truck traffic rerouted from Jackson Avenue onto their street. As a result, the Olde Reynoldsburg Strategic Plan was put on hold by the community development committee Monday for further discussions. The action comes one week before
what would have been the final reading by city council of legislation for the plan on May 23. City development director Lucas Haire said the Olde Reynoldsburg Strategic Plan was devised because as the city has continued to grow, the Olde Reynoldsburg area has become its geographic center once again, but is underused. He said the main focus of the plan is to create a vision for what Olde Reynoldsburg could and should be in
the future, making it a successful business destination. Part of the plan says greater use of off-street parking and planned public parking off of Jackson Avenue will make the section of road between Hannah Ashton Middle School and East Main Street a key pedestrian link to Main Street businesses. The plan suggests efforts should be made to make this link pedestrian-friendly by rerouting the designated truck route
away from Jackson Avenue, thus also making the area safer for children walking to the school. The plan does not say truck traffic should be rerouted to Graham Road, but planning administrator Matt Hansen said that was discussed in some early steering committee meetings. “There could be other options that we haven’t fully investigated yet,” he said. “As far as it being a recommendation, I thought it would be more appropriate
to leave it open for further study.” Resident Gary Knapp, who lives on Graham Road, said he opposes any consideration of rerouting of truck traffic from Jackson Avenue. “We don’t want it on Graham Road … I would just as soon stop it now as to get into a big hassle, filling this place with people complaining and getting upset about it,” Knapp said. “It impacts See TRUCK TRAFFIC, page A2
District: New school buildings on schedule
PARENTAL SUPPORT
By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Six-year-old Alex McIntyre takes a break from planting with his father, Matt, his brother, Josh, and his mother, Andrea. The McIntyres were among many volunteers at the annual Plant Reynoldsburg event May 14. Volunteers planned on planting flowers at the municipal building, the senior center and Huber Park.
Disaster in Alabama
Church aims to help tornado relief efforts By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Members of the Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church are organizing a youth relief mission to tornado-ravaged Alabama over Memorial Day weekend. Church spokesperson Brenda Hauser said the idea for the mission was inspired by Pickerington High School Central junior Sarah Steele, who is actively involved in the church’s youth group. Hauser said one victim, Jessica Petty, a resident of Huntsville, Ala., the sister of one of the church’s teaching pastors, Tasha Levert, had fled the area to visit her sister after the tornadoes hit the area in late April. She said Petty was showing church members photos of the devastation in and around Huntsville when Steele pitched the idea for a relief mission to the area.
School officials say the construction of a new elementary and high school on Summit Road is going well. One is expected to open on schedule and the other ahead of schedule. The $60-million project began about a year ago and is part of the last phase in the district’s overall renovations, district spokesperson Tricia Moore said. “Overall, things are going pretty smoothly,” she said. “We are definitely under budget, and all the renovations are on time.” Moore said construction of the new elementary school has been ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of May “We’re hoping to have possession of it by the end of the month,” she said. District business manager Ron Strussion said staff members likely would begin moving in over summer. “But the fact that it is ahead of schedule is a good thing,” he said. As for the new high school, although much has been done, much work remains to be completed, but it is expected to be open in time for the 2011-12 school year. “It still has a bit of work to be done, like we’ve known all along. … It’s a tremendously ambitious project,” Moore said. “We’re in good shape, but we’re sweating it every day just to make sure every detail falls into place, and you can’t afford to get behind by a minute.” See NEW BUILDINGS, page A3
“I think it’s a really cool thing that the Reynoldsburg and Pickerington Central and North high school districts believe this is a worthy project for their students and have given them excused It helps build character in us absences,” Hauser said. if we’re able to help others. She said the church’s goal is to organize 54 My experience has been when students to go to Harvest, Ala., one of the communities outside of Huntsville that was hit hard we go with the intention to help by the tornadoes. They will be helping victims others, God has always done by removing debris and performing general cleanmore in our own hearts. up duties, she said. Reynoldsburg UMC youth pastor Tim Levert is working with Pastor Greg Johnson of the SumTIM LEVERT mit Crossing Community Church in Madison, Reynoldsburg UMC youth pastor Ala., to coordinate housing for the students and their chaperones. Levert said anytime anyone can help people As a result, students from high schools in Reynoldsburg and Pickerington have been given in need, it’s always a good thing. excused absences by their administrators in supSee CHURCH, page A6 port of the effort.
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Limited number of free smoke detectors available By DAVID S. OWEN fighters Local 2932, said firefightThisWeek Community Newspapers ers at both stations are donating 90 smoke detectors. Chris Howard, Free smoke detectors are avail- manager of the Home Depot at 2480 able to Reynoldsburg residents, Brice Road, said the company is dothanks to a collaborative effort be- nating 60. tween the Truro Township Fire DeThe detectors are available at eipartment and Home Depot. ther of the fire department’s two staLt. Chase Bryan, president of the tions located at 6900 E. Main St. or International Association of Fire- at 6305 E. Livingston Ave.
DIRECTORY News: (740) 888-6100 editorial@thisweeknews.com
“There’s a lot of people out there that can’t afford smoke detectors or don’t have one or they go bad because there is a shelf life on them of about 10 years,” Bryan said. “We just think this is a good way to help out the community and ensure the safety of the community and it is really like a proactive approach to fire safety.”
In 2009, Home Depot and the fire department worked together to purchase and donate a generator to assist a 9-month-old girl in Reynoldsburg who suffers from bronchial malacia, a problem with the lungs in which the airways do not stay open as they should.
Contest winner Reynoldsburg High School senior Caitlin Rigsby won the top prize of $1,000 in the Amazing Student Volunteers scholarship contest sponsored by ThisWeek Community Newspapers and Columbus State Community College. Rigsby is profiled in a special section included in ThisWeek Reynoldsburg and online at www.ThisWeekNews.com/volunteers.
See DETECTORS, page A2
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