020311_ThisWeek_NewAlbany by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

February 3, 2011

New Albany-Plain Local schools

BOE, Domine share goals at retreat By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers The New Albany-Plain Local school board and new superintendent April Domine say they have a better understanding of their roles after a board retreat Jan. 29. “It goes back to the core responsibilities — respective roles — and core responsibilities for building a team,” said board vice president Laura Kohler.

The board members and Domine individually were asked a series of 35 questions by Bill Reimer, who served as interim superintendent for the district until Domine was hired. He has returned to work for the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, which the district pays for services on a yearly basis. Reimer, the board’s consultant on the project, reviewed their answers and presented them to the board during the retreat. “I think one of the interesting things

was how much commonality there was in the answers,” Kohler said. “I think that we’re really committed to putting a management team together.” Kohler said working with Reimer as the facilitator for the meeting also helped. “I think his experience with the district made the information that much more relevant to us all,” she said. During the retreat, the board and Domine began planning for the board’s

improvement and, ultimately, the district’s improvement under their joint direction. “We’re establishing actual protocols, on how to govern as a board, how to communicate as a board and how to improve as a board,” Kohler said. Board member Natalie Matt said she would put those ideas on one document and present them to the board for further review at a future meeting. The board members and Domine also

talked about how they should be communicating and determined how Domine should report information to the board. They also discussed goals for the rest of the year for both the board and Domine. “We began to outline our goals,” Kohler said. “We did not solidify any goals. Dr. Reimer is drafting a list based on our conversations and is bringing those back. See RETREAT, page A2

Council eyes new policy for special events

RACE TO THE FINISH

By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

ing that 25 people attended. Some had been running and training but many had never run previously. “We’re going to divide into different pace groups,” she said. Five groups likely will be formed at different endurance levels, from runners who have trained before to walkers just starting out, she said. During the first meeting, Schmidt said, she discussed training and a schedule. Her goal is to have people in the group ready to

New Albany is considering changing the way it handles donations and in-kind services for special events. “We’re coming to an agreement on what type of procedure we’re going to use to review grant applications for nonprofit organizations in our community,” said Mayor Nancy Ferguson. Ferguson said council is considering having organizations pay for services in advance and the village could grant part of the proceeds back to the organization in the future. “(Village) staff would like us to be aware of the cost of the services,” she said. After talking about the new procedure during a Jan. 25 workshop, council was expected to vote on a motion of support for it at the Feb. 1 regular council meeting. Visit the New Albany community page at www.ThisWeekNews.com for details of the vote. In 2010, council agreed to include $60,000 in its 2011 budget for special events. Scott McAfee, village communications director, said New Albany spent about $55,000 in 2010 for in-kind services, such as traffic control by the police department, traffic barriers set up during parades and cleanup work by service workers after events conclude. McAfee said the village sometimes waives inspection fees of tents and bleachers for nonprofit organizations, as well. “For 2011, the village has $60,000 budgeted to assist organizations that need help,” McAfee said. “In 2012, the village may have to factor in all in-kind services and start charging for those.”

See RUN WITH WINGS, page A2

See COUNCIL, page A5

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Cub Scouts from Pack 150 in New Albany watch their cars race to the finish during the Pinewood Derby on Jan. 29 at the New Albany United Methodist Church.

‘Run with Wings’

Program promotes spiritual, physical fitness By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Rev. Keri Schmidt is combining religion and exercise in a new program called “Run with Wings.” “It’s open to anyone who’s interested in being spiritually and physically fit in 2011,” she said. “It’s a resolution solver.” Schmidt, who joined New Albany United Methodist Church in September and presides over the 9:30 a.m. contemporary service, said she ran her first marathon in 2010 and many of the church members commented on the accomplishment.

“I would see people in the church and they’d say ‘I wish we could do that,’” she said. “So I thought, ‘why can’t we do that? Why can’t we do it together with God as our guide?’” The first run for the “Run with Wings” program was at 7 a.m. Jan. 30, before church services. The program is open to anyone who is interested, she said. Schmidt planned to cover a mile-and-a-half — and plenty of doctrine — during the first session. “All the while we’re running, we’ll be discussing scripture and (having) Bible discussions,” she said. To gauge interest, Schmidt recently held a meet-

NAHS teacher, husband to lead photo expedition in Mexico LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers New Albany High School photography teacher Sam Robbins and her husband, Tom, will spend part of their summer vacation leading a photo expedition in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Robbinses will teach a digital photography workshop from June 29 to July 5 in Oaxaca, which is about 375 miles south of Mexico City. “It’s a beautiful area and it’s very safe and the people are wonderful,” Sam Robbins said. During the weeklong class, participants will travel around the area with the couple and take photographs

“It’s beautiful, easy and relaxing and the artisans just do beautiful A closer look work,” Robbins said. The pace of life there is “like going back in time,” she said and there is Workshop participants will be no shortage of things to photograph. encouraged “to capture, The workshop is limited to 10 parrecord and document village ticipants and was organized by Norma life, art and craft traditions, Hawthorne, founder of Oaxaca Culchurches, pre-Hispanic archeotural Navigator. She also is director logical sites and the traditions of advancement for the school of and practices of food preparanursing at the University of North tion,” Sam Robbins said. Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hawthorne said the photography workshop is geared toward “beginof scenery and local artisans. Sam Robbins said the area is ners and intermediate-level amateurs” known for weaving and features many who are ready to “move more comcraftspeople, who create their art in fortably beyond the automatic setting.” a very traditional fashion.

During the workshop, which costs $1,195, participants will learn about “using natural light, composition, aperture and shutter speed, filters, use of tripod, night photography, capturing emotion, focusing on detail and taking the time to set up the shot,” she said. Participants will be encouraged “to capture, record and document village life, art and craft traditions, churches, pre-Hispanic archeological sites and the traditions and practices of food preparation,” she said. Participants will stay at a local bed and breakfast and share their work with other students in the evenings. See NAHS TEACHER, page A2