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February 17, 2011

Arlington Ave. compromise approved By CHRIS BOURNEA ThisWeek Community Newspapers After much discussion, Upper Arlington City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a $1.9-million reconstruction project along Arlington Avenue from Edgemont Road to Guilford Road. The project is scheduled to begin this spring and conclude in late summer. The project option approved by council was one of three — a compromise between a $2.4-million option, which would

have included amenities such as entryway markers and tree lighting, and a $1.7million option that would have repaved the road and added new pavers to the sidewalk but included few amenities. The approved option will include street repaving, installation of sidewalk pavers, replacement of trees that are removed during construction and minimal beautification amenities. Before taking a vote, council discussed approving the $1.7-million option as a way to save money. That option would disrupt business along the Mallway with-

out providing any amenities, said Connie Leal Ballenger, who owns the building at the corner of Arlington Avenue and Guilford Road that houses the Leal clothing boutique and several other shops. “It doesn’t give us anything to entice people to come back” after construction is completed, Ballenger said. Council member Ed Seidel introduced a motion to approve the $1.9-million option, which originally included the installation of foundation and electrical work for entryway markers and tree lighting. The motion failed, garnering votes only

from Seidel, council vice president Mary Ann Krauss and Debbie Johnson. Council ultimately opted to approve the $1.9-million option without the foundation and electrical work for the entryway markers and tree lighting, which saves $148,000. In other action, council approved an ordinance to allow full-time city employees hired before Jan. 1, 2011, to accrue 80 hours of vacation time after one year of continuous service and up to 160 hours See COUNCIL, page A2

By Erin Holl/ThisWeek

NCR breaks ground for $8M FCV expansion

Music Together class at FCV gets young, old moving

By ANDREW MILLER ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Last week, First Community Village put the rock back in Roxbury. With the help of several preschoolers and their parents, as well as the residents of the Alzheimer’s care facility, the Roxbury Cottages on Riverside Drive were alive with song and dance on Feb. 8. Director Sarah Case of Bloom! Music and Movement Centre on Northwest Boulevard brought her Music Together class to First Community Village as an outreach field trip for the children and their families. “The program lets parents and kids explore music and dance in a playful way,” Case said. Taking the class to the Alzheimer’s residents seemed By Eric George/ThisWeek like a natural fit for Case and her students. Luna Gupta, 23 months, dances for the Alzheimer’s and dementia patients at Roxbury CotSee MUSIC, page A2 tages at First Community Village during the Music Together program on Feb. 8.

After assuming the role as sole sponsor and operator of First Community Village in December, National Church Residences has followed through on its promise to expand the campus. At a groundbreaking event Feb. 11 that included NCR and city officials, NCR announced a new, $8-million expansion project at First Community Village on Riverside Drive. The project will include 32 independent-living manor homes, along with another 13 buildings, which will include additional dining and recreation options. The new patio-style homes will range in size from 1,525 to 1,667 square feet. “The expansion of the manor homes will enable First Community Village to continue to provide an array of senior living resources across the comprehensive continuum of care,” CEO Thomas Slemmer said. Columbus-based Corna Kokosing Construction Company will head the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2012, according to NCR spokesman Patrick Higgins. “The revitalization of First Community Village is an opportunity

A closer look The project will include 32 independent-living manor homes, along with another 13 buildings, which will include additional dining and recreation options. The new patio-style homes will range in size from 1,525 to 1,667 square feet.

for us to expand our service offerings and start the next chapter,” Higgins said. “We are very excited to finish out the original scope of the campus.” Higgins said that he currently has a list of 50 people who have shown interest in the new units, several of whom have already made deposits. Emma Speight, Upper Arlington deputy city manager for community affairs, said that the expansion is another great option to allow Upper Arlington residents to age in place. While the city is expecting to see a small increase in revenue from the project, Speight said the increased quality of life for seniors that this expansion will bring is the real value. “This project is great news for See EXPANSION, page A2

John Elam to be added Board OKs contracts to UA’s Wall of Honor with Wickliffe, Nike By GARY BUDZAK

By KATE HETRICK ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Upper Arlington Board of Education approved a provision of services contract with Wickliffe Progressive Community School and an athletic apparel contract with Nike at its Feb. 14 meeting. “In conversation with our attorneys, Bricker and Eckler, they felt we should put a little more detailed contract out between Upper Arlington City Schools and Wickliffe Progressive,” said district treasurer Andrew Geistfeld. He said the district has been operating under a “broad agreement” with Wickliffe for roughly the past five years. Geistfeld said the contract provides a way for the district to cover its current process “in a little more detail.” “Part of the contract basically says that Wickliffe will give the Upper Arlington City School District all the state funding it receives because we are contracting out our staff to Wickliffe,” he said. “The only part that they don’t transfer to us currently is Wickliffe’s general budget that they spend on students, on supplies, that type of stuff.” The contract specifies that Wickliffe may set

aside up to $50,500 for its general budget during the 2010-11 school year. The board also approved an athletic apparel contract with Kesslers Team Sports, a regional representative of the Nike All School Program. Michael Schaefer, UA’s director of boys athletics, said the district was first approached by Nike last year. “We’ve explored options from a couple other companies; we’ve talked with coaches; we’ve talked with other schools that have done Nike deals,” Schaefer said. “We felt that this deal was the best benefit for us, and for our coaches and for our programs.” The contract allows the district to purchase apparel at a 35 percent discount across the board, Schaefer said. In exchange for the discount, the UAHS athletic program will be required to convert all major varsity teams to Nike uniforms during the “normal uniform replacement cycle.” The athletic program will also be required to purchase a minimum of $25,000 in Nike team products annually. Schaefer said the cost for new football uniforms alone is about $15,000. “One of the pluses to the way the contract See BOARD, page A6

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John Elam, a trial lawyer, philanthropist and school board president, is the 2011 inductee for the Upper Arlington Wall of Honor. “We’re definitely very pleased,” said Mary Jane Elam, one of Elam’s daughters. “A lot of (nominating) letters came in and it was especially nice for all of us (four children, eight grandchildren) and for Mom to read those.” “Adding his name to the Upper Arlington Wall of Honor is the right thing to do,” wrote one of Elam’s friends, Bill Kientz. “He wouldn’t expect it, but he earned it.” Kate Erstein of the Upper Arlington Historical Society said to be on the Wall of Honor, a person must be deceased, have lived in UA for part of his or her life, and made a significant contribution to the city, state or nation. John Carlton Elam (1924-2002) was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., fought in the Battle of the Bulge