Issuu

December 26, 2010

County weighs in at egg farm hearing By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

A closer look

Union County officials testified to the Ohio Department of Agriculture why they think a proposed egg farm is a bad idea for the county, and now they must wait to see whether or not ODA agrees. County engineer Jeff Stauch said he was called to testify in a three-day hearing that began on Dec. 14. The hearing was requested by representatives of the Hi-Q egg farm, whose proposal for a large chicken egg farm in the northern part of Union County has met opposition from both the county and ODA. Stauch said his part in the testimony dealt with describing the effects the pro-

Hi-Q proposes to construct 15 layer houses with 400,000 layers each, for a total capacity of 6million chickens, on a site at 22450 Davis Road, West Mansfield, in York Township and the Upper Scioto Watershed.

posed farm would have on Union County’s secondary roads. “For the most part, my discussion was centered on our concern for those roads,” Stauch said. “We were able to share a list of our concerns in that setting with ODA

staff, and the hearing officer seemed to be understanding.” Hi-Q proposes to construct 15 layer houses with 400,000 layers each, for a total capacity of 6-million chickens, on a site at 22450 Davis Road, West Mansfield, in York Township and the Upper Scioto Watershed. In August, ODA director Robert J. Boggs sent a certified letter to the company stating the department’s intent to deny those building requests, citing the company’s failure to furnish all the needed paperwork. Hi-Q representatives contested that decision, and requested a formal hearing before the ODA earlier this year. Stauch has previously said that several county roads in York Township sur-

rounding the site would need to undergo improvements before a significant increase in commercial traffic begins, while the county commissioners have maintained that an agreement between the county and the farm’s developers expressing how those improvements will be funded, and by whom, must be in place before the project can move forward. Stauch said his testimony included providing an overview of how those roads would be affected from an engineering and financial standpoint. “It was a challenging two hours, but I felt pretty good with most of the information we presented,” Stauch said. County prosecutor David W. Phillips submitted a letter to ODA as part of the

Commercial SHOWING HER SPIRIT property values rise in Colemans Crossing By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers Commercial property values have gone up significantly in the Colemans Crossing area of Marysville, following an appeal filed by the city and its financial advisers. Following an appeal to the county auditor’s board of revisions earlier this year, the overall commercial property value of the Colemans Crossing area has risen from about $29-million to $43.5-million. City administrator Jillian Froment said a discrepancy in property values in that area was suspected about a year and a half ago when the city and school district became concerned that the district’s TIF (tax increment financing) wasn’t going to generate enough income to pay on the initial loan for infrastructure improvements to the area. “For some general background, the Colemans Crossing TIF started with an agreement with a developer (Cincinnati-based Mike Dever) that came in and developed this area, and involved a $7-million investment in infrastructure, such as the roads, the original retention pond, and in turn we would place a TIF on the property and any increases in property taxes would flow into this TIF fund,” Froment said. “Then the City Gate area was developed, and the TIF was expanded.” Froment said that the city took out loans for the infrastructure (a total of $12-million), with the developer holding the letter of credit. The city pays on the Colemans Crossing portion of the loan from the area’s TIF fund, and is currently in the sixth year of the 30year TIF. “Everything was going pretty well, and then the economy slumped, bringing development to a stand-

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Alexis White, 6, cheers along with the junior varsity cheerleaders during the junior varsity basketball game at Marysville High School on Dec. 17. For this week’s coverage of local sports, see page A5.

See VALUES, page A2

hearing, outlining six reasons the county is encouraging the ODA to deny the final Hi-Q permits. The letter claims that (1) the applicant has failed to disclose all owners and/or operators; (2) Hi-Q has failed to meet the requirements imposed by Ohio law on a Major Concentrated Animal Feeding Facility regarding infrastructure improvements; (3) the applicants have failed to disclose civil actions filed against other animal feeding facilities owned or operated by them; (4) the pest control management plan required by Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) is inadequate; (5) the Manure Spill Emergency Response Plan is deficient; See HEARING, page A4

Russells Point

Honda plans to expand its transmission plant in Ohio By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers Union County’s largest employer announced earlier this month an expansion project that will bring more than 100 full-time jobs to Ohio. Honda Transmission of America Mfg. will spend $70-million on a 200,000-square-foot expansion project at its Russells Point facility, increasing the plant’s capabilities to manufacture Honda’s transmission technologies when Honda’s new production line begins in 2012, according to spokesman Ron Lietzke. The expansion project is expected to create more than 100 full-time jobs, and the company also announced that it is currently adding 60 jobs for the start of a second shift in early 2011, according to Lietzke. Russells Point is about 40 miles northwest of Marysville. The project, called “Transmission Technology for the Future,” will increase production flexibility for the entire plant, including improvements in overall product flow, as well as increasing the plant’s capacity to produce more than 1-million automatic transmissions annually, up from 800,000 transmissions now, Lietzke said. “The start of this project is recognition of the accomplishments of a great team of associates, and the strong partnerships we have established in this community,” said Yuji Takahashi, Honda Transmission president. “Together, we have created a solid foundation for growth into the future to meet the needs of our customers.” The $70-million expansion will include the installation of a third assembly line, along with other new operations for the production of advanced automatic transmissions, and the reloSee HONDA, page A2

City wants landlords’ Process to obtain copy of opinions on utility billing birth certificate is eased By LIN RICE

city,” Froment said. “We want rather than allowing applications

ThisWeek Community Newspapers to talk about balancing the is- over the phone; whether or not

Marysville administrators intend to sit down with local landlords to talk about how the city handles its utility billing. City administrator Jillian Froment said a public meeting is scheduled for January. The discussion will focus on how those bills are collected, not on Marysville’s utility rates, Froment said. “This isn’t a simple issue, once you start weighing all the different points of view, including the tenants, the landlords, the

sues, to discuss the pros and cons.” Froment said Marysville analyzed how other communities in central Ohio go about collecting utility payments and came up with a check list of options that could be incorporated. Froment said Marysville doesn’t necessarily plan on instituting the ideas; administrators just want to open a discussion to get the community’s input. Some ideas from other communities include having a written utility application process,

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landlords should approve tenants; how to ensure that individuals are not simply changing addresses to avoid past-due bills; the topic of electronic billing and suppressing credit statements; whether or not to move a bill’s due date to the fifth of the following month; whether or not minimum utility amounts are too high for vacant houses; whether or not the city should be responsible for the collection of overdue bill payments; how to

By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers Getting a copy of your birth certificate will now be easier in Union County. The county’s health department can now issue birth certificates to people born anywhere in Ohio, according to public information officer Jennifer Thrush. The change comes following a new statewide improvement project initiated earlier this month, and the department is one of many that began offering the new service last week, Thrush said. “These changes will help to streamline birthrecord requests across the state and more quickly connect Ohioans with essential records,” said Alvin Jackson, ODH director. “They will

be especially helpful for individuals who need a birth record in a hurry; a person will now be able to travel to the closest office and purchase the record they need.” Previously an Ohioan had to go to the county of birth to acquire a birth certificate copy. In 2006, the Ohio Department of Health began scanning more than 20-million birth certificates, with the oldest dating back to 1908, according to Thrush. The project was completed this month. Thrush said that issuing birth certificates is one of the Health Department’s most-used services, with an average of 150 birth certificates issued each month in 2010. See PROCESS, page A2

See BILLING, page A4

Sally, left, is one of the homeless pets still waiting to be adopted from the Second Chance Humane Society. Her shelter mate, Daisy, was featured in the October video at www.ThisWeekNews.com and is also waiting to be adopted. For more information on adopting one of the dogs, visit www.secondchancehs.com or call (740) 967-3700.

ThisWeek Community Newspapers Marysville

Page A2

December 26, 2010

HONDA Continued from page A1 cation of the plant’s two existing assembly lines into the new manufacturing space, according to Lietzke. Plant manager Jeff Tomko announced that a second shift would start early next year producing automatic transmissions for the new 2012 Honda Civic, which goes on sale next spring. Honda is currently in the hiring process for 60 full-time positions to meet the need for increased production. Along with the $70-million expansion, Honda has invested about $25-million to renovate the plant’s Marysville firefighters Travis Headings and Luke Streng participate in icy water rescue trainaluminum machining lines, steel ing in Marysville on Monday, Dec. 20. Fire chief Gary Johnson said that shortly after this gear production and to increase An aerial view of the transmission plan in Russells Point. photo was taken, Headings and Streng were called to rescue a resident’s Labrador retriever the flexibility on the current as- zke. Those modifications will re- use of energy-efficient equipment that had fallen through a patch of ice. The firefighters were able to successfully rescue the sembly lines, according to Liet- sult in the production of six-speed and lighting systems.” dog, Johnson said. automatic transmissions next year Honda Transmission currentfor some Honda Odyssey mod- ly employs 1,050 associates who els, which are manufactured in manufacture transmissions and Alabama. four-wheel-drive assemblies for “These projects represent automobiles produced at the Continued from page A1 Honda’s ongoing commitment Marysville and East Liberty auto not only to our customers, but to plants, as well as other plants in and (6) the applicant has failed to identify a certified livestock man- our neighbors and suppliers who North America, according to Liager who is “reasonably available” benefit from local production of etzke. The plant has an annual As severe winter weather should be expected to return. Call 911 immediately. during the handling of manure, as the transmissions that go into capacity of more than 800,000 looms, Marysville fire chief “Total immersion in cold Get medical assistance for Honda automobiles,” Tomko said. automatic transmissions, 328,000 required by OAC. Gary Johnson said residents water is painful and quickly the victim. People who are subWith their testimony submit- “We also are committed to re- gear sets, 300,000 four-wheelshould stay alert and cautious disorients the victim,” John- jected to cold water immersion ted, Union County officials must ducing the environmental impact drive transfer cases and 150,000 when dealing with ice-covered son said. “The dangers of ice may seem fine after being resnow sit back and wait on ODA. of these new operations. No waste four-wheel-drive assemblies. water in Union County. should never be underestimat- cued, but can still suffer a polrice@thisweeknews.com Bill Hopper, the department’s chief will be sent to landfills, and en“The best thing that can be ed.” tentially fatal condition. ergy will be conserved through www.ThisWeekNEWS.com legal counsel, said the next step in stated about the safety of ice Johnson said the fire deJohnson said that the main the process will be an internal one. is that no ice, no matter what partment offers the following contributing factor in cold water “The hearing officer will now you think, is completely safe,” advice if a resident falls into immersion injuries and deaths take the case, and he is responsiJohnson said. “There are many ice-covered water, or sees at this time of year involves By Mary E. Gaines & Family ble for putting together a report factors involved in the thick- someone else fall in: people going after their pets on how it should be handled and SPECIALIZING IN THE REPAIR & ness and safety of ice. These Keep calm and think out a that have fallen through the ice. submit that back to (the director),” RESTORATION OF ANTIQUE & safety factors always remain solution. “It should be noted that bodHopper said. “I suspect that will unknown, even to the experiDon’t run up to the hole. ies of water owned by the city, MODERN CLOCKS take several weeks. The ultimate enced observer.” You’ll probably break through, including the reservoir, prodecision-maker is the director of • In business for over 35 years Johnson said that as gener- and then there will be two vic- hibit any activity in the water the department, he will review the al guidelines, those who must tims. or on the ice,” Johnson said. • We make house calls on floor evidence and make a final decigo out on the ice should never Use some item on shore “As with most things in life, and large wall clocks sion before issuing an order in the go alone, should always carry (such as jumper cables, rope, common sense goes a long case.” a cell phone, and should al- a large branch, etc.) to throw way.” For your convenience three pickup Hopper said that Hi-Q officials ways tell someone where they or extend to the victim, to pull and drop off locations would have an opportunity to reare going and what time they them out of the water. — Lin Rice Westerville, Newark and Marion view the recommendation, and if they disagree would then have 10 Call for Easy Directions days to respond with objections Free 740-965-3550 Estimates to the hearing officer’s report. 661 North County Line “If there are objections, a report Between Sunbury & Johnstown of those is submitted to the direc(7 miles east of Downtown Sunbury) tor for a final decision,” Hopper Continued from page A1 Thoserequesting must provide the name on the Open birth certificate, the date of birth and the parents’ said. Tues.-Sat. 9:30-6:00 Hopper added that if a party disWhile the cost varies from county to county, names, including the mother’s maiden name. agrees with that final order, it can Closed Sun. & Mon. For more information, call 937-642-2053. the cost in Union is $22. Thrush said that birth then appeal to the Environmental lrice@thisweeknews.com certificate copies are available on request MonReview Appeals Commission. days through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.ThisWeekNEWS.com

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Fire department warns HEARING residents on ice safety

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ThisWeek Community Newspapers Marysville

Page A4

December 26, 2010

Agreement signed between Pediatric HealthSource urgent care, emergency Memorial Hospital and Aetna Pediatric department: What’s the difference?

The signatures are on the contract, and Memorial Hospital of Union County will remain in-network with insurance provider Aetna for at least the next three years. The new contract is effective Jan. 1, 2011, according to hospital public relations and development specialist Stephanie Lantz. “Both sides worked tremendously hard to finalize this agreement,” said hospital president and CEO Chip Hubbs. “There were many challenges to overcome and much give-and-take from both

parties. But, in the end, we believe we have in place a new contract that is mutually satisfactory.” The two parties were in negotiations for a new contract for the past 10 months. A one-month extension of the existing contract was agreed to in November, after the contract was set to expire. “This agreement reflects the genuine commitment both parties have had in negotiating an agreement that is in the best interest of all parties concerned,” said Jay Timm, president of

VALUES Continued from page A1 still,” Froment said. “We had been supporting enough from this area to support the interest, but hadn’t paid any on the capital. We thought that would be okay, because we knew eventually this area would build out.” Froment said that about two years ago, Fifth Third Bank (which holds the letter of credit) “started getting nervous,” as the payments for the loan were only addressing interest. “They started seeing this as a greater and greater risk, so the letter of credit fees went up each year,” she said. When the interest on that letter of credit went from 1.25 to 3.5 percent, the city became concerned. “We didn’t think we were going to generate even enough income to pay the interest,” Froment said. After discussing matters with developers and the school district, however, Froment said they

Aetna’s Ohio market. “Both Memorial Hospital and Aetna wanted to reach a fair agreement, and we are very pleased to let the people know we succeeded, and that we appreciate their patience during the process.” Aetna is one of Memorial Hospital’s four largest managed-care payers, and is one of the larger in Union County as the provider for Honda of America Mfg., Union County’s largest employer.

Urgent Care locations offer treatment for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries that need immediate attention but are not serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency department. Treatment for the following conditions is provided: minor cuts, minor/small burns, possible broken bones/simple fractures (facility will perform X-rays and initial treatment), sprains and strains, vomiting, diarrhea, asthma (mild or moderate wheezing), rashes, — Lin Rice mild allergic reactions and fever. Nationwide Children’s Hospital offers five urgent care facilities (including the main campus office) with evening and weekend hours, and can be considered an extension of a community pediatrician’s office. Continued from page A1 Go to the emergency department if you feel your child’s probhandle requests that the city lem is a true emergency, or for use collection services to treatment of the following condicollect skipped payments; tions: major trauma/injuries, inwhether or not the city juries involving a motor vehicle should turn off a house’s crash or being struck by a motor water at the landlord’s revehicle, a fall from a height, seriquest; reconnection fees; whether or not Marysville should use a certification process; and other issues related to utility billing Marysville structure in Marysville. 1467 Creekview Dr, 43040, Marysville currently ofJoseph M. Colopy, $179,900. fers an online utility pay197 Collinswood Dr, 43040, ing tool, which can be Lucille E. Egar, tr., $177,000. reached on the city’s web663 Carbel Dr, 43040, Shawn site, www.marysvilleoand Darcy R. Skaggs, $167,810. hio.org. 215 Buckeye St, 43040, KathFroment said the public leen M. House, $163,000. meeting for Marysville 1465 Pepper Ln, 43040, Ryan landlords is set from 5:30 P. Butler, $121,900. to 6:30 p.m. January 12, at city hall, 221 S. Plum St. Plain City The public is invited, she 8695 Mallard Circle, 43064, said. Daniel A. and Jennifer R. Gigliotlrice@thisweeknews.com ti, $576,400. 300 Shepper Ave, 43064, PNC Bank NA, $77,000.

BILLING began to see a discrepancy in area property values. “We realized that this land over here (in the City Gate area) was valued at about $240,000 per acre, while over here (in the adjacent Colemans Crossing area), we were seeing values at about $10,000 to $25,000 per acre. Those values hadn’t been re-evaluated.” Froment said the city filed an appeal through the county auditor’s board of revisions in the spring, and had an appraisal of property in that area, not including residential properties. “The value on the books was just over $29-million, and after going through the appeal process, that final value has gone up to $43-million,” she said. “We’ve gone up almost $15-million, which we believe will set us on the right direction for paying down our principal and for dealing with the letter of credit.” lrice@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNEWS.com

Commentary and opinion

Dublin

Just Thinking

Having coyotes as close neighbors is unnerving Spotting coyotes in the back yard allows me to put the spiders I see in the bathroom into perspective. I mean, imagine if it were the other way around – spiders out in the yard and coyotes lurking under the bathroom sink. Of course, it sort of is the other way around, at least as far as the spiders are concerned. I realized long ago that trying to rid our century-old house of every last creature that crawls upon the earth was an exercise in futility, since what’s in the house is what’s under the house, and what’s under the house is whatever’s out there in the fields around us. Fortunately, some bugs of the field prefer to stay in the field, similar to the way certain people would rather tent-camp than stay in a motel, no matter how many cable TV channels are offered for free. Other bugs may want in, but most of them don’t make it thanks to their short legs and brief life spans. I figure if they start walking from the middle of the field, they die of advanced old age about three inches closer to the house than they were when they started. It’s sad, but no sadder than salmon who never make it upstream to spawn, or penguin mothers who go searching for food and never return. The spiders who do make it into the house, I suspect, are the ones who have spent their whole lives directly underneath it, which would explain why our house spiders tend to be unusually enormous and strong. They’ve been sheltered by the house, for one thing, and they didn’t have far to travel, for another. No wonder my husband and I have been witness to some of the brawniest arachnids ever to swagger out from under the refrigerator. They’re like hothouse flowers, raised solely to flex their thighs of steel – all eight of them – and check out their reflections in the oven window. My point, however, is that while the spiders I see in the bathroom are in fact also running around in the fields, the coyotes I see in the fields are not yet running around in the bathroom. It may be just a matter of time, of course. Recent news stories about coyotes only confirm what people in my rural neighborhood already knew: Coyotes are here.

We often listen to them crying at night, and trust me, the wails, yips and yelps out there in the dark have an underMARGO current of wildBARTLETT ness that makes a person glad to be safely indoors. It might be comforting to know that according to the Ohio Wildlife Center, only animals who weigh less than 45 pounds need to fear coyotes. It might be comforting, I say, but in fact it isn’t, because our dog weighs about 40 pounds and is singularly unprepared to fend off a coyote. In fact, I doubt he’d even see a coyote coming. He’d smell it coming, his nose tucked into the coyote’s tracks as if he were sewing the paw prints together with his muzzle, and he wouldn’t see the coyote itself until the top of his head bumped into the coyote’s throat. Even then, he’d probably want to play. This is so sad I can scarcely think about it. The Ohio Wildlife Center’s website suggests pet owners not leave animals outdoors alone after 4 p.m. It also suggests – and this is even more alarming – that parents “keep an eye on small children.” I’m sure this is a good idea – it’s always a good idea, coyotes or no coyotes – but am I alone in thinking the tone of this friendly

tip is a little casual under the circumstances? Perhaps children are less at risk than small animals, but I still find it difficult to assume that we need to worry less about them. Children are, after all, our young, and as such we tend to feel protective toward them. This is why you so rarely heard even the hardiest pioneer mothers say, “John, wildcats are circling the cabin again, so keep an eye on little Prudence this morning.” Incidentally, the 4 p.m. cutoff is intended to coincide with the onset of dusk, since coyotes are nocturnal animals. Supposedly. In fact, my husband and I have been seeing coyotes in the dead of day, so to speak. They seem to be watching us, which adds to our unease. It’s possible, I suppose, that the coyotes have young themselves and, in the manner of all good parents, are keeping an eye on us while their children sleep. It may be that they are as afraid of us as we are of them. Wouldn’t that be funny if it turned out to be true? We could all share a laugh and learn a valuable lesson at the same time. Or wait. This isn’t an episode of Leave It To Beaver. It’s Ohio Wildlife, a reality show. I don’t deny that coyotes are my favorite characters, but I’m glad that the ones in the bathroom are the spiders.

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Talk with your doctor before your child gets sick about how to handle emergencies and inquire about the doctor’s policy on addressing medical needs outside of office hours. Having that information ahead of time will mean one less thing to worry about when your child is sick. If you think your child is experiencing a medical emergency or life-threatening condition, always call 911. In situations where calling 911 isn’t necessary, you should always call your child’s pediatrician or family doctor first to determine the best treatment option. If you think someone is poisoned, call the Central Ohio Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. Terry P. Barber Sr., M.D., is the medical director of off-site Urgent Care Centers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an attending physician at the Nationwide Children’s Westerville Close To Home Center. He is also a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Ohio State.

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Girls Basketball

Holiday Classic still attracts nation’s top teams By KURTIS ADAMS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Dayton Chaminade Julienne High School girls basketball coach Duane Williams has no qualms about bringing a younger team back to the KeyBank Holiday Classic at Pickerington High School North. “We can go to Pickerington and not win a game and still get better,” he said. Last year, Williams accompanied a far more experienced team to North, where the then-undefeated Eagles

dropped their opening game before regrouping to win their next two to At a glance place fifth. They didn’t lose again until •What: KeyBank Holiday Classic reaching a Division II state semifinal •Where: Pickerington High School North and finished 29-2. •When: Tuesday through Dec. 30 Chaminade Julienne, which now •Participants: Dayton Chaminade Julienne, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, Murfreesboro starts three juniors and a pair of soph(Tenn.) Blackman, Lebanon (Ky.) Marion Counomores, is the only squad in this year’s ty, Pickerington North, Pittsburgh Mt. eight-team field that participated in Lebanon, Twinsburg and Warrensville Heights the event last season, aside from North. •Tickets: Daily wristbands are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. The host Panthers are the defending champions after defeating Louisville Still, even holding home-court ad(Ky.) DuPont Manual 56-46 in last year’s final to win their home tour- vantage is no guarantee of success. In nament for the first time since 2003. between titles, the Panthers twice had

to settle for being runners-up and posted four fourth-place finishes, including 2008. This is the 25th year North coach Dave Butcher has organized what has become one of the nation’s premier tournaments. It began as a four-team event at the school now known as Pickerington Central in 1986. It has featured future WNBA stars such as Sue Bird and Logan native Katie Smith in addition to a slew of nationally-ranked teams, including Pickerington’s USA Today national championship squad in 1998-99.

“We’ve only won maybe half of the tournaments since we started it,” Butcher said. “It’s not easy. You see a lot of different styles, and it’s about making quick adjustments. Playing three games in three days is pretty tough, too. To win it, you have to be the team that can hang the longest.” Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, Twinsburg and Warrensville Heights are the other in-state participants. The field is rounded out by Lebanon (Ky.) Marion County, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) See TOURNAMENT, page A6

Commentary

Athletes reveal favorite yule gifts During a week in which families spend time together and share life’s blessings, let’s find out what some of central Ohio’s premier high school athletes consider the best Christmas gift they have received. A b b y Barker, Watterson field hockey: “The best Christmas gift I ever got was LARRY a trip to Colorado. We LARSON had so much fun skiing, relaxing and hanging out together as a family. It was a time I will never forget.” Kellie Roudabush, Hilliard Bradley softball and basketball: “My favorite Christmas gift that I ever got was a bike when I was really little. It was something that I had always wanted and I finally received it.” William Rosler, Columbus Academy boys swimming: “My best Christmas gift came in 2001 when I got a Nintendo GameCube along with the game ‘Super Smash Brothers Melee.’ I spent the next 36 hours or so in the basement playing the game and only stopped for food.” Brian Sullivan, Upper Arlington boys basketball: “My favorite Christmas present was Nintendo 94. My brothers and I had asked for Nintendo 94 and we opened all of our presents but there was no Nintendo. Later in the day, my grandparents came with a box and inside was the cherished Nintendo 94. We were thrilled and played video games for the rest of the Christmas break.” Tiyona Marshall, Gahanna Lincoln softball and basketball: “My all-time favorite Christmas gift was my Easy Bake Oven. I would make brownies all Christmas vacation long for the whole family.” Kellie Carmendy, Olentangy Liberty girls diving: “I thought about my favorite gift for a while and I really don’t have one favorite Christmas present. Getting presents doesn’t mean that much to me. I am just happy to have my whole family together.” Cooper Staton, DeSales boys swimming: “My best Christmas gift ever was in 2005 when my sister, Carmen, and I discovered we would be having a new sibling. We got to tell all of our friends and family that weekend what was going to happen. Today, our youngest sister, Ellen, is 4 years old and puts a smile on everyone’s face every day.” Aisha Cavin, Hartley girls track: “My best-ever Christmas gift was my dog named Chase. We got him from Walhonding, Ohio, during the huge blizzard that left everyone without power, including the breeders. However, we drove three hours to get him and it was by far worth it and the best gift I could receive.” Wil Trapp, Gahanna Lincoln boys soccer: “It’s real easy

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Marysville’s Quinn Mickelson races last Monday during a meet against Hilliard Darby and Hilliard Bradley. The girls team won the meet, and the boys were second.

Marysville Roundup

Depth boosts swimming teams By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Increased depth on the boys team and the addition of sophomore Miranda Hampton on the girls team have led to success for the Marysville High School swimming and diving program. The Monarchs closed out a busy December by playing host to Hilliard Bradley and Hilliard Darby last Monday at the Union County YMCA. The boys team (108) finished behind Darby (116) and ahead of Bradley (12), and the girls team (135) finished ahead of Bradley (58) and Darby (43). “I like to hit it heavy in December and then be able to back off a little bit as we get toward tournament time,” coach Ann Rausch said. The Monarchs return to action Jan. 5 in a meet with Bellefontaine and Lancaster at the Union County YMCA. The meet was rescheduled from Jan. 4 so it didn’t conflict with the Sugar Bowl between Ohio State and Arkansas. Marysville’s early season has been loaded with highlights. The girls team finished 17th (72 points) in the Ned Reeb Invitational on Dec. 11 at Ohio State. Each team earned top honors in the Whetstone Invitational on Dec. 13, as the boys collected 127 points to finish ahead of runnerup Centennial (113) and the girls tied Hilliard Davidson (140) for first. The boys team (77) finished ahead of Dublin Jerome (74) and Dublin Scioto (70) in a tri-meet on Dec. 15 at the Union County YMCA. Leading the way for the girls team has been Hampton, who already has set program records in the 50-yard freestyle (25.63 seconds), 100 free (55.69), 200 free (1:58.76), 500 free (5:22.59), 200 individual medley (2:11.47), 100 backstroke (59.19) and 100 butterfly (1:00.60). See LARSON, page A6 Hampton also swims for the

At a glance Below are the recent results and coming schedules for the Marysville boys basketball and girls basketball teams: BOYS BASKETBALL *Dec. 17 — Lost to Westerville Central 58-39. Kyle Nelson led the Monarchs with a game-high 24 points. *Last Tuesday — Lost to Westerville South 69-41. Corey Gould scored 10 points for Marysville. Thursday — Home vs. Fairbanks *Jan. 5 — Home vs. Dublin Jerome Of note: The Monarchs are 0-6 overall and 0-4 in the OCC-Cardinal. GIRLS BASKETBALL *Dec. 17 — Lost to Westerville Central 48-34. *Last Tuesday — Defeated Westerville South 52-47. Jeni Jordan led the Monarchs with 17 points and Katy Turner had 10. Tuesday — Home vs. Delaware *Jan. 5 — At Dublin Jerome Of note: The Monarchs are 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the OCC-Cardinal. *OCC-Cardinal game

bers have made the difference,” Rausch said. “The new kids that have joined the program who have no swimming experience have just developed really nicely.” Junior Quinn Mickelson has been a main contributor. He set the program record in the 100 back (57.45) at the Ned Reeb Invitational. “Quinn is an extremely hard worker and he’s very dedicated, so it’s nice for the kids to see that that pays off,” Rausch said. Freshman Christian Madsen, who specializes in the freestyle events, has progressed in his first season on the team, Rausch said. •The wrestling team continued its early season success by winning the Troy Christian Invitational on Dec. 18. The Monarchs (243) finished ahead of New Lebanon Dixie (212) and Coldwater (198.5) in By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek the 10-team field. The Monarchs’ Mary Kallinicou competes in the 200 individual medley last Monday. Champions for Marysville were David Sparks at 103 pounds, Noah Springfield YMCA, where she phenomenal job early in the sea- Rausch said. trained as a freshman. son.” She credits the added depth on Forrider at 130, Austin Garcia at “Miranda is working hard, Junior Ellie Prinster, who fo- the boys team as the key to its 135 and Tyler Miller at 160. Mahmoud Elarossi (145) was along with the kids who were on cuses on the individual medley, progress. the team last year,” Rausch said. breaststroke and freestyle, has “From only having seven swimSee MONARCHS, page A6 “As a whole, the kids are doing a been another key contributor, mers last year to 20 this year, num-

ThisWeek Community Newspapers Marysville

Page A6

December 26, 2010

Football

Gafford, Robinson among area products in bowls By JARROD ULREY

At a glance

There might not have been a more dramatic turnaround in college football this fall than the one that occurred at Miami University. After losing to Central Michigan 35-10 in the 2007 MidAmerican Conference title game to finish 6-7, the RedHawks slipped to 2-10 in 2008 and coach Shane Montgomery was forced to resign. Another rough season occurred in 2009 as Miami went 111 under first-year coach Michael Haywood. It took what two-year Miami captain Jordan Gafford calls a “change in the culture” to bring about what happened this fall. After splitting their first six games, the RedHawks bounced back and advanced to the MAC championship game in Detroit, where they beat Northern Illinois 26-21 on Dec. 3 to improve to 9-4. The win sent Miami, which features a pair of fifth-year seniors and central Ohio natives in Armand Robinson and Gafford, to the GoDaddy.com Bowl at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 in Mobile, Ala., against Middle Tennessee State. Gafford, a 2006 Worthington Kilbourne High School graduate and defensive back, and Robinson, a 2006 Reynoldsburg graduate and wide receiver, both were key players along with 2007 Westland graduate Will Diaz (DL) and 2006 Whetstone graduate Seth Philip (kickoff specialist). Haywood left Dec. 16 to coach the University of Pitts-

Below are area natives who are listed on rosters of college football teams that are competing in 2010-11 bowl games: PLAYER (HIGH SCHOOL) COLLEGE BOWL GAME Mike Adams (Dublin Coffman) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4 Rob Anzuini (Hilliard Darby) Ohio U. New Orleans, Dec. 18 Chi Chi Ariguzo (DeSales) Northwestern TicketCity, Jan. 1 Ike Ariguzo (DeSales) Air Force Independence, Dec. 27 Nic Barber (Newark) Ohio U. New Orleans, Dec. 18 Le’Veon Bell (Groveport) Michigan State Capital One, Jan. 1 Eric Benjamin (Grove City) Ohio U. New Orleans, Dec. 18 John Blevins (Upper Arlington) Miami GoDaddy.com, Jan. 6 Justin Boren (Pickerington Central) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4 Zach Boren (Pickerington Central) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4 Ben Buchanan (Westerville Central) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4 Samuel Cherry (Gahanna) Toledo Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26 Zac Clark (Grove City) Ohio U. New Orleans, Dec. 18 Kyle Clifton (Dublin Coffman) Ohio U. New Orleans, Dec. 18 Steven Crane (Pickerington North) Ohio U. New Orleans, Dec. 18 Ricky Crawford (Olentangy) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4 B.J. Cunningham (Westerville South) Michigan State Capital One, Jan. 1 Bo Delande (Hilliard Davidson) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4 Will Diaz (Westland) Miami GoDaddy.com, Jan. 6 Connor Dietz (Hilliard Davidson) Air Force Independence, Dec. 27 Mario Dovell (Whetstone) Ohio U. New Orleans, Dec. 18 Nate Ebner (Hilliard Davidson) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4 Ross Fleming (Olentangy Liberty) Air Force Independence, Dec. 27 Josh Fitzpatrick (DeSales) Navy Poinsettia, Dec. 23 Jordan Gafford (Worth. Kilbourne) Miami GoDaddy.com, Jan. 6 Steve Gardiner (Dublin Coffman) Michigan State Capital One, Jan. 1 Cavin Green (Columbus Academy) Ohio State Sugar, Jan. 4

burgh. Lance Guidry is serving as interim coach. “It’s been a rough four years for Armand and I to be a part of the team’s struggles, so this year has been exciting,” said Gafford, the ThisWeek Super 25 captain in 2005. “To win a lot of close games and win the MAC championship, it was all worth it. I think a lot of it was that (Haywood) came in and cleaned house. We’ve been playing our best football at the end of the season.” Gafford played in 10 games as a freshman in 2006 and was the team’s top tackler among non-linebackers in 2007 before

suffering a fractured tibia in the second game of 2008, ending his season. Gafford came back as a cocaptain in 2009 and started the first eight games before going down with a torn nerve in his neck. Gafford missed two games this season with a concussion but finished with 32 tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery while playing safety. Robinson had 76 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns this season. He had 14 catches in the MAC title game, including the game-winning 33yard score with 33 seconds to go.

TOURNAMENT Continued from page A5

Blackman and Pittsburgh Mt. Lebanon, which captured a second consecutive big-school state championship a year ago while finishing seventh in the final MaxPreps national rankings. Twinsburg coach Julie Solis said she couldn’t resist an invitation to play in the event, which begins at 3 p.m. Tuesday with the first of four first-round games. Tipoff for the final is slated for 8:15 p.m. Friday. Solis said she moved some games around and even dropped some traditional opponents to make room on her schedule. “It seemed like it was going to be a great opportunity for us,” she said. “We’ve heard it is a well-run tournament and we’re excited to see all the great competition. We can’t wait to get down there and get going.” Twinsburg, which opened the season by defeating Walsh Jesuit 76-41 on Dec. 1 and could face the Warriors again in a KeyBank semifinal if both win their openers, is bringing one of the state’s top juniors in 6foot-4 post player Malina Howard. Another underclassman to watch is Marion County sophomore point guard Makayla Epps, who was listed as the nation’s top freshman a year ago by some recruiting services. The tournament also will feature several seniors who already have committed to Division I colleges, including North’s Kavunaa Edwards (Villanova) and Shelby Olszewski (Austin Peay). Among the others are Mt. Lebanon’s Madison Cable (Notre Dame) and Anna Kestler (William & Mary). “I contacted another team that’s been to the Pickerington tournament before, and I’ve only heard good things about (North’s) program and the tournament they run,” Blackman coach Chad Hibdon said. “We know that it’s a prestigious tournament that takes care of the kadams@thisweeknews.com girls and has a great atmosphere www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

MONARCHS Continued from page A5

don’t want to judge our season on how we do in the month of December.” The Monarchs will compete in the Brecksville Invitational on Tuesday and Wednesday. Last season at the event, Marysville finished eighth (111) behind champion Wadsworth (275.5). Wadsworth (172) went on to win the Division I state championship over Lakewood St. Edward (167.5).

second; Lucas Parker (119), Chase Boyd (140),Aaron Brofford (152) and Morgan Miller (215) placed third; Austin Rine (215) was fourth; and Jacob Thornton (112), Daric Erwin (125), Austin Pfarr (171) and Thomas Taylor (285) finished fifth. “It was good to have another successful weekend,” coach Shawn Andrews said. “Each week our goal is to get better and I feel like we did this week. However, we www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Ohio State Toledo Michigan State Michigan State Ohio U. UTEP Toledo West Virginia Ohio U. Air Force N.C. State Georgia Tech Ohio U. West Virginia Ohio U. Michigan Ohio U. Miami Toledo Toledo Texas A&M Miami Michigan State Toledo Michigan State Ohio U. Miami Toledo Ohio U. Toledo

“This is unbelievable because this is the first time I’ve ever been on a team that won a championship,” Robinson said. •LEFFLER FINDS ROLE — Although it wouldn’t have seemed likely after he graduated from Columbus Academy in 2007, Andy Leffler will be traveling to Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 28 to play for North Carolina State in the Champs Sports Bowl. A linebacker, wide receiver, kicker and punter for the Vikings, Leffler discovered Elon University on a family vacation and eventually became a walk-on punter.

Sugar, Jan. 4 Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26 Capital One, Jan. 1 Capital One, Jan. 1 New Orleans, Dec. 18 New Mexico, Dec. 18 Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26 Champs Sports, Dec. 28 New Orleans, Dec. 18 Independence, Dec. 27 Champs Sports, Dec. 28 Independence, Dec. 27 New Orleans, Dec. 18 Champ Sports, Dec. 28 New Orleans, Dec. 18 Gator, Jan. 1 New Orleans, Dec. 18 GoDaddy.com, Jan. 6 Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26 Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26 Cotton, Jan. 7 GoDaddy.com, Jan. 6 Capital One, Jan. 1 Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26 Capital One, Jan. 1 New Orleans, Dec. 18 GoDaddy.com, Jan. 6 Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26 New Orleans, Dec. 18 Little Caesar’s, Dec. 26

including nine from Ohio State, which plays Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. Michigan State has seven players from central Ohio, including three who played significantly this season in Le’Veon Bell (RB, Groveport), B.J. Cunningham (WR, Westerville South) and Steve Gardiner (LB, Dublin Coffman). The Spartans play Alabama in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1. The Crimson Tide won the BCS national title game last year and feature 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. “It’s really exciting, especially coming off a 6-7 year last year,” said Gardiner, who has played on special teams the last two years and split time between middle linebacker and outside linebacker this season. “Playing against last year’s national champions and Heisman winner adds a little bit of motivation, plus it’s the Big Ten against the SEC.” •ALSO BOUND FOR ORLANDO — The Wolfpack’s opponent in the Champs Sports Bowl is West Virginia, which starts Beechcroft graduate Julian Miller on its defensive line. Miller, a redshirt junior in his second season as a starter, was a Rivals.com second-team allBig East honoree after finishing with 13 tackles for losses and eight sacks. He has one year of college eligibility remaining. “I feel like each year I’ve gotten better,” said Miller, whose team is 9-3. “With my situation, I’d really like to pursue a pro career.”

After punting just eight times for the Phoenix in 2009, Leffler transferred to N.C. State. This season, the Dublin native punted 31 times for a 38.7 average while splitting duties with senior Jeff Ruiz (36.4 average). “I wanted to just focus on my academics this year, but I just decided to give it a shot and in the third game this year I got my first punt,” said Leffler, a junior. “It’s something I never would have dreamed of. The most enjoyable part has been getting the second opportunity.” •FROM THE BIG TEN — Eighteen players with local ties julrey@thisweeknews.com are on rosters of Big Ten teams, www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Sports briefs Senior baseball team seeks players The Columbus Cardinals men's senior baseball team is seeking players 25 and older to join for the coming season. The Cardinals compete in the Columbus Men's Senior

Baseball League. For more information, contact Tom Bee at (740) 972-4867 or e-mail tn_bee@yahoo.com.

Schools announce coaching vacancies The following schools are

seeking coaches: Brookhaven — Football. Contact athletics director Jeremy Froehlich at (614) 3655985. Marysville — Assistant baseball. Send résumé to athletics director Cal Adams at cadams@marysville.k12.oh.us.

LARSON

Jamie Collins 937-209-0462 jamie.collins@realliving.com www.sell4umarysville.com Call or email for a FREE Trendgraphix report of your neighborhood

Continued from page A5 for me. My favorite Christmas gift was a Ping-Pong table.” Chris Uhle, Olentangy Liberty pole vault: “My favorite Christmas gift was a Fisher Price easel I got when I was 4 years old. It also came with a letter from Santa that said to use it for coloring with my crayons

instead of using my uncle’s couch, and if I ever did that again I would be getting coal for Christmas.” As for me, the most memorable gift was given to me by my late wife, Jeanne, who took me on a picnic in Schiller Park in German Village on the night after Christmas. We went to the park via horse-drawn carriage

and shared moments that will be with me forever. To all of you, from the student-athletes and from me, Happy Holidays! Larry Larson is a former athletics director at Grandview High School. He can be heard as “Mr. High School Sports” on WTVN 610 AM.

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and great facilities. “From what I hear from other high school and college coaches, it’s definitely going to be the best tournament that we’ve played in so far. It’s the most prestigious and maybe has the best competition.” Several other hot prospects, including Warrensville Heights’ Nautica Davis and Blackman’s Amy Duke and Kortnay Cox, are sure to help themselves by playing in a tournament that attracts college coaches from every level. “Nautica Davis is (a Division I) player,” Warrensville Heights coach Eric Mitchell said. “I just have to get her as much exposure as possible, and the idea of going down to this tournament was to put her in front of some people and also put her up against some great competition.” Last summer, Butcher related a story about the time when two of college basketball’s most famous personalities showed up at the event when it was still being played across town at Central. “(Tennessee coach) Pat Summit was here on one side of me signing autographs and (Connecticut coach) Geno Auriemma was on the other,” he said. “Geno parked his white Mercedes right outside the front doors and gave some kid $100 to keep an eye on it.” KeyBank is in its second year of sponsorship for the tournament. “It’s a year-to-year deal,” Butcher said. “When you run a tournament like this, sponsorship is critical. KeyBank stepped up last year, and it’s been a nice deal for us. “It has enabled us to keep providing a lot of things some tournaments can’t. I know from talking with other people how much they appreciate that and what we’ve been able to do to promote the girls game.”

Adam Griffin (DeSales) Josh Hendershot (Newark Catholic) Travis Jackson (DeSales) Antonio Jeremiah (Hilliard Darby) Chris Johann (Pickerington North) Quentin Jones (Northland) Zac Kerin (Olentangy) Ricky Kovatch (Dublin Jerome) Kyle Kozak (Pickerington Central) Josh Kusan (DeSales) Andy Leffler (Columbus Academy) B.J. Machen (Hilliard Darby) Danny Miller (Westerville North) Julian Miller (Beechcroft) Keith Moore (Grove City) Patrick Omameh (DeSales) A.J. Oxley (Pickerington North) Seth Philip (Whetstone) Grant Pleasant (Dublin Scioto) Darius Reeves (Gahanna) Rob Rhodeback (Northridge) Armand Robinson (Reynoldsburg) Skyler Schofner (Big Walnut) Kenny Stafford (DeSales) Drew Stevens (Olentangy) Jeramie Stump (Grove City) Justin Stumph (St. Charles) Chase Swisher (Olentangy Orange) Storm Timson (Licking Heights) Ibrahim Yayah (Brookhaven)

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2010 Hometown Heroes MARYSVILLE REWIND 103.5/104.3 congratulates Steffen Baldwin, Executive Director of the Union County Humane Society and his team as Marysville’s Hometown Heroes! Steffen Baldwin, Executive Director of Union County Humane Society (UCHS), and his team of staff and volunteers were named the Rewind 103.5/104.3 Hometown Heroes of Marysville for their work in the community to care for over 1,300 lost and stray animals each year, and investigating hundreds of cases of animal cruelty and neglect. They have made a commitment to never euthanize an animal unless it is very ill, injured or is unsafe to adopt to the public due to its temperament. Additionally, UCHS has announced their intentions to expand their facilities to keep pace with the growth in the need for their services. Finally, they can help share tips for people who might be considering bringing a new pet home for the holidays. Visit them at www.uchspets.org.

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Kittens to a good home(s). Only $10. 6 month old females, Vet checked, dewormed. Julie or Dave 614-873-7118

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BEAGLE PUPPIES. full blooded, 1st shots, dewormed, 4 males, 3 females, $125.00 call 740-248-1097

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MINI Goldendoodle Pups Beautiful low to non shed ding. Should be 25 to 35 pounds. ALLERGY FRIENDLY! Raised in home well soc/ w/ children and adults. Champion breed. Vet check. first shots. written health guar antee. 937-670-0397

HELP WANTED GENERAL

Call to see if you qualify for a Federally Insured Loan Contact Anna at ENG Lending ∫ 937-747-3331 ∫

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December 26, 2010