June 16, 2011
Kinnard retires after 17 years as AD By SCOTT HENNEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
In 1991, Larry Larson approached Kathy Kinnard with an idea. Kinnard was a business teacher and yearbook adviser at Grandview Heights High School, and Larson was athletics director. He was three years from retirement and already looking toward the future. “I went and talked to Kathy about becoming athletics director because I had so much respect for her as a teacher and as a coach,” said Larson. “Of all the people on the staff in 1994, she was the one that I was hoping would follow me. She is so organized and so good with people. She is a terrific person and a terrific family person. It has been an honor to be associated with Kathy as long as I By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
Grandview Heights High School athletics director Kathy Kinnard is retiring after 35 years as a teacher and administrator.
have been.” On July 31, Kinnard will retire after 35 years at Grandview. She started as a business teacher in 1976, later became a coach and spent 17 years as athletics director. “The first thought that comes to mind is that Kathy Kinnard is a person of great character and high integrity,” said Ed O’Reilly, superintendent of Grandview Heights City Schools. “Any time someone leaves after 35 years, they take with them a great deal of historical and institutional knowledge.” “I suppose in some respects I’m an anomaly because people change jobs and careers all of the time,” Kinnard said. “Grandview has always been a strong community and I have always received great support from the community. Grandview has given its kids a quality education in the classroom and in athletics.” Kinnard is proud of the expansion and improvements in athletics during her tenure. “Since I became athletics director, we have added some See KINNARD, page A4
Community events planned along with Tour de Grandview By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
A variety of community events, including a street party, kids’sprints and celebrity races, will be held June 26 in conjunction with the 19th annual Tour de Grandview Cycling Classic. The party will be held at the same time as the racing and get started at 11:30 a.m. The street party will include food, drinks and live entertainment by bands featuring Grandview Heights High School students and residents of the community, said Julie Whitley, president of the Grandview Community Association, the nonprofit group that organizes the event. This year’s party will have a new location, on First Avenue near Fairview. “We’ll have food and beverage vendors set up by First and Fairview,” Whitley said. “The area by First and Grandview will be set aside more for the vendors selling T-shirts and other items and for community groups.” The Kids’ Sprints will be held at 4:15 p.m. as part of the racing lineup, she said. “This year, the kids will get to race on a portion of the actual course the cyclists will be using and we’ll present the prizes to the
A closer look The street party will include food, drinks and live entertainment by bands featuring Grandview Heights High School students and residents of the community.
winners on the big stage, right where the racers get their prizes,” Whitley said. “I think that will be exciting for the kids.” The Kids’ Sprints will feature two age categories — ages 5-7 and 8-10 — for both girls and boys. Bike helmets and ribbons will be awarded to the top finishers. Registration for the sprints will begin at 12:30 p.m. at Broadview and First Avenue. The Celebrity Uphill Challenge will be held at 2 p.m. While the lineup of celebrity participants is still being finalized, local TV news reporters and city of Grandview officials are expected to be among those participating, Whitley said. The participants in the celebrity races will be raising funds for their favorite charities, she said. In past years, the community events were held on the Saturday
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
Construction work continues on Oakland Avenue June 13. The project plans include the installation of new water lines and improved storm sewers. New curbs and traffic-calming elements will also be installed along Oakland.
Oakland Avenue improvement project remains on schedule By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Despite all the rainy weather, the city of Grandview Heights’ Oakland Avenue improvement project remains on schedule. “The weather hasn’t had an impact, fortunately,” said Patrik Bowman, director of administration/economic development. “We haven’t had major problems so far with the project.”
Work to install new water lines and improve storm sewers has already been completed since the project began in midApril, he said. Residents on Oakland will be notified, perhaps as early as this week, that they will soon be connected to the new water lines, Bowman said. Oakland Avenue was closed to through traffic on June 6, he said. The road surface will be regraded and new sidewalks will be installed on both sides of Oakland.
New curbs will also be installed along Oakland and traffic calming elements added to help reduce the speed of motorists traveling the road. Residents on Oakland have long expressed concern about vehicles traveling too fast on a roadway that students use to get to and from Edison Intermediate/Middle School and the high school. The traffic-calming elements will inSee OAKLAND, page A2
See TOUR, page A3
St. Christopher Church to hold festival June 24-25 By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
St. Christopher Church will hold its 11th annual festival from 6 p.m. to midnight June 24-25 at the church, 1420 Grandview Ave. “The festival is a big part of the church’s summer and I think it’s be-
come an annual summer event people in the community really look forward to,” said Mark Herbert, chair of this year’s festival committee. The festival’s second night is the same day as the monthly Grandview Hop and one day before the annual Tour de Grandview cycling classic and street party.
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“Being held the same weekend as those events helps bring more people to our festival,” Herbert said. This year, all the food sold at the festival will be prepared by church members, he said. “In the past, we’ve used local food vendors, but we thought we wanted to give it a little more personal feel,” Her-
bert said. The menu will be similar to last year’s festival and will include “what we call fair favorites, like fried chicken, French fries, funnel cakes and sweet treats,” he said. The always popular meatball subs will return, as will grilled favorites like brats and burgers, Herbert said. Plenty
of cold beverages will also be available. Several carnival rides and games will be available for youngsters and this year’s festival will also include rides and games designed for teens and young adults, Herbert said. See FESTIVAL, page A2
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