July 3, 2011
Board OKs more employee pay freezes By JENNIFER BOYTAR ThisWeek Community Newspapers
More Delaware city school employees have agreed to salary concessions for the upcoming school year. The district’s nonteaching employees in the Ohio Association of Public School Employees union have agreed to a pay freeze.
The board approved the agreement June 29. OAPSE, which represents district secretaries, library aides, business office clerks and educational aides, agreed to the concessions on June 8. The one-year agreement puts a freeze on any base salary and step increases for the 2011-12 school year, and is effective through July 31, 2012.
In a separate action, the board also approved a pay freeze for all district administrators and non-union employees. Superintendent Paul Craft praised district employees for their “spirit of cooperation.” “All of our staff members understand the district’s difficult financial situation and have really stepped forward to help minimize additional budget cuts and pro-
tect quality educational programs for our students,” he said. A similar agreement was reached with the Delaware City Teachers Association on June 6. District treasurer Christine Blue said the DCTA contract will save the district $341,772. The OAPSE agreement will save $34,460.
The pay freezes for non-union employees and administrators will save an additional $4,544 and $43,298 respectively. The third and final union, the United Electrical, has reached a tentative agreement. The board has not yet voted on the agreement and no details were provided. See SCHOOL BOARD, page A6
SPECIAL OLYMPIANS
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
(Above, left) Colin Carroll, a member of the Delaware Special Olympic team, runs toward the finish line in the 400-meter dash during the opening day of the 2011 Special Olympic Ohio Summer Games on June 24. The track events were held at Upper Arlington High School. (Above, right) Delaware Special Olympian team member Joe Scherler, unified volleyball player Niel Burbury and coach Nicole Hardesty make their way around the track at Ohio Stadium for the Special Olympics Ohio Summer Games opening ceremony. About 2,700 Ohio athletes participated. To view a multimedia presentation on the opening day, please visit www.ThisWeekNews.com.
City petitioned for street improvements Sixty residents and other concerned ThisWeek Community Newspapers citizens signed a petition asking the city of Delaware for paving, widenGrandview Avenue residents who ing, and curb and gutter installation. say their street requires substantial imA letter from Grandview Avenue provements are asking the city to take resident Phyllis Miller to the city manaction. ager and attorney said the street is narBy SARAH SOLE
row, cracked and broken. The letter also cites drainage problems and traffic complications from Carlisle Elementary School at 746 state Route 37 West. During the June 27 city council meeting, Miller, who has lived on Grand-
view Avenue for 46 years, said the road hasn’t been maintained in recent years. “It’s really a crime that we have not been taken care of,” she said. Records from director of engineerSee DELAWARE, page A5
By SARAH SOLE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Residents protest substation plans By SARAH SOLE
on the northern end of Green
ThisWeek Community Newspapers Meadows Drive in Orange Town-
Residents are protesting American Electric Power’s plan to install a new transmission substation in Trenton and Berkshire townships. AEP officials on June 27 told Delaware County commissioners the substation is needed because of increased electric demand and the retirement of several older generation plants. The substation will be east of Joe Walker Road and south of state Route 37. AEP officials said it will be similar to a substation
ship. AEP has two possible design layouts, designated “red” and “blue.” It will choose a preferred and alternate design when the proposal is presented to the Ohio Power Siting Board by August. The blue design would have two sites, one 23.48 acres and one 13.93 acres. The red design would have a 32-acre site and a 4.75-acre site. The submission process takes eight or nine months, AEP proj-
City readies for July 4 celebration
Summer Academy
By Eric George/ThisWeek
Valerie Keller, 10, works on a website to post the pictures she shot during a digital photography class at Delaware City School’s Summer Academy at Hayes High School June 23. Participants in the five-day program chose from 18 classes, including television production, scrapbooking and dance.
A cast ranging from baton-twirling children to World War II veterans is scheduled to appear in the city of Delaware’s annual July 4 parade. The parade is among the city’s list of events for its annual celebration, which also will include fireworks and a performance by the Central Ohio Symphony. The annual parade is sponsored by the Delaware County Farm Bureau. The parade will leave the Liberty Street gate of the Delaware County Fairgrounds at 3 p.m., march east on Pennsylvania Avenue to Sandusky Street, and south on Sandusky to Wilmer Street. Carolyn Slone, parade chair and Farm Bureau member, said 83 groups were in last year’s parade, which lasted an hour and 20 minutes. She expects at least that many groups for this year’s parade. See CITY READIES, page A4
See RESIDENTS, page A2
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