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April 25, 2013
New contract for firefighters
Union members get 2.5 percent raises each of next 3 years, pay larger percent of health care premiums By JENNIFER NESBITT THISWEEKNEWS.COM
Chilly start Rowers from Hilliard’s Club novice team row out to the start line before their race during the Hoover Invitational Regatta Saturday, April. 20 on Hoover Reservoir. Dozens of teams and hundreds of racers competed on the windy and cool day in the event hosted by the Westerville Crew. Additional photo, story Page C1. JOSHUA A. BICKEL/THISWEEKNEWS
Prayer breakfast May 2 will celebrate ‘Giving Generation’ By JENNIFER NESBITT THISWEEKNEWS.COM As Westerville celebrates the National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 2, participants in the annual Westerville Community Prayer Breakfast will celebrate Westerville’s youth. The prayer breakfast, which will be from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. May 2 in the Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave., will honor the “Giving Generation.” The breakfast, organized by the Westerville Area Resource Ministry, will recognize youth in the community who volunteer, gather donations and give
“They’re the ones who are going to pick up the mantle in the years to come. I think it’s important not only to take from them, but to recognize and to thank them.” –CHERYL WOOTEN
Westerville Area Resource Ministry
to WARM. “Over the years, we’ve had a number of students come to us wanting to conduct food drives, for birthday parties rather than having gifts, having them give money to WARM,” said Cheryl Wooten, WARM development and communications manager. “They really have resonated
with this giving back, and they really have shown this generation to (be) giving back,” she said. Last year, approximately 400 children, from preschool through high school, volunteered 550 hours through various service projects, Wooten said. Students – from scouting
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Westerville firefighters will see 2.5-percent wages increases each year over the next three years, while at the same time paying for more of their own health insurance. Westerville City Council approved a three-year contract, effective Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2015, with the Westerville Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 3480 at its April 16 meeting. Union members “overwhelmingly” approved the contract the previous week, Westerville Fire Chief Bernie Ingles told council. The contract covers about 85 employees, said Westerville Administrative Services Director Adam Maxwell. The cost of the raise over the next three years totals $1.3 mil-
CONTRACT>> A2
Police seek two in phone store robbery
By JENNIFER NESBITT the scene in a dark-colored, THISWEEKNEWS.COM four-door sedan, police said. The store employee, who Two men are being sought was not harmed in the robby Westerville police follow- bery, described one suspect ing an armed robbery about as a tall black man and the 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 23 at other as a short, stocky black the Red Skye Wireless AT&T man wearing red sweatpants and a black T-shirt. store, 786 S. State St. As of Tuesday afternoon, According to Westerville police, the two men entered Westerville police said offithe store, with one of them cers were canvassing the area, and detectives were processbrandishing a handgun. They forced the store's ing the scene. Anyone with information lone employee to open a safe before forcing her to wait in about the robbery is asked to a restroom for approximately call the Westerville Division of Police at 614-882-7444. 15 minutes. The men stole numerous electronic devices and fled jnesbitt@thisweeknews.com
troops to sports teams to school clubs to individuals – donated 30,219 pounds of food. It’s important to stop and recognize all that the community’s youth does to give back, Wooten said. The giving youth of the community will be recognized at the breakfast through a PowerPoint presentation, placemats drawn by Emerson and Hanby magnet school students and in the address given by keynote speaker Jim Augspurger, Grace Polaris Church executive pastor. “They’re the next generation,” Wooten said. “They’re the ones
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lion, Maxwell said. However, he said, firefighters agreed to a lower-than-standard raise for the duration of the contract in recognition of the squeeze the city’s fire fund has faced with revenues lost due to decreased property values and increased property tax delinquencies. “They recognize the fire fund is in more difficult financial position than our general fund, and they were willing to work with us to make sure our fire fund stayed in good shape,” Maxwell said. “It’s not in the best of condition now.” The change in health care will take the covered employees from the 10 percent share they have traditionally paid to 12 percent this year and to 15 percent for the remaining two years of the
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