June 30, 2011
Worthington City Schools
Support staff to forgo wage freeze By JEFF DONAHUE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Members of the Worthington Education Support Professionals (WESP) and exempt classified staff have ratified a new three-year contract, agreeing to forgo pay raises for the first six months of 2012 and the entire 2012-13 school year. The Worthington Board of Education on June 27 unanimously approved the contract. The agreement covers the district’s
450 secretaries, food-service workers, bus drivers and other classified staff members. Superintendent Melissa Conrath called the agreement “very fair to taxpayers.” “Like the WEA (Worthington Education Association), it is an unprecedented settlement,” Conrath said. “The district staff understands the challenge the community faces.” Last month, the teachers union and board agreed to a similar contract. “We’re all in this together,” Conrath
said. “All of our employees contribute to the success of our students.” She said the recent negotiations were “very cooperative, and I feel good about the process.” WESP president Pam Sturiano told the board that the district’s employees did it for the students they serve. “We come to work every day because we love working with the kids,” she said. In an interview following the meeting, she said union members took a realistic approach to negotiations.
“I feel good,” she said. “We all know what’s going on in the world. My neighbors don’t have jobs or their jobs are in danger.” Sturiano said 396 of the 450 classified employees are union members, and the vote to ratify the contract was an overwhelming 244-14. More than 150 members didn’t vote. Board member David Bressman credited the classified employees for making “a huge sacrifice.” “I worry about support staff and their
ability to sustain this contract,” he said, citing concerns over the escalating cost of health insurance. Board president Marc Schare said he thought two areas deserved a closer look. He said the agreement breaks faith with an audit done last year, identifying areas where classified workers were underpaid and overpaid. He also expressed concerns that the health-care cap still requires a 90-percent pickup by the board. Schare See CONTRACTS, page A2
Family festival, fireworks featured for Fourth of July By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Alaina Kidder, 5, squints as she is sprayed at the new splash pad at Worthington Pools. The splash pad is a new addition to the pool this year and has been a big hit.
‘Lagoon’ a hit with area youth By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
When his small body activated the sensors, all of the sprays and fountains opened up, momentarily startling 20-month-old Emmitt Bradley. That moment ended quickly, as the curious toddler and his 4-year-old twin siblings ran through the splash pad, experimenting with all of the toys and gadgets.
The splash pad, officially called the Lagoon, is the newest addition to the Worthington Pools. Located on the southeast corner of the swim complex, it features sprays, fountains, buckets and two large squirt guns on a slip-proof pad. The pad is popular with toddlers to teenagers, attracting different crowds throughout the day, said lifeguard Phil Mueller as he watched the Bradley chil-
dren play in the water on Monday afternoon. Andrea Bradley said she likes the splash pad because it is easier to keep track of her three children on the small pad as opposed to in the larger pools, which sometimes become crowded. “It’s a nice addition,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a little chaotic over there, and it is nice to be able to come over here.” cbrooks@thisweeknews.com
The annual Worthington Family Picnic followed by fireworks at Thomas Worthington High School will be the highlight of a weekend of Independence Day festivities in Worthington. Live entertainment, food hot off the grill and fun and games for all ages will be available at the festival, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Dublin Worthington. Everyone is invited to bring chairs or blankets for a picnic beginning at 4 p.m. on the lawn of the high school. The Rotary club will sell food. Entertainment will be provided by Death by Banjo, Big Al and his Capital City Players, Shazzbots, Super Games, and animals from the Columbus Zoo. There will also be a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Worthington high school students and a salute to the anniversary of the Civil War. The city fireworks begin at 10 p.m. at the high school. Worthington Hills and Colonial Hills subdivisions will also
A closer look There will also be a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Worthington high school students and a salute to the anniversary of the Civil War.
have their traditional Independence Day observances. In Worthington Hills, the Firecracker Trot will begin at 6 p.m. on July 1; a fun festival will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on July 2 at Worthington Hills Elementary School; softball games will be played at the school on July 3, 2 p.m. for kids, 4 p.m. for adults; and the parade will begin at noon on July 4 with fireworks at dusk at the Worthington Hills County Club. The theme of this year’s parade is “Deck the Halls: It’s Christmas in July.” Colonial Hills activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. in July 4 with a 5K run through the hills. The kiddie parade will begin at 10 a.m., followed by games and food at Selby Park throughout the day.
First changes to mall include new entryways By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The fluted pillars and 1980s-style gazebo at the main entry to the Shops of Worthington Place will be removed, replaced by a brick entryway with benches and a fire pit. The south entry will be replaced as well, and Talbots will move into the southernmost tenant space, with its own exterior doors. The north entryway will also get some attention, with outdoor and indoor play areas added near the site of the former Gap store. And though the eyesore created where stores were torn down at the north end of the mall will not be finished until next year, a mural will go up to hide the area while construction occurs. Those are a few of the improvements to Worthington Place (the new name of Worthington Square) approved by the Worthington Architectural Review Board at its June 23 meeting. Work on the interior of the mall is to begin immediately and the changes considered at the meeting are also high on the list of projects to be done soon, as the mall is transformed from its fading
An architectural rendering of the new main entrance to the shopping mall.
1980s look into what new owner Tom Carter says will be a bright and inviting area where families can shop, play, and dine. The ARB will approve changes in phases and each new tenant will be able to create its own look. That, the board
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understands, is the trend in retailing. “It is the look of the future, it is the look of today,” said ARB chairman Richard Hunter. Though no new tenants for the mall have been announced, Carter said Talbots women’s stores would move into
the site once occupied by Talbots men’s store. Its presence on the south side of the mall will include black awnings and a separate doorway. Besides the south entryway, there will be a new entry on the east side, next to FirstWatch.
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The gazebo entrance will be removed, replaced with a brick outdoor area flanked by restaurants with outdoor seating. New pavers will be designed around a fire pit in the middle. Both FirstWatch and a yet-to-benamed restaurant on the other side will feature matching curved windows. “I like the entrances, I like the excitement they seem to bring,” said ARB member James Sauer. The board also approved murals to hide the empty area between the existing mall and Kroger, and perhaps elsewhere on the site. Construction signs that will emphasize that the current shops will remain open were also approved. The board also looked at a proposed new sign, but wanted more details before granting approval. Site work was also approved. The main vehicular entrance from Wilson Bridge Road will extend to Old Wilson Bridge Road, creating a smoother transition. New monument signs at the entrances and poles with permanent banners were approved. cbrooks@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNews.com
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