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From the 12/7/06 Dispatch: Smoking ban in effect, but penalties in limbo Businesses prepare to follow state law Thursday, December 07, 2006 Mark Ferenchik , James Nash and Paul Wilson THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH She’s not happy about it, but Kay Crane cleared the ashtrays from her tables and posted no-smoking signs at her Franklin Township restaurant yesterday. The statewide smoking ban kicks in today, and Crane is complying, although her customers would prefer to light up as they dig into their biscuits and gravy or bacon and eggs. "This is what our patrons want, somewhere to smoke," said Crane, who owns the Breakfast Barn at 1275 Brown Rd. Read more: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [/i] http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/07/20061207-A1-03.html From the 12/7/06 Toledo Blade: OHIO BAN GOES INTO EFFECT TODAY Some area bar owners pledge to ignore new state no-smoking rules By JENNI LAIDMAN BLADE STAFF WRITER In a smoke-choked room, jammed with bar owners, employees, and their supporters, attorney Joe Loeffler gave his advice for compliance with the new state smoking ban that goes into effect today. Light 'em up. "No! Do not put signs up!" Mr. Loeffler told the more than 120 people standing and sitting and squeezing through the door to a side room at Delaney's Lounge on Alexis Road. Read more: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061207/NEWS02/612070369/-1/NEWS From the 12/7/06 DDN: Puffers have to leave as smoking ban arrives By Anthony Gottschlich Staff Writer Thursday, December 07, 2006 So long, smoky bars and smoking sections. Your time has passed like a spent cigarette under a smoker's shoe. For the most part you're no longer legal in Ohio. Ohio's tough new Smoke-Free law, approved as Issue 5 by voters Nov. 7, goes into effect today. IT BANS: Smoking in most indoor public places and workplaces, including bars, restaurants and bowling alleys, traditional havens for tobacco enthusiasts. ALSO SMOKELESS: Some truckers, taxi drivers and others who make a living behind the wheel. Read more: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/07/ddn120706smokinglaw.html From same: In the lodges and clubs, uncertainty about the cloud of smoking ban Many burned by the measure they backed because they believed it would not apply to their groups. By Terry Morris Staff Writer Thursday, December 07, 2006 DAYTON — Some members of fraternal organizations supported Ohio's Issue 5 in the November election thinking it wouldn't have any effect on them. "Most of us thought it wouldn't affect us because we're a private non-profit organization," said Robert Taylor, second vice commander of American Legion Post 2000 on Burkhardt Road in Riverside. "We actually thought our business would pick up when our members couldn't smoke at the base officer's club or other bars. Now it looks like that won't be true." Read more: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/07/ddn120706fraternal.html From the 12/7/06 ABJ: Smoking ban takes effect across Ohio Enclosed public spaces are cigarette-free zones By Tracy Wheeler Beacon Journal medical writer Attention, smokers: As of today, no smoking is allowed in restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, bingo halls and workplaces (including company vehicles, parking garages and warehouses). Essentially, any enclosed public space is now off-limits to smoking. So, what better time to quit? Read more: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/state/16183944.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

I don't know about what time you're allowed to see it. There's no admission or anything--you can basically just walk up and look at it. Sometimes they do carriage rides in the evening, but they only take you around one block. I don't know how late into the night that they leave it lit, and I don't know if they'd ask you to leave if you went at, say, midnight. Yes, that church is Trinity Lutheran. Interestingly, both of those houses that burned down were owned by that church. Meth lab...LOL. I was trying to figure out if it was an explosion or not. My thinking is that it had to be demolished after the fire and that was the result. If there had been an explosion I would have either heard it or heard about it. And everything was pretty well contained to that one particular area. I would think an explosion would leave some kind of evidence somewhere in the surrounding properties. Though they were rental houses, so it could have been a meth lab....

These first ones were taken at the Paul R. Young Funeral Home in Mt. Healthy on December 16, 2006. The funeral home has this nativity scene every year. The figures are made of wax. Click the link to read about the history of this display. http://www.paulyoungfuneralhome.com/index2.php Currently my desktop. My five-year-old nephew commanded me to take a photo of straw. So here it is. Joseph is dark-complected. Mary is lily-white. Baby Jesus seems to have suffered some sort of head trauma. Next are a few random photos of a fire site. These were taken in Mt. Healthy on November 25, 2006. The location is the corner of Kinney and Perry, by the post office. These are the remains of two houses. Sorry 'bout the blur. Yikes. Merry Christmas from grasscat!

From the 12/19/06 Blade: Summit Street ramp from I-280 to be closed The Summit Street exit from northbound I-280 will close this morning for about two days while pre-cast segments are installed on the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway overhead, the Ohio Department of Transportation announced. From 7 a.m. until tomorrow “in the late evening” at the soonest, the ramp will be closed and traffic detoured to the Manhattan Boulevard interchange, state officials said. The Summit ramp’s reopening will depend on weather conditions suitable for the construction work, ODOT said. http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061219/NEWS11/61219009/-1/NEWS

From the 12/11/06 Blade: Summit ramp to join Manhattan in I-280 closure Alexis Road, Front Street could see more detoured traffic By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER Some motorists bound for downtown Toledo could find themselves taking an unplanned excursion to Alexis Road during the early part of this week when consecutive exit ramps on northbound I-280 are closed. The Ohio Department of Transportation closed the Manhattan Boulevard exit from northbound I-280 on Wednesday for one week while a contractor installs panels for a noise wall along the ramp. But the Manhattan interchange has been the posted detour route when the northbound exit at Summit is closed for overhead cable work on the Veterans' Glass City Skyway. With installation of the $220 million bridge's penultimate stay cable likely to occur early this week, that will close Summit and Manhattan at the same time. The Greenbelt Parkway exit in between them, closed in 2003 for the new bridge's construction, won't reopen until the bridge opens. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061211/NEWS11/612110322/-1/NEWS

From the 12/15/06 Fostoria Review Times: TK decision set for next week By RUSS ZIMMER staff writer Whether 391 employees at the ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft plant will be joined by 50 new colleagues or be out of a job will be announced early next week. Word had been expected as late as today, according to previous statements by Mayor John Davoli... http://www.reviewtimes.com/News/backissues/2006/Dec/ar_news_121506.asp#story2

From the 12/11/06 Fostoria Review Times: Fostoria awaits TK decision By RUSS ZIMMER staff writer ThyssenKrupp officials are expected to decide this week whether it will locate its consolidated crankshaft machining operations in Fostoria or Danville, Ill. City officials are awaiting word after hand-delivering their incentive proposal to the company's corporate headquarters in Danville last wee... http://www.reviewtimes.com/News/backissues/2006/Dec/ar_news_121106.asp#story2

From the 12/7/06 Fostoria Review Times: Word on TK plant coming next week By RUSS ZIMMER staff writer The president of ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft told a Fostoria contingent to expect word from the company by the end of next week, Mayor John Davoli said this morning. During a meeting Wednesday with the head of the manufacturer which recently announced what will either be a celebrated boon or devastating blow to Fostoria, Davoli said he sang the city's praises... http://www.reviewtimes.com/News/backissues/2006/Dec/ar_news_120706.asp#story5

From the 12/5/06 Fostoria Review Times: Fostoria stands ready to sacrifice By RUSS ZIMMER staff writer Community officials knew sacrifices would be necessary to keep ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft and its 400 jobs from leaving Fostoria and Monday revealed how far those leaders are willing to go. The first formal steps were taken by Fostoria Community Schools and will likely be followed by Fostoria City Council tonight. A resolution will be presented to Fostoria City Council tonight with provisions for real estate and municipal income tax abatements... http://www.reviewtimes.com/News/backissues/2006/Dec/ar_news_120506.asp#story2

From the 11/28/06 Fostoria Review Times: Fostoria, Danville: A tale of two cities By RUSS ZIMMER staff writer Fostoria could be twins with the Illinois city it has been pitted against by an integral manufacturer. ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft Company announced plans last week to consolidate its machining operations, and then to proceed with a $40 million expansion, in Fostoria or Danville, Ill... http://www.reviewtimes.com/News/backissues/2006/Nov/ar_news_112806.asp#story3

From the 11/28/06 Lorain Morning Journal: Waterfront development sparks calls for caution By RICHARD PAYERCHIN, Sandusky Bureau Chief 11/28/2006 SANDUSKY -- Redeveloping Sandusky's waterfront City Hall site drew praise and calls for caution from city residents at the Sandusky City Commission meeting last night. The issue prompted one of the longest commission presentations in recent memory as the commissioners spent 90 minutes reviewing aspects of the mixed-use development proposed by Sandusky Waterfront Complex LLC, a developer formed by people from CEG Development and Meacham & Apel Architects. Earlier this month, designer John Eymann and CEG's Gregory E. Hanner presented plans for a development of a path along the water, up to 300 condominiums, commercial space, a 150- to 180-room hotel, a conference center and a multiuse arena. http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17519685&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6

From the 11/28/06 (UA) Buchtelite: National museum hopes to draw students by Vincent Dorsey Buchtelite News Reporter Staff [email protected] Every invention has its own unique story. Those stories are told in the hands-on exhibits and displays at the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron. The stories combine to create a history of invention over the past 200 years. ... http://www.buchtelite.com/2006/1128/news_05.shtml

From the 12/19/06 Dispatch: FINAL ACTION TODAY Bill would give more kids option of vouchers Tuesday, December 19, 2006 Jim Siegel THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Students in more than twice as many school buildings would be eligible for state-funded vouchers under a last-minute expansion that’s expected to pass the House and Senate today. Although the number of available voucher slots are expected to remain at 14,000 next school year, Republican lawmakers are loosening the restrictions on what type of building qualifies for the program, which provides $4,250 for students up to the eighth grade and $5,900 for high-school students to attend private school. Currently, students attending buildings that have been in "academic watch" or "academic emergency," the equivalent of a D or an F, for three straight years are eligible. The bill, which passed a joint conference committee late yesterday on a partyline vote, changes that standard to two of the past three years. If in effect next year, vouchers should be available to 236 school buildings, compared with 99 this year. It opens the program to buildings in 15 additional districts, including one building in South-Western and two in Groveport Madison. Under the new formula, students in 71 Columbus Public Schools buildings would be eligible for vouchers, compared with 29 under the current rules. This, for the first time, would include two high schools: South and East. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/19/20061219-D1-04.html

From the 12/13/06 PD: State Education Board wants say in school-funding reform Wednesday, December 13, 2006 Scott Stephens Plain Dealer Reporter Columbus - The State Board of Education wants a voice in the growing chorus calling for a change in the way Ohio pays for public education. A board committee Tuesday tweaked a plan that aims to be a road map to getting the beleaguered funding system changed. The draft document has been discussed and debated at a series of public hearings, and a final document will be given to the whole board next month. "Our work is to provide a framework on which to analyze actual school funding proposals," said Jennifer Stewart of Zanesville, a member of the board committee. The report calls for school-based budgeting to ensure that money gets to the buildings that need it most. It also says the state should align financial decisions with "best practices" - educational initiatives that have proved effective. The report also calls for the state to more aggressively "weight" funding so the children who are hardest to educate get the most money. MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1166003087125610.xml&coll=2

From the 12/7/06 Youngstown Vindicator: Coalition to end charter lawsuit YOUNGSTOWN — The Coalition for Public Education, a long-time critic of the way charter schools operate in Ohio, plans to end its lawsuit challenging Ohio's charter school program. The coalition, a statewide alliance of education, parent and civic organizations, said it will shift its focus to pushing for legislative and regulatory solutions to what it sees as serious problems with the system. The organization said it will support recently introduced legislation that would increase the academic and fiscal accountability for charter schools. On Oct. 25, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the state's charter school program was constitutional, but another lawsuit filed by the coalition over charter school issues remains pending in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. The coalition has challenged the policy of allowing private groups to grant charters to other private groups, charters with unlimited terms and the growing dominance of for-profit chains operating charter schools. Ohio is on schedule to pay $500 million this year to the operators of 300 charter schools and half of those schools earned failing marks on the 2005-06 state report cards, the coalition said. MORE: http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/309946790399081.php

From the 12/6/06 Dispatch: NEW STATEHOUSE GAME PLAN Group alters tactics in fight over charters Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Catherine Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A coalition of public-school supporters believes it has a better shot in the Statehouse than the courthouse at making charter schools more accountable. The group of parents, teachers unions and education organizations announced yesterday that it will drop its remaining litigation challenging the state’s charter-school program. Instead, the coalition will focus its efforts on pushing state lawmakers to approve legislation aimed at improving academic and fiscal performance at the privately operated, tax-funded schools. The announcement came about six weeks after the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of charter schools. Some issues, however, remained pending before a lower court. The most notable questions whether for-profit companies should be allowed to run charter schools. Mark Hatch, director of public policy and public affairs for the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, said he and other coalition members think the new administration and legislature "offer more hope for positive change." Gov.-elect Ted Strickland has pledged to "fix" Ohio’s funding system for public education and has called for more accountability for charter schools. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/06/20061206-B4-01.html

From the 12/3/06 Blade: Strickland vows fix in school funding Governor-elect says he’ll build consensus By JOSHUA BOAK BLADE STAFF WRITER COLUMBUS — Ohio Governor-elect Ted Strickland told the state’s largest teacher union yesterday that he would rebuild public school financing, without explaining what that new edifice would look like. “All of us are committed to one great goal, and that is to have a system of education in the great state of Ohio that rivals any system in the country that is constitutionally funded,” Mr. Strickland told the more than 1,000 cheering teacher union representatives. “There is so much work to be done, but the opportunity is great,” said the governor-elect, who staked the success of his administration on giving all students equal access to a “high quality” education. In an interview after his speech to the Ohio Education Association, Mr. Strickland said his plan would grow out of a consensus from teachers, parents, businessmen, and the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Mr. Strickland did not rule out increasing state taxes nor place a timetable on reforms the Ohio Supreme Court requested nine years ago. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061203/NEWS24/61203002/-1/NEWS

From the 11/29/06 Blade: Charter schools get attendance warning 11, including 2 here, told to fix records By IGNAZIO MESSINA BLADE STAFF WRITER Eleven Ohio charter schools, including Aurora Academy in East Toledo and a Maumee-based online school, have been warned by the state to accurately record student attendance or risk losing some public funding. The 11 schools, nine of which are online schools where students work on computers at home, have been ordered by the Ohio Department of Education to explain why they reported 100 percent attendance for the 2005-06 school year while also reporting students removed or withdrawn for chronic truancy. Each school must file a corrective plan to deal with the reporting problems by the close of the business day Jan. 10 or face a reduction in state funding. "We are very concerned about this," said J.C. Benton, a spokesman for the state Department of Education. "It didn't make sense to have 100 percent attendance if you have students withdrawing for truancy." The department started the investigation after some of the schools told the state they had not counted students expelled for chronic truancy, which means a student was absent for at least 21 days. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061129/NEWS04/611290385/-1/NEWS

From the 11/27/06 Ravenna Record-Courier: School funding may be on ballot Equity & Adequacy of School Funding group eyes amendment for '07 November 27, 2006 By Deborah Guziak Record-Courier staff writer An amendment to the Ohio Constitution that will force the state to correct school funding is expected to be on the November 2007 ballot. "The only thing to do is to get a constitutional amendment to stipulate what has to be done to fix it," said William Phillis, executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding. "We"re working with 10 other school organizations putting the finishing touches on the amendment. We"re going to start circulating petitions in January." Many members of the 2005 Mayors" Roundtable also have joined the battle to get equal and adequate school funding and education for the children of the state. It was the coalition that filed the DeRolph case in December 1991. The lawsuit requested the state create equal and adequate education for every child in every school system throughout the state. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of the coalition four times: On March 24, 1997; May 11, 2000; Sept. 6, 2001; and Dec. 11, 2002, Phillis said. MORE: http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/390862

From the 11/26/06 Portsmouth Daily Times: Research center audits charter schools By FRANK LEWIS PDT Staff Writer Saturday, November 25, 2006 11:37 PM EST Although the Ohio Supreme Court has upheld the state's charter school system, that does not change the need for the schools to be more accountable to the public, according to a new report by an educational research center, Ohio Collaborative. According to the report, the state of Ohio funds 294 public charter schools, of which 115 are sponsored by private entities. The remaining 179 charter schools are sponsored by public entities such as public school districts. “There are some school systems that are probably hard to hold accountable,” said Dennis DeCamp, director of operations at Sciotoville Community School. DeCamp said the accountability issue is nonexistent in the only charter school in Scioto County. “I just finished an 80-plus page document that shows accountability for everything we do,” he said. “There are 84 items in that report, everything from our financial audit by the state auditor, our respective insurance coverage from liability to bonding, our fire and health insurance reports, to our plans.” MORE: http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/articles/2006/11/26/news/local_news/1news_charters.txt

From Columbus Dispatch, 3/3/06 Decision on fate of land now in hands of Gahanna Gahanna must decide whether to pay up to $630,000 to add land to Gahanna Woods Park or let a developer buy it. The 4.6 acres at 5979 and 5987 Havens Corners Rd. are bordered on three sides by the 100-acre Gahanna Woods Park. About 50 acres of that is designated as a state nature preserve. Developer Jeff Block has offered $630,000 for the land, Gahanna Mayor Becky Stinchcomb said. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/03/20060303-D4-04.html

Plans have changed for Southwood renovation ThisWeek German Village, 3/2/06 A year ago, architects were talking about how they would renovate Southwood Elementary School, including the 1960s annex, and add a new gym or cafeteria.

Casto plans retail complex at Polaris and Africa Road ThisWeek Westerville, 3/2/06 Plans for a major retail development, a sports medicine and orthopedic center and a veterinary clinic with an "upscale" animal spa all got the go-ahead last week from the Westerville Planning Commission.

FCC plans 3rd phase of north campus ThisWeek Grandview, 3/2/06 First Community Church is in the process of planning for the third phase of the development of its 20-acre north campus on Dublin Road, west of the Scioto River.

26,000-square-foot shopping center proposed off Sawmill Parkway Dublin Villager, 3/2/06 Powell City Council last week approved a resolution outlining municipal services to be furnished to a 9.4-acre site that is pending annexation to the city.