Southeast Messenger - May 20th 2018

PAGE 8 - SOUTHEAST MESSENGER - May 20, 2018
Groveport Madison to remain in OCC, for now
Proposed new league needs
at least eight schools
By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
Groveport Madison’s efforts to withdraw
from the Ohio Capital Conference and form
a new athletic league have stalled for now.
“Groveport Madison is still interested in
creating a new athletic league,” said
Groveport Madison High School Athletic
Director Steve Petros. “I have gotten a lot
of positive feedback from coaches and community
members about the idea, but the
league formation that we were pursuing
will not happen.”
Eight to 10 schools, primarily located
south and east of I-270, had been in discussions
to possibly form the new league.
Petros said the schools in talks about a new
league have geographic, demographic and
socio-economic similarities. He said eight
schools are needed to form a new league.
“The difficulty for forming the league we
have been talking about was that we had
four schools that were solidly ready to do
it,” said Petros. “A couple schools in another
league felt they owed their league a little
time to correct the problems they were having.
In the end, we also had a couple OCC
schools decide not to jump because one of
the schools they wanted to be in with withdrew.”
However, the process is not completely
dead and change might still come in the
future.
“The positive is that we believe we have
four schools wanting to continue talks and
see what our next steps will be,” said
Petros.
Petros said the proposed new league
would have provided stability, an equal
voice, competitiveness, local rivalries, and
easier transportation.
Groveport Madison would have had to
notify the OCC by June 30 of its intentions
to leave that conference if the new league
had formed. The earliest the new league
could have started if it had formed would
have been the fall of 2020.
When asked what the reaction of the
OCC has been to Groveport Madison’s
efforts to leave the conference to form a
new league, Petros said, “The only reactions
I’ve gotten are from fellow athletic
directors in the OCC who thought the
group of schools that we wanted to form a
league with made a lot of sense from a lot
of standpoints including competitiveness
and travel.”
Petros has stated that Groveport
Madison’s interest in leaving the OCC and
joining a newly formed league is because of
“The positive is that we believe
we have four schools wanting to
continue talks and see what our
next steps will be.”
- Steve Petros,
athletic director
Groveport Madison
the constant realigning of the OCC. He
also said one of Groveport Madison’s goals
is to get more competitive athletically on a
consistent basis in all sports.
“We believe the OCC is a great conference,”
said Petros earlier this year.
“However, on the issue of realignment, single
high school districts don’t have the
same say as multi-high school districts.
Alignment is the most important decision
we make as a conference. Districts with
multiple high schools have more votes
when it comes to the OCC’s divisional
alignments, which occur frequently. Single
high school districts like ours have little
say in the most important vote we take. If
districts vote as a block, then two superintendents
control 25 percent of the league
and five superintendents control 50 percent.”
The Ohio Capital Conference recently
realigned its divisions again effective in
2020-21. The five realigned divisions will
be:
•Central Crossing, Groveport,
Lancaster, Newark, Pickerington Central,
Reynoldsburg;
•Gahanna, Grove City, New Albany,
Pickerington North, Westerville Central,
Westland;
•Big Walnut, Canal Winchester,
Delaware, Dublin Scioto, Franklin
Heights, Westerville North, Westerville
South, Worthington Kilbourne;
•Dublin Coffman, Hilliard Bradley,
Hilliard Davidson, Olentangy Orange,
Olentangy Liberty, Upper Arlington;
•Dublin Jerome, Hilliard Darby,
Olentangy, Olentangy Berlin, Marysville,
Thomas Worthington.
Petros said Groveport Madison is disappointed
that the new alignment separates
the Cruisers from natural rival Canal
Winchester. He has stated that Groveport
Madison will try to schedule non-conference
games with Canal Winchester.
The OCC began with eight teams in
1968 and has since grown to 32 teams
located throughout central Ohio.
In its more than a century of athletic
competition, the Groveport Madison
Cruisers have competed in three leagues:
the Franklin County League from the early
1900s to the 1957-58 season; the Mid-Eight
League from 1958-59 to 1973-74; and the
OCC from 1974-75 to the present.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Deadlines: Southeast and West editions, Wednesdays at 5 p.m., • East, Southwest, Madison editions, Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
All editions by phone, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. • Service Directory, Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
xPublic Notices
SPECIAL NOTICE: The Groveport Madison Local Schools have received notice of their
receipt of Federal flow through IDEA-PART B of the Education for the Handicapped Act.
The maximum entitlement for the school district this year is equal to the number of
resident handicapped children ages 3 through 21 who were provided full and appropriate
special education programs by the Groveport Madison Local Schools based on
the December 1, 2017 child count.
Suggestions regarding the expenditure of these funds may be directed to Mitzi Boyd,
Director of Special Education, 4400 Marketing Place., Suite B, Groveport, Ohio 43125 or
by calling 614/492-2520. The first priority for expenditure of these funds must be to
provide direct services to Handicapped Children.
SEARCH FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN UNDER WAY
School districts across the State of Ohio are participating in an effort to identify, locate,
and evaluate all handicapped children between the ages of 3 and 21. A handicap is
defined as a condition such as hearing impairment, visual impairment, speech or language
impairment, learning disability, behavioral, multiple, or severe handicaps; mental
retardation, autism, and other health impairments.
Many handicapped children are not visible because they do not function in the mainstream
of the community. Also, many unidentified handicapped children are
preschoolers. Parents may not be aware of programs and services available. If you
know of a handicapped child, please write to Mitzi Boyd at Groveport Madison Local
Schools at 4400 Marketing Place., Suite B, Groveport, Ohio 43125 or call 492-2520.
PLANNING AND
ZONING COMMISSION
***NOTICE OF MEETING***
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018 6:00 P.M.
GROVEPORT MUNICIPAL BUILDING
COUNCIL CHAMBERS—2ND FLOOR
#2018-03 A request by Fed One Properties XVII, LLC for
a Rezoning from Rural to Planned Industrial Park at 5770
Saltzgaber Road, Parcel #185-002541(tabled from the
May 7, 2018 meeting).
#2018-04 A request by Fed One Properties XVII, LLC for
a Rezoning from Rural to Select Commercial Planned
District at 5770 Saltzgaber Road, Parcel #185-002541
(tabled from the May 7, 2018 meeting).
#2018-05 A request by Fed One Properties XVII, LLC for
a Final Plat at 5770 Saltzgaber Road, Parcel
#185-002541 (tabled from the May 7, 2018 meeting).
The public is invited to attend and participate.
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PUBLIC
NOTICE
The City of Groveport will be holding a Public
Meeting to discuss the Bixford Green
Pedestrian/Bike Trail, on Thursday, May 24,
2018 at 6:00 p.m.
The meeting will be held at the City of Groveport
Municipal Building, Council Chambers, 655
Blacklick Street, Groveport, Ohio, 43125.
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