Southeast Messenger - December 15th, 2019

More documents

Recommendations

Info

PAGE 6 - SOUTHEAST MESSENGER - December 15, 2019 www.columbusmessenger.com Going for four: Cruiser wrestlers seek another title By Rick Palsgrove Southeast Editor The Groveport Madison Cruiser varsity wrestling team has begun its quest to win its fourth straight Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division championship. “Winning an OCC Capital Division title is definitely a goal for us again this season,” Brian Brison. “We know we have a lot of hard work ahead of us to reach that goal. Big Walnut, among other teams in the league, looks to be tough.” Brison said the team focuses on “the little things that lead up to the bigger things.” “We focus on getting better at a specific move,” said Brison. “We talk about how a move needs to be executed to beat great competition. We talk about how to get better in a variety of situations. We talk about how to improve on our weaknesses and to make our strengths even more special. If we do all of the little things right, when it’s all said and done, we will be where we want to be.” This year’s Cruiser wrestling team is loaded with talent. “It is difficult to name two or three guys who are my top guys,” said Brison. “Jake Nelson is a two-time district placer and will be returning at 220 pounds. A.J. Joyce is also a two-time district qualifier and will be moving down a weight class to 195 this year. Muhamad Conteh and Jason Pinkston are also returning district qualifiers. I really like a lot of the talent on our team and I am excited to see a lot of improvements from last year. It is really difficult not to list off 10 guys.” Brison said one of the team’s many strengths is the high character individuals on the team who work hard every day to improve. “When looking at a potential starting line-up we may have nine starters who did not wrestle before high school,” said Brison. “Their ability to come in with an open mind, be coachable, and constantly work to improve, has been key to their development.” Leadership is another strength of the team. “I really like the leadership on my team,” said Brison. “Muhamad Conteh, Skyler Mouser, and A.J. Joyce are doing a great job in setting the tone for this team. They take their job as captains seriously and are always talking guys up and demonstrating how you need to work in practice. I look for all of these guys to have outstanding seasons.” Regarding the strengths of the Cruisers’ opponents in the OCC Capital Division this year, Brison said it’s difficult to predict who is the team to beat. “New Albany and Newark lost a lot of good wrestlers from last year,” said Brison. “Big Walnut has some really good wrestlers returning and should be tough Canal Winchester has had really strong junior high teams in recent years and might be able to put together a really strong team.” In addition to several dual meets on this year’s schedule, the Cruisers will also participate in several multi-team invitationals. “I’m thinking that the Canal Winchester Invitational will be pretty tough as many teams will be looking for a tournament at that point in the season,” said Brison. “Historically, the Miami Trace and the West Jefferson Invitationals have been very challenging with a lot of state qualifiers and state placers participating.” Brison said wrestling in tournaments is important because wrestlers need to get used to wrestling multiple matches in a day because that is what they will be doing in the post season. “They need to learn what it means to progress through pools or brackets and how certain losses can affect their day,” said Brison. “Invitationals also provide us with an opportunity to gain a lot of experience. With a lot of guys not wrestling before high school, that mat time is crucial to their development.” When asked if there are plans for the Cruisers to host their own invitational, Brison said, “We hosted one last year in January and will host one again this season on Jan. 4. It looks to be a solid tournament with Mount Vernon, River Valley, Teays Valley, Mifflin, Columbus Academy, Hamilton Township, and Whitehall in attendance.” The Cruiser wrestling program has a long and storied tradition of success dating back to the 1960s. “It’s great to win in a place that is passionate about your sport,” said Brison. “Last season we wrestled New Albany in what was essentially a league championship match. The home side was nearly packed and it was so loud and intense that I could hardly hear anything at all. Coaching in that kind of environment is an unbelievable experience. I am proud of all of the teams I’ve coached at Groveport and I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to add to our wrestling tradition.” The 2019-20 Groveport Madison Cruiser varsity wrestling schedule: Dec. 7, at Granville Invitational; Dec. 14, at Logan Invitational; Dec. 19, at Teays Valley; Dec. 27, at West Jefferson Invitational; Jan. 4, Groveport Madison Invitational; Jan. 9, at Canal Winchester; Jan. 16, Franklin Heights; Jan. 18, at Heath Invitational; Jan. 23, Big Walnut; Jan. 25, at McDonald’s/Miami Trace Invitational; Jan. 30, at New Albany; Feb. 13, Newark; Feb. 15, at Canal Winchester Invitational. Last Minute Shopping Spree at the Paddock Pub and Links of Groveport Sunday, December 22, 2019 - 1:00 - 4:00 pm FREE Admission Help support over 20 local craft and direct sales vendors and do a little holiday shopping while you are here! Jewelry, Soy Candles, Color Street, Fiber and Fabrics, Pampered Chef, Holiday Décor, Paparazzi, Glass Ornaments, LuLaRoe, Bird Houses, Tastefully Simple, Bath Bombs, and much more! For Every $100 in gift cards purchased we will automatically add a $25 bonus card to your order! Cards may be purchased onlinepaddockpub.instagift.com, over the phone at 614-610-9688, or at the restaurant. Now through December 30, 2019 NOW SERVING SUNDAY BRUNCH Every Sunday 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
www.columbusmessenger.com More jobs, sports tourism drive Obetz park expansions One of the most popular event venues is Fortress Obetz, a 63-acre multi-purpose sports complex that holds upwards of 6,500 people. By Ris Twigg Staff Writer Sports tourism and job growth drive the village of Obetz’s revenue streams, according to village officials. They’re also two big reasons why the town of just over 5,000 residents is aggressively growing its park system. As the rate of employment goes up, so do the number of people who spend time in Obetz – and those people have told village officials they want things to do while they’re in town, said Rod Davisson, economic development director of Obetz. “It’s a really young town with mostly families and young kids,” Davisson said. “The millennials are much more interested in recreation and walkability and those kind of things.” Families aren’t the only ones on the receiving end of Obetz’s increase in parks. Obetz’s sports facilities get about 500,000 visitors annually for a variety of common sports and “alternative” events, such as World Dog Frisbee championships, band competitions and the village’s annual ZucchiniFest. Officials expect that number to eclipse one million in the next few years, and Davisson said it’s already getting harder to make sure they host the “eclectic” events that they want. Obetz has 13 public parks with a mix of disc golf, sports complexes, playing fields, an ice rink and trails totaling more than 400 acres. One of its most popular event venues is Fortress Obetz, a 63-acre multipurpose sports complex which holds upwards of 6,500 people. As Obetz has grown, more and more organizations want to rent out the space due to its affordability and location. But demand for the space is beginning to outpace itself. “The challenge we’re getting into now is we don’t have time. We only have one to two weekends available at Fortress Obetz for the whole year,” Davisson said. In an effort to increase capacity for hosting events, more park land will be annexed into the town this spring, alongside additional land slated for retail development, Obetz Village Council announced during a November meeting. “Four hundred-fifteen acres is pretty “It’s a really young town with mostly families and young kids. The millennials are much more interested in recreation and walkability and those kind of things.” - Rod Davisson Obetz development director aggressive for a town of this size. We move at a speed the other folks can’t keep up with,” Davisson said. “That requires you to cut out some of the stupidity of government. Doesn’t make us loose, or the subject of corruption. Our audits are perfect.” To determine and prioritize what projects to implement in its continuous 5-year plan, council holds a public meeting in the first two months of the year where residents can provide their input on what improvements they wish to see in Obetz. “Everything here is pretty low key. We’ll just whip out a whiteboard (during the council meeting) and ask, ‘What do you want?’” Davisson said. “It’s really a brainstorming session for the whole community.” Davisson hopes to send out a survey on social media for residents who are unable to make it to the meeting this year, something that hasn’t been done in the past. The current list of park-related priorities – mostly consisting of items from 2017 – racks up a bill totaling more than $21 December 15, 2019 - SOUTHEAST MESSENGER - PAGE 7 million and includes everything from street paving and beautification projects to remodeling existing community spaces as well as building new ones. Some wish list items from residents include places to swim, weight rooms, party venues and updated playground equipment. The village hopes to soon replace some of its current playgrounds with blends of newer, more naturally-landscaped and traditional equipment and has already added weight rooms and party venues to accommodate increased demand for those amenities. One new park will have testing equipment for track-and-field sports, such as sprinting and high jump, where runners can test how fast they can run or how high they can jump. Another park will consist entirely of swing sets. In the two years since the community’s “wish list” was formalized, about $6.2 million in beautification, facility upgrades and land acquisitions have already taken place, according to Davisson. “Sometimes we have to say, ‘Be patient, we’ll get there,’” he said, referring to the approximately $15 million in annual revenue generated from the town’s income taxes. “You can’t spend $20 million on cool stuff if you don’t pay attention to how many companies are here.” What’ s on your WI WISH LIST? HOLIDAY HELPER ER LOAN $1,200 ,200 for 12 Months Fixed interest rate as low as 6.99% with a 14.43% APR. * Get prepared for next year with a Holiday Club Account! Bring in this ad for a free gift with a new Holiday Helper Loan or Holiday Club Account! APPLY TODAY (614) 836-0100 100 Main Street, Groveport 7610 E. Main Street, Reynoldsburg ** www.firstcu.com Open to everyone in Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware, Licking, Pickaway, Madison, Morrow, and Union counties. $5 Share Savings Account required for membership. All loans on approved credit. *Interest rate as low as 6.99% with a 14.43% APR based on a $1,200 loan for 12 months with a $49 loan processing fee. Rates may vary according to credit qualifications. No other discounts apply. Offer does not apply to loans already financed at First Service. This offer may be changed or withdrawn at any time. $49 processing fee applies only to this Holiday Helper Loan promotion and ends on 12/24/19. **To increase your savings, withdrawals are not allowed from the Holiday Club Account during the year. Gift quantities are limited. While supplies last. Federally insured by NCUA.
Page 1 and 2: southeast Dec. 15, 2019 - Jan. 11,
Page 3 and 4: www.columbusmessenger.com Groveport
Page 5: www.columbusmessenger.com December
Page 9 and 10: www.columbusmessenger.com December
Page 11 and 12: www.columbusmessenger.com December
Page 13 and 14: www.columbusmessenger.com column De
Page 15 and 16: www.columbusmessenger.com xAdult Ca

Southeast Messenger - December 15th, 2019

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?