Madison Messenger - March 21st, 2021

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PAGE 2 - MADISON MESSENGER - March 21, 2021 www.madisonmessengernews.com Moving forward on Lilly Chapel Road project By Josephine Birdsell Staff Writer Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator SCHEDULE YOUR FREE IN-HOME ASSESSMENT TODAY! 844-334-8353 FREE 7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value! Offer valid August 24, 2020 - December 31, 2020 Special Financing Available Subject to Credit Approval James Peart, Agent 187 W. High Street London, OH 43140 Bus. 740-852-5557 www.jamiepeartinsurance.com P040004 12/04 *Terms & Conditions Apply Discount RATES without discount SERVICE It’s no accident more people trust State Farm to insure their cars. Call today. LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, STATE FARM IS THERE Providing Insurance and Financial Services State Farm Mutual Automotive Insurance Company (Not in NJ), Bloomington, IL West Jefferson village council approved a contract with Choice One Engineering for the administration and inspection of construction on Lilly Chapel Road. The village will pay Choice One $35,000 for their services. “This contract is really a continuation of their previous contract,” said John Mitchell, West Jefferson’s director of public service. Beginning in August 2020, Choice One designed the reconstruction of roughly a quarter-mile of Lilly Chapel Road, ment. from Garfield Avenue to the fork at West Jefferson The department performs building inspections and Kiousville Road and Merriman Drive. The reconstruction plans include replacing all asphalt and putting in Madison County, the village of Plain City, the city of related services not only for West Jefferson, but also for new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveway approaches London, and the village of Mount Sterling. As such, inspectors must be able to work remotely all over the and drainage. The village paid Choice One $55,200 for the reconstruction plans. county. The entire project, including design and construction, is estimated to cost approximately $795,000. The tops in their vehicles. But because the laptops are all Currently, the village supplies inspectors with lap- village is set to pay approximately $405,000 of the cost connected to a server, they often operate slowly. out-of-pocket. A grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission will cover $195,000. The village will take out a ciency,” Mitchell said. “Switching to cloud should increase speed and effi- zero-interest loan from the state to cover the remainder The switch will cost $30,000 total. However, the village will only pay $10,000 of the cost. The city of London of the cost. The village plans to open public bidding to find a construction company to execute the redesign. Bidding will well. and Madison County are each set to pay $10,000, as open on March 23. Construction will begin once a company is chosen. or early fall. The switch is estimated to take place in late summer In other news, the village is purchasing cloud-based “For us, it’s the sooner the better, of course,” Mitchell software for the Building, Planning and Zoning Depart- said. Donate to Easter basket outreach HELP House is collecting donations for its annual Easter Basket outreach. Donations are due by noon on March 23. All candies must be individually wrapped (no bulk candies, such as jelly beans). Needed items are as follows: • plastic Easter eggs (packaged); • wrapped candies in chocolate and non-chocolate varieties; • individual boxes or bags of jelly beans; • Peeps candies; • chocolate candies such as crosses and bunnies; • small toys, games, books (can be Christian themed); • Easter stuffed animals or fluffies, such as bunnies, ducks and chickens; • monetary donations to fill gaps of items not donated. HELP House already has plenty of baskets and packages of grass. Drop-off hours are Monday, noon-6 p.m., and Tuesday, 9 a.m.-noon. HELP House is located at 122 E. Center St., London. Volunteers are needed to prepare the Easter basket bags. Hours are: March 24, noon-2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.; and March 25, 6-8 p.m. Volunteers also are needed to hand out the bags on the outreach days: March 27, 3:30- 6 p.m.; March 29, 8:30 a.m.-noon; and March 31, 8:30- 11:30 a.m. God Bless Everyone & Stay Safe at Home Malek & ATTORNEYS AT LAW Malek WORK INJURIES WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SAFETY VIOLATIONS WRONGFUL DEATH PERSONAL INJURY SLIP & FALL INJURY DOG BITE INJURY Douglas, Ed, Jim and Kip Malek Ben Churchhill “Hablamos Español” FREE Initial Consultation www.maleklawfirm.com 614-444-7440 1227 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43206
www.madisonmessengernews.com March 21, 2021 - MADISON MESSENGER - Page 3 Enrollment down this year but growth expected By Josephine Birdsell Staff Writer The Cowardly Lion had it right. The lovable, yet nervous, feline from “The Wizard of Oz” famously dreamed for bravery. With a swipe of a pen in signing a proclamation at their March 2 meeting, the Madison County commissioners endorsed March as Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month. This year’s theme is to take time to know someone with a disability and recognize that they “Have Courage.” Annually, the commissioners endorse DD Awareness Month. They support the Madison County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD) and the people the board serves throughout the year. “The fact that ‘Have Courage’ is the theme this year is very appropriate,” said MCBDD Superintendent Susan Thompson. “So many of the individuals we serve have shown courage this past year as we all know the difficult challenges that the pandemic has presented.” On hand for the proclamation signing were MCBDD consumers Laura Cotton and Debbie Morris, as well as their direct service provider, CRSI’s Judy Coy. Following a five-year growth trend, London City Schools experienced a 2 percent drop in enrollment this school year over last school year. While enrollment at the middle school and high school grew modestly this year, the elementary school’s enrollment decreased by 72 students—a significant drop. “We can attribute that specifically to a smaller kindergarten class and (an increase) in the number of children who chose to be homeschooled this year. We would suspect both of those factors are likely due to the pan- Celebrating courage demic,” said Dr. Lou Kramer, superintendent. Despite this year’s decrease, district leaders expect enrollment to grow over the next several years. From the 2015-16 academic year to 2019- 20, the district’s enrollment grew by 180 students. Projections show an additional 200 students in the next five years as more families are attracted to London due to increases in economic development and housing in the area. “This year was somewhat of a blip. Once pandemic restrictions ease even further back to normal, the growth pattern should be back to normal,” Kramer said. “These ladies represent the many people we serve who have had several aspects of their lives uprooted due to the pandemic,” Thompson said. “But they, like countless others, have been fortunate to have helpful direct care staff like Judy who have helped guide them through these unprecedented times.” MCBDD Family Support Services Director Carol Ansel shared with the commissioners the process through which individuals with disabilities have received the COVID-19 vaccine. This included a registration process facilitated by Ansel and her staff, as well vaccines administered by MCBDD’s Health Services Coordinator Denise Zerkle, a registered nurse. Ansel and Thompson acknowledged the assistance offered by Madison County Public Health. “The organization of the vaccine schedule by Carol and her staff have allowed us to be more efficient with the distribution at the Madison County Board of DD Office,” Thompson said. “Also, we are fortunate to have Denise to administer the vaccine as she was a familiar face who helped calm a potentially-stressful situation.” The district will use the enrollment projections to make decisions about personnel, programs and facilities. Existing programs are retaining and attracting students, so the district will continue its available programs, Kramer said. In August and September 2020, district leaders met with architects to consider potential renovations at the high school, the building experiencing the fastest enrollment growth. Decision were put on hold, pending the pandemic’s impact on enrollment. In other news, the district returned to fully in-person instruction on March 1. In the week of March 8, 20 students and staff members—out of a total campus population of 2,500—were isolated or quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19. OPENING FOR THE SEASON 119 S. MAIN ST., LONDON, OH 43140 “We’re really excited to be back, and so far our students and our families are just as excited as we are,” Kramer said. The district is providing an optional summer intervention program for all students to prepare for the 2021-22 school year. Elementary and middle school students can sign up for a series of three two-week sessions centered around various themes. The program will take place in person on campus. The district will provide transportation, breakfast and lunch for participating students. So far, 160 elementary school students and 61 middle school students have signed up. High school students can participate in a blended program, completing most course work online with occasional in-person classes. ST APRIL 1, 2021 WEEKLY PRODUCE SUBSCRIPTION, FARM FRESH VEGGIES & MEAT SHARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE. TO REGISTER GO TO: www.protercenter.org/farm On March 2, the Madison County commissioners signed a proclamation designating March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. They were joined by several individuals served by Madison County Board of DD: (front row) Laura Cotton, Debbie Morris, CRSI Direct Service Provider Judy Coy; (back row) MCBDD Family Support Services Director Carol Ansel, commissioners Mark Forrest and Chris Wallace, MCBDD Superintendent Susan Thompson, Commissioner Tony Xenikis and County Administrator Rob Slane.
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Madison Messenger - March 21st, 2021

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