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Letters to the editor
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FH student reaches dreams with help of others
Kristian Bean is among those who graduated from Franklin Heights High School in 2008. Kristian has autism. He was given a mountain to climb. Due to hundreds of helpers and friends, he was successful.
As he walked across the stage at Veterans Memorial on June 2, the cheers of his fellow students were so loud that it brought tears to my eyes. He was waving his hands in the air as one who had just reached the peak of Mount Everest.
Kristian has achieved the unimaginable, but not by himself as many other students.
It is impossible to thank everyone who pushed Kristian onward. Two of his biggest supporters were Dale Pugh, his teacher, and Dale Aberegg, his MRDD coordinator. Kristian had to be prodded, encouraged and sometime dragged, but he made it.
He now has a full-time job at ARC Industries. He works hard and his fellow workers love him.
Is this really a big deal? To anyone who understands autism, you bet this is a big deal. They need heaps of help. They have to run extra fast in order to move forward slowly.
As a father of an autistic son, I say many, many thanks to all you wonderful folks who helped my son on his journey.
Phase one has ended. Phase two has already begun.
Kerry Bean
Grove City
FOTH had a busy weekend
Friends of the Hilltop had a busy weekend. A big “thank you” to everyone who participated in the community service completed during the long holiday weekend.
Friends of the Hilltop acquired a power washer, made possible by generous contributions from the Hilltop Business Association, the Westgate Neighbors Association, Dave Horn, Chris and Courtney Dekle, Schoedinger Hilltop Chapel, and an anonymous donor.
Our first project for the weekend was removing graffiti from the billboard west of the Hilltop Business Center at the corner of Wilson Road and Sullivant Avenue. We coordinated with the building owner, Jim Haller of Score Logistics, who purchased supplies and gave us access to water at the building. A volunteer team spent almost three hours power washing the billboard.
The next day, a graffiti removal team led by Courtney Dekle painted over the graffiti using a concealing primer.
The team was still energetic after the billboard project and headed to the Alex Market on Sullivant and scrubbed and power washed a large graffiti tag on the side of the building.
Team members also picked up trash and pulled weeds at both sites. Some of the supplies for the weekend’s events were provided by Keep Columbus Beautiful.
Contact Courtney at 216-3039 if you are interested in being a part of the graffiti removal team.
Working together, we are bringing about the Hilltop Renaissance. Long live Hilltop, USA!
Gary Baker, president
Friends of the Hilltop
Take the time to learn the reasons
I am watching, with great interest, how South-Western City Schools intend to introduce and convince the district that we must have both an operational levy and a bond issue on November’s ballot.
While I have been attending the community forums and understand the reasons, it would appear that others would rather complain than find out the rest of the story. When I first started speaking out about school funding several years ago, it was because it always appeared that the district officials were making decisions without community input.
Regular meetings with the community have been set up and are continuing. It would be great if the community would attend. The district has an opportunity that will not come along again for a long time. It has the chance to update all of its schools – in some cases tear down old ones and replace them, in others update with new technology, and in all cases make them more energy efficient which will eventually reduce the need for asking for money every year.
The current plans do not include a plethora of new schools which would mean more operational costs. But, as with anything that has the state involved, it comes with strings attached. The state will give us money to do all of this – if we match what they are giving. That is the reason for the bond issue.
As for the operating levy – well guys, you were the ones who said, “Why not do smaller levies each year instead of large levies when we are desperate.”
We still have to have the money to pay our current bills and keep our teachers. For those followers who think I have gone to the dark side I apologize for not being clearer as to why I spoke up before, because I have not changed my stripes. I still want a transparent district leadership. I still want the children to have a good education and I still want the district to live within its means – just like all the rest of us. So you know, I am in worse financial means now than when I started and can ill afford an increase in any of my bills. I am also concerned that in our efforts to teach the leadership a lesson our children will be the ones to pay.
Instead of just saying no, take the time to talk with the leadership and find out what measures they will be taking to keep costs down, and tighten their belts and find out what a great opportunity we have, if we can just find a way to take it.
Kathy Larzelere
Grove City
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