By Linda Dillman
Staff Writer
A pair of Canal Winchester High School seniors were awarded $1,000 scholarships in honor and memory of 1960 Canal Winchester graduate and 17-year city council member Dr. John Bender, who passed away in 2013.
The presentation by Mayor Mike Ebert was held during the April 15 council meeting with scholarships awarded to Courtney Cowgill and Jacob Howard.
“For the past several years, since Dr. John Bender’s passing, we’ve given out two scholarships,” said Ebert, who was part of the selection committee. “It’s very hard, we don’t know their names or who we’re voting for, but the people we chose are very deserving. Dr. Bender was an incredible person and this is a great tribute to him.”
Bender was also a long-time track and cross country coach at Canal Winchester and worked in special education with the Canal Winchester school system.
Cowgill plans to attend the University of Toledo and major in nursing. Howard plans to attend Ohio University with hopes to become a high school math teacher.
“I can tell you from reading the applications…the world is in very good hands with people like yourselves,” said Council President Bruce Jarvis.
Annual street program
Construction Services Administrator Bill Sims said work is winding down on the Gender Road Phase IV work and cranking up on the city’s annual street program.
Concrete work on Gender Road was completed a week ago and Sims expects the project to close out by the end of the month.
Street program work is scheduled for completion in July and there will be minimal impact to traffic.
As part of the street program, residents are afforded the opportunity to opt-in to a sidewalk repair cost sharing program administered by the city. Using the $653,569 Street Program contract, the city will replace deteriorated and uneven sidewalks in designated areas of town.
This year, the street work area is predominately located in the Winchester Village Subdivision on Sarwil Drive from the intersection of Chesterville and Sarwil Drive South to the intersection of Chesterville and Sarwil Drive North and also on Old Meadow Court.
Streets involved in the 2019 program include sidewalk ramp improvement as necessary, along with the remilling and resurfacing of: East Waterloo Street from High Street to the city limits; Canal Street and Prentiss School Drive west of Gender Road and Prentiss School from Canal Street to Winchester Boulevard; in Ashbrook Village—Williamson Lane from Ashbrook Drive north to Embers Lane, Crist Court and Hilliard Court; and at the Villages at Westchester—Braeswick Court, Eddleston Court and Stretton Place.
Various streets will be crack filled and surfaces rejuvenated. Streets paved last year in Ashbrook Village will receive an application of pavement rejuvenator.
Miscellaneous spot repairs will be made throughout the city to curbs and pavements and curb inlet repairs will be performed as well.
Access will be maintained on all streets. For information, contact Sims at 834-5109 or email wsims@canalwinchesterohio.gov.
