A gravestone isn’t something I ever gave much thought to, it’s something I thought was distant and in the future, but events last year changed that.

That first year after Daniel passed it just didn’t fall into place for me to order a headstone. I knew most people have it ready to set at the one-year mark, but for me it just didn’t seem to click.

This summer I dug out the tombstone advertisement paper my dad had picked up for me in Robinson. Moments later, I was studying the paper in my hand. I knew the time was getting closer and it would be good for me to face it. With a prayer in my heart, I contemplated on the wording, design, and all.

Part of my being wanted to say, “Isn’t a stone so earthly?” It is where we laid his body, yet surely he is much more alive in heaven than he was on earth, as we are reminded in 2 Corinthians 5:8 where it says, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

Even for the sake of the children I knew in my heart we need to keep moving forward in this stage of life.

“I’ll have all your names printed on the back of the stone,” I explained to the children, “That is what daddy would want. You were all very important to him.” The idea was pleasing to them.

Then of course a tree would have to be incorporated somewhere. Not only was Daniel preparing to plant new trees when he got hurt; only 13 hours earlier, he shared a devotional at a hymn singing about those trusting in the Lord will be as a tree planted by waters and won’t wilt in year of drought. The next part is especially close to my heart. The individual who trusts God and asks for the Holy Spirit will watered by the Spirit himself and will never stop yielding fruit. Those verses in Jeremiah 17:7 and 8 which he expounded still echo through my mind and spur me on to keep trusting and asking for His Spirit.

Now I look at the gravestone pictures before me once more, perhaps I should place those verses under the children’s names, signifying this promise for their hearts day by day, year in and year out?

Preparing and setting the tombstone is not what I ever dreamed of doing for my husband. Still I am most thankful for that opportunity to show love to our dear daddy and husband, and especially to be reminded that God remains God and His ways always work, no matter how hard we cry. Like a dear widow friend shared with me recently, “If we do not thank God for taking our husband we are saying we know better than he does.” I had never thought about it that way, yet in my heart when she said that, I knew the absolute joy and freedom of not only giving a burden to God, but also thanking him for it even when it feels unreasonable to do so. It opens the wellspring of blessings to be spilled right upon you.

Gateways of connection with God are opened at that simple act of trust by thanking God.

I admit, I get super tested with thanking God for all His ways. Little Joshua is processing deeper levels of missing his daddy. It’s heart renting to hear his sobs, knowing that I can never be both mom and dad for him.

Snuggling with Daniel’s night shirts have a way of soothing and calming him. I use it to wipe his tears- we know Daddy would care so much! Knowing he needs extra love I told him he could sleep with me for a few weeks. Last night he snuggled up close to me and said, “Here mom, you may take this side of Daddy’s shirt!”

Okay, last but not least I’ll give you a Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe I made in the first year of our marriage. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 pkg cake mix

1/2 c butter

3 pkg (8oz) cream cheese

1 (14 0z) can condensed milk

2 cups pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 tablespoon cinnamon

8 oz whipped topping

1 small pkg sliced almonds (opt)

Combine cake mix and butter. Press into the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan. Combine next 5 ingredients:mix well. Pour over crust. Bake at 375 for 65-70 minutes or until set. Cool. Remove from pan. Spread whipped topping on top. Garnish with sliced almonds.

Gloria Yoder is an Amish mom, writer, and homemaker in rural Illinois. The Yoders travel primarily by horse-drawn buggy and live next to the settlement’s one-room school-house. Readers can write to Gloria at 10510 E. 350th Ave., Flat Rock, IL 62427.

The post Reflecting on gravestones appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

I read a book a long time ago called “Praying Our Goodbyes” by Joyce Rupp, OSM. That book has never left me. At the time I was facing a change in my life. I was having to say goodbye to something that was very familiar and turn to something that was completely unfamiliar. Sometimes, I think we stay in an uncomfortable, unhealthy situation because at least it is known. Knowing is better than not knowing or at least it is predictable.

In her book, Rupp explains that “the word goodbye — originally ‘God-be-with-ye’ or ‘Go-with-God’ — was a recognition that God was a significant part of the going.” I understand that more deeply as the years have passed. Life has been filled with so many goodbyes, whether it be a relationship, job, life, habits, seasons of the year … seasons of life. Each of us has an endless list of goodbyes. Some more painful than others.

How we handle our “goodbyes” is important. There is always pain with goodbyes … always. Goodbyes have a companion called grief. Even if the situation is improved by saying goodbye, there are things that will be grieved. The grief might be what could have been. It might be a love left behind. It might be the imprint of a trauma not yet healed. It might be a dream unfulfilled.

If the grief is left unaddressed it will take up permeant residence in your life — in a big way. To be honest, goodbyes and its grief will always remain with us, but the level to which they impact our future life is dependent on how we handle our grief.

That said, one of my big takeaways from this book is that each “goodbye” is met with another “hello.” When we move on from something, a relationship, a job, a home, graduation, marriage, divorce … etc., we are always met with a new hello. Even at death we turn to face our next hello, a place in God’s heavenly kingdom.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, the author writes about the seasons of life, times of hello and goodbyes. Here is an excerpt …

“For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted;

time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to seek and a time to lose, a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

Our lives are cyclical. We have summer seasons and winter seasons. We drop the autumn leaves of our lives and plant the seeds for springtime. Each of these seasons has a series of goodbyes and new hellos.

Not one moment of these seasons do we travel alone. God is always there. In the hard goodbyes, God is there. In the unfamiliar new hellos God is there. As we drop the unnecessary leaves of our life, God cheers us on. As we plant the new seeds for the future, God is present to water and nurture these seeds for new growth.

As autumn begins and we watch the leaves change and drop, let us be reminded that God is with us always, in the hellos, goodbyes and the next hello. Go with God.

Rev. Deb Patterson is a retired Presbyterian minister of the PCUSA.

The post Life is full of difficult goodbyes appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

The Delaware County Fair is always one of my favorite weeks of the year. This year, my daughter is 5½, and the “half” continues to be a really big deal for her. She tells me when she was 5 years old she could not do a lot of things, but now that she is 5½, she is a big girl and can do a lot more.

My daughter being 5½ has been a big adjustment in our house because she has started kindergarten. It has been a huge adjustment for not only my daughter, but also for her parents. I am thankful she loves kindergarten, but she often tells us she wants to spend more time with us. I know it will not be long until she does not want as much mom and dad time, so we are trying to enjoy it while it lasts!

The fair was awesome! We enjoyed a large amount of fair food. We had pepperoni sticks, cotton candy, caramel apples, ice cream, funnel cakes and kettle corn. My favorite was the Buckeye Valley food booth. I always get a cheeseburger with everything, chili, and a chocolate milk. It was, as always, delicious. My daughter’s favorite was fair fries. We had more than a healthy number of buckets of fair fries last week.

I have so many great memories at the fair as a kid, including showing livestock and participating in junior fair events. My friends and I spent many hours in the arcade that is no longer at the fair. I also enjoyed football games in the Colosseum and the many rides and games we played. Some of my best memories include hanging out with friends in the animal barns.

But this year, I think my time at the fair can best be described as a glorified pack mule. I spent most of my time carrying my daughter’s food and drink and prize possessions that she got at the fair. This included stuffed animals she won and the free items handed out at the Merchant Building.

My daughter loved the many rides at the fair. She enjoyed the dinosaur/alligator ride, the spinning pirate ships, and the trampolines, but her favorite two rides were the swings and the fun slide.

While we enjoyed the food and the rides, I enjoyed the junior fair. I am thankful so many young people participated in the junior fair. When I was a kid, I loved to take sheep and pigs to the fair. The junior fair provides a great opportunity for children to learn about livestock. It also provides great life lessons not only about caring for the animals, but also about preparing a budget and selling your livestock.

I was happy to purchase livestock at the annual auctions. This is something I have done for over 20 years. I have great memories of selling my livestock at the fair. I am glad to see so many young people participating!

For me, no fair would be complete without taking my daughter to see her grandpa’s picture in the Agriculture Hall of Fame. We talked about how important family, agriculture, and the Delaware County Fair were to my dad. I love that when I ask my daughter what is in the Junior Fair Building, she answered “grandpa’s picture.”

But, my favorite memory of the fair this year was my daughter and her friends. Several times, she would run into a friend, and they would greet each other with a great big hug. Then, they would run, hand in hand, to a ride. After the ride, she ran up to us and told us it was the best ride ever, and she could not believe she had such a great time with her friend on the ride.

My wife and I are exhausted from the fair. It was a long week with a lot of fun and a lot of memories made. I am thankful next year’s fair is a year away, but I am also very excited for the next Delaware County Fair!

Randall D. Fuller is judge of the Domestic Relations Division of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Fuller is a life-long resident of Delaware County.

The post Great time had by all at fair appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

The following births were reported by Grady Memorial Hospital:

• Sept. 10 — Allison Kendrick, daughter of Bailee Campbell and Alexander Kendrick of Delaware.

• Sept. 10 — Maddex Marchan, son of Alexis McFarland and Fernando Marchan of Delaware.

• Sept. 12 — Savannah Stout, daughter of Carolyn and Roger Stout of Marengo.

• Sept. 16 — Kayson Creagh, son of Ashley Husted and Xavier Creagh of Marion.

• Sept. 22 — Izara Bayless, daughter of Maisie Saenz and Malek Bayless of Delaware.

• Sept. 23 — Lincoln Stidam, son of Hallie and Brody Stidam of Delaware.

• Sept. 26 — Kennedee McEndree, daughter of Amanda Clark and William McEndree of Richwood.

Birth announcements are printed with permission.

The post Births appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

The Olentangy Orange football team threw a knockout punch early, using a 14-0 first quarter to build a cushion it parlayed into a 35-14 OCC-Central Division win over visiting Dublin Coffman Friday night in Lewis Center.

Pioneer quarterback Levi Davis, who finished with 137 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, found the end zone twice in the opening quarter — once from a yard out and again from 36.

His third rushing touchdown of the game — this time from 68 yards out — made it 21-0 before the Shamrocks (5-2, 1-1) got on the board with a 49-yard TD pass from Quinn Hart to Cameron Hairston just before the break.

Orange (4-3, 2-0) all but sealed the deal when Kobe Sharpe jumped on his team’s own fumble and turned it into a 14-yard TD run two minutes into the second half.

The 28-7 spread held up until the fourth, when the teams traded touchdowns to smooth out the scoring summary — Hart scored from a yard out for Coffman while Cohen Weaver scored on an eight-yard run for Orange.

Weaver backed Davis’ big night on the ground with a solid effort of his own, finishing with 11 carries for 77 yards and the score. Davis, meanwhile, completed 10 of his 15 passes for 132 yards. Will Musgrove was his top target, finishing with six receptions for 82 yards.

The defense came up big, too, with Treyton Schroeder securing a pair of interceptions.

Hart was 22-for-35 passing for 246 yards, a touchdown and the two picks to lead the Shamrocks.

Next up, Orange is slated to take on host Upper Arlington Friday night at 7 p.m.

Big Walnut 49, Worthington Kilbourne 7

Nate Severs ran for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns while Jake Nier completed all seven of his passes for 141 yards and two TDs of his own as the Golden Eagles soared to a lopsided league win over the host Wolves Friday night.

Big Walnut (3-5, 2-2) never trailed. It led 13-0 after a quarter thanks to a pair of touchdowns from Nier — the first with his legs and the second a 23-yard scoring strike to Owen Pollock.

Severs got going in the second quarter, breaking free for a 96-yard touchdown run before Nier found Carter Dancer and Pollock for touchdown connections of five and three yards, respectively, to make it a 28-0 game at the break.

Kilbourne (0-7, 0-4) got on the board when Carson Taylor hauled in a 14-yard scoring strike from Braylon Harper, but BW answered with a 64-yard touchdown run from Severs.

Jace Murray added a 73-yard TD run in the fourth while Brady Taylor returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown to smooth out the scoring summary.

Next up, Big Walnut is slated to take on visiting Westerville North at 7 p.m. Friday night in Sunbury.

Olentangy Berlin 27, Hilliard Darby 7

The Bears scored a touchdown in all four quarters to pull away from the host Panthers for a solid OCC-Cardinal Division win Friday night in Hilliard.

Darby (4-3, 1-1) broke the scoring seal when Sage Kean scored from a yard out, but Berlin (6-1, 2-0) scored the next 27 points to put the finishing touches on the win.

The defense evened things up as Bennett Arend turned a fumble recovery into a 37-yard return for a touchdown.

From there, Mason Ziegler took over. Ziegler had touchdown runs of six and 28 yards while hauling in a six-yard strike from Harrison Brewster for another score.

Ziegler finished with 129 total yards and three TDs.

Berlin returns to action Friday night against visiting Dublin Jerome. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Also: Olentangy Liberty 19, Upper Arlington 16, OT; Olentangy 52, Thomas Worthington 7; Buckeye Valley 28, St. Charles 20.

The post Fast start sends Orange over Coffman appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

WESTERVILLE — Standing in front of his team after the game, Delaware Hayes head coach Ryan Montgomery applauded his team for always doing everything the coaching staff has asked of it this season.

Friday night’s 36-33 win at Westerville South may have been the perfect representation of that commitment as it took everything Hayes had to survive an early first-half haymaker from South and a wild, back-and-forth second half.

Cooper Goble’s 26-yard field goal gave Hayes the three-point lead with 2:31 to play, and a furious Westerville South rally came up empty as a short field goal attempt on fourth down fell well short of the crossbar to seal the Hayes win in the final seconds.

With the win, Hayes improves to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in OCC-Capital Division play, just a game back of Canal Winchester (7-0, 4-0).

Hayes quarterback Jake Lowman had another prolific evening, completing 19 of his 29 attempts for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Austin Koslow was on the end of nine of those passes for 191 yards and a touchdown as the special duo continued to wrack up big-time numbers.

Hayes took an early 3-0 lead on a 20-yard field goal from Goble, but South proceeded to build a sizable first-half lead on the strength of its formidable rushing attack and an opportunistic passing game. Dominic Birtha’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Jeramiah McDuffie on third-and-12 capped off a seven-play, 77-yard drive to give South its first lead of the game at 7-3.

A seven-yard touchdown run by Ian Gordon extended the South lead to 13-3 after a mixed extra point, and South began to seize all early momentum in the game.

Koslow quickly stemmed the tide on the ensuing kickoff as he fielded the ball at his own 14 and raced up the Hayes sideline for an 86-yard touchdown return to get Hayes back to within three points at 13-10.

Stops continued to be difficult to come by for the Hayes defense, however, and South needed just two plays to increase its lead to 19-10 on the ensuing drive. Gordon’s 68-yard touchdown run finished off the drive, putting South back in control with 7:34 remaining in the first half.

In need of an answer, disaster struck for Hayes on its next possession. Lowman was stripped of the ball on a third-down scramble, and South’s Neyo Thomas came away with the loose ball to set South up with prime field position at the Hayes 30.

Two plays later, it was Birtha and McDuffie connecting for their second touchdown of the game on a wide-open completion of 29 yards. The extra point was good, and South had opened a 26-10 lead with under five minutes to play in the half.

With the game getting late early, the Hayes offense delivered two critical scoring drives just before the half to get back into the game. Lowman’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Goble cut the South lead to 26-17 with 1:42 left in the half, capping a massive nine-play, 95-yard drive.

After a quick three-and-out from South, Hayes was back in business once again in the closing seconds of the half.

Taking over at its own 46 with just 32 seconds left in the half, Hayes needed only three plays to find the end zone. Lowman’s pass to Josh Russell was good for 22 yards to move the ball to the South 32. Following a spike to stop the clock, the Lowman-to-Koslow connection came through once more.

After evading pressure and scrambling to his right, Lowman lofted the ball to the end zone, and Koslow ran under the ball for a 32-yard touchdown. Goble’s extra point was good, and Hayes headed to the locker room trailing just 26-24 despite the rough start.

Hayes wasted no time erasing the remainder of the South lead courtesy of another big special teams play. A disastrous South possession to open the second half led to a punt attempt out of its own end zone. The punt was blocked by Hayes, and South fell on the live ball in the end zone for a safety and tied game.

The two teams traded stops throughout the third quarter before Hayes finally broke the tie early in the fourth quarter.

After taking over at his own 27 just seconds into the fourth quarter, Lowman found Koslow deep down the middle of the field with a step on a defender. Koslow laid out to make a spectacular diving catch that was good for 42 yards, and Hayes was out and running.

Seven plays later, Lowman found Jaliq Wilson for a four-yard touchdown pass. With the extra point, Hayes had taken a 33-26 lead, its first since the opening drive of the game, with 8:34 to play.

The lead lasted just 55 seconds, though, as South running back Nasir Phillips raced 70 yards on the first play of the ensuing possession to put South into position to tie the game. The run pushed Phillips over 200 yards for the game.

Birtha finished off the drive two plays later with a two-yard touchdown run, and the two teams were once again level with 7:39 left to play.

Hayes answered back with a 10-play drive that ate up more than five minutes, ending with Goble’s go-ahead and field goal and setting up a frantic final possession by South.

After beginning at its own 27, South was into Hayes territory in just three plays as the clock ticked under 1:20 to play. Birtha’s completion to McDuffie had South knocking on the doorstep of delivering a dagger with under a minute to play, but a series of incompletions forced the short field goal attempt on fourth down.

The kick never had a chance, however, and the Hayes sideline erupted as Lowman and the offense trotted back out onto the field to take a knee and run out the final seconds of a gritty, hard-earned victory.

“We started off rough a little bit, but we came back and played as a team,” Hayes defensive back Jermaine Dukes said following the win. “We kept our heads high, and I’m just happy we won. It shows us that we can beat anybody if we just continue to play as a team and keep our heads up.”

Montgomery said of what his team showed in the win, “It’s been a long time since Delaware Hayes has started 6-1. I think a lot of people looked at us as a 5-1 football team and then kind of write us off, don’t put us on the same level as some other teams. But these guys in the locker room believe. This community believes, and this coaching staff believes. And we havea. great group of seniors who always lead.

“Westerville South has had a great program for many, many years, and our guys were resilient. (South) jumped on us and we battled back, chipped away. I knew (defensive coordinator) Justin Malivuk would get stuff figured out. I have faith in them, and I’m just really excited for our players.”

Montgomery said it was business as usual on the sideline after Hayes fell into the early hole, especially knowing they had a big-play offense that could quickly get them back into the game.

He added, “It’s been a while since we can go into week eight and there’s a lot to play for for us. That’s what our guys wanted, and that’s what I challenged them to do.”

Hayes will look to continue its push toward an OCC-Capital Division title next week when it travels to Dublin Scioto ( ).

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.

The post Hayes shakes off rough start to silence Westerville South appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

The Delaware Hayes girls soccer team hasn’t lost a game since the calendar flipped to September, most recently notching its seventh straight win with a 3-0 decision over visiting Dublin Scioto on Thursday night.

Madeline Bruns led the charge, playing a part in all three goals.

Addie Reed broke the scoring seal off a feed from Bruns and, after Bruns made it 2-0 with an unassisted tally of her own, she assisted on a goal from Elise Buckerfield to smooth out the scoring summary.

Josie DeRosa anchored the defense, collecting five saves en route to the shutout, while Scioto keeper Reese Kinney finished with 22 saves in the setback.

The Pacers, who improved to 10-2 overall and 5-1 in OCC-Capital Division action with the win, have outscored opponents 24-2 over the course of their winning streak.

Most recently, Hayes blanked St. Francis DeSales 3-0 on Tuesday and rolled to a 5-1 win over Hilliard Bradley last Saturday.

Ellie Roberson had a pair of goals in the win over the Stallions. Adrionna Brown also found the back of the net while Bruns had two helpers.

DeRosa, meanwhile, collected three saves en route to the first of her back-to-back shutouts.

Next up, Hayes will look to keep rolling against visiting Clear Fork Tuesday night at 7:15 p.m.

Olentangy Liberty 2, Westerville Central 0

Hailey Myers collected the shutout while the offense scored more than enough to lift the Patriots to a non-league win over the host Warhawks Thursday night in Westerville.

Amelia Sigmund and Chloe Brecht scored for Liberty (10-2-1), which hasn’t lost a game in eight straight outings.

Also: Dublin Jerome 1, Olentangy Berlin 0; Westerville North 4, Big Walnut 2.

BOYS SOCCER

After both teams battled through a scoreless first half, Big Walnut erupted for three goals in the second to notch a 3-1 league win over visiting Westerville North Thursday night in Sunbury.

Alex Reichert, Sean Joyce and Kael Dorsey had the Golden Eagles’ goals.

Also: Dublin Scioto 3, Delaware Hayes 0; Olentangy Berlin 1, Dublin Jerome 0.

BOYS GOLF

Senior Carter Rutherford carded a 72 to nab medalist honors and lead Olentangy Liberty to a win in the Delaware Cup Thursday afternoon at Northstar.

The Patriots shot a combined 298 to take the crown.

Olentangy finished second with a team total of 317 while Big Walnut smoothed out the top three with a combined 318.

Delaware Hayes (321), Olentangy Orange (323), Olentangy Berlin (331) and Buckeye Valley (340) were also in action.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Bekah Williams picked up the 1,000th dig of her career, finishing with a match-high 12 to go with seven kills, two aces and two assists in Delaware Christian’s straight-set win over visiting Granville Christian Tuesday night in Delaware.

The Eagles, who’ve now won six straight, took the first set 25-12 before sealing the deal with wins of 25-7 and 25-14 in the second and third, respectively.

Maggie Hsu and Kyra Lansford were also steady in the win, finishing with six aces apiece. Hsu also added four digs and a pair of kills while Lansford finished with eight assists and two kills.

Also: Olentangy def. Olentangy Berlin 27-29, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 15-11; Olentangy Orange def. Hilliard Davidson 25-20, 25-16, 25-10; Olentangy Liberty def. Dublin Coffman 25-18, 25-23, 25-21; Big Walnut def. Franklin Heights 25-14, 25-8, 25-14; Worthington Kilbourne def. Delaware Hayes 25-17, 25-21, 25-18.

The post Pacers continue to cruise; win 7th straight appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

595 Buena Park Dr, Delaware, Lefevre, Mark A & Stacey M To: Madane, Vinod B & Jaya, $518,500

200 Lenell Loop, Delaware, R&R Jv Llc To: Smith, Karen S, $336,315

178 Marblewood Dr, Delaware, Dunford, Nathan K & Emilie M To: Powell, Kaitlyn Veronica & Nicholas Paul, $450,000

286 Hickory Ln, Delaware, Westfall, David & Mia To: Crawford, Tyler M, $260,000

6730 S Old State Rd, Lewis Center, May, Lois J To: Sreevari Casa Llc, $650,000

3296 Logsdon , Delaware, Mi Homes Of Central Ohio Llc To: Kuchibhotla, Sri Ramani & Surya Prakash, $643,880

2846 Berlin Manor Dr, Delaware, Fischer Homes Columbus Ii Llc To: Garrett, Jeffrey & Kimberly, $780,517

2448 Klondike Rd, Delaware, Gao, Xudong & Zhuang, Jie To: Gao, Xudong & Xiao, Jing, $370,000

312 Southworth Dr, Sunbury, Heiniger, Susan G To: Orcutt, Olivia & Kirsch, Jay, $225,000

9445 Creighton Dr, Powell, Powell, Miles P II & Amy E Trustees To: Tailor, Alpeshkumar & Salvi Grishma, $725,000

2350 Klondike Rd, Delaware, Gore, Mark William To: Dignan, Maxwell, $500,000

2188 Hyatts Rd, Delaware, Cross, Norman Gerald To: Larsen, Michael W, $140,000

1277 Portrush Dr, Sunbury, Nvr Inc To: Tavella, Paolo & Leah, $484,990

9903 Macdonald Dr, Dublin, Yu, Yan & Tang, Shengrong To: Gupta, Amit & Mishra, Manisha, $875,000

475 Talla Rd, Delaware, Nvr Inc To: Courtright, Julie M & Daniel S, $381,960

6763 Falling Meadows Dr, Galena, Sanderson, Jeffrey A To: Sanderson, Jessica K, $476,300

6072 Tournament Dr, Westerville, Hopkins, Ronald E To: Devore, Paul Thomas & Michelle Kay, $550,000

1496 Electra St, Columbus, Dobbins, Agnes Ann To: Chen, Qiang, $275,000

6770 Riverrun Ln, Delaware, Epcon River Bluff Llc To: Boltz, Terrie L, $528,515

The post Delaware County Property Transfers appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

The City of Delaware is receiving nearly $500,000 in grant funds from the state’s Community Development Block Grant program.

Nearly two dozen Ohio communities are receiving the funding to complete neighborhood improvement projects aimed at improving the quality of life for residents.

According to the city, the award will help fund the Noble Street Neighborhood Street Improvement Project. The project will reconstruct or resurface a total of 6,910 feet of pavement on Ross Street, Noble Street, David Street, Eaton Street, and South Washington Street between Bernard Avenue and London Road. Total project funding will consist of the $495,000 grant, $50,000 in Revolving Loan Funds and $189,200 of city general funds. Construction is anticipated for spring/summer 2024.

In total, 23 Ohio communities will receive $13.8 million. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is administered by the Ohio Department of Development.

“Investing in our communities’ infrastructure isn’t just about building bridges and roads; it’s about nurturing economic growth and safeguarding the health and well-being of Ohioans,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “The projects we’re supporting with this funding underscore our commitment to building a stronger, more prosperous Ohio for all.”

“We are committed to identifying and solving infrastructure issues and we thank the state for recognizing the importance of getting these types of projects done,” said City Manager Tom Homan.

Information for this story was provided by the City of Delaware.

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Ohio Wesleyan University is on a mission to identify and eliminate impediments to students remaining enrolled and persisting to graduation. Two years into the all-hands-on-deck initiative, OWU is seeing its highest retention numbers in 14 years.

“Our first-to-second-year retention rate is 84.3% for the class that entered in fall 2022,” President Matt vandenBerg, Ed.D., announced. “That is 2.5 percentage points above the rate for the class that entered in 2021 – and fully 5.6 percentage points higher than the class that entered in fall 2020. It is our highest retention rate since the class that entered in fall 2009.

“To dig a little deeper,” vandenBerg said, “our retention rate for first-generation students rose 9.8 percentage points, and retention rose 7.1 percentage points for Pell-eligible students. That is proof of the success of our extensive efforts and initiatives with at-risk groups. …

“And,” he continued, “we are seeing significant gains in persistence with all class levels this year. Retention of students going from their second year to their third year increased by 6.9 percentage points over last year’s cohort, from 87.4% to 94.3%, the third consecutive year this rate has risen. This is fantastic progress!”

Provost Karlyn Crowley, Ph.D., credits a concerted, combined OWU faculty-staff effort with helping increasing numbers of students fulfill their higher education aspirations.

“Every student at Ohio Wesleyan should feel that they belong, that they have the tools to persist, and that they will graduate to go out in the world and succeed and give back,” Crowley said.

“We are asking, ‘What is getting in the way of student success?’ And then we clear it,” she said. “We are asking, ‘Why is that process so complicated for students and families?’ And fixing it. We are asking, ‘What small amount of assistance might make the difference between a student dropping out or finishing?’ And doing it. It is a whole campus effort to see what is not student-centered and make it so.”

Dwayne Todd, Ph.D., Ohio Wesleyan’s vice president of Student Engagement and Success, said the university has launched several important initiatives over the past few years to support student retention.

• Moving The Needle – Launched in fall 2021, this initiative identified specific areas for improvement and created four committees to design, vet, and help implement solutions. The committees currently are working in the areas of academic support, the business of being a student, the first-year experience, and holistic student advising.

• Bridge Program – This free, three-week residential experience seeks to provide incoming first-year students with the skills and self-confidence they need to thrive at Ohio Wesleyan. Launched in summer 2021, those who complete it now earn academic credit for their efforts. Ohio Wesleyan is retaining about 95% of students who complete the Bridge Program each year, Todd said.

• Bishop ACCESS – This fee-based program provides one-on-one academic coaching for students with executive function challenges including ADHD, learning disabilities, and mental health disabilities.

• Camp Oh-Wooo – All incoming students currently participate in a three-day Camp Oh-Wooo off-campus adventure, which seeks to help the university’s newest Bishops to make friends, reduce anxiety, and connect to OWU, including meeting current student camp leaders and faculty-staff volunteer partners. Camp Oh-Wooo is held each fall after new students move to campus but before classes start.

• First-Year Seminar – All new students now complete a semester-long First-Year Seminar designed to help them continue to build relationships and chart the course of their OWU academic journey while they collaborate on “How to Change Your World” and tackle a specific issue of global importance.

• First-Gen OWU/Bishop Elevate – With 21% of Ohio Wesleyan’s total student population identifying as first-generation college students, the university is working to ensure they have the support they need to understand expectations and processes as they forge their futures. This fall, Ohio Wesleyan launched the Bishop Elevate office and program to provide an even stronger framework for these efforts.

• OWU Connection – As of fall 2023, Ohio Wesleyan’s signature experience is fully incorporated into the Ohio Wesleyan curriculum, with faculty members helping to ensure all students complete at least one Connection experience before they graduate. Designed to help students “think big, do good, go global, and get real” (hands-on experience), the OWU Connection “has all four components that make up the high-impact experiences leading to retention,” Crowley said.

“Going forward, we will see retention rates increase due to that requirement,” she said. “Every student at OWU has a chance to succeed because they must fulfill what is best practice nationally.”

President vandenBerg agreed, concluding: “Ohio Wesleyan is raising the bar on student success, and I look forward to seeing how much our students can achieve with this infrastructure. I’d like to thank all of our faculty and staff for their outstanding work, especially Karlyn, Dwayne, and their teams.”

Learn more about enrolling (and succeeding) at Ohio Wesleyan at www.owu.edu/admission.

Submitted by Ohio Wesleyan University.

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People In Need, Inc. of Delaware County Ohio (PIN) is scheduled to host the annual Holiday Clearing House again this year, with the main “Distribution Day” on Sunday, Dec. 10.

Applications for the program opened on Sept. 5 and have been steadily flowing in since then.

According to Executive Director Kathy Hoff, 140 children had been placed on their roster by the end of the day, pending final approval.

“That’s an unbelievably quick influx for our numbers,” Hoff said. “In 2022, we ‘only’ had 68 kids on our list the first day. At this point, it certainly looks like we’re going to surpass the 969 kids we helped last year. I won’t be surprised if we pass our record of 1,189 from back in 2021.”

Each one of those local children will be “adopted” by a supporting partner of PIN, who shop for gifts off the wishlist provided by their parents. In addition, the many food, coat, and toy drives throughout Delaware County allow PIN to provide a shopping opportunity for parents to select additional gifts as well as a new winter coat for each child. Families are also provided with groceries for a holiday meal to enjoy together.

“It’s been incredible to see how Clearing House has grown in just the last few years,” said PIN volunteer Terry Troutman, who has managed the “Toyland” section of HCH since 2016. “The scale of things has just exploded since the pandemic, not just in the number of kids we help but in the donations we see. I’ve had to draw in more volunteers from my church to make sure we have toys sorted and organized in time, and every year we leave the fairgrounds with very little leftover.”

In 2022, between toys, winterwear, and food, PIN provided nearly a quarter million dollars’ worth of assistance to Delaware County residents through the program. That includes Holiday Clearing House assistance to seniors (65+) through a portion of the program which provides them with groceries for a special Holiday meal as well as a gift card to purchase a gift of their choosing.

Those numbers are well beyond what the first year of the Holiday Clearing House experienced in 1954, organized by Nancy Frankenberg. That year, 58 families received assistance. Hoff said that in 2023, she expects more than 400 families, plus senior households, will benefit from the program. All HCH participants live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

In addition to the expected increase in HCH participants, services throughout PIN have been on the rise. Hoff shared that traffic in the organization’s Food Pantry has increased 21.5% over 2022, which itself was an increase over years prior. In part, she attributes this scale to the growing need in Delaware County, ongoing inflation, and the end of the pandemic-era Emergency Allotments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“This July was the first time in our history that we distributed groceries to provide more than 50,000 meals in one month. We were blown away by that. And then in August, we set another record. In September, we’re on track to beat that. And that’s just simply what the level of need in our community is right now.”

Hoff stressed that the deadline for both the Family and Senior Applications is 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6.

“We’re expecting such a large volume of applications this year that it’s just not feasible for us to keep it open any longer, nor can we make exceptions,” she said. “It’s very, very important that every application is in by this deadline, including their supporting documentation”

More information about the Holiday Clearing House and PIN’s other programs can be found online at DelawarePeopleInNeed.org. Volunteer signups for the program will be available online as the event nears, and partner food/coat/toy drives are expected to begin in November.

PIN is a nonprofit social service agency that assists Delaware County families and individuals in their time of need. Its Food Insecurity Programs provide food, fresh produce, nutritional guidance for families and individuals, household supplies, and personal care items. For additional information on PIN and other emergency services it provides, visit DelawarepPeopleInNeed.org.

Submitted by People In Need, Inc. of Delaware County Ohio (PIN).

The post Date set for annual Holiday Clearing House appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

The Delaware County Retired Teachers’ Association disbanded in March, and members decided to use the remaining balance of funds from their treasury to help People In Need, Inc. of Delaware County. Pictured is retired teacher Rosemary Spall (left) presenting a check in the amount of $1,833.64 to PIN Executive Director Kathy Hoff (right).

The post DCRTA donates remaining funds to PIN appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry is urging Ohioans to learn about the state’s outdoor burning regulations and take precautions if they plan to burn debris this fall.

Ohio law states that most outdoor debris burning is prohibited in unincorporated areas from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. during October and November (Ohio Revised Code 1503.18).

“Wildfires occur every fall in Ohio due to the careless burning of trash and debris,” ODNR Division of Forestry Assistant Chief Greg Guess said. “This can be avoided by using safe burning practices and adhering to existing regulations.”

Burning is limited in the fall due to the abundance of dry grass, weeds, and leaves on the ground. Gusty winds and low humidity can make a seemingly safe fire burn more intensely and escape control. If a fire does escape control, contact the local fire department immediately. An escaped wildfire, even one burning in grass or weeds, is dangerous.

The ODNR Division of Forestry offers these safety tips for burning debris outdoors:

• Know current and future weather conditions, have tools and water on hand, and never leave a debris burn unattended.

• Be informed about state and local burning regulations.

• Consult the local fire department for additional information and safety considerations.

• Visit the Ohio Division of Forestry’s website and Firewise.org for more information and tips on protecting your home and community.

• Consider safe alternatives for debris disposal, such as composting.

• If you choose to burn during unrestricted hours, use a 55-gallon drum with a weighted screen lid to provide an enclosed incinerator.

• Remember: “Only you can prevent wildfires!”

Residents should check the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s open burn regulations prior to any outdoor fire and consult with local fire officials about burning conditions in the area. Food waste, dead animals, and materials containing rubber, grease, asphalt, or petroleum should never be burned. Violators of Ohio’s burning regulations are subject to citations and fines.

Submitted by ODNR.

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In 2002, Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, began a journey to write one play every day for a year. The result is “365 Days/365 Plays,” a series of one-act scripts since produced in over 700 theaters worldwide, creating one of the largest grassroots collaborations in theater history.

Ohio Wesleyan University will become part of that collaboration in October, when the Department of Performing Arts presents 24 scripts from “365 Days/365 Plays” in five free performances between Oct. 5 and Oct. 8.

“Each play is independent, but important national themes will recur, including trauma, gun violence, immigration, war and its emotional aftermath, the treatment of women in our national society, and the LGBTQIA+ community’s fears in contemporary America,” said Bradford Sadler, artistic director of the OWU production.

“Rather than attempting to depict realism, the scripts use various presentational theatrical devices to encourage the audience to think critically about what they see, and come to conclusions and judgments shaped by the artistic choices of the production,” said Sadler, a 2005 Ohio Wesleyan graduate and Performing Arts lecturer.

Sadler is joined on the “365 Days/365 Plays” directing team by Lusie Cuskey, Ph.D., assistant professor of Performing Arts, and by Ohio Wesleyan students Dyna Bresson, Miriam Lang, Isabelle Tinti-Kane, and Chloe Williams. Each of the six team members will direct four scripts. OWU Technical Director Carrie Hurst designed the lights for the production, and Jaylene Jennings, a member of Columbus-based Available Light Theatre, designed the costumes.

“It was important to me to engage with students in the work of one of the preeminent theatrical creators of our time,” said Sadler, also a professional performer and director. “Suzan-Lori Parks continues to be extremely important. Not only did she win a 2023 Tony Award for the Broadway revival of her Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘Topdog/Underdog,’ she also completed a second project of a play-a-day for a year, this one focused on our shared experiences of the quarantine of the COVID pandemic. This will also be the first time that OWU has produced a dramatic script written by an African-American woman.”

Twenty OWU students are performing various roles in the 24 individual scripts. Their names and hometowns are:

• Graham Anderson-Reitz of Cleveland

• Aliyanna Badger of Fort Worth, Texas

• Willow Brown of Elyria

• Abby Colbow of Mentor

• Sam Conti of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Adrian Enrique of Farmington, Connecticut

• Kaya Ferrell of Delaware

• Katie Fink of Delaware

• Morgan Giofreddo of Castalia

• Madison Klinger of Wickliffe

• Evan Large of Lima

• Ella Lazare of Oakland, California

• Milo Morton of Dover, Delaware

• Gillian Murray of Fairfield Township

• Michael Nimrick of Solon

• Kai Nordlund of Galloway

• Owen Rehak of Cleveland

• Haleigh Stover of Marion

• Elizabeth Sumoza of Chicago, Illinois

• Maja Todorovic of Chicago, Illinois

Nine OWU students are filling key production jobs. Their names, hometowns, and responsibilities are:

• Pedro Oliveira Figueiredo of Salvador, Brazil, stage manager

• Dyna Bresson of Columbus, student director

• Miriam Lang of Westerville, student director

• Isabelle Tinti-Kane of Marblehead, Massachusetts, student director

• Chloe Williams of Wilmington, student director

• Max Baker of Chicago, Illinois, assistant stage manager

• Brooke Black of Springfield, assistant stage manager

• Brielle DeCarolis of Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, assistant stage manager

• Cassidy Kellogg of The Bronx, New York, assistant stage manager

“365 Days/365 Plays” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5, 6, and 7, and 2 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8 in the Studio Theatre of Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. The plays contain adult themes and are not suitable for children. Admission is free, but reservations are required by visiting www.owu.edu/PerformingArts beginning two weeks before the show debuts. For questions, call the box office at (740) 368-3855.

For more information about OWU’s 2023-2024 performance schedule or about studying theatre and dance at Ohio Wesleyan, visit www.owu.edu/PerformingArts.

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The post OWU students to perform ‘365 Days/365 Plays’ appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

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9296 Polaris Green Dr, Columbus, Wang, Heather H & Micotto, Stephen P To: Opendoor Propery Trust I, $318,700

586 Arden St, Lewis Center, Wolever, Zachery & Olivia To: Frengou, Alexander L, $400,000

161 Flowering Meadow Dr, Delaware, Dr Horton Indiana Llc To: French, Joseph Charles & Katie M, $402,900

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Ohio Wesleyan University sophomore Olivia Danley, junior Landon Kuhn, and senior Claire Solberg have been named North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week for the week of Sept. 25, it was announced by the NCAC.

Danley, a forward on the Ohio Wesleyan field hockey team, was named Field Hockey Athlete of the Week; Kuhn, a midfielder on the Ohio Wesleyan men’s soccer team, was named Men’ Soccer Athlete of the Week; and Solberg, a middle blocker on the Ohio Wesleyan volleyball team, was named Volleyball Athlete of the Week.

Danley scored 2 goals in Ohio Wesleyan’s NCAC opener, a 4-0 win over Kenyon last Tuesday. Both goals came in the fourth quarter as OWU built upon a 1-0 lead. Ohio Wesleyan’s 3 goals during the fourth quarter tied the school record set against DePauw on Oct. 5, 2019, and tied at Sewanee on Sept. 10, 2023.

Danley then scored the Bishops’ first 2 goals in a 4-0 non-conference win over Lincoln Memorial last Thursday, first putting Ohio Wesleyan on the scoreboard with :19 remaining in the first quarter and then making it 2-0 with a goal early in the third quarter. Ohio Wesleyan would go on to score 3 goals during the third quarter, tying the school record set against Oberlin on Sept. 8, 2021, and tied against Oberlin on Sept. 1, 2022 and at Earlham on Oct. 29, 2022.

The win was Ohio Wesleyan’s seventh in a row to start the season, tying the school record set by the 1974 team. On the week, Danley scored 4 goals to raise her season total to 6, which is tied for second in the NCAC.

Kuhn scored what proved to be the deciding goal in a 2-1 non-conference win over Otterbein last Wednesday. Kuhn scored to give the Bishops a 2-0 lead early in the second half, allowing OWU to withstand an Otterbein penalty kick later in the half. On Saturday, Kuhn scored an insurance goal in the 78th minute of a 2-0 non-conference win at Wilmington.

Solberg set a school record with 10 block assists and contributed 6 kills in leading the Bishops past Wittenberg, 3-2, in their NCAC opener on Saturday.

Solberg had 3 kills and 2 blocks during a set-ending 7-1 run in the second set as the Bishops took a 2-0 lead in the match, and in the fifth set, Solberg delivered a kill to kick off a 4-0 run that put the Bishops ahead to stay, then teamed up on the match-ending block.

The 10 block assists broke the school record of 9 block assists in a 5-set match set by Gretchen Lenk against Case Reserve on Oct. 19, 1991, and tied by Jen Kraly against Wittenberg on Oct. 27, 1993. The win over Wittenberg was Ohio Wesleyan’s first in a North Coast Athletic Conference regular-season match since Oct. 27, 1993, breaking a 34-match streak.

Solberg opened the week with a team-leading 5 blocks and contributed 7 kills in a 3-1 non-conference win at Earlham. On the week, Solberg collected 13 kills (1.44/set) and 15 blocks (1.67/set).

OWU Sports Information contributed to this report.

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OHSAA Football Computer Ratings

(Entering Week 7)

Top 16 schools from each region in the final report Oct. 22 will qualify for the playoffs.

Division I

Region 1 – 1. Canton McKinley (5-1) 14.2753, 2. Lakewood St. Edward (5-1) 13.9167, 3. Wadsworth (5-1) 13.75, 4. Cleveland Heights (5-1) 13.4646, 5. Massillon Jackson (4-2) 9.5833, 6. Lorain (5-1) 9.5333, 7. Mentor (3-3) 8.8167, 8. Medina (4-2) 7.9833, 9. Berea-Midpark (3-3) 7.7833, 10. Strongsville (3-3) 6.0333, 11. Canton GlenOak (2-4) 4.3056, 12. Euclid (1-5) 3.053, 13. Cle. St. Ignatius (1-5) 3.0221, 14. Cle. John Marshall (1-4) 1.7395, 15. Brunswick (0-6) 0, 15. Elyria (0-6) 0, 15. Parma Normandy (0-5) 0, 15. Stow-Munroe Falls (0-6) 0

Region 2 – 1. Lewis Center Olentangy (5-1) 15.95, 2. Delaware Olentangy Berlin (5-1) 14.2333, 3. Huber Hts. Wayne (5-1) 12.8333, 4. Findlay (5-1) 12.5, 5. Centerville (5-1) 12.4333, 6. Perrysburg (6-0) 12.3333, 7. Dublin Coffman (5-1) 12.0833, 8. Tol. Whitmer (4-2) 10.25, 9. Kettering Fairmont (4-2) 9.8, 10. Delaware Hayes (5-1) 9.25, 11. Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (3-3) 8.8, 12. Miamisburg (4-2) 6.9667, 13. Dublin Jerome (2-4) 4.5833, 14. Springfield (2-4) 3.9014, 15. Marysville (2-4) 3.4167, 16. Powell Olentangy Liberty (1-5) 2.346, 17. Beavercreek (2-4) 1.75

Region 3 – 1. Hilliard Bradley (6-0) 17.35, 2. Pickerington North (6-0) 15.2551, 3. Gahanna Lincoln (6-0) 13.55, 4. Hilliard Darby (4-2) 11.6, 5. Hilliard Davidson (4-2) 10.9, 6. Grove City (4-2) 10.4167, 7. Westerville North (5-1) 10.3333, 8. Thomas Worthington (5-1) 9.8667, 9. Pickerington Central (3-3) 8.25, 10. Upper Arlington (4-2) 7.3, 11. Lancaster (3-3) 7.1833, 12. New Albany (2-4) 5.1833, 13. Groveport-Madison (3-3) 3.7667, 14. Newark (2-4) 3.0167, 15. Galloway Westland (1-5) 1.55, 16. Reynoldsburg (0-6) 0, 16. Westerville Central (0-6) 0

Region 4 – 1. Milford (6-0) 16.0833, 2. Cin. Princeton (6-0) 15.6, 3. Cin. Elder (4-2) 10.1658, 4. Cin. St. Xavier (3-3) 9.7172, 5. Cin. Archbishop Moeller (3-3) 8.9596, 6. Hamilton (4-2) 8.8833, 7. West Chester Lakota West (4-2) 8.8333, 8. Mason (3-3) 7.1, 9. Cin. Sycamore (3-3) 5.8, 10. Middletown (3-3) 5.7167, 11. Lebanon (3-3) 4.9833, 12. Cincinnati West Clermont (3-3) 4.3333, 13. Cin. Oak Hills (2-4) 4.1167, 14. Cin. Western Hills (2-4) 2.4667, 15. Springboro (1-5) 2.1333, 16. Fairfield (1-5) 1.7333, 17. Liberty Twp. Lakota East (1-5) 1.0833, 18. Cin. Colerain (0-6) 0, 18. Cin. Walnut Hills (0-6) 0

Division II

Region 5 – 1. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (6-0) 15.5163, 2. Painesville Riverside (6-0) 14.5667, 3. Akron Archbishop Hoban (5-0) 14.3905, 4. Macedonia Nordonia (6-0) 13, 5. Akron St. Vincent-St Mary (4-2) 10.3333, 6. Shaker Hts. (6-0) 9.5667, 7. Hudson (4-2) 9.2854, 8. Austintown-Fitch (4-2) 6.9091, 9. Barberton (3-3) 6.351, 10. Garfield Hts. (3-3) 5.8167, 11. Cle. John Hay (3-3) 5.0595, 12. Akron Firestone (3-3) 4.5167, 13. Mayfield (3-3) 4.5, 14. Warren G. Harding (2-4) 4.0969, 15. Eastlake North (2-4) 4.0667, 16. Cle. Benedictine (3-3) 4.0189, 17. Ashtabula Lakeside (2-4) 3.8333, 18. Solon (1-5) 2.7, 19. Twinsburg (2-4) 2.4167, 20. Maple Hts. (2-4) 2.35

Region 6 – 1. Avon (6-0) 17.1944, 2. Avon Lake (5-1) 13.4167, 3. Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (4-2) 9.85, 4. North Ridgeville (5-1) 9.3333, 5. Westlake (5-1) 8.9596, 6. Medina Highland (5-1) 8.4167, 7. Oregon Clay (3-3) 7.1833, 8. Brecksville-Broadview Hts. (4-2) 6.8, 9. Olmsted Falls (4-2) 6.2833, 10. Sylvania Southview (3-3) 5.1667, 11. Cle. Rhodes (4-2) 5.0833, 12. Lakewood (2-4) 4.8131, 13. Parma Hts. Valley Forge (2-4) 4.7, 14. Amherst Steele (3-3) 4.0167, 15. Tol. St. John’s (3-3) 3.8325, 16. Tol. Start (2-4) 3.5833, 17. Holland Springfield (2-4) 3.5667, 18. Grafton Midview (2-4) 2.9333, 19. Fremont Ross (1-5) 2.6167, 20. Tol. Bowsher (2-4) 2.4667

Region 7 – 1. Massillon Washington (6-0) 18.6803, 2. Canal Winchester (6-0) 12.4, 3. Uniontown Lake (5-1) 12.2833, 4. Green (4-2) 9.3167, 5. Cols. Northland (5-1) 9.0167, 6. Westerville South (4-2) 8.9667, 7. Pataskala Watkins Memorial (5-1) 8.9621, 8. Cols. St. Francis DeSales (3-3) 7.9592, 9. Cols. Briggs (4-2) 6.8667, 10. Cols. St. Charles (4-2) 6.6, 11. Massillon Perry (3-3) 5.2667, 12. Marion Harding (2-4) 4.0667, 13. North Canton Hoover (2-3) 3.9889, 14. Cols. Walnut Ridge (1-5) 3.6768, 15. Ashville Teays Valley (3-3) 3.6167, 16. Sunbury Big Walnut (2-4) 3.4667, 17. Cols. Independence (1-5) 3.2667, 18. Grove City Central Crossing (2-4) 3.2333, 19. Wooster (2-4) 3.0667, 20. Mount Vernon (1-5) 2.15

Region 8 – 1. Cin. Anderson (5-1) 14.9667, 2. Cin. Withrow (5-1) 12.4167, 3. Cin. Winton Woods (5-1) 10.5833, 4. Kings Mills Kings (4-2) 9.3, 4. Harrison (4-2) 9.3, 6. Clayton Northmont (3-3) 9.2652, 7. Troy (5-1) 9.1793, 8. Xenia (4-2) 9.1, 9. Cin. LaSalle (4-2) 8.267, 10. Loveland (3-3) 7.5667, 11. Sidney (4-2) 6.7333, 12. Lima Senior (4-2) 6.1167, 13. Riverside Stebbins (3-3) 4.6167, 14. Fairborn (2-4) 4.3167, 15. Cin. Turpin (2-4) 3.3833, 16. Oxford Talawanda (1-5) 2.0667, 17. Trenton Edgewood (1-5) 1.55, 18. Hamilton Ross (1-5) 1, 18. Day. Belmont (1-4) 1, 20. Piqua (1-5) 0.9167

Division III

Region 9 – 1. Youngstown Ursuline (6-0) 15.3308, 2. Geneva (5-1) 12.8833, 3. Cle. Villa Angela-St. Joseph (5-1) 12.7279, 4. Chagrin Falls Kenston (5-1) 12.1, 5. Aurora (5-1) 9.85, 6. Madison (5-1) 9.6, 7. Gates Mills Hawken (4-2) 9.25, 8. Alliance (4-2) 9.1167, 8. Gates Mills Gilmour Acad. (4-2) 9.1167, 10. Hunting Valley University School (4-2) 8.7551, 11. Cuy. Falls Cuy. Valley Christian Acad. (4-2) 8.6667, 12. New Philadelphia (4-2) 8.2333, 13. Akron East (5-1) 8.1005, 14. Canfield (3-3) 7.4646, 15. Chardon (3-3) 7.1701, 16. Kent Roosevelt (4-2) 6.45, 17. Alliance Marlington (4-2) 5.9592, 18. Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (3-3) 5.0333, 19. Chesterland West Geauga (2-4) 4.9667, 20. Youngstown Chaney (2-3) 4.9111

Region 10 – 1. Tol. Central Cath. (6-0) 16.1864, 2. Norton (6-0) 15.65, 3. Medina Buckeye (6-0) 12.45, 4. Mansfield Senior (4-2) 11.2333, 5. Ontario (6-0) 11.1833, 6. Tiffin Columbian (5-1) 10.9667, 7. Defiance (5-1) 9.4333, 8. Rocky River (5-1) 9.1837, 9. Bay Village Bay (5-1) 8.9773, 10. Sandusky (3-3) 8.6833, 11. Clyde (4-2) 7.9773, 12. Bowling Green (4-2) 6.6833, 13. Ashland (4-2) 6.5, 14. Norwalk (3-3) 5.6, 15. Maumee (3-3) 5.5, 16. Richfield Revere (3-3) 4.9333, 17. Lexington (3-3) 4.7833, 18. Rocky River Lutheran West (3-3) 4.5833, 19. Lodi Cloverleaf (3-3) 3.9833, 20. Parma Padua Franciscan (3-3) 3.8667

Region 11 – 1. Cols. Bishop Watterson (6-0) 14.7333, 2. London (6-0) 13.2, 3. Cols. Hamilton Township (6-0) 11.4, 4. Carroll Bloom-Carroll (5-1) 10.3636, 5. Granville (6-0) 10.2167, 6. Jackson (5-1) 9.6, 7. Washington C.H. Miami Trace (4-2) 9.2333, 8. Bellefontaine (4-2) 8.6833, 9. New Concord John Glenn (5-1) 7.8, 10. Dresden Tri-Valley (4-2) 7.6667, 11. Delaware Buckeye Valley (3-3) 6.3333, 12. Cols. South (4-2) 5.9369, 13. Marietta (3-3) 4.7801, 14. Bexley (2-4) 4.3167, 15. Cols. Beechcroft (3-3) 3.9833, 16. The Plains Athens (2-4) 2.65, 17. Zanesville (1-5) 1.8333, 18. Circleville (1-5) 1.7, 19. Chillicothe (1-5) 1.5051, 20. Cols. Centennial (1-5) 0.9167

Region 12 – 1. Hamilton Badin (6-0) 15.3167, 2. Trotwood-Madison (4-2) 10.4646, 3. Cin. Mount Healthy (5-1) 9.9, 4. Celina (5-1) 9.8333, 5. Vandalia Butler (4-2) 9.1333, 6. Tipp City Tippecanoe (4-2) 8.3667, 7. Day. Chaminade Julienne (4-2) 8.1944, 8. New Richmond (5-1) 8, 9. Wilmington (4-2) 7.4833, 10. Wapakoneta (4-2) 5.8333, 11. Bellbrook (3-3) 5.7, 12. Elida (4-2) 4.9167, 13. Hillsboro (3-3) 4.4833, 14. Day. Carroll (2-4) 4.2667, 15. Mount Orab Western Brown (2-4) 4.25, 16. New Carlisle Tecumseh (2-4) 4.2167, 17. Monroe (2-4) 3.9833, 17. Day. Oakwood (2-4) 3.9833, 19. Franklin (2-4) 3.6167, 20. Cin. Aiken (2-4) 2.65

Division IV

Region 13 – 1. Canton South (6-0) 13.3667, 2. Streetsboro (5-1) 10.8788, 3. Mentor Lake Cath. (5-1) 10.7, 4. Niles McKinley (5-1) 10, 5. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (4-2) 9.8333, 6. Beloit West Branch (5-1) 9.7167, 7. Struthers (4-2) 9.6313, 8. Poland Seminary (5-1) 8.7333, 9. Ashtabula Edgewood (4-2) 7.3833, 10. Lisbon Beaver (4-2) 7.25, 11. Girard (4-2) 6.35, 12. Canal Fulton Northwest (4-2) 5.4833, 13. Peninsula Woodridge (3-3) 4.7833, 14. East Liverpool (4-2) 3.8333, 15. Mogadore Field (2-4) 3.3157, 16. Akron Buchtel (2-4) 3.0278, 17. Hubbard (3-3) 2.9269, 18. Cle. Hts. Lutheran East (2-4) 2.2167, 19. Pepper Pike Orange (2-4) 2.1667, 20. Ravenna (1-5) 1.8939

Region 14 – 1. Sandusky Perkins (5-0) 13.9667, 2. Shelby (5-1) 10.9667, 3. Cle. Glenville (4-1) 10.2371, 4. Bellevue (3-3) 8.6439, 5. Van Wert (3-3) 8.4833, 6. Galion (4-2) 7.2, 7. Millersburg West Holmes (4-2) 6.6167, 8. Oberlin Firelands (3-3) 6.35, 9. Lima Bath (4-2) 6.3167, 10. Wauseon (4-2) 6.2833, 11. Bryan (3-3) 5.2833, 12. Vermilion (3-3) 4.9, 13. Napoleon (2-4) 3.7, 14. Caledonia River Valley (2-4) 3.6167, 15. Elyria Cath. (2-4) 3.5505, 16. Kenton (2-4) 3.4833, 17. St. Marys Memorial (2-4) 3.1333, 18. Upper Sandusky (3-3) 3.0667, 19. Cle. Central Cath. (2-4) 2.7273, 20. Bellville Clear Fork (1-5) 2.2833

Region 15 – 1. Thornville Sheridan (6-0) 14.4667, 2. Steubenville (5-1) 13.4811, 3. Circleville Logan Elm (6-0) 11.4167, 4. St. Clairsville (5-1) 10.5, 5. Cols. Bishop Hartley (4-2) 9.8333, 6. Plain City Jonathan Alder (5-1) 9.6, 7. Duncan Falls Philo (5-1) 9.2333, 8. Cols. Bishop Ready (5-1) 8.5333, 9. Gallipolis Gallia Acad. (5-1) 8.4388, 10. Cols. East (5-1) 8.1338, 11. Newark Licking Valley (4-2) 7.8167, 12. Cols. Eastmoor Acad. (4-2) 7.7222, 13. McArthur Vinton County (5-1) 7.6869, 14. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (4-2) 6.9833, 15. Carrollton (3-3) 4.9667, 16. McConnelsville Morgan (3-3) 3.3167, 17. Cols. Marion-Franklin (2-4) 3.15, 18. Lancaster Fairfield Union (2-4) 2.9333, 19. Hebron Lakewood (2-4) 2.6667, 20. Uhrichsville Claymont (2-4) 2.5667

Region 16 – 1. Clarksville Clinton-Massie (6-0) 18.05, 2. Cin. Wyoming (6-0) 12.1, 3. Springfield Shawnee (5-1) 10.55, 4. Chillicothe Unioto (5-1) 10.25, 5. Cin. Taft (4-2) 10.15, 6. Eaton (5-1) 8.3833, 7. Cin. Archbishop McNicholas (3-3) 7.6167, 8. Kettering Archbishop Alter (4-2) 7.5556, 9. Middletown Bishop Fenwick (4-2) 7.45, 10. Waverly (4-2) 7.3611, 11. St. Bernard Roger Bacon (4-2) 7.2568, 12. Springfield Kenton Ridge (4-2) 6.55, 13. Washington C.H. Washington (3-3) 6.4667, 14. Cin. Indian Hill (4-2) 6.3667, 15. Reading (4-2) 5.9667, 16. Greenfield McClain (4-2) 5.85, 17. Cleves Taylor (3-3) 5.6167, 18. Urbana (5-1) 5.2626, 19. Day. Dunbar (3-2) 4.0742, 20. Batavia (2-4) 2.7833

Division V

Region 17 – 1. Perry (6-0) 15.3667, 2. Creston Norwayne (6-0) 12.1, 3. Canfield South Range (5-1) 11.5126, 4. Cadiz Harrison Central (4-2) 8.4333, 5. Garrettsville Garfield (6-0) 7.835, 6. Lorain Clearview (5-1) 7.8, 7. West Lafayette Ridgewood (5-1) 6.8667, 8. Richmond Edison (5-1) 6.0556, 9. Magnolia Sandy Valley (4-2) 5.7667, 10. Conneaut (4-2) 5.1667, 11. Chagrin Falls (3-3) 4.4833, 12. Burton Berkshire (3-3) 4.3384, 13. Cortland Lakeview (3-3) 4.3, 14. Smithville (4-2) 4.25, 15. Mantua Crestwood (4-2) 4.0167, 16. Sheffield Brookside (3-3) 3.4333, 17. Navarre Fairless (2-4) 3.3833, 18. Youngstown Liberty (2-4) 3.2833, 18. Orrville (3-3) 3.2833, 20. Wooster Triway (2-4) 2.6333

Region 18 – 1. Milan Edison (6-0) 12.3, 2. Liberty Center (6-0) 11.5333, 3. Oak Harbor (6-0) 10.1333, 4. Archbold (5-1) 9.9167, 5. Coldwater (6-0) 9.7, 6. Genoa Area (5-1) 8.7333, 7. Findlay Liberty-Benton (5-1) 8.5833, 8. Pemberville Eastwood (5-1) 7.0333, 9. Marengo Highland (4-2) 6.6667, 10. Huron (4-2) 6.6463, 11. Marion Pleasant (4-2) 5.9, 12. Lewistown Indian Lake (4-2) 5.3833, 13. Willard (4-2) 3.9318, 14. Spencerville (2-4) 3.5, 15. Port Clinton (2-4) 2.9167, 16. Delta (3-3) 2.6167, 17. Tontogany Otsego (2-4) 2.6, 18. Fredericktown (2-4) 2.5333, 19. Northwood (2-4) 2.4235, 20. Bloomdale Elmwood (1-5) 1.7667

Region 19 – 1. Ironton (5-1) 13.1591, 2. Proctorville Fairland (5-1) 11.899, 3. Zanesville West Muskingum (5-1) 11.5167, 4. Canal Winchester Harvest Prep. (4-1) 11.4889, 5. Portsmouth West (5-1) 11.1717, 6. Gahanna Cols. Acad. (6-0) 10.3167, 7. Barnesville (6-0) 9.7071, 8. Cols. Africentric (5-1) 8.65, 9. South Point (4-2) 7.4621, 10. Utica (5-1) 7.1167, 11. Belmont Union Local (4-2) 7.1088, 12. Heath (4-2) 6.8833, 13. Minford (3-2) 5.7667, 14. Centerburg (3-3) 5.6333, 15. Wheelersburg (3-3) 5.1288, 16. Byesville Meadowbrook (4-2) 5.0667, 17. Portsmouth (3-3) 5.05, 18. Chesapeake (3-3) 4.7449, 19. New Lexington (3-3) 4.2167, 20. Piketon (4-2) 3.9268

Region 20 – 1. Germantown Valley View (6-0) 12.8, 2. Waynesville (5-1) 11.1667, 3. Brookville (5-1) 8.4833, 4. West Milton Milton-Union (4-2) 7.7167, 5. Middletown Madison (4-2) 7.5333, 6. Cin. Purcell Marian (4-2) 6.0167, 7. Springfield Northeastern (4-2) 5.55, 8. Blanchester (4-2) 5.5, 9. Chillicothe Zane Trace (4-2) 5.3833, 10. Camden Preble Shawnee (4-2) 4.7525, 11. Bethel-Tate (3-3) 4.5909, 12. Cin. Mariemont (3-3) 4.4667, 13. Cin. Clark Montessori (3-2) 4.4111, 14. Casstown Miami East (3-3) 4.1333, 15. Cin. Gamble Montessori (3-3) 3.7534, 16. Williamsport Westfall (3-3) 3.6333, 17. Carlisle (2-4) 3.5667, 18. Jamestown Greeneview (3-3) 3.45, 19. Cin. Madeira (2-4) 3.4, 20. Cin. Finneytown (3-3) 3.1088

Division VI

Region 21 – 1. Kirtland (5-1) 9.6224, 2. Rootstown (6-0) 9.5, 3. North Jackson Jackson-Milton (5-1) 8.4833, 4. Hanoverton United (5-1) 7.35, 5. Mogadore (4-1) 6.4545, 6. Andover Pymatuning Valley (3-3) 6.45, 7. Cuyahoga Hts. (4-1) 6.0778, 8. Mineral Ridge (4-2) 5.5, 9. Ravenna Southeast (5-1) 5.4333, 10. Canton Central Cath. (3-3) 5.0333, 11. Leavittsburg LaBrae (3-3) 4.7333, 12. Rittman (4-2) 4.5667, 13. Brookfield (3-3) 4.4667, 14. Youngstown Valley Christian (4-2) 3.65, 15. Middlefield Cardinal (3-3) 3.5167, 16. Columbiana Crestview (2-4) 2.9833, 17. Columbiana (2-4) 2.6667, 17. Atwater Waterloo (2-4) 2.6667, 19. Newton Falls (3-3) 2.6167, 20. Orwell Grand Valley (2-4) 2.1667

Region 22 – 1. Bluffton (6-0) 9.3167, 2. Collins Western Reserve (5-1) 7.95, 3. Carey (4-2) 7.8, 4. North Robinson Colonel Crawford (5-1) 7.5606, 5. Columbia Station Columbia (6-0) 6.9833, 6. Tol. Ottawa Hills (5-1) 6.835, 7. Columbus Grove (4-2) 6, 8. Ashland Mapleton (3-3) 4.8667, 9. Sullivan Black River (4-2) 4.85, 10. Attica Seneca East (3-3) 4.6833, 11. Kansas Lakota (3-3) 4.6591, 12. Bucyrus Wynford (3-3) 4.3, 13. Defiance Tinora (3-3) 4.2333, 14. Ashland Crestview (2-4) 3.25, 15. Paulding (4-2) 2.9333, 16. Mt. Blanchard Riverdale (3-3) 2.8939, 17. Van Buren (2-4) 2.7, 18. Haviland Wayne Trace (3-3) 2.6333, 19. Castalia Margaretta (3-3) 2.5404, 20. Metamora Evergreen (2-4) 2.5167

Region 23 – 1. West Jefferson (6-0) 13.7333, 2. Sugarcreek Garaway (6-0) 11.6167, 3. Beverly Fort Frye (4-1) 8.075, 4. Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant (4-2) 7.3333, 5. Martins Ferry (4-2) 6.6667, 6. Marion Elgin (6-0) 6.4333, 7. Newcomerstown (4-2) 6.2667, 8. Glouster Trimble (3-2) 6.0444, 9. Nelsonville-York (5-1) 5.904, 10. Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley (4-2) 5.8167, 11. Howard East Knox (4-2) 5.6, 12. Galion Northmor (4-2) 5.5333, 13. Grandview Hts. (4-2) 5.35, 14. Sarahsville Shenandoah (3-3) 3.8333, 15. Bellaire (3-3) 3.7146, 16. Grove City Christian (3-3) 3.6, 17. Loudonville (2-4) 3.2833, 18. Crooksville (3-3) 3.15, 19. Mount Gilead (2-4) 2.7833, 20. Johnstown Northridge (1-5) 2.7667

Region 24 – 1. Williamsburg (6-0) 12.8333, 2. Versailles (5-1) 10.2833, 3. West Liberty-Salem (6-0) 9.9, 4. Bainbridge Paint Valley (5-1) 9.6667, 5. Cin. Country Day (6-0) 9, 6. New Madison Tri-Village (5-1) 7.6, 7. Anna (3-3) 5.3167, 8. New Paris National Trail (3-3) 4.9167, 9. Rockford Parkway (2-4) 3.4667, 10. New Lebanon Dixie (3-3) 2.8939, 11. Cin. Deer Park (2-4) 2.3167, 12. Miamisburg Day. Christian (2-3) 2.3091, 13. Harrod Allen East (1-5) 2.1833, 14. West Alexandria Twin Valley South (2-4) 1.95, 15. Milford Center Fairbanks (2-4) 1.7833, 16. Troy Christian (2-4) 1.6167, 17. Lucasville Valley (1-5) 1.55, 18. North Lewisburg Triad (1-5) 1.4667, 19. Arcanum (2-4) 1.1667, 20. Chillicothe Southeastern (1-5) 1.15

Division VII

Region 25 – 1. Malvern (5-1) 9.9167, 2. Danville (6-0) 9.7333, 3. Berlin Center Western Reserve (5-1) 9.4798, 4. Dalton (4-1) 9.0989, 5. Toronto (5-1) 7.375, 6. Lucas (4-2) 7.2833, 7. Steubenville Cath. Central (6-0) 7.2629, 8. Jeromesville Hillsdale (4-2) 7.1288, 9. New Middletown Springfield (4-2) 6.7833, 10. Monroeville (4-2) 6.2197, 11. Lowellville (5-1) 6.2167, 12. McDonald (4-2) 5.8833, 13. Norwalk St. Paul (3-3) 5.8561, 14. Lisbon David Anderson (4-2) 5.85, 15. Salineville Southern (4-2) 4.0833, 16. Bowerston Conotton Valley (3-3) 2.85, 17. Fairport Harbor Fairport Harding (2-4) 1.8737, 18. Richmond Hts. (1-5) 1.8537, 19. Plymouth (2-4) 1.7833, 20. New Washington Buckeye Central (2-4) 1.1667, 20. Windham (2-4) 1.1667

Region 26 – 1. Hamler Patrick Henry (6-0) 11.6333, 2. Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (6-0) 9.4, 3. McComb (5-1) 9.3, 4. Tiffin Calvert (5-0) 9.2667, 5. Antwerp (6-0) 8.7, 6. Leipsic (6-0) 8.55, 7. Pandora-Gilboa (4-2) 7.5333, 8. Waynesfield-Goshen (6-0) 7, 9. Defiance Ayersville (5-1) 6.9, 10. Convoy Crestview (5-1) 6.0167, 11. Arlington (4-2) 5.6667, 12. Lima Central Cath. (3-3) 5.5, 13. Edon (4-2) 5.0697, 14. Dola Hardin Northern (4-2) 4.7833, 14. McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley (4-2) 4.7833, 16. Pioneer North Central (5-1) 4.7677, 17. Montpelier (4-2) 3.8308, 18. Ada (2-4) 3.2667, 19. Delphos St. John’s (3-3) 3.25, 20. Gibsonburg (2-4) 2.9495

Region 27 – 1. Reedsville Eastern (5-1) 8.7904, 2. Caldwell (6-0) 8.2667, 3. Beaver Eastern (6-0) 6.596, 4. Beallsville (5-1) 5.4956, 5. Portsmouth Notre Dame (4-2) 4.9596, 6. Lancaster Fairfield Christian Acad. (4-2) 4.65, 7. Hannibal River (3-2) 4.4727, 8. Waterford (4-2) 4.3167, 9. Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans (3-3) 3.9545, 10. Woodsfield Monroe Central (3-3) 3.3204, 11. Crown City South Gallia (4-2) 2.9405, 12. Portsmouth Sciotoville (2-3) 2.65, 13. Shadyside (2-4) 2.4924, 14. Corning Miller (3-3) 2.4571, 15. Willow Wood Symmes Valley (3-3) 2.2775, 16. Sugar Grove Berne Union (2-4) 2.2167, 17. Bridgeport (2-4) 1.25, 18. Racine Southern (1-5) 0.9369, 19. Lancaster Fisher Cath. (1-5) 0.5833, 19. Franklin Furnace Green (1-5) 0.5833

Region 28 – 1. Maria Stein Marion Local (6-0) 13.35, 2. Ansonia (6-0) 10.6333, 3. DeGraff Riverside (5-1) 8.0833, 4. Cedarville (5-1) 6.9333, 5. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (4-1) 6.4114, 6. Minster (5-1) 6.4, 7. S. Charleston Southeastern Local (4-2) 6.2333, 8. Cin. College Preparatory (5-1) 6.1979, 9. Sidney Lehman Cath. (4-2) 5.9, 10. Mechanicsburg (3-3) 4.7167, 11. Lewisburg Tri-County North (3-3) 4.5253, 12. Bradford (3-2) 4.1787, 13. Fort Loramie (3-3) 4.1, 14. New Bremen (3-3) 3.8333, 15. St. Henry (1-5) 1.7833, 16. Fayetteville-Perry (1-5) 0.9874, 17. Lockland (1-4) 0.8, 18. Springfield Cath. Central (1-5) 0.75, 18. Cin. Miami Valley Christian Acad. (1-5) 0.75, 20. Hamilton New Miami (1-5) 0.6667

The post Olentangy, Berlin top weekly football computer ratings appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

Earlier this month, the Grand Pacer Marching Band participated in its first competition of the season and earned a “Superior” rating, which qualifies the band for the state finals next month.

On Sept. 16, the band performed at the Westerville Invitational at Westerville North High School and were evaluated by seven judges in five categories: music, general effect, visuals, percussion and auxiliary.

Band Director Bill Fowles said the band was given a “Superior” rating after the evaluation, which qualifies it for the State Marching Band Finals on Oct. 28 at Hilliard Bradley High School.

Fowles said that last year the band qualified for the state competition at its final competition of the season, so to qualify this early is quite the accomplishment.

“I’m really proud of them,” he said.

Fowles added the band will not rest on it laurels and is focused on finishing the final movement of its show and improving visuals before the band’s next competition at Teays Valley High School in Ashville on Oct. 7.

“There’s a tendency to relax, but now (we’re) inputting different milestones and goals, different targets for our next competitions that we have coming up in October,” Fowles said. “It’s nice we still have these things we can add and fix to keep the energy going as we move forward. … We’re aiming to increase our score by 5 points.”

Fowles said Dempsey Band Director Alan Notestine believes the band can achieve its highest score of all time this season. Fowles added he’s known this was going to be a successful year for the band since rehearsals back in July.

“They’ve been working hard since before August,” he said. “I had a feeling (getting ‘Superior’) was going to happen. I knew we were going to have a good season this year based on how hard they worked during the three weeks of band camp. With the level they were playing, marching, and the work ethic (they had) all summer long, I knew it was going to be a special year.”

Fowles said it’s “validating” to have such success so early into the season, and the band’s potential is “limitless.”

“It’s up to them how far they want this to go,” he said. “I’m not settled. It’s ultimately up to them to take this show where they want it to go. All the accolades that you achieve always comes from the students. They’re the ones that go out and execute. We’re instructing and giving guidance but it’s ultimately them who have to go out and earn it. They’ve earned that superior rating already, and I’m excited to see what else we can earn the rest of the season.”

After the Oct. 7 competition, the band will perform at the Buckeye Invitational hosted by The Ohio State University on Oct. 14 and will have its last regular competition at Thomas Worthington High School on Oct. 21.

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.

The post Band qualifies for state appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

The Olentangy Local School District (OLSD) has been named a five-star district by the Ohio Department of Education following the latest school district report cards, which were released earlier this month.

OLSD is one of 75 school districts in the state to receive a five-star overall rating and one of just six in central Ohio.

Report cards are comprised of five components that evaluate various aspects of a district’s performance. Those components include achievement, progress, early literacy, graduation and gap closing. OLSD received five-star ratings in all but one of the components; four stars were awarded in the progress component.

“The continued recognition of Olentangy’s commitment to educational excellence affirms our staff’s efforts to facilitate maximum learning for every student,” said OLSD Superintendent Todd Meyer in a press release. “The state report card is one measurement of the Olentangy learning experience, and we are proud of the opportunities and supports we deliver to our students.”

The achievement component measures students’ academic achievement using each level of performance on Ohio’s state tests. OLSD received a 94.9% on the Performance Index, which measures the test results of every student regardless of the student’s scores.

Schools and districts receive points on the index for every student who takes a test. The higher the performance level on the state tests, the more points are awarded toward the index score. The index score is then divided by the maximum possible score, and the maximum possible score is determined by the average of the highest 2% performance index scores in the state.

The gap-closing component, in which OLSD received 83.6%, shows how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for students in English language arts, math, and graduation. It also measures how schools are doing in supporting English learners to increase language proficiency, reducing chronic absenteeism for all students, and identifying gifted students and providing gifted services.

A weighted graduation rate is used to determine a district’s graduation evaluation. The rate includes students in the class of 2022 who graduated within four years and students in the class of 2021 who graduated within five years. The four-year graduation rate is weighted at 60% and the five-year graduation rate is weighted at 40%.

OLSD received a 98.3% in the weighted graduation rate.

Early literacy examines the effectiveness of the reading and literacy supports provided to children in kindergarten through third grade. OLSD received a 91.8%, which is made up of an 86.4% mark in proficiency in third-grade reading and a 100% promotion of students to fourth grade.

As for the progress component, Director of Data and Continuous Improvement Jeanette Kenney said in the release, “A four-star rating on the progress component means there is significant evidence that Olentangy is exceeding the student growth expectations. Olentangy students have historically met and exceeded state benchmarks, which impacts our ability to continually demonstrate progress year over year in the measured areas.”

Meyer added in the release, “One of our district values is that we can always get better, and we continue to find ways to enhance the learning experience for the benefit of our students.”

During a review of the report card as part of the Olentangy Schools Board of Education’s meeting on Sept. 21, Board President Kevin O’Brien thanked the students, parents, staff, and administration in the district for their collective efforts to earn the rating.

“This is years of work culminating into a set of tests, and it takes a village,” he said. “This is a fantastic performance across the board because the students work hard, the parents are engaged, and the staff and administration care. It’s a really good outcome and really good work.”

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.

The post Olentangy Local School District receives five-star rating appeared first on Delaware Gazette.

SUNBURY — The Community Library said its replacement levy will cost homeowners in 29 precincts the equivalent of two hardcover books per year.

The ballot language reads, “A replacement of a tax for the benefit of the Community Library for the purpose of current expenses that the county auditor estimates will collect $1,251,000 annually, at a rate not exceeding 1 mill for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $35 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, for 5 years, commencing in 2024, first due in calendar year 2025.”

The library, which serves the Big Walnut area, has issued a levy fact sheet.

“The local levy accounts for over 52% of our annual income,” the fact sheet said. “The Community Library depends on local support to maintain and grow our programs and services. The one-mill levy provides stable and sufficient resources for five years, allowing the library to meet the needs of the growing community.”

A library card gives a household “access to over 700,000 physical items, 3.3 million digital items, Wi-Fi, hotspots, public notaries, passport services, workshops, story times, public meeting rooms, and much, much more.”

The library said it has increased acquisitions by nearly 11% in the last five years, had increased program attendance of 10% annually, increased circulation 66%, and “increased non-traditional library services, such as public notaries and passport applications. We average over 1,500 passport and notarization annually.”

In addition, Community Library said, “We were one of the few libraries to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, in partnership with the State of Ohio, we have distributed almost 20,000 free COVID-19 tests.”

The library said that for every public dollar it receives, it provides the community $3.50 in benefits.

“The library secured grants and donations in the amount of $717,849, averaged 1,000 volunteer hours annually, and only averaged a 3% annual increase for operation costs,” the fact sheet said. It “kept staff size at approximately 15 full-time employees to help maintain personnel costs.”

If the levy were to fail, “we will work with the community to determine what actions to take to best serve area residents,” the library said. “We have some operational reserves, but once those reserves have been exhausted, we would have to reduce hours, eliminate programs, and cut staff.”

For more information, visit yourcl.org.

Assistant Editor Gary Budzak photographs and reports on stories in eastern Delaware County and surrounding areas.

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