Westerville | Rowsey Blog

Columbus Suburb Going Green

May 26, 2008

Westerville, a surburb on Columbus’ north side, has decided to resurrect a plan to allow city residents to buy more environmentally sound forms of energy, including wind and hydro.  The plan was passed approximately four years ago, but was never promoted because energy prices continued to increase.

According to an article in the Columbus Dispatch, the additional cost to residents of Westerville would be approximately $13 per month.

I’m a Westerville resident and would be more than happy to pay the increase.  Now this is an example of Ohio politics functioning as it should.

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Money Matters, Ohio Government, Politics, Westerville, columbus | 3 Comments 

Child Donates Allowance For Pet Rescue

March 24, 2008

Doesn’t the title of this post say it all? According to the This Week newspaper of Westerville:

A child’s monthly allowance can go a long way toward keeping him stocked up on candy and baseball cards.

But for seven-year-old Alex Knipfer, that extra pocket change is already earmarked for the Westerville Division of Fire.

With the help of his parents and little sister, Alex recently turned his earnings into extra equipment to be placed on the division’s medic units. The devices function as animal oxygen masks, and are used to resuscitate family pets that have been overwhelmed by smoke.

The McVay Elementary School student said that he and his family got the idea from reading Scholastic News at school.

“At school we talk about fire safety,” Alex said. “I do chores and save for charity. It made me feel really good, because I like doing stuff for other people.”

Alex’s mother, Laura Knipfer, said that Alex and his sister, Julia, have both been excited to make donations to charity each year on their birthdays.

“The first year, Alex donated to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank and they sent him back a very nice thank-you letter. He was really excited,” she said. “So this year we did some research online and found a company called SurgiVet that makes these masks for fire departments.”

Each of the two kits contains multiple masks to be placed over dog and cat muzzles when they are in need of oxygen, according to John Ross, deputy chief at the Division of Fire.

“Basically in the past if we had an animal that was pulled out (of a fire) we’d blow oxygen through an adult mask or just a regular breathing tube,” Ross said. “Luckily we don’t have very many fires in Westerville, but it’s not uncommon for us to pull pets out when we do, and these masks are built to make a tighter seal around an animal’s mouth, and also helps prevent the animal from biting.”

Alex’s father, John Knipfer, said that he and his wife started Alex and Julia in donating as a way to teach them about helping others and being responsible with their money.

“We thought it would be something good to do by building responsibility early on, and decided that if they’re going to do chores for their allowances, you can also give back,” he said. “Right now it might only be in a small way, but it’s a big thing to (Alex and Julia).”

Ross said that both kits have been placed on the city’s ladder trucks and are ready to be used. According to SurgiVet’s Web site, the oxygen masks are useable for at least two years, and can be operated for as long as three years.

“This was a good opportunity for public service,” Ross said. “(The Knipfers) raised their kids to do these nice deeds, and that’s amazing that they take a piece of what they earn and do something charitable with it.”

Does it get any better than that? As a big animal lover, this story was very inspiring to me.

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Social Causes, Westerville | Leave a Comment 

The Excitement Builds

February 29, 2008

As an educator, I am very thrilled to see the excitement generated by this year’s democratic primary election amongst young voters. Opinions vary and allegiances sometimes change, but getting the youth of America energized for a presidential campaign is something that most pundits and politicians would have told you was pointless, and perhaps impossible. Historical trends and data prove that younger Americans have been apathetic to politics and left those decisions up to their older counterparts.

But is change in the air? One cannot turn on the TV and watch Fox News or CNN and not see story upon story reporting on the youth vote turning out for Obama this year. As a student of political science, I know that politicians typically pander to the older amongst our populace that are backed by powerful lobbies such as AARP. We know that programs such as social security and medicare have been called the third rail of politics and politicians no matter what their party allegiance, dared not make substantive changes to these programs.

But are we witnessing something different this election cycle? I notice in the schools that kids are excited to talk about the election and are taking steps to inform themselves on the important issues surrounding us today. They are becoming versed on the stances of all candidates on these issues. Some still support a candidate simply because of the viewpoints of their parents. Others still rely on gossip and innuendo for their main source of information, others are really engaging themselves in this process.

But my question to you is what is the role of the school in educating students on these issues? Is it enough to talk about world events and where the candidates stand on these issues? Should high school administrators take students out of classes on a field trip to participate in an Obama political rally as did happen in some high schools in the central Ohio area? Should teachers discuss with students the issues, and their own personal viewpoints? What happens if the teacher is misinformed or misguided?

In my opinion, it is a good thing to have open dialog in school that pertains to politics. Reaching students at a young age and helping to develop a sense of civic duty is part of the job description of an educator. But, should my political beliefs influence those of my students?

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Politics, Westerville | 2 Comments