Eastwood Community Improvement Corporation

01/26/2023

https://www.sent-trib.com/2023/01/24/video-athlete-of-the-week-eastwoods-natalie-redfern/
Another outstanding Eastwood student-athlete...............

Eastwood senior Natalie Redfern is the Sentinel-Tribune Athlete of the Week.

09/10/2020

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT WELKER
Important School Lunch Information

Dear Parents:

There are some significant changes to the school lunch program and the ability to access meals. Our Assistant Treasurer, Laurie Ruch, put together this excellent summary along with critical details. Please read below.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

EASTWOOD SCHOOLS CAFETERIA

The USDA has extended free meals for ALL students through
December 31, 2020.

“As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,” said Secretary Perdue. “We appreciate the incredible efforts by our school foodservice professionals year in and year out, but this year we have an unprecedented situation. This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children – whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually – so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments.”…USDA Release 8/31/2020

Effective September 14, 2020, ALL students in the Eastwood School District may receive a free breakfast and a free lunch every day until December 31, 2020.

Please note: You will need to complete a free and reduced lunch form if you think you may qualify. This will be used to waive school fees and participation fees. Effective January 1, 2021, the applications will be used for determination of free or reduced lunches when the extension is over.

Menus are in your Final Forms account or can be found on the school website at www.eastwoodschools.org

MEAL PICKUP OPTIONS

Eastwood students have the option to select grab-and-go breakfast & lunch meals for the fall semester (2020) whether the student is following the hybrid or online schedule.

Elementary Hybrid students can receive- 1 breakfast and 1 lunch
Middle School/High School Hybrid students can receive 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches.
Online students can receive 5 breakfast and 5 lunches.

Meals will be available for pickup on MONDAY ONLY from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Elementary School Building. No delivery will be available during school. Please pull up to the cafeteria door located on the east side of the building. Stop by the end of the ramp and a food service person will meet you there. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

The registration form must be filled out by Sunday evening for preparation the following morning.

Please click here to register.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoLIYYXgvSDkeaFrL774gi0Q6_Q7DUCwfqPdE02F4Y_MsIYw/viewform

Meals will follow the school menu for each day.

A Food Service staff member will approach your vehicle to confirm your student(s) name(s) and ID number. Food will be placed in the trunk or back of the vehicle for the safety of all.

Food service staff members are required to sanitize all food surfaces before meal prep. Their temperatures are taken when they arrive at work and are required to wear a face mask and gloves during food preparation.

As a school district, we are honored and relieved to serve our students and families every day.

If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Ruch at 419-833-6411 or email [email protected]

Sincerely,

Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools

Starting August 31, 2020 You must sign up each week This form gives Eastwood students the option to select grab-and-go breakfast & lunch meals for the fall semester (2020) whether the student is following the hybrid or online schedule. Elementary students can receive- 1 breakfast and 1 lunch Middle....

09/04/2020

NEWS FROM THE LUCKEY CLEAN-UP SITE
Luckey Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program Site News from the Corps

Hello from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District:

The district recently awarded a cost reimbursable contract to Northwind Site Services, LLC, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, for the removal of the former Production Building on the Luckey Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Site. The building is being removed to provide safe access to clean up soil underneath, which is contaminated with beryllium, radium-226, thorium-230, uranium-234, uranium-238, and lead.

The Production Building, which began to collapse earlier this year, was used for the production of beryllium from 1949 to 1958 under a contract with the Atomic Energy Commission. Since the Luckey Site is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, the district is coordinating with the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office before removal of the building starts.

“We are pleased to begin the process to take this building down.” said Lt. Col. Eli S. Adams, Corps of Engineers Buffalo District Commander. “The removal of this hazard is something the community has been requesting for a long time. During the deconstruction of the building, the protection of human health, including our site workers and the community, and the environment will be our highest priority.”

“This announcement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is another promising step in the cleanup of the Luckey site,” said Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5). “I’ve shared the same concerns as the Luckey community about the abandoned production building, and this new contract to safely remove the contaminated structure is welcome news. I’d like to thank the Army Corps for continuing to meet with me to provide updates on their progress and for working diligently to remove contaminated soil and materials while keeping local residents safe. The added financial certainty for the project will help ensure a full and thorough cleanup is completed.”

The awarded contract amount for removal of the building was $11.8 million. Before work begins, the contractor will be required to submit several written plans to the Corps of Engineers regarding the methods that will be used to complete the project. Deconstruction is scheduled to begin in early 2021 and is estimated to take about one year to complete.

The Corps of Engineers continues soil remediation at the site. The Phase 1 excavation area was completed in July and excavation in the Phase 2 area is currently 38% complete. The entire site remediation is 39% complete. The Corps of Engineers continues to actively monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and is in regular communication with site personnel and contractors to emphasize the importance of taking appropriate actions -- such as social distancing, wearing appropriate protective equipment, temperature screening of individuals before entry into the site, and personal hygiene measures -- to safeguard employee health and welfare while working during the pandemic.

An infographic tracking cleanup progress is posted weekly to the web at https://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/Missions/HTRW/FUSRAP/Luckey-Site/. Those interested in receiving email updates on progress made at the Luckey Site can email [email protected].

Sincerely,

Arleen K. Kreusch, APR
Outreach Program Specialist
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District
Special Projects Branch, Environmental Project Management Section

This is the official public website of the Buffalo District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For website corrections, write to [email protected]

08/14/2020

THOUGHTS FROM SUPERINTENDENT WELKER

IMPACTS
Over the weekend, we were doing some reflection on how we have worked with exposures and quarantines thus far, and while we had looked at the global impacts of potential exposure to kids, we had not drilled down to how this looks at the building/classroom/family level in specific detail.

When you consider that we could be contacted 24 hours per day/ 7 days per week, and couple that with our need to contact parents and take action, we have a better understanding of the depth of action and procedures that have to be in place.

We remain 100% committed to our hybrid program, and the alternate day instruction for kids in grades 6-12 will give us more time to make contacts if needed. However, the greatest impacts and inconveniences will fall to our elementary parents and staff. I am sure that many of you have lost sleep over what to do in these kinds of situations. Unfortunately, this is part of what we will have to do to keep face-to-face instruction rolling.

While it will trigger a series of events that will be difficult on all of us, contacting us as soon as there is a suspicion that a student has COVID, or has been exposed to COVID, will give us time to provide the best outcome. Delaying contacting the district could lead to a potential wider spread and a larger impact on families, the buildings or the district as a whole.

Never, ever, in my life has the application of E+R=O been so vital. There are Events that are so far out of our control that are impacting our daily lives. We can influence or get the best Outcomes by the quality of our Responses. Our Response to the challenges presented by contact tracing will be to get the best information to those impacted, as soon as we can get it to them in the most compassionate manner possible. The Outcome we all hope for is to provide face-to-face instruction as much as possible this year, while working to keep people as safe as possible.

Sorry for this email, but it is a reality that we face in the coming weeks. Having these ideas to consider will at least allow you to be proactive and have some time to consider how your family will respond if contacted.

Best wishes and know that we will get to the other side!

Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools

08/13/2020

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL EASTWOOD RESIDENTS

Hello from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District:

This Friday we will begin transporting up to 200 dump truckloads per day of native soil from Perrysburg, Ohio, to the Luckey Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Site. This activity is scheduled to be conducted through mid-October. The clean material will be used to backfill the Phase 1 Lagoon B excavation area where approximately 34,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated with beryllium, radium-226, thorium-230, uranium-234, uranium-238 were removed and transported off-site for disposal. The trucks will be covered with a tarp when they are transporting the material.

The preferred route per the Wood County Engineers Office will have the trucks travelling northwest on Fremont Pike Road, south on Lime City Road, west on Roachton Road, southeast on McCutcheonville Road, and east on Middleton Pike Road before entering the site. Alternately, beginning the week of August 17, trucks will be routing Northwest on Fremont Pike Road, south on Interstate Route 75 and east on Dunbridge Road during construction on Roachton and Lime City Roads.

The portion of Luckey Road that leads to the site will be sprayed with water regularly to prevent the spread of dust. The material will be staged in the southeastern portion of the site near Gilbert Road.

We continue to make progress with the cleanup of the Luckey Site. As of August 7, 2020, the Corps of Engineers has excavated and disposed of 86,256 tons of FUSRAP-contaminated material from the site. Cleanup of the site is 38% complete, and the Phase 2 excavation area is 16% percent complete.

Our highest priority during cleanup activities at the Luckey Site is to be protective of human health and the environment, ensure that work is conducted in a safe and efficient manner, and prevent the spread of contamination. We are also actively monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation and are in regular communication with our personnel and contractors to emphasize the importance of taking appropriate actions -- such as social distancing, wearing appropriate protective equipment, temperature screening of individuals before entry into the site, and personal hygiene measures -- to safeguard employee health and welfare while working during the pandemic.

For additional information about the site, please visit https://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/Missions/HTRW/FUSRAP/Luckey-Site/ on the Buffalo District website. If you know someone that is interested in receiving News from the Corps updates about our progress at the site, please ask them to email [email protected] to let us know.

Sincerely,

Arleen K. Kreusch, APR
Outreach Program Specialist
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District
Special Projects Branch, Environmental Project Management Section

The official public website of the Buffalo District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For website corrections, write to [email protected]

08/07/2020

QUESTIONS POSED TO SUPERINTENDENT WELKER
Good Friday Morning,

I received a couple of emails last night about face shields in lieu of masks.

We asked about this on several occasions and the answer is that students need to be in a mask unless they meet one of the new criteria listed below:

1. Children under the age of 2 years old

2. Any child unable to remove the face covering without assistance

3. A child with a significant behavioral/psychological issue undergoing treatment that is exacerbated specifically by the use of a facial covering (e.g. severe anxiety or a tactile aversion)

4. A child living with severe autism or with extreme developmental delay who may become agitated or anxious wearing a mask

5. A child with a facial deformity that causes airway obstruction

Students can wear face shields in addition to a mask, but they cannot substitute a shield for a mask.

Staff members may wear a face shield if their job requires that students be able to see their face for instruction such as Speech or Foreign Language. Just adding that in case kids come home and share that with you.

Thanks to those parents who reached out last night with questions. It was good to interact with you and hopefully continue to provide some guidance. Most importantly, I appreciated the positive approach parents took and even though we may not have provided the answer they were hoping for, it was cordial/professional! We all have tough decisions to make and allowing ourselves to see things from both sides will lead to productive conversations and results. That is our Way.

Have a great weekend,

Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools

08/06/2020

https://www.sent-trib.com/community/some-will-stay-some-will-go-4-of-8-townships-approve-departure-from-bgcs/article_4f4cc58e-d6c0-11ea-abb2-23afdeb42785.html
Addition to Eastwood District........

Bowling Green City Schools has lost four townships to other districts.

07/31/2020

NEWS ABOUT LUCKEY REMEDIAL SITE

Hello from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District:

Today the 5,000th truck left the Luckey Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Site loaded with material contaminated with beryllium, radium-226, thorium-230, uranium-234, uranium-238, and lead, which marks the substantial completion of Phase 1.

The district's contractor began shipping FUSRAP-related material from the Luckey Site in June 2018. Over 725,000 truck miles were travelled; safely transporting 83,839 tons of contaminated material off-site for disposal in Belleville, Michigan.

Each truckload averages approximately 16.5 tons of material and typically 70 truckloads leave the site each week. Since the cleanup contract was awarded in 2015, the Corps of Engineers' contractor has worked over 370,000 hours without a lost time accident. Cleanup began in the Phase 1 excavation area on April 16, 2018, and currently verification samples are being collected to confirm the area is complete. Overall, the entire cleanup is 37% complete.

"I'm incredibly proud of our team's safe ex*****on of the FUSRAP mission at this major milestone in the Luckey project," said Lt. Col. Eli S. Adams, USACE Buffalo District Commander. "Our top priority during the cleanup continues to be the safety and protection of human health for both our community and the workforce as well as securing the health of the environment. I have family who live and work just a short distance away from this site so it is especially rewarding work for me personally. We are also actively monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation and are in regular communication with our personnel and contractors to emphasize the importance of taking appropriate actions -- such as social distancing, wearing appropriate protective equipment, temperature screening of individuals before entry into the site, and personal hygiene measures -- to safeguard employee health and welfare while working during the pandemic."

We will continue to provide updates to you via email and also in the form of an infographic that tracks our progress, which is posted weekly on our website at https://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/Missions/HTRW/FUSRAP/Luckey-Site/. If you know someone that would be interested in receiving updates regarding the Luckey Site, please ask them to contact us at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Arleen K. Kreusch, APR
Outreach Program Specialist
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District
Special Projects Branch, Environmental Project Management Section

The official public website of the Buffalo District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For website corrections, write to [email protected]

07/20/2020

https://www.sent-trib.com/community/eastwood-s-pease-is-national-merit-scholar/article_f50ecbc8-ca83-11ea-ba4e-d78042764b90.html
Another outstanding student from Eastwood....

An Eastwood High School graduate has been named a National Merit Scholar.

07/13/2020

https://www.sent-trib.com/news/sheriff-no-arrests-in-stony-ridge-homicide/article_1a4a3e80-c495-11ea-a8cc-0b8e4aaf66ac.html
Unusual crime investigated by Sheriff and BCI.....

STONY RIDGE — A 67-year-old man’s death is a homicide, according to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

07/10/2020

https://www.sent-trib.com/news/wood-county-commissioners-wear-a-mask-social-distance/article_1e6f15aa-c2c2-11ea-9a52-c70cfda3c66b.html
SUDDEN SURGE REQUIRES EXTRA CAUTION.....

The Wood County commissioners are asking everyone to wear face coverings and maintain social distance after the county was raised to a level 3 for coronavirus cases.

07/06/2020

MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT WELKER
TO THE EASTWOOD COMMUNITY


It is our goal to have the different educational scenarios in your hands very soon once we have had the chance to compare our thoughts with the governor’s guidelines. Where we start the year will depend on incidents of the disease in our area and throughout the county. As I said a month ago, parents will need to have plans ready for kids to be fully back in school, for kids to be partially in school and at home in a hybrid model, or fully at home in an online learning program. I am sorry, because I know how complicated that can be for you. I wish there was different or better news, but there isn’t.



EASTWOOD ONLINE ACADEMY



In order to meet the demand for a fully online educational experience for students and their families for the 2020-21 school year, Eastwood Schools is developing the Eastwood Online Academy for students in grades K-12. This will look very different from what students experienced in the spring as this will involve online instruction, weekly time requirements, attendance requirements, and timely completion of assignments. It will be staffed by Eastwood personnel although the final details will be worked out in the coming weeks once we have an idea on the overall enrollment.



Students who choose the Eastwood Online Academy option will be assigned to this class for a minimum of nine weeks for K-8 students, and for the semester if they are in the high school. The reason for the commitment is simple. In the lower grades we need stability so we can assign teachers, bus routes, and other things. Having students move in and out will create significant challenges if we have to maintain social distancing on buses and in classrooms. In the high school, we want students to complete their semester to gain their credits before allowing them to move. Again, we need stability for all of the reasons listed above, but making sure kids receive credit and stay on pace to graduate is our biggest priority.



We will allow students who take part in the Eastwood Online Academy to participate in clubs and activities, however participation will expose them to many of the same risks associated with attending classes on campus.



We are asking parents to complete the Google Form below IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN A COMPLETE ONLINE PROGRAM FOR THEIR CHILD. If you are on the fence, please fill out the form and there is a place where you can share your thoughts. We can reach out to you towards the end of July to see where you stand. If you are not interested, please disregard.



Completion of this form will allow us to prepare the curriculum and staff the program for the coming school year. Depending on enrollment, we will have options on how to structure the coursework and teach the students.



If interested, please complete this form by Monday July 13th. Here is the link:



https://forms.gle/SjrR2WqwuXoFo5bo8





SUMMARY



I know we threw a lot out to you in this email. Yesterday, we met with teacher groups to have them look at things and offer feedback on our re-opening plans for next year. There was a lot for them to process and the gravity of just how difficult the coming year started to settle in. No one is immune to the challenges presented by coronavirus.



Like we have said over and over again, we DO NOT control Events, but we do control our Response. If our Response is to provide the best experience for our kids powered by a collective effort to battle the spread of the virus using the best practices available, we will be able to influence the Outcome in a positive manner. How we apply E+R=O will determine our success as a district.



Best wishes to all of you. Be safe and think of the safety of others as you go about your 4th of July weekend!

Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools

Please complete this form for EACH child you are considering for enrollment into our 2020-21 fully online option, the Eastwood Online Academy. When you submit this form, there will be a link to submit another response for other children, if applicable.