Junior High Group Collects Over 500 Items For Needy
BY KAREN BERGER— MIRROR REPORTER
While many Anthony Wayne Junior High students choose not to wear a coat to school for fashion reasons, they at least have outerwear on standby at home.
When the seventh- and eighth-graders heard from an inner city Toledo school’s principal that many of her students come to school in T-shirts – because they don’t own a coat – the AW students came up with a solution.
“Coats for the Cold,” a coat drive sponsored by the Family Career Community Leaders of America club, collected 542 items – including coats, hats, gloves, mittens, blankets, pillows and winter clothes.
FCCLA decided to start the project when consumer and financial literacy teacher Kay-Lynne Schaller read a letter from a charter school principal in Toledo.
“We donated school supplies to them last year, because they didn’t have any,” explained FCCLA vice president Anna Bolone, an eighth-grader. “The principal sent a letter thanking us, and mentioned that her students were in need of winter coats. The kids were coming to school in T-shits, not even Under Armour or coats.”
Sitting around a table in Schaller’s classroom, Anna and fellow FCCLA members Adithya Ramaswami, Brittnee Carr and Hannah Mathewson noted that they’ve never had to go without a coat.
Anna made morning announcements. Adithya made fliers to post at local stores and around the schools. Brittnee and Hannah helped sort and bag items by size, arriving in Schaller’s classroom every day. And teachers pitched in by offering extra credit for every donation.
Each donation also netted a raffle ticket for a drawing to have breakfast served by Schaller’s Healthy Foods class.
“When Mrs. Schaller plans, she always throws in something extra to motivate us,” Brittnee said.
The children’s coats and winter clothing will be donated to the inner-city school, while other items will benefit Cherry Street Mission and Sparrow’s Nest.
The FCCLA team wishes that students could personally give out items to those in need.
“If kids here could see the situation other kids are in, it could make a huge impact,” said Adithya. “Hearing and seeing are two different things.”
Anna volunteers at Family House in Toledo.
“It’s sad to see things that people don’t have that I do have,” Anna said.
Even some students in the Anthony Wayne school district may be suffering the impact of lost jobs and a sour economy – just like those in the inner city – Brittnee said.
“Some aren’t as middle class,” the seventh-grader said.
FCCLA as a club does two community service projects each year, Schaller said.
Pointing to the decorations and advertisements for the coat drive in the hallway around her classroom, Schaller praised the students for coordinating a successful effort – which brought in many more coats than she’d originally set as a goal.

Planning Commission, Dollar General Discuss Preliminary Site Plan
BY KAREN BERGER— MIRROR REPORTER
In response to two requests from Dollar General to allow a one-story building in the Whitehouse Square traditional neighborhood development, or TND, the planning commission will hold a special meeting within the next two weeks, Mayor Angela Kuhn told village council during its November 15 meeting.
In July, Dollar General presented a site plan for a proposed store on SR 64 at Cemetery Road. The request was turned down because that property is in the TND, which has a two-story minimum requirement, and other concerns.
On November 7, Dollar General representative Andrew Rossell shared a preliminary site plan showing a one-story building at the corner of Whitehouse Square Boulevard and SR 64.
Planning commission members discussed the intent of the TND and how two-story buildings – commercial on the first floor and apartments or offices on the second floor – were part of the original plan.
The property owners and plan commission members debated whether the original plan was working and if it was hindering growth. Kuhn also noted that a business that locates at the entryway sets the tone for the rest of the development.
The next regular planning commission meeting is December 5. As of press time, Kuhn did not yet know the time for the special meeting.
Dollar General spokesperson Emily Weiss said that because there is not a lease signed for a new store, no additional information was available for print.
In July, Weiss noted that Dollar General hoped to open a store, and was interested in Waterville-Swanton Road (SR 64).
During the meeting, council members also:
• Approved 5-0 (council member Frank Billings was absent) an amended joint economic development district map with Monclova Township. The additional 47 acres includes Trilogy Healthcare and Bauer Landscape. The municipalities will split a 1.5 percent income tax, with the township receiving 75 percent and the village 25 percent.
• Voted 5-0 to raise merit service payments for employees from $70.00 to $75.00.
• Agreed to keep 2012 rates and fees the same.
• Learned that the design review board approved a two-sided message board to be placed next to the Wabash Cannonball Trail and the depot restroom. The board will be used to post events, public notices and possibly a bike trail map.
• Heard that Schiavone’s Consignment Gallery will be opening at 6778 Providence St., selling tools, jewelry, dishes and furniture.
• Learned that the board of zoning appeals granted a variance for the Anthony Wayne Youth Foundation to keep two portable storage units on the Providence Street property through November 2014, when a permanent building is slated for construction.
• Heard that the board of zoning appeals approved a four-foot variance for a Merritt Street resident to construct a shed.
• Authorized keeping the income tax split as 60 percent income tax A and 40 percent income tax B.
• Heard public works director Steve Pilcher note that Cemetery Road construction was to be completed by November 18, weather permitting.

The next Whitehouse council meeting is Tuesday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m.