March 2, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET
Where’s the downside
Let me first say that I do not reside within the Columbus City Schools District.
What interests me is the Feb. 5 headline: “CCS cuts 62 administrator posts.” Initially, I was saddened by assuming 62 staffers will lose their jobs, but upon further reading I see that 34 positions are currently vacant and 19 positions are without a continuing contract. This represents a termination of nine active jobs. (34 + 19 = 53. 62 – 53 = 9).
The article further states that these 62 administrator cuts will save the district $7.1 million.
Just a thought, but it seems to me that perhaps in order to save money, there could have been some realignment of staffing a bit ago.
I realize it takes many hands to run a school district, but sometimes a step back and a good hard look at staffing through several sets of eyes might be prudent.
Diane Cottrill-Miller, Gahanna
Thanks for the dinner suggestion
Re “‘Everybody’s suffering,'” Jan. 15: Thanks for the tip about El Barco Mexican Restaurant at 1930 E. Dublin-Granville Road, where customers tend to be more than a little scarce these days.
Amani Bayo’s story was perfect for our group of six couples, always looking for a new spot to meet for dinner each week. The lack of diners was not due to the excellent food or hospitality from our server Eddie or owner Sonia Galicia.
We are a dozen folks who have shared weekly meals together since the start of COVID.
What has become “No Cook Thursday” evolved from a simple happy hour among friends in 2020, where we had sat masked in lawn chairs six feet apart outdoors in various empty parking lots, tossing individual bags of potato chips to each other.
We were hungry for human contact more than any food or drink. Eventually, tired of COVID and of eating cold take-out meals in park shelters, we were free to visit establishments in person again. Off we went and never looked back.
Our meal at El Barco was great. Take our word for it. Thanks, Dispatch, for the tip!
Susan Greiner, Westerville
E15’s pluses and minuses
Re “Ohio drivers, farmers are sick of paying price for DC’s delays,” Feb. 5: I read the recent guest column penned by Tadd Nicholson, executive director of Ohio Corn & Wheat.
He is stump-pounding for nationwide, year-round E15 fuel use legislation. Of course, we already have E10 fuel in everyday use.
He stresses that increased E15 use would “move more corn through the market.” Obviously, this is important to corn farmers.
However, increased E15 use is not without issues: It would require new tanks in the ground for some sellers. E15 generally results in worse miles per gallon than E10, requiring more frequent fill-ups. There are engine/warranty risks for cars not explicitly approved for E15. And lastly, increased ethanol production has environmental challenges (fertilizer runoff, water usage, etc.).
As in most issues, there are both pluses and minuses that should be considered.
Michael Federer, Gahanna