News
Holiday hours set for city services
By Jennifer Trepal, City of Mason Public Information Officer
City of Mason offices will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Offices will be open with limited services on Christmas Eve.
Mason residents who receive trash collection service on Wednesday through Friday will have their collection delayed one day for both weeks. Friday customers will have their trash picked up on Saturday.
Mason Community Center will be open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 31. On Christmas, the fitness center, gymnasium, track, and locker rooms at Mason Community Center will be open from noon to 4 p.m. There will be no scheduled activities on Dec. 25. On New Year’s Day, all areas of the center will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Mason City Council meeting scheduled for Dec. 23 has been cancelled. The next regularly scheduled meeting of Council is at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13.
Brush pickup, including Christmas trees, will begin the week of Monday, Jan. 13. Please remove all decorations from the tree and place it at the curb with the cut end toward the street.
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Mason Schools honors district’s first Rhodes Scholar
Mason Schools this week honored the district’s first alumni to be named a Rhodes Scholar.
Courtney Wittekind, a 2009 Mason High School graduate, was recognized at the board’s Tuesday meeting.
The 2013 Carnegie Mellon graduate is one of 32 Americans and 80 people worldwide to win the prestigious scholarships, announced in November.
The program covers the full cost of attending the Oxford University in England for two to four years. Wittekind, 23, plans to pursue a doctorate degree in anthropology, with a geographical focus on Burma, also called Myanmar.
“Rhodes really stood out to me for its goal of funding scholars who will fight ‘the world’s fight,” said Wittekind. “That was a concept that really struck a chord with me and continues to parallel my own vision for the work I hope to do in the future.”
Wittekind said she was inspired to study the conflict-plagued region after she arranged to graduate early and then traveled to Thailand for nine months, where she volunteered at a school serving Burmese refugees and migrants.
Wittekind is currently interning with the Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. She’ll begin her studies at Oxford in the fall of 2014.
She is the daughter of Tom and Jill Wittekind of Mason.
no comments yetMason’s Hutchison verbally commits to North Carolina
Mason junior pitcher/first baseman Rodney Hutchison verbally committed to North Carolina on Sunday morning, according to Mason coach Curt Bly.
Hutchison, one of the state’s top players in the 2015 class, also had offers from UC, Miami University, Ohio State and Kent State.
“Rodney is a big, physical prospect with a high ceiling,” said Chris Valentine, director of Ohio scouting for Prep Baseball Report.
“While he has shown the ability to swing the bat, most schools have viewed him as a pitcher at the next level. Over the past year, he has been a mid to high 80s (miles per hour) type arm, but given his frame and arm action, he could easily be a low 90s by the time he reaches UNC.”
Hutchison, who was second-team all-Greater Miami Conference last season, hit .359 with five doubles, four home runs, 38 RBI and two stolen bases for the Comets (26-1) last season. He was 3-0 with 26 strikeouts and 1.00 ERA last season on the mound as primarily a weekend starter last season as Mason had three top senior pitchers to open the season.
“Obviously Rodney had many terrific opportunities and schools and programs to choose from,” Bly said. “He really weighed everything. I think North Carolina’s tradition and where they are as a program was really attractive for Rodney. I think UNC was too strong of a pull for him to say no to.”
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Warren County renames alternative school after John Lazares
Fifteen years after Warren County’s alternative school opened its doors, it has a new name.
The school was recently renamed the John K. Lazares Warren County Alternative School, after its founder.
The gesture comes in the final months of Lazares’ tenure as superintendent of the Warren County Educational Service Center, sponsor of the alternative school.
“I had no idea this was coming,’’ said Lazares, 64, a former superintendent of the Kings Local Schools. “I was shocked. They really got me good; I didn’t expect this.”
Lazares’ contract with the ESC board expires at the end of June 2014. He said he wants to leave the ESC by the end of his contract, but he hasn’t set a definitive date to leave yet. Assistant Superintendent Tom Isaacs will replace Lazares as superintendent.
Isaac and others say it is like Lazares to not set a date in order to deflect attention away from him. It’s one of the reasons the decision was made to rename the school after him now, instead of later.
Lazares agreed he would have kyboshed any plans for a party or recognition.
“I didn’t want any parties, I just wanted to leave, to sneak out,” Lazares said. “It was very flattering; I was very humbled.”
The unveiling of the name came just a few weeks ago when the alternative school traditionally gathers with supporters – Warren County commissioners, juvenile court officials, prosecutors, students and staff – for a lunch.
“Hundreds of high school students have finished high school and graduated because of John Lazares,’’ Isaacs said.
“He is creative, innovative and always focused on helping children. I view him professionally and personally as the role model every school leader should follow.’’
Since the alternative school opened in 1998 about 1,500 students have been enrolled.
“It benefits every one of our existing school districts to decrease the dropout rate and better serve unruly kids that disrupt classrooms,’’ said Warren County Commissioner Pat South, who was also a commissioner on the board that allocated money toward its construction.
“Placing students in the alternative school gives them more one-on-one (instruction) that allows them to succeed. It has made a dramatic improvement in the dropout rate…in the lives of some of the graduates who never would have graduated without it.”
South said the testimony given by students each year is emotional, compelling and proves over and over again why the school is a success.
She said she is glad the school now bears Lazares’ name despite his wishes to the contrary.
“John still hasn’t forgiven us for naming it after someone alive. He knows it came from the heart, but he still hasn’t forgiven us,” South said.
“I don’t think he had any clue it was going to be named after him. Very rarely does he accept accolades himself. He’s the one who always makes sure other people get recognized.”
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Fields Ertel loop ramp to reduce congestion by half
An idea originally sketched on a cocktail napkin to reduce daily traffic jams at the Fields Ertel/Mason-Montgomery interchange off Interstate 71 broke ground Tuesday.
State, regional and local officials gathered at the busy interchange to kick off construction of a “loop ramp” project expected to reduce traffic flow in the area by as much as 50 percent.
The plan, drawn seven years ago over lunch by Warren County Commissioner Dave Young, will add an exit-only lane from northbound I-71 that will circle through a Metro park-and-ride at the northeast corner of Mason-Montgomery and Fields Ertel.
Traffic from the new loop ramp will flow directly onto Mason-Montgomery Road, allowing motorists heading north to bypass Fields Ertel completely, explained Joe Vogel, a planning and engineering administrator with the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 08 in Lebanon.
The $12 million project is the centerpiece of several planned improvements to the traffic-clogged interchange, which has long been a source of frustration for residents and commuters.
“We think it’s the piece that will have the most positive impact,” said Vogel. “By taking traffic out of that very congested intersection and allowing people to make that shortcut should help tremendously. It will still be congested, but it will function a lot better.”
About 80,000 vehicles travel through the intersection each day, with about half of those motorists headed north on Mason-Montgomery Road, said Young.
The loop ramp represents Warren County’s “single most important infrastructure improvement” and ranks among the top five most important transportation projects in Greater Cincinnati, he said.
The area is a key economic engine for Warren County. Within miles of the interchange are, among others: Procter & Gamble’s Mason Business Center, Deerfield Towne Center shopping center, Kings Automall and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Mason campus.
Several projects have already been completed: A $1.6 million project built an additional northbound lane from Fields Ertel to Parkway Drive and a $1.4 million project coordinated 22 traffic signals in the area.
In November, crews completed work on a $1.4 million project that added an additional right turn lane from southbound I-71 onto Mason-Montgomery Road.
Wrapping up next fall is a $2 million project to expand the exit lane at the northbound Fields Ertel/Mason-Montgomery exit to allow vehicles to exit I-71 and move onto an expanded off ramp sooner.
Preliminary work on the loop ramp is expected to begin within several weeks with construction to begin in March and complete by late 2015.
Because much of the work is set to take place outside the roadway, traffic disruptions will be minimal during construction, said Vogel.
Uncorking the bottleneck has been a 20 year focus for county transportation planners. Previously, officials delayed proposed fixes for the interchange that would have cost as much as $75 million and taken 15 years to complete, said Young.
“We’re doing it in about half the time it could take at a fraction of the cost,” he said. “I made one campaign promise when I came to office nine years ago and that was to fix Fields Ertel. This is the greatest day of my political life.”
Information: www.advancingfieldsertel.com; call 513-804-8033.
no comments yetMore Mason, Kings ‘screenagers’ bringing their own tech tools from home to school
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Michael D. Clark reports:
More Mason and Kings students are toting their own learning technology in their school backpacks.
Both Deerfield Township school systems have expanded their BYOT (bring your own tech) programs that allow students to bring computer tablets, smartphones, laptops and other personal electronic devices to use in their class work.
It’s recognition of how “screenagers” are already wired to learn on the devices and that schools are finally catching up, education experts say. And, they say, it’s a sea-change reversal from years when schools banned such devices.
“Many students already use digital devices on a daily basis in their personal lives for exploring interests, self-directed learning, entertainment and communicating with others,” says Anika Anthony, assistant professor at Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology Department of Educational Studies. “BYOT is an opportunity to allow students to use personal devices in a school setting and learn more about how such tools can support their academic learning.”
School systems across America deviate widely in what electronic devices they use and how. But the sweeping numbers of teenagers embracing personal electronic devices is fueling the BYOT trend.
According to a Pew Research Center study, 23 percent of American teens have a tablet computer like Apple’s iPad or Amazon’s Kindle, 47 percent have smartphones (up from 23 percent in 2011) and 78 percent have cellphones.
Schools will still offer computer labs and other district-supplied learning technology for students whose families may not be able to afford hundreds of dollars for a smartphone or computer tablet.
Amy Spicher, associate superintendent for Mason Schools, says “technology is no substitute for an inspiring teacher. But, we believe that students should be able to use the device that works for them in order to help think deeply about complex issues, to evaluate sources of information, to persist when work is hard, and to confidently communicate the rationale behind their answers.”
“Bring your own tech helps enrich learning because students need productivity tools that work for them, and that help them collaborate, write, read, communicate, and organize their assignments. A student’s life is not much different from today’s employees, and they need similar tools,” says Spicher.
At nearby Kings Schools the district has also expanded its BYOT program, says Kings Assistant Superintendent Tina Blair, to all school buildings this school year.
“We spent the summer upgrading and expanding our wireless infrastructure to ensure maximum coverage for all students. The district has updated its acceptable use policy to include the use of these technologies allowing the teachers to use their discretion when allowing the students to use in the classroom. The addition of BYOT has given students greater access to technology for instructional and research purposes,” says Blair.
Mason Schools ran a test program with 200 students using their own tech last school year that proved so successful the district is now scrambling to install expanded wireless access for all students at its middle and high school buildings.
In Butler County, Fairfield City Schools are rapidly expanding their buildings’ wireless capabilities, while nearby Lakota Local Schools loosened its policy last school year and now seeks a new tax levy in part to pay for wireless and other tech upgrades.
This school year, Mason High parent Yasmeen Allen’s son Benjamin, a sophomore, has been taking his iPad and iPhone to school for the first time for both learning and personal communications. “They might as well get used to it now, because you don’t want them to be disadvantaged for not being tech savvy,” she says.
Students say they like the easy accessibility of research on personal devices they are comfortable using. Mason sophomore Mrudu Datla says, “It’s not that new to us because we grew up with technology.”
For students, technology an expectation, not a luxury
Things are changing in other districts, though, in no small part because the adults in charge are finally learning how useful electronic devices can be in classroom learning.
“Tech is not a luxury among kids, it’s expected by them,” says Karen Mantia, superintendent of Lakota Schools, which is pushing hard to incorporate more tech-based learning.
Matthew Kollsted, a sixth-grade science teacher at Fairfield City Schools, likes having tech options for his students. “We don’t use it on daily basis, but it’s great for them to use for research or projects we do in and out of the classroom,” he says.
Benjamin Allen says some of his teachers already allowed him to use his iPad for assignments. “I used it last school year in my history and language arts classes because I could download my books,” he says. “And for a research project it’s a big advantage because you don’t have to go to the school computer lab. You can just look it up on your phone.”
Changing BYOT policies means little to families who can’t afford such devices. That worries OSU’s Anthony, who researches and teaches courses at Ohio State in “technology integration and instructional change.” “Students who do not bring a personal device to school may feel excluded during learning activities that require the use of such devices,” she says.
Mrudu’s mother, Shailaja Datla, mentions other concerns, like putting the responsibility on teens to keep the devices safe from damage or theft.
“Recently,” Datla says, “my daughter dropped her iPad in the sink. It can be expensive, but it’s the future.”
no comments yetMan indicted for robbing elderly woman
A Warren County grand jury Friday indicted a man police say robbed an elderly woman.
Zachary Davidson faces charges of robbery, a second-degree felony, and two fifth-degree felony counts of theft from an elderly person in the Nov. 8 incident.
Davidson, 23, of Lockland, allegedly crouched between cars in the parking lot of the Deerfield Towne Center and then approached a 79-year-old woman and threatened to hurt her unless she gave him her purse and jewelry.
The victim handed over her purse and wedding ring to Davidson, say Warren County Sheriff’s officials.
Davidson faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine if convicted on the charges. He’s being held at the Warren County Jail.
no comments yetMason surgeon facing fraud charges flees U.S.
Lisa Bernard-Kuhn reports:
A Mason spine surgeon facing federal health care fraud charges has fled the country, federal officials confirmed Friday afternoon.
The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Ohio was alerted Friday that Dr. Atiq Durrani – who is accused of fraudulently billing Medicare millions of dollars for unnecessary surgeries – was no longer in the country, said Fred Alverson, a spokesman for the office.
Durrani was arrested by federal agents at his Center for Advanced Spine Technologies on Reading Road in July, and charged with one count of health care fraud and one count of making false statements in health care matters. At the time he surrendered his passport, and terms of his bond stipulated that he remain in the Greater Cincinnati area.
In August, Durrani filed a request with federal courts to leave the U.S. to visit Pakistan to see his terminally ill father, according to court papers.
The court declined the request in September.
In the filing, Durrani’s attorney Glenn Whitaker said that his client was not a flight risk. Whitaker could not immediately be reached for comment.
Durrani is scheduled for trial in August of next year.
“We’re trying to figure out the best course forward here in terms of court proceedings,” Alverson said. ”There are cases on the books now of people who have been fugitives for years – and those charges are still active.”
no comments yetRegion’s first racino opens today
The Cincinnati region’s newest gambling outlet, Miami Valley Gaming, opens at noon Thursday.
The gambling destination is the new site for Lebanon Raceway combined with 1,600 video slots – making it the region’s first racino and Ohio’s third.
The new operation means 500 new jobs for the region. The 188,000-square-foot complex also will boast four eateries: Cin City Steak and Seafood; Trifecta, a pizza, chili and hamburger restaurant; MV Perks, a coffee shop; and Acres Seasonal Buffet. Harness racing will start in February.
The racino cost $175 million to develop and build.
Starting today, it will compete with Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cincinnati and three riverboat casinos in Southeast Indiana. Miami Valley Racing officials had initially predicted their facility would rake in $125 million during their first year of operations, but have backed off that initial forecast.
Even though the new facility is the region’s fifth slots outlet, racino officials insist there is enough gambling business in the region for them to thrive.
One third of the racino’s gambling revenues are retained by the state Lottery Commission, which is turned over to state education funding.
Ohio’s racinos’ video slots are technically video lottery terminals. Like slot machines, the devices have a random number generator, but each is connected to a central computer system subject to regulatory supervision by the lottery commission.
The opening of Miami Valley means more competition in the gambling sector. The addition of the racino’s slots raises the total number of slots in the Greater Cincinnati gambling market by 23 percent to more than 8,500 .
More competition is on the way: River Downs is holding a press conference on Wednesday for its own slots operation under construction in Anderson Township. That facility is expected to open by next summer with 1,600 slots.
Penn National Gaming Inc. – the parent company of the Hollywood Casinos in Lawrenceburg, Columbus and Toledo – also plans to open two racinos next year in Dayton and suburban Youngstown. Each of those racinos will open with 1,000 slots.
A racino at Northfield Park outside Cleveland is expected to open later this month.
Two racinos already are open: Scioto Downs in Columbus was first in June 2012; ThistleDown in Cleveland opened in April.
A 2011 study commissioned by Gov. John Kasich forecast that Miami Valley would generate $144 million annually, once it was fully operating with all 2,500 slot machines authorized by Ohio law.
no comments yetWarren Co. lands two NCAA championships
The National Collegiate Athletic Association will bring two national championships to Mason, the Warren County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau announced Wednesday.
The tourism board will host the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships in 2014 and the NCAA Division III Tennis National Championships in 2015.
The bureau is the only organization in southwest Ohio to be selected as a host, said Phillip Smith, president and chief executive officer of the tourism bureau.
“Anything like this is highly competitive. We’re thrilled to have received these two,” he said.
Bidding for 82 of 89 NCAA championships began in July with almost 2,000 bid applications submitted.
Sports committees in each division selected host sites that would provide the best experience for its programs, said Mark Lewis, NCAA executive vice president of championships and alliances.
“The process was extremely thorough and allowed the sport committees to have some tremendous options, which will ultimately provide our student-athletes, coaches and fans the best experience possible,” he said.
The cross country championships will be held next fall at the Golf Center at Kings Island. The tennis championships are set for the spring of 2015 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Wilmington College is a partnering school for both events. Ohio Northern University is a partner for the tennis championships.
The news comes on the heels of a series of high-profile sporting events announced this year in Warren County.
In April, The Beach Waterpark in Mason signed a three-year contract with the National Volleyball League to host its Midwest Championships and Junior Festival.
For the first time since 2009, the Association of Volleyball Professionals made a stop at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason over Labor Day weekend.
And last month, Ultimate Frisbee announced it will host the 2014 Division I Ultimate Frisbee College Championships May 23-26 at Mason’s Heritage Oak Park.
Sports tourism in Warren County — branded “Ohio’s Largest Playground” — generates about $35 million in economic impact, said Smith. The spending includes an estimated 53,000 hotel room nights.
The county’s selection as a host site for the NCAA championships caps off a record year for the board’s sports marketing division, he said.
“It says that on a national scale and level, we’re looked upon as a great place to have these kinds of events,” said Smith. “We look forward to leveraging our world-class facilities to make Mason a championship city and to featuring Warren County on a national stage.”
no comments yetMason American Legion donation benefits struggling Mason families
The Joe Barr American Legion Post 194 in Mason donated $500 this week to benefit needy families this holiday season.
Jerry Behymer made the donation Monday on behalf of the post to the city’s Hope for the Holidays program.
The program, coordinated by Mason city employees in partnership with the Mason Food Pantry, provides food assistance and gift donations for struggling Mason families.
Cash and gift card donations are still needed. To donate, call 513-229-8507 or email hopefortheholidays@masonoh.org.
Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at the Mason Food Pantry at 406 Fourth Ave., Mason. Cash donations are accepted online at www.masonfoodpantry.org.
no comments yetDecember/January Our Town available online
The December-January Our Town is available online. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find in this edition:
- Mason Twisters show high degree of dedication at very young age
- Brian Manor’s brick masterpiece is a labor of love
- More Mason, Kings “screenagers” bring their own tech tools to school
- The Lego Man Cometh
- Coaster biz gives local firms a thrill
- Mason family helps furnish homes of battered women
Read online here or catch up on past issues.
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Free seminar addresses loved ones with addictions
Helping a loved one with an alcohol or drug addiction issue is the focus of tonight’s Lindner Center of HOPE’s “Evening with the Experts” educational series.
Sherry Knapp-Brown, a psychologist at the Mason mental health center, will speak on the effects of drug and alcohol abuse and how to approach a loved one about seeking treatment. Questions from the audience will be taken at the event’s conclusion.
The free one-hour seminar begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Mason Community Center, 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road. Childcare is available for a fee.
The presentation is the fifth in a series offered by the Lindner Center of HOPE in partnership with the city of Mason.
The series, held on the second Wednesday of each month, continues through August.
Information: 513-229-8555; lindnercenterofhope.org/experts
no comments yet2014 Warren Co. dog tags on sale
Warren County residents who own dogs have until Jan. 31 to purchase a 2014 license without facing a penalty fee.
New or renewal licenses cost $15 each or $75 for a kennel license. Special bone tags are available for $20, with $5 of that benefiting the Warren County Humane Association.
Tags can be purchased online at www.co.warren.oh.us/auditor or at a number of businesses across the county. In Mason, tags can be purchased at the Mason Family Pet Hospital at 771 Reading Road; the Mason Animal Hospital at 770 Reading Road or the Misty Vistas Pet Hospital at 5250 Courseview Drive.
All dogs aged three months or older are required by law to have a tag.
Beginning Feb. 1, a $15 late fee will be assessed for any renewal registrations.
A list of the locations throughout the county where dog tags can be purchased is available at www.co.warren.oh.us/auditor.
For more information, call the licensing department of the auditor’s office at 513-695-1240.
no comments yetMason basketball upsets Lakota East 60-51
By Mark Schmetzer, Enquirer contributor
The Mason Comets went into Tuesday night’s Greater Miami Conference opener against Lakota East leading the “others” receiving votes in the Enquirer’s Division I coaches’ poll, two votes behind No. 10 Withrow.
If Mason keeps playing as well as it did against the No. 3 Thunderhawks, it soon will have a number to the left of its name.
Senior Adam Thomas scored 13 points and junior Cameron Arminio tied his career high with 12, according to the Greater Miami Conference website, as the Comets built an 18-point lead and fended off a Lakota East comeback for a 60-51 win at Mason.
“We haven’t gotten a lot of hype,” Thomas said. “I think we were picked to finish like eighth in our league. Our goal is to make a statement every night.”
“We have a lot of guys in their first year on varsity, and they’re trying to make a statement,” said Mason coach Greg Richards, who logged his 250th career win.
Junior guard Mitchell Mays led three Thunderhawks in double figures with 20 points, but they couldn’t overcome Mason’s 32-21 rebounding advantage.
“There’s a little more to it than that, but you could see we had opportunities in the second half to get close, but we couldn’t get the rebound,” Lakota East coach Wally Vickers said. “It’s a concern. It has been an issue. It’s something we work on in practice, but sometime, players question the validity of what you’re saying until you have a game like this.”
Mason led 14-6 with 1:02 left in the first quarter.
Thomas’s bucket with 11 seconds before halftime allowed the Comets to take a 34-19 lead into the locker room, their largest lead of the half. Thomas, who scored just seven points in Mason’s 67-45 season-opening win over Lebanon, finished the half with 12 points.
Arminio sank a 3-pointer early in the third quarter to give Mason its largest lead, 37-19, before Mays sank two 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the third quarter to help Lakota East cut Mason’s lead to five points, 39-34, with 1:55 left in the quarter.
The Thunderhawks could get no closer.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Thomas’s 6-foot floater from the right baseline that slipped through the net at the buzzer to give Mason a 16-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Comets took possession with 33.8 seconds left and worked the clock down before Thomas drove from the top of the key to the spot from which he launched his shot.
“That play was indicative of the night,” Vickers said.
STAR OF THE GAME: Arminio, who went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in the final 43.2 seconds to help Mason seal the win.
VIEW FROM THE SIDELINE: Richards on his 250th career win: “It just means I’ve been doing this a long time. It means I’m old. We’ve had some pretty good players go through here and some great coaches. I think we’ve been doing it the right way.” ⬛
EXTRA POINTS: Both teams stay in GMC play with their next games. Lakota East plays Sycamore on Friday, while Mason travels to Oak Hills. … The Thunderhawks and Comets are scheduled for a rematch at Lakota East on January 24.
Lakota East (2-1) – Bah 1 3 5, Emrick 0 2 2, Norris 1 0 2, Mays 7 2 20, Lowry 4 4 12, White 4 2 10. Totals: 17 13 51.
Mason (2-0) – Thomas 6 1 13, Rice 1 2 4, Lamotte 1 1 3, King 2 3 9, Orlando 3 0 7, Beebe 2 0 4, Arminio 3 5 12, Hutchison 2 0 4, Cline 2 0 4. Totals: 22 12 60.
Halftime: Mason, 34-19. 3-pointers: L 4 (Mays 4), M 4 (King 2, Orlando, Arminio).
no comments yetBanner season for Mason sports programs
Mason High School’s sports programs had one clear message for rivals this past season: Watch out.
The Comets dominated sports headlines in the fall, finishing the calendar year with three team state championships and one narrow second-place state championship finish
That’s not all. The Comets also celebrated several strong top ten state finishes and saw a former football star drafted in the National Football League.
Here’s a round-up of the season:
BOYS’ SOCCER
The Mason boys’ soccer team was crowned Ohio Division I boys state soccer champions in November, completing an undefeated (22-0-1) season with a 1-0 victory over Mentor that had come in undefeated as well (now 18-1-4).
Senior Jack Clark– who came into the game with 30 goals for the season (and 72 in his high school career) – made his 31st the game-winner.
But many players had a hand in the victory – especially the seniors, seven of whom have played together since they were 8 year olds on the Mason Fury select team. They all started this year for Mason.
Mason is the first southwest Ohio boy’s team to win a Division I state championship since Turpin took home the title in 1986 and the first GMC team to ever win at state, school officials say.
“It’s unbelievable how many coaches wished me good luck and said, ‘Hey, bring a state title back to Cincinnati,’’’ Mason coach Paul Reedy said. ‘‘That’s a special feeling when you feel like you’re representing more than just your school, but your city as well.’’
GIRLS’ SOCCER
It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Comets — but somebody forgot to tell the players.
The team finished runner-up in the Division I girls’ state soccer championship in November.
It was Mason’s second straight loss in the state final. They fell 2-0 to Walsh Jesuit, which has now won seven state girls soccer championships since 2000.
‘‘We didn’t play our best game,’’ said Mason junior Jill Vetere, who scored the game-winner against Ursula in the regional championship. ‘‘Everything happens for a reason. Our freshmen, sophomores and juniors will build on what our seniors led us to.’’
GIRLS’ WATER POLO
The Mason girls’ water polo team won the program’s first state title in October with an 11-7 win over Sycamore.
Mason had nine seniors on the squad and that group was a solid foundation for the program the past few years, said coach Mark Sullivan.
“It was just a great overall team win,” said Sullivan, who started the program in the 2003-04 school year. “We knew Sycamore would give us a battle.”
Mason (33-7) jumped up two goals and then Sycamore tied. Mason went up by four in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
“Obviously it was an unbelievable win,” Sullivan said. “It’s pretty special. … It’s great for the school.”
GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY
Mason, the No. 1 team in the Enquirer’s Division I coaches’ poll and No. 3 team in the statewide coaches’ rankings, clinched its second consecutive state championship in November.
The Comets had a 16-point lead over runner-up Beavercreek, the state’s fourth-ranked team, through each team’s first four finishers before senior Kinsey McBeath finished 20 places and 15 points ahead of the Beavers’ fifth-place finisher.
“This has been a challenging year,” said Comets coach Chip Dobson. We’ve had a lot of girls step up and fill holes this year. “We knew it had to be a team effort, and nobody wanted to just along for the ride.”
The Mason girls’ tennis team finished third at the Division I state team tournament in October.
The Comets (21-1), which finished No. 1 in the Division I state coaches’ poll, defeated Toledo Notre Dame 3-0 in the third place match. Mason lost the opening match 3-0 to Upper Arlington.
The team included freshman Lizzy Kong (No. 1 singles), senior Nina Cepeda and sister, freshman Isabel Cepeda (No. 1 doubles) and seniors Radhika Pandit and Haley Hopkins (No. 2 doubles).
“It was the best (the program has) ever done,” Mason coach Mike Reid said. “A great season.”
- For the seventh consecutive year, the Mason boys’ cross country team finished in the top 10 in the state championships in November. The Comets broke a tie with sixth place Twinsburg to finish the season in fifth place statewide.
- The Mason girls’ golf team finished in fifth place in the Division I state golf tournament held in November. Senior Quinn Atkinson led Mason and finished 20th overall with scores of 81 and 78. Other Mason scores: Miranda Dubler (25) 80-83, Katie Tomassoni (34) 82-85, Morgan Schaffer (35) 86-83, and Hannah Bennie (35) 84-85.
- Mason graduate Josh Kline is “one injury away from being in the starting lineup” for the New England Patriots, reports Mike Reiss with ESPN. In November, the sports network featured an interview with the 2008 Mason graduate, who was signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent in May. The 6-foot-3-inch, 295 pound offensive lineman was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-player roster in September. He’s the first Mason graduate to play in the National Football League.
From the Archives: Warren cops help needy children
We love history, and we learned many of you do, too. Check out this photo from The Enquirer’s archives, dated Dec. 22, 1966:
Warren County emergency policemen are pictured here preparing gifts for needy children who would otherwise be left out at Christmas. From left, at the rear of Jack Well’s used furniture store at Mason, are Capt. Ernie Clark, commander and Warren County deputy sheriff; Mr. Wells (in civilian clothing), a member of the emergency police department; Charles Shiflett, Dennis Roberts and Howard Terry.
no comments yetCrews battle 2-alarm house fire in Mason
Jennifer Baker reports:
Fire roared through a Mason home earlier today, injuring a resident and causing $200,000 in damage, city officials said.
Flames broke out just before 5 a.m. in the garage at 4792 Carriage Dr., said Jennifer Trepal, a city spokeswoman.
When Mason firefighters arrived, the blaze already was shooting out the garage windows. They contained the fire to the garage and a room above it, but both sustained heavy damage. So did an adjacent kitchen.
The remainder of the house has smoke and heat damage.
One family member suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The American Red Cross is helping that person find temporary shelter and clothing.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Several neighboring fire agencies responded to assist Mason including Deerfield Township, Loveland-Symmes and Sycamore Township.
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Mason girls’ basketball beats Lakota West in OT
By Mark Schmetzer, Enquirer Contributor
Since Mason joined the Greater Miami Conference for the 2007-2008 season, the Comets’ girls basketball series with Lakota West has been defined by streaks.
The Firebirds won the first four games, while the Comets won the next five. Only two of the games have been decided by fewer than double figures, both of them Firebird wins.
Wednesday night at Lakota West in the Greater Miami Conference opener for both teams, the Firebirds got a little closer, but not close enough to snap the Comets’ streak. Mason senior Jenna Gunn and freshman Makenzie Dixon each scored 12 points as the Comets came from behind to edge Lakota West, 45-39, in overtime.
Gunn gave Mason (3-0), the No. 3 team in the Enquirer’s Division I pre-season coaches poll, the lead for good and Dixon made four free throws in the last 1:20 as the Comets outscored No. 2 Lakota West (2-1), 8-2, in the overtime.
“That was a huge game for us,” Dixon said. “It’s exciting.”
Lakota West sophomore Nia Staples led both teams with 15 points and junior Lauren Cannatelli added 11 for the Firebirds.
Mason fought back from a seven-point second-quarter deficit to lead – briefly – by two points before the Firebirds regained a 20-18 halftime lead.
The Comets staged an even more impressive comeback to force overtime. They trailed by eight points, 33-25, with 4:33 left in regulation before Gunn capped a 10-2 run with two free throws to tie the game.
“It was just heart,” Dixon said. “We believed in ourselves.”
Staples sank a 15-footer from the right elbow with 56 seconds left to return the lead to Lakota West, but Gunn scored on a layup with 35 seconds left for a 37-37 tie, setting up Mason’s second straight overtime win. The Comets edged No. 6 Winton Woods, 46-45, on Monday.
“This is back-to-back games when we’ve been down,” Mason coach Rob Matula said. “They just believe. It’s a program thing. They come, they go, they buy into what we’re about. I don’t know how they were standing. They were just tired, but they kept digging.”
Play of the game: Lakota West junior center Arianne Whitaker rebounding two of her own missed shots and scoring on the third while getting fouled to give the Firebirds a 22-18 lead with 5:36 left in the third quarter.
Star of the game: Gunn, who scored eight of her points after halftime, tying the game twice in the last 1:12 and giving Mason the lead for good.
View from the sideline: Lakota West coach Andy Fishman on the Firebirds’ inability to handle Mason’s press in the fourth quarter: “It was the difference in the game. We didn’t execute. At critical times, some players who have been successful in the past in those situations failed to execute. The girls have to learn how to close out games in pressure situations.”
Extra points: Lakota West, which opened the season with three games against teams ranked in among the top seven teams in the Enquirer’s Division I pre-season coaches poll, are scheduled to play a GMC game at unranked Sycamore on Saturday at 2 p.m. before traveling to No. 1 Princeton on Wednesday. The Comets, who opened with wins over No, 8 Talawanda and Winton Woods, are due to play a home conference game against unranked Middletown on Saturday. … Mason and Lakota West are scheduled to play again on January 11 at Mason.
Mason (3-0) – Vorherr 1 0 3, Mason 2 0 4, Mowbray 3 0 6, Dixon 3 5 12, Gunn 3 6 12, Van Kleunen 2 1 5, Campbell 1 1 3. Totals: 15 13 45.
Lakota West (2-1) – Wells 2 1 5, Staples 6 2 15, Cannatelli 3 4 11, Whitaker 3 0 6, Carter 0 1 1, Kivell 0 1 1. Totals: 14 9 39.
Halftime: Lakota West, 20-18. 3-pointers: M 2 (Vorherr, Dixon), L 2 (Staples, Cannatelli).
no comments yetMason’s downtown area struggles to reinvent itself
Rachel Richardson reports:
Dick Yost remembers when downtown Mason was a bustling hub of activity.
Farmers from as far north as Dayton flocked to the area’s grocery stores, hotel and even a small theater.
“In the 1940s and 1950s, it was the retail center in Mason,” said Yost, whose family-owned Yost Pharmacy has been a mainstay of the city’s downtown since 1945. “We only had one traffic light in town, and you would have traffic backed up on a Friday night. That was a whole different climate.”
The once-lively, night-on-the-town destination has since turned into a ghost town, local business owners say.
Some independent business owners here say they’re struggling to compete with nearby retail juggernauts Deerfield Towne Center and Voice of America Centre. Others report steady sales and growth but say they’ve had to learn to adapt against the creeping forces of homogenization.
More than 50 businesses line the city’s downtown overlay district, which extends about 10 blocks along U.S. 42 from Fourth Avenue to Kings Mills Road.
But the type of businesses – mostly law offices, dentistry practices and other service-oriented businesses – don’t generate foot traffic, said Sally Nally, administrative vice president of the Northeast Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, whose office is in Mason’s downtown.
“It doesn’t offer the right balance. I don’t think we’ve found the right combination,” she said. “We’ve yet to establish that this area is a destination.”
In 2006, the city pumped nearly $6 million into resurrecting the old downtown, adding new brick sidewalks and a plaza, burying overhead utilities and upgrading the infrastructure.
Some business owners say those efforts weren’t enough to rescue the still-struggling downtown area and that the city has lost its focus on the area in favor of more high-profile development in other parts of the city.
In 2005, Todd Hudson read about Mason’s revitalization project. Encouraged by city officials whom he said promised him the area was on the upswing, he opened his Wildflower Cafe and Coffee House at 207 E. Main St.
While business is steady now, he said he struggled at first and considered filing bankruptcy after six months. He gives no credit for his success to the city, which he says didn’t fully deliver on its promises of streetscape designs and offers few resources to small-business owners.
“I think they just wasted money; they got hustled on what they did,” he said of the city’s renovation efforts. “There’s less businesses now than there was then.”
“This half of Mason-Montgomery Road may as well not even exist,” he added. “We’re not even a blip on (the city’s) radar.”
But big business is good for small business, said Mason City Manager Eric Hansen.
Nearly 90 percent of the city’s $28 million general fund comes from earnings taxes, he said. That money helps pay for road improvements, public safety services and parks – all things that make Mason an attractive place to operate a business of any size.
“We’re focused on job creation,” said Hansen. “It’s the corporations that really foot the bill for the quality of life everyone enjoys, including small businesses.”
Mason Councilwoman Char Pelfrey chairs the city’s downtown committee. She said the city can go only so far in developing its downtown.
“We don’t own the property so it’s up to local businesses and those who own property down there to get together and think of creative ways to drive incentive,” she said.
When Francis Michaels opened Pop Revolution Gallery and Framing in 2005, it was one of four art galleries in downtown. The shops teamed up to try and make Mason an arts destination, but received little support from other businesses and the city, he said.
“We could only do so much as businesses. I’m not sure what the town could do, but there wasn’t a lot of awareness,” he said.
To remain competitive, Michaels added printing and art reproduction services and art classes. He plans to open a second gallery space in January.
Downtown business owners could benefit from the city having a small business coordinator, several business owners said.
Mason previously employed a downtown and small-business coordinator, but that position was vacated and then eliminated by council in 2007, deciding the city didn’t receive enough benefit to justify the position, said Hansen.
“Somebody needs to take the initiative and try to look for certain kinds of businesses to attract them here,” said Michaels. “If they want more foot traffic and people milling around, we need more of those cutesy shops.”
Jim and Linda Pitrelli opened Pitrelli’s Italian Ristorante in 2004 and say sales are up 10 percent over last year. Succeeding in Mason is a matter of smart marketing and being responsive to customer demand, said Jim Pitrelli.
“You have to make sure that what you’re doing is the best you can do and people will find you and pick you over a chain,” he said. “I can’t think of what the city can do to help my business that I shouldn’t be doing. That falls on my shoulders, not the city’s.”
Chet Mastalerz, president of the Downtown Mason Association, says the downtown area is improving, but more can be done.
His nearly 40-member group is exploring several options to increase pedestrian traffic, including installing digital kiosks and organizing health-related events and arts weekends.
“There’s always more we can do in public-private participation to drive more traffic to the downtown area,” he said.
Pelfrey said the city is working with business owners to develop an agreement to improve parking.
“We’ve certainly not abandoned downtown. We have a heart for it and want to do all we can to encourage it,” she said. “I still see light at the end of that tunnel.”
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