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Photos: Fun with fossils at the Montessori Academy
Ethan Bennett, right, and his classmates pay attention during the presentation “Fossils at your feet: Ancient creatures of the Queen City” by the Cincinnati Museum Center at the Montessori Academy of Cincinnati in Mason on Tuesday, January 7, 2014. The kids learned about ancient creatures that lived in the area and how fossils were created. The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor
Students at the Montessori Academy of Cincinnati in Mason got an up-close look at ancient fossils on Tuesday. Representatives from the Cincinnati Museum Center visited the school to teach students about ancient creatures that lived in the area and how fossils were created. The Enquirer’s Leigh Taylor captured these moments. Click on a photo below to see a larger resolution version.
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Heating assistance available for low-income families
Warren County families with low incomes that are in danger of having their utilities turned off this winter may be able to get some assistance.
Help is available through the E-HEAP Winter Crisis program, a federally-funded program administered by Warren County Community Services.
Applicants must be income eligible (for example, a gross annual income of $41,212 or less for a family of four) and either have had their gas and/or electric service turned off, be facing a disconnection of their service or have less than 10 days supply of bulk fuel.
Applications are accepted through March 31. For more information or to apply, call 866-747-1042 for an appointment or go to www.wccsi.org.
no comments yetEarly winter may mean longer school year
Jessica Brown reports:
Some local students may have their school year extended thanks to an early deluge of winter weather this year.
Schools in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky have already canceled classes several times this school year due to ill-timed snowfalls or sub-zero temperatures. The latest round of closures came Monday as arctic temperatures hampered bus transportation, iced over parking lots and posed a frostbite danger for kids waiting at bus stops or walking to school.
A repeat is expected on Tuesday. A few districts decided Monday afternoon to remain closed as forecasts predicted temperatures would continue to hover in negative territory.
The closures this school year have come earlier and more often than normal, superintendents say. Some districts are already planning for summer makeup days.
“This is the first year in all of my career that we’ve had two snow days prior to Christmas, and I’ve always said if we have school closed … before Christmas we will be going to school in the summer,” said Clermont Northeastern schools Superintendent Ralph Shell.
On Monday the district used its third of five allotted “calamity” days because of cold weather and icy roads, Shell said.
Ohio and Kentucky handle snow days differently. In Ohio, the state allows schools to cancel up to five days due to severe weather or other emergency situations without requiring makeup days. These are called “calamity” days and are often made up during spring break or in the summer.
In Kentucky, school districts decide how to make up canceled classes, which are calculated based on hours instead of days. Most tack the hours on into the summer.
Another deciding factor in the closure was the district’s diesel school buses.
“We do not have plug-ins for our buses to keep them warm, and according to (Environmental Protection Agency) rules we aren’t allowed to idle buses to keep them warm,” Shell said.
“Even if kids jump from mom and dad’s car into the bus they are going to be cold until the bus heats up.”
The district can shorten its school calendar to avoid additional days in the summer by conducting a public hearing – but that’s not something Shell wants to think about.
“That’s way down the pipeline,” Shell said. “In this particular situation we are operating on ‘let’s get through this one day at a time.’”
Several other Ohio school districts, including Little Miami, Milford and Loveland,said if they use up all their allotted snow days, they’ll extend the year further into the summer.
The Little Miami school district in Warren County has only one left as of Monday, whereas for the past three years it used few snow days or none. The Milford district was in the same boat Monday with only one snow day left.
“I think the only time we were close to this was when the hurricane came in and we had a lot of days off about five or six years ago,” said Milford Superintendent Bob Farrell.
Loveland used its third snow day Monday.
The region’s largest school district, Cincinnati Public Schools, will make up snow days this summer if needed. But that would be extremely rare for the district of 33,000 students. So far, it’s used only two snow days.
Monday was the fourth day Campbell County canceled school for weather, compared to three cancellations all of last year. It will start making up days May 22. The last day of school was initially scheduled to be May 21.
Same with the Fort Thomas. Snow makeup days will be tacked onto the end of the year. Monday was its second missed day. “That’s unusual, but this is a real winter,” said Superintendent Gene Kirchner. Last year the worst it had was a one-hour delay. The many students walking to school in Fort Thomas was the reason for canceling classes Monday, Kirchner said.
“When you’re talking about wind chills of 20 and 30 degrees below zero, that’s a safety concern,” Kirchner said.
Ohio changes the way it counts snow daysThis is the last year Ohio will have calamity days. Under a new Ohio law, when schools start the 2014-2015 school year they will switch from instructional days to instructional hours if their collective bargaining contracts with teachers were initiated after July 1, 2014.
Only a handful of Southwest Ohio school systems may be able to exercise the new option because of the law’s July 1 launch date and the usual labor contract terms of two or three years. For those that do make the switch, they will be allowed to make up the lost time by extending school days, rather than adding entire days to the school year.
Kentucky is already on an hours-based system. According to the 2012 budget bill, the school term shall include, at a minimum, the equivalent of 177 six-hour instructional days (1,062 hours). If a school closes due to weather, the individual districts decide how best to make up that time. District calendars specify when makeup days will occur, often in the summer.
School officials throughout the region say this is has been a particularly bad year so far for closures.
“We are definitely ahead of the game in using snow days. Often we get through December without having used any,” said Mason school district spokeswoman Tracey Carson. “During 2011-12 and ‘12-13, we only used one day. This is definitely not a ‘normal’ year. Between the fast-falling snow we saw in December at the most inconvenient time (snows beginning around 6 a.m.) and this arctic blast that makes the salt useless, we are experiencing a tough winter.”
The 14,000-student Kenton County district has already used four snow days. Superintendent Terri Cox-Cruey said they’ve taken off more days so far this year than in the past two years combined.
“Two years ago we had zero (snow days). Last year we used three,” said Cox-Cruey.
“It’s unprecedented, meaning that we have not used this many days so early as long as I can remember, which is since 2000,” said Ed Theroux, director of student services for Princeton City Schools. “The extreme conditions are hazardous for all children. We could not guarantee that all students would be safe coming in, due to those conditions.”
Most schools said Monday’s decision was easy – the frigid temperatures simply made it too dangerous for students to walk to school or wait on buses. For previous snow days, the timing or amount of snowfall were the deciding factors. Districts make the decisions with student safety in mind, they said.
“It’s too cold for our students to be walking to school,” said Mount Healthy Superintendent Lori Handler. “At these temperatures, frostbite can happen in minutes. We cannot have students walking a half hour up Hamilton Avenue to school.”
The district decided before 4 p.m. Monday to also cancel classes Tuesday.
Reporters Keith BeiryGolick, Chris Mayhew, Amy Scalf, Kelly McBride, Jennie Key and Michael Clark contributed
no comments yetMason player among those selected for McDonald’s All American games
McDonald’s announced its list of 984 high school basketball players from the 2014 class nominated to play in the McDonald’s All American Games this spring.
The list has players from 44 states and the District of Columbia who have been selected by high school coaches, athletic directors, principals and members of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee.
There are 26 players from the Greater Cincinnati region – 22 male and four female players. Mason’s Jenna Gunn made the list.
- Grant Benzinger, Moeller;
- Tyler Bowling, Lakota West;
- Sydney Brackemyre, Clinton-Massie;
- Kevin Daniels, Hughes;
- Vincent Edwards, Middletown;
- Tim Fleming, Fairfield;
- Jenna Gunn, Mason;
- Tre Hawkins, Moeller;
- Carlas Jackson, Roger Bacon;
- Martin Jones, Winton Woods;
- Jeff Larkin, La Salle;
- Zach McCormick, Turpin;
- Roderick Mills, St. Xavier;
- Kelsey Mitchell, Princeton;
- Dwight Nared, Hughes;
- Aaron Oden, Taft;
- Imani Partlow, Winton Woods;
- Devin Pike, Elder;
- Montrail Roberts, Withrow;
- Tyonte Robertson, Withrow;
- Ronnie Rousseau, Winton Woods;
- Blake Simpson, La Salle;
- Latrell Tidwell, Lakota West;
- Tyler Williams, Lakota West;
- Antonio Woods, Summit Country Day.
The final roster of 24 boys and 24 girls selected will be announced during the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Show on ESPNU on Jan. 29 at 6 p.m.
The 37th annual boys’ game is April 2 at 9:30 p.m. from Chicago’s United Center and will be televised on ESPN. The 13th annual girls’ game is at 7 p.m. April 2 and will televised live on ESPNU.
no comments yetMason man sentenced to 4 years for 2012 assault
About two months after he pleaded guilty to felonious assault and gross sexual imposition in an attack on a woman, a Mason man was sentenced Monday to four years in prison.
Family members of the woman William F O’Leary Jr. attacked found her severely beaten, with head trauma, nose and facial fractures and other injuries sustained from sexual assault. The woman, also from Mason, was hospitalized for several days and didn’t remember the attack, according to a news release from the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.
When O’Leary, then 42, was indicted in January 2013, Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell called the incident the worst rape case their office had seen.
He said O’Leary allegedly raped a woman both vaginally and anally with “some type of object” during the attack on July 15, 2012
“The type of injuries she suffered were some of the most severe we’ve ever seen with a sexual assault,” said Fornshell.
Assistant Prosecutor Teresa Hiett wanted a more severe sentence due to the nature and extent of the injuries, according to the release. But because O’Leary didn’t have much of a prior record, Judge Donald Oda imposed the lesser sentence.
O’Leary, a Liberty Township businessman, accepted a plea deal with prosecutors Nov. 20. He pleaded guilty to felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, and is required to register as a Tier I sexual offender.
Prosecutors dropped the four first-degree felony counts of rape and two counts of sexual battery.
In court documents, O’Leary’s attorneys claim he and the woman – both married at the time – had an ongoing six-year affair. Both were intoxicated on the night of the incident and neither fully remember what transpired, said one of O’Leary’s attorneys, Stephan Madden.
“Something happened to this woman, no doubt about that,” he said. “(O’Leary) has accepted responsibility for the fact that something happened to her while they were out at some point.”
Rachel Richardson contributed to this report.
no comments yetMiami Valley Racing posts weakest racino debut so far in Ohio
Miami Valley Racing raked in $5.7 million in gambling action during its first 19 days of operation, Ohio regulators reported Tuesday.
Hard Rock Rocksino in suburban Cleveland did $8.2 million during its first 13 days of operation. The numbers are the first results issued by the Ohio Lottery Commission, which revealed the first month’s results for the state’s two newest racinos.
In its debut month, Miami Valley Racing’s daily unit revenue per video slot was the lowest among Ohio’s four racinos: each machine generated an average $181 per day. At that rate, the racino would generate $104 million per year.
That compares to $260 per day at Hard Rock in the same month; $207 per day in June 2012 at Scioto Downs in Columbus; and $331 per day in April 2013 at ThistleDown in Cleveland.
In December, all four Ohio racinos averaged $217 daily revenue per video slot machine.
Ohio data also suggests Miami Valley Racing has trimmed the number of machines. The facility opened with 1,600, but the state said it has 1,577 video slots.
David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, said Greater Cincinnati’s already crowded gambling market may be pressuring Miami Valley Racing.
“It comes down to management and where people like to play,” he said.
Regardless of performance, Turtlecreek Township collected a one-time $1 million payment from the racino and will collect another in April, according to local officials.
“The racino helps the township as growth goes because that money will help pay for roads and other capital projects,” said Tammy Boggs, the township’s fiscal officer.
Southwest Ohio’s first racino, the Turtlecreek Township racino was the third across the state and drew thousands on its first frigid day of operations on Dec. 12. More than 1,000 gamblers visited Miami Valley Gaming – the region’s first racino – during its first hour of operation alone.
Six days later, the Hard Rock Rocksino – the video-slot enhanced Northfield Park.
Ohio’s first two racinos, Scioto Downs in Columbus and ThistleDown in Cleveland, have done steady business since opening respectively in June 1, 2012 and April 9, 2013.
Scioto Downs raked in $11.1 million during its first month of operation. It started with nearly 1,800 video slots and has since increased that to 2,100.
ThistleDown reaped $8 million in the 21 days of its first month. The racino started with nearly 1,100 video slots and has since added about 50.
Miami Valley Racing officials initially predicted their racino would reap $125 million during its first year of operation. Racino officials have since backed off offering any forecasts.
Miami Valley Racing has 1,600 video slots, employs 500 and also features four restaurants: 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.
In other gambling results issued Tuesday, the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati generated $14.2 million in December gambling revenue, the Ohio Casino Control Commission reported. Statewide, Ohio casinos generated $63.2 million in gambling dollars.
no comments yetTonight’s boys’ basketball games postponed
Today’s boys’ basketball games that pit Mason High School’s Comets against Fairfield High School’s Indians have been postponed one month.
The junior varsity game has been rescheduled for at 6 p.m., Feb. 11, at Fairfield Senior High School, 8800 Holden Blvd. It will be followed by the varsity game at 7:30 p.m.
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Claddagh closed in Deerfield Twp; eyeing Downtown
Shauna Steigerwald reports:
The Claddagh Irish Pub in Deerfield Towne Center has closed.
Kieran Dillon is CFO for the chain, which has 13 other locations, including Newport on the Levee. He said that the Deerfield Township restaurant had been open for 10 years, and when its lease expired, “the location and the space that we had didn’t match up with the terms of the new lease.
“We’ve had a very loyal customer base for the last 10 years, so it’s disappointing,” he added.
Dillon said no other locations are set to close. In fact, the company is actively seeking a location for another store Greater Cincinnati and is particularly eyeing Downtown Cincinnati.
“There seems to be a lot of action Downtown,” he said, noting that the company has looked at spaces but hasn’t found the right fit yet.
no comments yetBurst water pipe closes Mason Community Center
Update: According to Mason Spokeswoman Jennifer Trepal, damage from a break in a sprinkler line caused a small section of the ceiling to come down. No one was hurt. Members are able to show passes to the TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion in Montgomery for free admission during the closure. The center will reopen at 5 a.m. Wednesday.
The Mason Community Center closed Tuesday after subzero temperatures caused a water pipe to burst.
The incident occurred just after 11 a.m. in one of the center’s fitness rooms, according to a representative. The extent of damages is still unknown.
The center will remain closed Tuesday for repairs and is expected to reopen Wednesday. For more information, call the center at 513-229-8555.
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Mason company among 10 startups to watch in 2014
Rod Robinson, founder and CEO of ConnXus.
The Enquirer has compiled its list of 10 local startups to watch in 2014 – run by a Who’s Who of some of the brightest idea people around — including Mason-based ConnXus. See the full list at cincinnati.com.
ConnXusThe 3-year-old startup based in Mason uses technology to connect minority- and women-owned suppliers with large corporations. Last year it landed a contract with McDonald’s Corp. and Coca-Cola, and is in the running for deals this year with several more large customers. It also attracted funding from New York City-based STAR Angel Network, made up of athletes and celebrities, and Serious Change L.P.
• Entrepreneurs: Founder and CEO Rod Robinson
• Connect: www.connxus.com; @connXus
And another company on the list, Cincinnati-based MedaCheck, has a partnership with the Cedar Village retirement community in Mason.
MedaCheckThe Cincinnati-based software and hardware company helps patients maintain a daily medication regimen, which is critical to lowering hospital readmission rates. It has raised $750,000 and has several strategic partnerships. Among them: VRI, the Franklin-based provider of in-home medical monitoring; Midmark, a Dayton company specializing in medical and dental hardware equipment; and Cedar Village, a retirement community in Mason.
• Entrepreneurs: Founder and CEO Jeffrey Shepard
• Connect: @jeffreymshepard; @MedaCheck; www.medacheck.com/
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Mason Re/Max agent gets Angie’s List award
Bowdeya Tweh reports:
The Jason Bowman team and Re/Max Elite in Mason have earned Angie’s List Super Service Award.
“It is truly the highest compliment to receive positive feedback from our clients,” Bowman said. “We are thankful for all the kind comments and reviews that our clients have posted to the Angie’s List community. We are inspired to discover new ways to implement our mission of service excellence.”
Angie’s List said award winners for 2013 meet strict eligibility requirements, including an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade, being in good standing, have a complete online profile, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.
Re/Max Elite is located at 5720 Gateway Boulevard in Mason.
no comments yetNo. 3 Lakota West knocks off No. 2 Mason
The Enquirer
Lakota West’s boys’ basketball team upset host Mason 48-46 Friday night. Lakota West, ranked No. 3 in The Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, overcame a 21-19 halftime deficit to hand No. 2 Mason (7-2, 3-2 Greater Miami Conference) its second consecutive loss.
Lakota West (7-1, 5-0) outscored Mason 29-25 in the second half. The Firebirds had three starters in double figures, led by Tyler Williams with 14 points.
Mason’s Spencer Cline also had 14 points off the bench.
Lakota East 59, Hamilton 58: Lakota East’s Dylan Lowry hit his only field goal, a runner in the lane with 1.1 seconds left, that secured a road win for the Thunderhawks.
Alex White led Lakota East with 13 points and seven rebounds.
Hamilton’s Christian Jones led all scorers with 22 points.
no comments yetMason track and field senior verbally commits to NKU
Mike Dyer reports:
Mason senior track and field standout Jordan Horning verbally committed to compete to run track and field at NKU, according to Mason coach Tony Affatato.
Horning was an Enquirer Division I all-area selection last spring for the Comets. She also considered Kent State and Bowling Green. All three offered scholarships.
She was the Division I regional champion in the 100 hurdles and ninth at state last spring.
no comments yetDancer heading to YoungArts Week in Miami
Angela Vettikkal of Deerfield Township, who hails from William Mason High School, is a National YoungArts Foundation finalist in dance for her entry in the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam.
Angela Vettikkal of Deerfield Township is a finalist in the annual YoungArts Week in Miami Jan. 6-12. Provided
Angela is among the 171 finalist winners out of 11,000 applicants nationally across 10 arts disciplines. Finalists will come together for the annual YoungArts Week in Miami from Jan. 6-12.
Caroline Hennekes of West Chester is a finalist in the dance category. Zoe Cheng of Cincinnati is a finalist in writing.
Throughout the week, finalists’ work will be further adjudicated to determine additional award levels including a monetary award of at least $1,000, with top-level awardees receiving $10,000 and for nomination as the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the highest honor that can be awarded to any artistically talented graduating high school senior.
During YoungArts Week, finalists will participate in a week of intense master classes and workshops with internationally renowned artists Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Irving Sandler, Rita Moreno, Andrew Rannells, Shelly Berg, Shalita Grant, Lourdes Lopez and Judith Hill.
Students will also have the opportunity to share their work with the public through performances.
All winners become part of the YoungArts alumni network of 17,000 artists, some of whom have gone on to become leading professionals in their fields including actresses Vanessa Williams, Viola Davis, and Kerry Washington; actor, musician, and filmmaker Adrian Grenier; four-time Tony Award nominee Raúl Esparza; CEO of American Ballet Theatre Rachel Moore; recording artists Nicki Minaj, Chris Young and Josh Groban; Metropolitan Opera star Eric Owens; musicians Terence Blanchard and Jennifer Koh; choreographer Desmond Richardson; visual artist Hernan Bas; and internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Doug Aitken.
no comments yetPower of Prevention Awards given
Scott and Kathy Michelich. Provided
You may be familiar with the concept of “pay it forward” as it has been around for many years, gaining mainstream popularity after the 2000 movie by the same name. Essentially, it is performing an act or gesture for someone else with the expectation of nothing in return. What the giver desires is for the recipient to perform a good deed for someone else, big or small.
Mental Health Recovery Services of Warren and Clinton Counties (MHRS) and the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Warren and Clinton Counties (SPC) recently acknowledged some of these good deeds which promote mental wellness in our community.
According to Patti Ahting, MHRS associate director and SPC chair, “These folks have given of their time, energy and talents to prevent future problems, to be a good friend, to expand community awareness, to offer hope, and to be a helpful neighbor. There are many, many stories we could tell about great things happening in our community, but these are a few extraordinary ones.”
Kathy and Scott Michelich are survivors. Through the unexpected and tragic loss of their daughter, Apphia, they have channeled their grief into endeavors to positively impact the community.
The Michelichs established the Apphia Memorial Fund and have provided thousands of dollars to the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Warren and Clinton Counties to carry out awareness efforts and train individuals who work with those affected by suicide. This foundation also provides funding to the national Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
The Michelichs have donated their talents and knowledge to many other community organizations including the Family and Children First Council, the Human Rights Committee for Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Community Correctional Center governance board, Head Start and Early Learning Centers, and Warren County Community Services.
The Michelichs have resided in Morrow for 25 years. Kathy is employed at Warren County’s Ohio State University Extension and Scott is employed at Afidence IT Consulting in Mason. They are members of Antioch Church at Countryside YMCA.
The Waynesville High School’s REDO group includes, from left, Molly Keeton, Evan Crichton, Cathy Joefreda-Wells, Carissa Stamm, Emily Wells Carly Allen and Brittany Bellar. Provided
The REDO Group at Waynesville High School was created after the school’s first “Respect Everyone Despite Odds” (REDO) day last school year.
This group of six enthusiastic and energetic teens led by guidance counselor Cathy Joefreda-Wells saw a need for increased awareness surrounding suicide in their school and community.
For September’s Suicide Prevention Week, the group carried out a series of school-wide awareness activities. These included large banners posted in the school and at the tennis courts, signage in the halls, and awareness exercises at lunch and throughout the day. For five days, the students led activities, unveiling a new approach each day. Suicide is not an easy topic to talk about but these youth took on the challenge offering up hope, friendship, kindness and help to fellow students in need.
The Michelichs and Waynesville High School’s REDO Group were given the Power of Prevention Award by the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Warren and Clinton counties. This award began in 2011 with the purpose of recognizing individuals and organizations who have shown leadership or opened doors above and beyond their job duties.
“Suicide prevention can be a difficult topic due to stigma and fear, however it is an issue many people are faced with – whether it be through an interaction with a family member, a co-worker, a friend, or even an acquaintance. It is important for everyone to feel comfortable having a conversation with individuals expressing suicidal thoughts and directing them to help. The Michelichs and Waynesville High School’s REDO Group have brought the topic to the forefront. We would like to publicly acknowledge them and express our genuine appreciation for their leadership and dedication to the prevention cause,” Ahting said.
To learn more about Mental Health Recovery Services, the Suicide Prevention Coalition and local resources, visit www.mhrsonline.org. For 24-hour assistance, call the Toll-Free Crisis Hotline for Warren & Clinton Counties at 1-877-695-6333 OR 1-877-695-NEED.
no comments yetKings school board looking for individual to represent it on WCCC governing board
Want to help influence vocational education in Warren County?
Residents of the Kings Local Schools now have that opportunity due to a change in Ohio law.
Kings residents with business experience now have an opportunity to represent the district on the governing board of the Warren County Career Center.
Under a change in state law, each participating school district no longer has to appoint a member of its school board to sit on the vocational school’s governing board.
Local boards may appoint members of their community who have experience as chief executive officers, chief financial officers, human resource managers or other business, industry or career counseling professionals who are qualified to discuss the labor needs of the region.
Toward that goal, the Kings Board of Education will consider requests from community members to represent it on the governing board.
Superintendent Valerie Browning will accept inquiries, letters of interest and a completed questionnaire through 5 p.m., Jan. 6.
The board will consider candidates and make a selection at its Jan. 7 organizational meeting which begins at 6:30 p.m., at the Kings Education Center, 1797 King Ave.
Those interested in applying may email Browning, who will send out the questionnaire: vbrowning@kingslocal.net
Information: 513-398-8050 or www.kingslocal.net
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Kings to induct six into Athletic Hall of Fame
Five Kings High School graduates and one former coach will be inducted into the 2013-14 Kings Athletic Hall of Fame next month.
The program and ceremonies will be held Jan. 18 dinner at the Kings Island Inn Resort and Conference Center. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased by calling the school’s athletic office, 513-459-2937 or email Judy Sichterman at jsichterman@kingslocal.net.
All proceeds benefit the Kings Athletic Hall of Fame and the Kings Athletic Booster Club.
Inductees are:
- John Allare, Class of 2005, tennis
- Matt Allare, Class of 2007, tennis
- Ra’ees Ismail, Class of 2005, tennis
- Doug Matthews, Class of 2005, tennis and basketball
- Brad Maurer, Class of 2003, football and basketball
- Steve Contardi, tennis coach from 1992 through 2005
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Four-legged friends help put young readers at ease
Therapy dog ‘Gabe’ nuzzles special needs students at Mason Intermediate School in Warren County. Gabe and other dogs help relax and entertain students, often serving as a bonding classroom visitor by bringing students together. The Enquirer/ Michael D. Clark
Michael D. Clark reports:
Sometimes, the best classroom aides for young students are those who are attentive, non-judgmental – and maybe even overly affectionate.
To the point of licking faces.
Reading or therapy dogs are being seen more frequently in area kindergarten and elementary classrooms because the help they provide students, say local school officials. A decade ago, the specially trained dogs were a rarity in Greater Cincinnati schools, said Glenna Mockbee, founder and executive director of Therapy Pets of Greater Cincinnati, one of the area’s largest providers of reading and therapy dogs.
“When we started in 2004, we had four dogs. Now we have 250 dogs that visit schools,” said Mockbee. The dogs also visit local hospitals, nursing homes and libraries.
Canine reading programs vary, but in general they take advantage of the natural affinity between children and dogs. The dogs are screened for health and temperament around children and trained to be sensitive to the body language and moods of children, some of whom may be shy or nervous about reading to another human being.
Bellevue school parent Hilary Dungan sees what reading dogs have done for her second-grade daughter, Paige, when she comes home from Grandview Elementary School.
“It’s the first thing she talks about,” Dungan said. “She gets so excited about reading to a dog, and it has made her a more frequent reader. Since the program started I don’t have to prompt her to read.”
The dogs “have a special way about them, and they are just there for the kids,” she said.
It’s a sentiment echoed nearly universally by educators who say they see increased aptitude and more enthusiasm for books among students who read to dogs.
Grandview media specialist Debbie Langguth says that, for some students, there may be no one outside of school paying as much attention. “Some of them don’t have anyone at home to read to,” said Langguth, who came up with the idea last school year and named it LEASH – Learners Experiencing Animals and Stories in Harmony.
“This gives those kids a positive reading experience,” she said.
Exactly, said Mockbee.
Her organization’s other animals – cats, rabbits, gerbils – also visit schools, hospitals and nursing homes. But none gets the same effusive reaction as dogs.
“Dogs are definitely the most popular because dogs are the only ones that give unconditional love. Cats can be sweet, too, but a dog will give you more attention,” explained Mockbee.
That is especially true, she said, for special needs students.
A recent day at Mason’s Western Row Elementary School saw Gabe, a blond Labrador retriever, happily wagging his tail, sniffing and licking amused special needs students.
Ben Russo, 8, is a Mason special needs student. Wheelchair-bound after more than 20 surgeries, Ben’s spirit rises noticeably around Gabe.
For his part, Gabe gladly allows himself to be leashed to Ben’s wheelchair, towing the boy down the school hallway for a short stroll.
His mother, Amy Russo, said Ben’s condition doesn’t allow them to have pets at home. “But he loves big dogs, and he even holds on to the leash himself,” Russo said. “These dogs help him become comfortable with things he isn’t familiar with.”
Karen Vome, a Western Row science teacher who also instructs special needs students, said that, when the all types of students are playing with the dogs, the canines “act as a bridge” between youngsters who may not normally interact during the school day.
“The kids get excited and react more so than with anybody else,” Vome said. “The dogs seem to really bring out the emotions in our special needs kids.”
DO READING DOGS HELP STUDENT READING?
The short answer, say educators, is “yes.”
But that widely held opinion is based on personal observation, experience and little else.
Gail Melson, professor emerita in Purdue University’s department of human development and family studies, has specialized for years on children’s development and relationships in the field of human-animal interaction.
“Rreading-to-dogs programs draw on research showing the calming effects of friendly dog presence,” said Melson, author of “Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children
A number of local organizations train and supply reading and therapy dogs to area schools, hospitals, nursing homes and libraries. Dogs are selected based on temperament, obedience and certified by a veterinarian as healthy.
Glenna Mockbee, founder and executive director of Therapy Pets of Greater Cincinnati, says their policy allows only one dog and dog handler at a time in a school building.
For more information go to: www.therapypetsofgreatercincinnati.org or call 513-604-9108.
Catch therapy dog “Gabe” in action with special needs students in Mason.
no comments yetKings Mills shop spreads Christmas cheer all year
Owner Ron Greene is photographed in The King’s Mills General Store and Christmas Shop on Monday, December 16, 2013. Owners Ron and Mary Greene are celebrating the shop’s 30th anniversary this year. The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor
For one Kings Mills store, Christmas isn’t just a day in December. It’s a state of mind.
That’s the motto of Ron and Mary Greene, who run the Kings Mills General Store and Christmas Shop at the corner of Wilson and Columbia roads. The business is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
While the official headquarters of Christmas is probably up north, the Greenes do their best to compete.
Owner Mary Greene helps Scott and Kathy Rosenow (cq), from Fairfield Township, find an ornament at The King’s Mills General Store and Christmas Shop on Monday, December 16, 2013. The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor
The 3,000-square-foot white clapboard house features thousands of Christmas ornaments and trimmings from floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. Even the shop’s bathroom doubles as storage space.
From Santas to nutcrackers, the shop features a variety of ornaments to suit every taste — no matter how eclectic.
Looking for green glass Christmas pickle ornaments? You’ll find them here. Spongebob and Elvis? They’re there, too, alongside rows of sports- and pet-themed trinkets and baubles with military, nature and Western motifs.
“We try to literally have something for everybody,” said Mary. “There’s no place in the whole Tristate area that has the selection we do.”
Ornaments range from $2 to more than $200 for exclusive lines like hand-painted Patricia Breen glass ornaments, which are sold in less than 20 stores nationwide and have a wait list. Most items are under $10, said Ron.
For the Greenes, the most magical time of the year begins in mid-April when the shop opens. November and December are the shop’s busiest months, but Augusts ranks a close third thanks to tourists visiting nearby Kings Island and Great Wolf Lodge.
Ron got the idea for the shop after working in his uncle’s Christmas Shop and Island Art Gallery in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
It was there, in 1977, that he met Mary at a picnic on the beach. Emboldened, Ron asked the attractive West Side native to dinner.
“I’m a nice Catholic girl from Cincinnati. I wouldn’t have gone off with him if I hadn’t been going to the Christmas Shop for six years,” remembered Mary with a laugh.
Christmas ornaments at The King’s Mills General Store and Christmas Shop. The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor
When Mary returned to Cincinnati, Ron followed. The couple celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary Dec. 9.
In September 1983, the couple purchased the Kings Mills General Store and began selling general gifts and holiday items.
The building, which had operated as a general store from the early 1920s, featured the warm and nostalgic ambiance the Greenes had been looking for.
The couple fixed up the deteriorating building and spent years searching for the antique cabinets and pieces upon which to display their trove of Christmas treasures.
“We wanted to make it safe, but we also wanted to keep the creaking floors,” said Ron. “There’s just something about being in a nearly 100-year-old building that’s kind of neat.
Thirty years later, the shop has become a retail attraction for tourists and a holiday tradition for locals.
“We have people who say they’ve been here with their parents and now they’re bringing their kids,” said Mary. “Once you come here, it becomes a destination.”
For Ron, 73, and Mary, 65, theirs is a business that’s all about spreading cheer and making spirits bright.
“It’s a pleasant atmosphere,” said Ron. “People come in here and even if they’re not so wonderfully happy when they walk in, you can’t help but feel lighter. It’s a feel-good place.”
If you go
Kings Mills General Store and Christmas Shop is at 5687 Columbia Road, Kings Mills. Contact: 513-398-1677; www.kingschristmas.com.
no comments yetOne dead in Mason fire
A man died in a fire in this Mason condominium on Country Ridge Drive early Monday morning. / Jennifer Edwards Baker / The Enquirer
Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:
A man died after fire ripped through a Mason condominium early today, fire officials said.
Crews were called to 5230 W. Country Ridge Drive just before 2 a.m.
When they arrived, they found heavy flames shooting from the back of the first and second floors, said Lt. Tom Wentzel.
The victim was found on the first floor. His name and age were not released.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Investigators with the State Fire Marshal’s Office are on scene, assisting Mason firefighters.
Initially, there was a report that a small explosion sparked the fire. The explosion, if there was one, occurred before fire crews arrived, Wentzel said.
The condo is destroyed. A damage estimate was not available.
Neighbors in an adjacent condo were displaced. Their unit suffered smoke damage, Wentzel said. He did not know how many people in that unit were impacted.
One of the victim’s relatives declined comment at the scene.
Neighbors said they were advised by authorities not to talk to the media until Tuesday.
The Enquirer will update this story.
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