INSIDE Advertiser Index ...................... 2 Opinions/History ......................6 Menus ...................................... 2 Classified................................ 11 Public Record ........................4,5 Sports..................................... 10 Obituaries/Death Notices ......... 4 Religion ....................................7
PHS Winter Sports Good Luck Pages – pages 8-9 One section–12 pages
FOUR NATIONAL General Excellence First Place Awards
ARCHBOLD
BUCKEYE
www.ArchboldBuckeye.com 207 N. Defiance St., Archbold, Ohio 43502 (USPA 029-180)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
$
1
SEVEN STATE General Excellence First Place Awards
106th Year - No. 19
Archbold Elevator Pig Operations Sold The sale of the three remaining entities of Archbold Elevator has been approved. Gerald Kowalski, a Toledo attorney acting as receiver for the Elevator and its related businesses, said James Barber, Fulton County Common Pleas Court judge, signed an order authorizing the sale, Monday, Nov. 28. The three properties are the last of the “Archbold Entities” involved in the receivership of Archbold Elevator. Troubles for the elevator and its owner, William Fricke, began when the
Ohio Department of Agriculture suspended the elevator grain handling license on April 11. The following day, Farmers & Merchants State Bank filed a $4.9 million lawsuit against Archbold Elevator, Fricke and other associated businesses. The lawsuit forced the company into receivership. The three remaining entities to be sold were all in the businesses of raising and selling pigs. Fricke attempted to buy back the three entities us-
ing non-traditional financing through a Detroit firm, but after a hearing, Barber disqualified his bids. Sold Sold were: •Henry Pig, a sow operation that raised pigs from birth to the point they were weaned from the sow. The sale included animals, property and other assets at 1678 Co. Rd. K, rural Napoleon, in Henry County. There were two original bids: Mark and Stephanie (Continued on page 12)
Repairs Start At Pettisville School Work to repair problems at the new Pettisville School is underway or is scheduled for completion, said Steve Switzer, school district superintendent. Work started Monday to replace the lights in the new gymnasium. There have been complaints that the original fixtures did not provide enough light for sporting events. Switzer said the original fixtures will be replaced by fixtures holding eight T-5
type fluorescent tubes. Four fixtures, which include security lights, have not been delivered. The curtain that divides the gym was to be used during the replacement. Physical education was to take place in half of the gym, while workers changed the lights on the other side. There were also complaints of sound traveling between classrooms. Switzer said the contractor installed a second level of
ceiling tile in four classrooms as a test, which proved successful. The second level of tiles will be installed in remaining classrooms over Christmas break, Switzer said. Walking Through? Contrary to rumor, Pettisville students are not walking through the under-construction atrium between the new school building and the 1994 gym-library-study (Continued on page 12)
Pettisville 27th, Archbold 94th In New State School Rankings Out of more than 900 school districts, charter and other types of schools, Pettisville had the 27th-highest performance index score in 2011. Archbold was 95th. Pettisville is in the top 3% of schools across Ohio, and Archbold in the top 10%. The rankings are part of a new system based on the performance index scores from Ohio Department of Education school report cards. Speaking to the Archbold Area School Board during its Wednesday, Nov. 16, meeting, David Deskins, district superintendent, told board members the requirement for the new ranking system was included in the last state budget bill. The requirement directs the Ohio Department of Education to prepare statewide rankings, based on perfor-
mance index scores. Performance index scores combine individual student results on all subjects in grades 3 through 8 that are tested on Ohio Achievement Assessments, and on 10th grade results from the Ohio Graduation Test. This year’s rankings are considered by the ODE to be a draft version. The first official ranking list will be released in September 2012. Scores The performance index scores range from 0 to 120. Pettisville’s PI score in 2011 was 107.9093; Archbold’s was 104.5514. The school with the highest PI score was a charter school startup, the Constellation Schools Outreach Academy for Students with Disabilities, in Cleveland. Its PI score was 115.9375.
The lowest PI score was the W.C. Cupe College Preparatory School in Columbus. The score was 35.4867, which ranked the school 936th. Several schools were not included in the rankings. Most are Joint Vocational School Districts. Others had no students tested, or less than 10 students tested. Cost Per Pupil The rankings include the per-pupil cost of instruction. Pettisville’s per-pupil cost was $9,565, fifth-highest among the seven Fulton County school districts. Steve Switzer, Pettisville Local School District superintendent, said of the 30 top-ranked school districts across Ohio, Pettisville ranked eighth in per-pupil spending. (Continued on page 12) There were 48 entries in the Archbold Parade of Lights, including floats, decorated vehicles, lighted tractors, and horse-drawn carriages. There was a good crowd watching the parade,
DRAFT School District Rankings Fulton County School District
Ranking #
2011 PI Score
2011 Rating
2011 Per Pupil Enrollment Expenditures
Pettisville
27
107.9093
Excellent
498
$9,565
Archbold
94
104.5514
Excellent with Distinction
1,285
$9,222
Wauseon
123
103.5559
Excellent
1,968
$8,259
Evergreen
157
102.6299
Excellent
1,328
$9,798
Pike-Delta-York
351
98.9657
Excellent
1,311
$10,133
Gorham-Fayette
357
98.8580
Excellent
447
$10,371
Swanton
452
96.7778
Excellent
1,371
$9,924
Rankings include community schools; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math schools; and joint vocational schools. More than 930 Ohio schools were ranked. Rankings are based on the Performance Index (PI), part of the Ohio Department of Education Local School Report Card. Enrollment figures provided by Ohio Department of Education. Source: ODE, via Archbold Area Schools. Archbold Buckeye chart.
said Julie Brink, director of the Archbold Area Chamber of Commerce. See video from the Parade of Lights at ArchboldBuckeye.com.– photos by David Pugh and Mary Huber
Parade Of Lights Draws Crowd Julie Brink, director of the Archbold Area Chamber of Commerce, said there were 48 entries in the 2011 Parade of Lights, Friday night, Nov. 25. That’s down four from last year. Previously, the lowest number was 50. Brink had reports that there was a nice crowd both in the downtown historic district and other parts of the parade route. Weather was relatively balmy compared to 22 degrees with a biting wind last
year. Friday's high temperature was 64 degrees. “We were very, very fortunate,” she said. Street Lights One difference from previous years was the downtown street lights remained on. The lights were left on because of liability concerns. “There were complaints last year that people couldn’t see the curbs,” and could trip over them, she said. Brink said the parade started at a fast pace, but
then slowed down with some gaps. “People walking alongside the floats had trouble keeping up.”
Santa Visit Brink said Santa’s visit to Ruihley Park Pavilion was popular. A big crowd was on hand. There was a steady stream of traffic through the Festival of Lights in Ruihley Park. “It was a good kickoff to the holidays,” she said.
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