B OONE COMMUNITY RECORDER
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Detwiler continues leadership role in Boone Schools By Melissa Stewart mstewart@communitypress.com
Jim Detwiler always knew he wanted to make a difference in the life of a child. He didn’t always know he’d be doing that as an educator. “I didn’t think I’d be a teacher,” he said. “After college I enrolled into law school to practice juvenile law. My second year I dropped out because I realized that if I really wanted to have an impact on children and families, it was not going to be through law, but teaching.” Nearly 20 years later, Detwiler, 44, is living his dream – most recently being named assistant superintendent of learning support services for Boone County Schools. “It’s an honor,” he said. “Boone County has a great rep-
utation for education and being a strong community, it’s great serving in this district. Curriculum developDetwiler ment and instruction support is where my passion lies; this new position is a great fit.” Detwiler, of Union, has been working in the district as the Stephens Elementary School principal for the last four years. “Mr. Detwiler is a fantastic educator who displays great dispositions and well regarded by the Stephens community,” Superintendent Randy Poe said. “He is a leader who is focused on improving and integrating the arts throughout his school. He is a great fit for this position
based on his leadership he has demonstrated in his current role. “He will now take those skills demonstrated and leverage those skills districtwide.” Detwiler received national attention last February for his creative take on educating when he and Stephens drama teacher Chad Caddell created a snow closing video that went viral. On Feb. 3 when school was canceled again due to inclement weather, they published a video on YouTube of them recording the school closing message to the tune of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The video can be found here: http://bit.ly/1dYiHYa. The 52-second video surpassed 200,000 views on YouTube in just half a day. Katie Couric even interviewed the Ste-
phens Elementary principal over Skype for her program. For Detwiler the success of the project wasn’t the hype, but the message sent out to students. “We want our students to see that there are fun ways to use technology and social media to be creative,” Detweiler said. According to Stephens interim principal Greg Frank, that was just one example of Detwiler’s “infectious” energy at work. “Jim fits any definition one would find of the word leader,” Frank said. “He leads with integrity, passion, and by positive example and empowerment of his staff. He has encouraged his staff to instruct with fanatic discipline and he practices the same with instructional leadership. First and foremost for all decisions is doing what is best for the child.”
Frank has worked with Detwiler for two years as assistant principal, but he’s known him since he came to Boone County five years ago. He said everyone at Stephens misses him. “However, all we need to do is look around to see and feel the creative, collaborative, congenial environment he has helped to propel,” Frank said. “I personally, miss the daily chats we had of our family activities and the many stories of current and past experiences in our lives. I have worked with many supervisors, managers, and administrators in both the business world and education and have learned more than ever before about true leadership from Jim Detwiler.” Want to continue the conversation? Tweet @MStewartReports
Road projects top list of concerns in Boone County By Amy Scalf ascalf@communitypress.com
NANCY DALY/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Martha Miller, of Burlington, is proud of the two begonias she nursed to health this summer. They were “puny looking” when she bought them around Mother’s Day.
Giant begonias bring comfort and joy
By Nancy Daly
ndaly@communitypress.com
BURLINGTON — It’s late summer, far from the main roads of Boone County. Martha Miller meets me out front of her townhouse-style condo. The sun is blinding. I squint as she leads me around back to a long white porch that runs the length of four units. This is no porch, I’m thinking. It’s a veranda. And it’s already about 10 degrees cooler. Two giant begonias hang above the railing. She had invited me out to see them, and I am impressed. She found the two begonias around Mother’s Day when they were small and “puny looking,”
she said. She took them home after offering to pay half price and has since nursed them to spectacular health. “All you need is water and a little Miracle-Gro and some tender loving care,” she said. Martha has a comfy chair situated nearby. “I like to come out here in the morning after I get up and get my coffee,” she said. “I like to sit out here and look at them,” Miller said. “If I’m going to have flowers I want to be able to look at them.” It’s so quiet back here. All you hear are occasional breezes through the trees and the tinkling of wind chimes. Miller tells me about growing up on Middle Creek Road near retired educator and sing-
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er Gary Griesser’s grandparents, for whom she did laundry and ironing as a young girl. Boone County Fair president John Brady Walton and his wife, Carol, lived nearby on “B” Walton Hill. Martha got work at Gibson Greeting Cards in Cincinnati. She fell in love with her handsome TANK bus driver, Bill Miller. They had three children and had a wonderful life together. Bill died in 2001. After having two knees replaced, Martha can’t get down and dig in the dirt as she did at their homestead on Middle Creek Road. Looking at these big begonias brings her comfort these days.
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FLORENCE — Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore told the Florence Rotary Club members the county is growing while keeping tax rates low, but admitted it’s not without challenges. Moore, who was elected in 1998 and is running again for the county’s highest elected seat, mostly discussed road projects with club members during a meeting on Sept. 29. Among the challenges he listed were funding for transportation projects, 911 dispatch and heroin treatment. Moore said he hopes to focus more on the future, and is scheduling a strategic planning session with the three county commissioners after the election is over, but before their new terms start in January. He emphasizes collaboration, not only with the three city governments within Boone County – Florence, Union and Walton – but also with neighboring counties. Moore said he’s been meeting with the leaders of Campbell and Kenton counties along with representatives from Lexington and Lousiville and Davis, Hardin and Warren counties. “That’s the eight largest counties in Kentucky meeting on a regular basis,” Moore said. “What that does, is it gives us a tremendous voice in the state legislature. We need to continue that dialogue.” He said he expects construction on the Richwood and Mt. Zion interchanges to begin by 2018, and even more construction coming to the area of Turkeyfoot Road and
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Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore talked about the county’s successes and challenges during the Florence Rotary Club meeting Sept. 29.
U.S. 25, or Dixie Highway, along with more changes for the Richardson Road bridge. Moore said those projects will be traded to the state, who will eventually build “a new bridge to replace what we just did.” He said the reconstructed bridge “can handle a 30-ton truck,” and “will definitely stand up to the amount of traffic and the weight of traffic that we need for several years.” Moore said Boone County has 13 consecutive quarters of payroll receipt growth, and that payroll taxes create more than half the county’s income. Since 2010, Moore said Boone County has added 6,000 residents, which equates to See MOORE, Page A2
Vol. 10 No. 52 © 2014 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED