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COMMUNITY RECORDER
Your Community Recorder newspaper serving Bellevue, Cold Spring, Highland Heights, Newport, Southgate E-mail: kynews@communitypress.com T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r
Pam Brenner
Volume 13, Number 32 © 2009 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Find your community’s Web site by visiting NKY.com/community and looking for “Community News” near the top of the page. You’ll find local news, sports, photos and events, tailored to where you live. You can even submit your own articles and photos using Share, our online submission tool.
Input given for school calendar
When the Campbell County School District’s Board of Education sets the calendar for the next school year this fall, they’ll have the opinions of more than 500 respondents of a survey to help guide their decision. There were 512 respondents to the district’s survey of parents and staff about their preferences for everything from snow make-up day policies, the time school starts, and the importance of spring and fall breaks. SCHOOLS, A7
1, 2009
Web site: NKY.com B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
From gangsters to ghosts By Amanda Joering Alley ajoering@nky.com
When someone researches a city’s history, it may be expected that they’d hear a few ghost stories. But, when the founders of the Newport Gangster Tour were researching Newport’s “Sin City” past, they came across more than a few. “It seemed like everywhere we went, people would tell us about a building’s history, and say, ‘Oh, by the way’ this place haunted,” said Jerry Gels, one of the founders of the gangster tour. These stories sparked the idea for the group’s newest tour, called “Newport is Haunted: Gangsters, Gamblers and Ghosts,” which kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. Gels said the tour features a new route around Newport, highlighting places related to incidents as far back as the 1800s that have lead to many hauntings. These incidents range from hangings in the courthouse to gangster-related murders. Gels said when word got out about the ghost tour, even more people contacted the group, which includes his father Jerome Gels, Laura Gels, Dave Kohake, Mac Cooley and Brad Hill, to tell their stories. One of those calls was from the owners of Sin City Antiques on Monmouth Street. After hearing about all the strange things that have happened
AMANDA JOERING ALLEY/STAFF
Liesha Lawson (left) with the Northern Kentucky Paranormal Society and Ray Lykins with the Cincinnati Regional Association for Paranormal Studies use dowsing rods and an EMF meter to attempt to communicate with spirits at Otto Printing. there, local paranormal groups have come to the store to do investigations, all determining that Sin City Antiques is one of the most haunted places they’ve seen, Gels said. Investigations have also been done at Otto Printing, a building that the group’s research found sits on the land where a man who went to trial for murdering his wife used to live. Again, evidence collected by investigators showed the building is haunted. Both businesses are opening their doors to people who want to check out these occurrences for themselves during overnight stays.
The Sin City Antiques overnight stays begin Friday, Oct. 2 and the Otto Printing stays will begin later this month, Gels said. Along with the ghost tours and overnight stays, the gangster tour group is also releasing a book, “Newport is Haunted” about the ghosts of Newport that compiles some of the best ghost stories they have found. The book, which will be out in the next couple of weeks, will be available during the tours, at Sin City Antiques and at www.amazon.com. For more information about the ghost tours and overnight stays, visit www.newportishaunted.com.
By Amanda Joering Alley ajoering@nky.com
The Knights of Columbus share a message of hope, happiness and opportunity with more than 100 people with special needs or disabilities each year at the group’s southern Campbell County lake and party grounds. Opportunity Day, the third Sunday in September each year, is the local Father DeJaco Council 5220’s biggest annual outreach event. LIFE, B1
Cops ’n’ Kids event
In order to make many Campbell County children’s Christmas wishes come true, a local fraternal police group has started with breaking a few eggs – made to order. Managers from City Brew, an Alexandria coffee business, with an assist from the hands of officers from Campbell County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 10, spent the morning of Sept. 26 cooking omelets for $5 each. NEWS, A5
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The Bellevue Board of Education is entering into discussions about renewing the contract of Superintendent Wayne Starnes. But, not everyone agrees with that decision, which passed at a board meeting Wednesday, Sept. 23 by a 3-2 vote. Board members Julie Fischer and Vanessa Groneck voted against entering into discussions about renewing Starnes’ contract, which is up at the end of June 2010. Both members said they have no comment as to why they voted no. “I’m just baffled that anybody on the board would vote no considering everything Wayne has done for this district,” said City Councilman Tom Ratterman, who serves as the city liaison to the school board. “Nobody can tell me why his contract shouldn’t be renewed, but there are plenty of people who can tell me why it should.” Ratterman said Starnes has worked hard and accomplished a lot in his seven years as superintendent, including spearheading better communication between the city and the district, working with the community, improving education in the schools and instituting many other positive changes in the district. “You would be hard-pressed to find someone who cares as much
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St. Elizabeth plan calls for changes By Amanda Joering Alley ajoering@nky.com
Board split on superintendent Opportunity Day
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Facebook group
Tom Ratterman has started a group on www.facebook.com in support of Bellevue Superintendent Wayne Starnes. To view or join the group, visit http://tinyurl.com/yessctg.
PROVIDED.
Bellevue Superintendent Wayne Starnes poses for a picture with Grandview Elementary student Tommy Ratterman. about our school district as Wayne does,” Ratterman said. “He has done so much for our district, and he deserves to keep doing it.” Board Chair Jenny Hazeres, Vice Chair Susan Wilson and member Dan Sparks voted yes to entering into discussions. Sparks, who was the only current board member who was also on the board when Starnes was hired, said he can see all the positive changes that have occurred in the district under Starnes. “I guess you have to know where you’ve been to understand how far you’ve come,” Sparks said. “I’m proud of the wonderful
job Wayne as done for our district.” Starnes said he is happy that the majority of the board decided to enter into the discussions, and he hopes to be able to continue to serve the district. “There are a lot of folks who have encouraged me to continue doing what I’m doing in the district, and I’m very thankful for that and for the opportunity to work in such a great district,” Starnes said. Starnes said he expects discussions to be complete and the board to vote on whether to renew his contract at the next meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Bellevue High School, 201 Center St. Ratterman, Starnes and Sparks said they have no idea why Fischer and Groneck voted no to the discussions. “From what we know, they don’t seem to have a reason,” Ratterman said. “Considering they are elected officials that are meant to serve the schools my kids attend, I know those are two school board members that won’t have my vote next election unless there are some drastic changes.”
With new locations in Covington and Fort Thomas, St. Elizabeth Healthcare is planning some big changes for the future. The health care system, which also includes the locations in Edgewood, Falmouth, Florence and Grant County, has developed a strategic plan that will serve as a road map for the next three years, said Tom Saalfeld Sr., vice president and chief operating officer for St. ElizThe plan was abeth Fort developed Thomas. through a 12The plan, which was month developed process with through a 12month process input from the with input from board of the board of trustees. trustees, management, physicians and community leaders, includes moving and upgrading a variety of services. One of the biggest changes will be in obstetrics care. Currently, the facilities in Fort Thomas, Edgewood and Florence accommodate women for labor and delivery, but starting Nov. 1, Fort Thomas will no longer offer that service. In the second quarter of 2011, Florence will no longer offer the service, meaning all pregnant women will have to go to the Edgewood location to deliver. The plan includes upgrading the Edgewood location to include a Level III NICU and nursery. In Fort Thomas, the space vacated by obstetrics may possibly be filled by expanding oncology, women’s services, chemical dependency and mental health. In Florence officials are looking at an additional med-surg unit with private beds and expanded women’s services. The consolidation will allow St. Elizabeth to save money, offer more and expand services, Saalfeld said. Additionally, they hope the plan will decrease migration of patients to Cincinnati hospitals, he said. Saalfeld said the plan may change depending on the economy and possible health care changes by the federal government. “We’re trying to take steps now to be as strong as we can be financially,” Saalfeld said. “We’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive down the road if something happens with the health care system.” For more information about St. Elizabeth Healthcare visit www. stelizabeth.com.
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