Volume 14, Number 40 © 2010 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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, N o v e m b e r 2 5 , 2 0 1 0
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Locals give thanks
Readers eye plates for Newport police
By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
Lucas honored
Ken Lucas has spent decades in public service and during a Nov. 16 luncheon he was honored for that commitment. Kids Voting USA Northern Kentucky gave Lucas its civic leadership award at the Radisson Hotel Cincinnati Riverfront in Covington. NEWS, A6
Roller birthday
RECA Roller Rink, 11 Viewpoint Drive, Alexandria, is having a special reunion to celebrate 52 years of skating from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27. Admission will be $6 plus an additional cost for skate rental if needed. “We're asking people to dust off their skates and come on out and see everyone and relive the good old times,” said Kelly Danner, a manager at RECA, in an e-mail.
Council launch
The Northern Kentucky Education Council had its official kick-off Wednesday, Nov. 17. SCHOOLS, A8
BASKETBALL PREVIEWB1
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Thanksgiving is a unique holiday where the most important way to celebrate is being reflective and saying thanks. From Newport to Alexandria, here’s what several people who live or work in the county are thankful for this year. Karen Yates, executive director of the Interchurch Organization (ECHO) soup kitchen in Newport, said she’s personally thankful for family. “Just to have the family and to know that they’re all being taken care of, it’s just working in a place like this you see what happens to the families and it tears your heart out,” Yates said. “It’s the simple things that are important. “You realize just to be able to have a home to go home to and have your family there, that’s a lot because we have people there who don’t have that.” Dave Anderson, manager of the Cold Spring Branch of the Campbell County Public Library, said he’s most thankful he gets to spend the day with his family. “Honestly my kids, I’m thankful for having two healthy children,” Anderson said. Anderson said he’s also thankful for the area he lives in because he moved from a rural area in West Virginia where he grew up and there were fewer opportunities. “And having the goods and service available, they are just
By Amanda Joering Alley ajoering@nky.com
CHRIS MAYHEW/STAFF
Toni Schneller, a Spanish teacher at Campbell County High School, delivers donated shoe boxes from the students in the Youth Alive club at the Operation Christmas Child drop-off center behind the Alexandria Community Center Friday, Nov. 19. nicer and you just have more choice,” he said. Jade Rauen, 13, of Alexandria, said she’s especially thankful for large families. Rauen said she has about 50 cousins and holiday gatherings are always large with plenty of people to celebrate with and that makes her happy. Carrie Todd, 13, of Newport, said she’s thankful for her family, especially her mom, and also for the friends she spends time with. “I’m extremely thankful for hilarious friends and good times with them,” Todd said. Todd said her friends always cheer her up whenever she’s down. Toni Schneller, a Spanish teacher at Campbell County High School, said she was thankful for life itself and being thoughtful that some people have lost their lives
this year. “I think you have to start with life first and eternal life second,” Schneller said. Be thankful for family and friends too, she said. Olivia Schadler, 13, of Highland Heights, said it may sound trivial, but she was thankful she was getting to go to the movie opening of the new Harry Potter movie with her friends, and it’s something has the privilege to get to enjoy. “I’m thankful for Harry Potter coming out today,” Schadler said. Monica Murray, 13, of Cold Spring, said she is thankful she doesn’t have to live in poverty. “I’m thankful that I have somewhere to go on Thanksgiving,” Murray said. For more about your community, visit www.nky.com/campbellcounty.
Field noise too much for neighbors By Amanda Joering Alley ajoering@nky.com
Residents that live near Northern Kentucky University’s new soccer stadium aren’t happy with the noise they’ve been dealing with for months. A few residents brought their complaints, which they said have not been addressed even though the noise has been an ongoing problem, to the Highland Heights City Council meeting Nov. 16 “We’ve got a major issue with the soccer complex because the noise level coming out of there has been very extreme at times,” said resident Dave Ramler. Ramler said he and other residents have often approached people using the field, who tell them they aren’t in charge of the sound system. They have also called police
and city officials many times, he said. In some cases, city officials have been able to contact someone at NKU, and the volume is turned down, he said. “But, the next time someone uses the field, it’s turned right back up again,” Ramler said. “Why should we have to go through this every time?” Councilwoman Sandy Shaw, who has visited the field when residents have called and complained, said the noise level is excessive. “It’s unacceptable,” Shaw said. “We owe it to our residents to push this issues with NKU.” Mayor Greg Meyers said he has talked to NKU officials about the problem, which is mainly caused by speakers at the field facing the residential area. Meyers said NKU said they
would turn the speakers around, but he was not told when. Council agreed to work on the problem before the next council meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 7, and they would try to have NKU officials present at the meeting to address the residents’ concerns. Councilwoman Deborah Ball said she would like to look into having NKU put up noise barriers between the field and homes. Chris Cole, NKU’s director of media relations, said the university is aware of the issue and is working to make adjustments at the soccer complex. “We have been working with the city and residents to address the concerns,” Cole said. “We will continue to address it as best we can.” For more from your community, visit www.nky.com/highlandheights.
Fort Thomas and Newport police departments are using new technology to improve law enforcement with automated license plate readers. Through an Urban Area Security Initiative Grant received by the Cincinnati Police Department, 106 of the readers were recently given to local police departments in 12 Tristate-area counties, including two to Newport, one of which was raffled off to Fort Thomas. The readers, valued at a b o u t The license $20,000 plate readers apiece, are a p a s s i v e are valued enforcement at about tool that uses three cam- $20,000 eras to take apiece. pictures of every license plate a cruiser passes, said Lieutenant Ken Fecher with the Fort Thomas police. “The device takes pictures of the license plates, then compares the plates it read automatically to plates listed in the NCIC database,” Fecher said. “The technology is pretty impressive.” Through the comparisons, police can pick up hits on stolen vehicles, warrants and missing persons. Fecher said the device uses infrared technology and standard digital cameras to capture the plates day and night at any speed. “In one hour an officer could easily collect 1,200 to 1,400 license plates,” Fecher said. “Every plate that is shot goes into a central database in Cincinnati.” The database keeps track of the plates and where they were located, which can help police establish patterns that could lead to catching suspects they are looking for, Fecher said. Sergeant Chris Savchick, with the Newport police, said they have been using their reader for about a month. “It is going well and we have gotten several possible hits so far,” Savchick said. “This is very useful tool.” Fecher said Fort Thomas is currently working to develop a database of unpaid parking tickets to add to the device’s system so that police will be alerted if the reader picks up a plate that has several tickets. For more about your community, visit www.nky.com/newport.