CATCH A STAR
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CLERMONT
St. Bernadette physical education teacher Paul Splitt
Vol. 31 No. 13 © 2011 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Your Community Press newspaper serving Amelia, Batavia, Batavia Township, New Richmond. Ohio Township, Pierce Township, Union Township, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Township Website: communitypress.com Email: delhipress@communitypress.com We d n e s d a y, A p r i l 1 3 , 2 0 1 1
B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
Athletic fees may be $500 By Kellie Geist-May
kmay@communitypress.com
Rodenberg takes stand in court
When Clermont County Domestic Relations Court Judge Kathleen Rodenberg takes a stand in her court room, she does it literally. Rather than sitting on the bench, Rodenberg stands while presiding over court. FULL STORY, B1
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Athletic fees in the West Clermont Local School District could be close to $500 for the next school year. “As we’ve been looking at ways to cut and recoup costs, I’ve asked the (high school) principals and athletic directors to ascertain what would be a reasonable fee to charge for participation in our sports,” Superintendent Gary Brooks said. “If the operating levy is not successful in May or if we can’t pass something in 2011, our recommendation is that the athletic fees be $495 per student, per sport with no cap.” Brooks said the $495 fee would pay for the costs associated with field and equipment maintenance, coach stipends and contracts as well as league, athletic trainer and transportation fees. The fees would be for all athletic activities in the middle and high schools. Currently, students pay $50 per sport and the district’s general fund pays for the rest. Brooks said the $495 fee would help the district recoup $727,000 per year, which is about
what is spent on athletics at West Clermont. Even if a levy does pass, Brooks recommended that the fees be increased to at least $100 per student, per sport. To come up with the recommended fee, Brooks said they took the total costs of athletics and divided it by the number of students involved in sports. Glen Este High School Athletic Director Dan Simmons said the school does expect that some students won’t be able to participate in sports because of the fee. “All I can do is research and look at the numbers. When the Little Miami school district implemented their fee (about $650 per student, per sport), participation dropped about 40 percent,” he said. Simmons said there are about 1,680 student athletes who would be affected by the fees. The cost does take into account the fact that participation could decrease because of the fees. He also said about 20 percent of the students play multiple sports. The school board requested additional information on how this fee would affect students who participate in extra-curricular activities
other than sports, like drama club, academic team and after-school music programs. Board member Denise Smith asked Simmons what neighboring districts charge for sports. Smith asked him to gather information on how athletes fare academically. She also asked him to put together information on how students who transfer to an open-enrollment school district are supposed to wait a year before participating in athletics. “Perhaps we could put that information on our website. I think this is going to be a hot button issue with parents because we have so many kids on both sides of the district who participate in sports,” she said. “ … This also is going to take a toll on school spirit. Kids come to high school because of their friends and their extra-curricular activities.” Brooks said they are not recommending cutting any sports as long as there are enough students to field a team. The board did not take action on increasing the activity fees and are expected to discuss them at the next meeting, which will be at 7 p.m. Monday, April 25, at the Union Township Civic Center, 4350 Aicholtz Road.
FOP recalls endorsements
Members of the Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Valley Lodge 112, announced Friday, April 8, they were notifying at least two area politicians of a decision to revoke previously issued FOP endorsements. FULL STORY, A2
Best float
St. Veronica fourthgrader Grant Baxla, dressed as Cincinnati musician Bootsy Collins, meets his namesake before the 2011 Findlay Market Opening Day Parade Thursday, March 30. The school was honored with the “Best Float” award. For more photos, see page A6. PROVIDED
Let Us Never Forget
This year’s April 9th Fundraiser helped to raise money for 112 Let Us Never Forget scholarships, which are given locally and nationally. FULL STORY, A4
Election letters
West Clermont Local School District residents share their thoughts about the upcoming May 3 election. The district is asking for a 10-year 7.9-mill emergency operating levy for general operations. SEE LETTERS, A9
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New Richmond Troubadours win gold Community Press Staff Report New Richmond High School’s music group The Troubadours scored the school’s first gold medal performance in national competition with first place finishes in the Heritage Music Festival in Annapolis, Md. The Troubadours, women’s choir and men’s choir all won their respective classes, with the Troubadours and women’s choir earning gold medals, and the men earning silver. “The Troubadours became the first group in our school’s history to win both their concert choir division and also receive a national gold medal,” said New Richmond Music Director Doug Heflin. “This resulted in an invitation to the national finals. The Troubadours were one of only two schools (out of 17 at Annapolis) to qualify for this honor.”
New Richmond, which was the only school in the Annapolis competition to win in three categories, had to decline the trip to the national finals which will be held at Carnegie Hall in New York City. “The cost of going to the finals would approach $250,000 and there just isn’t enough time for that kind of fundraising,” said Heflin, whose group raised more than $70,000 for the Annapolis competition. The Heritage Festival started 30 years ago with a goal to recognize, encourage and celebrate musical artistry and excellence at the high school and middle school levels, and has evolved into the country’s most prestigious high school music festivals. “It will definitely rank as one of the top memories I have in my 17 years of life,” said Troubadours
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New Richmond High School Music Director Doug Heflin, women’s choir President Bekah Taylor, Troubadours President Kelli Bosse and men’s choir President Zach Dixon proudly display the honors the music groups won at the Heritage Music Festival.
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