HILLTOP PRESS
Your Community Press newspaper serving College Hill, Finneytown, Forest Park, Greenhills, Mount Airy, Mount Healthy, North College Hill, Seven Hills, Springfield Township
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013
75¢
ON THE LANES B1 Students go bowling.
BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS
Finneytown superintendent finalists meet community, staff By Monica Boylson mboylson@communitypress.com
Finneytown resident Jeff Hershey, 49, said he liked the idea of a community forum to meet the Finneytown Local School District superintendent candidates but thought it was “flawed.” “I don’t like that there wasn’t any give or take,” he said. Finneytown Communications Coordinator Shawn Maus moderated the discussion and asked each of the candidates submitted questions while the audience listened. More Neavin than 30 people attended the forum Tuesday, April 2, to meet the finalists: » Bradley Neavin – Eaton Community Schools superintendent, Eaton, Ohio, » Tyrone Olverson – Licking Heights Local Schools K-12 Curriculum and Instruction director, Pataskala, Ohio. Joanna Eberhardt, who has lived in the district for 14 years and has Olverson two kids in Finneytown schools, said she liked that there was an opportunity to submit questions and meet the candidates. “I think they’re both excellent candidates and I think it’s going to be a tough choice for
MEET THE FINALISTS Hear from the two candidates. Go to www.cincinnati.com/spring fieldtownship.
the board,” she said. Neavin described himself as an active superintendent. “I like to meet people where they are,” he said. “I want to support the school and the kids, attend events, walk the halls, talk to the teachers, support the staff. One of my skills is relationship building.” Olverson said he had the experience of managing elementary, junior high and high school students and has an understanding of those students. “One of my strengths is keeping kids engaged,” he said. “Students need to create goals and buy into the system. I expect every student to grow one year of learning for every one year of teaching.” Dawn Gast, 43, a Finneytown resident and mother of seven, including three graduates of Finneytown schools, said she liked the passion and drive the candidates displayed but wanted something more. “I wish we could have a local candidate,” she said. “I wish we could do that across the tailgate, across the table kind of conversation and I wish we could get a better feeling with how they connect with individual students. I suppose we were spoiled by having local superintendents, so I knew how they felt about our kids before they became See FINALISTS, Page A2
Talking Heads Salon staff with the barrel, from left, are Laura Howard, Rachel Absten, Terry Betscher, Ashley May and Carrie Hayward. MONICA BOYLSON/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Rain barrel raffle benefits Sierra Club
Part of Earth Month at beauty salon By Monica Boylson mboylson@communitypress.com
Talking Heads Salon in Springfield Township is embracing Aveda Earth Month 2013 by raffling off a rain barrel to benefit the Sierra Club. Stylist Terry Betscher said the salon wanted to support the Sierra Club’s campaign for clean water and decided to par-
ticipate in the rain barrel project to raise money for the nonprofit organization. “The whole Aveda concept is for the environment,” he said. “It’s not just a product line, it’s a lifestyle. This is a way we can give back.” The team at the salon, at 8600 Winton Road, came up with idea to paint the barrel like a wishing well. “Pollutants that go into the ground can affect wells,” he said. Stylist Ashley May painted
the barrel which took about 20 hours to complete, she said. “The girls and I kind of sketched something out and I took it home and started from there,” she said. “I would do a section and then bring in pictures to show everybody and then they would give tips, like ‘Put some more texture there and let’s try some depth there.’” While working with hair is May’s specialty, she said she enjoyed the project. See BARREL, Page A2
Church makes clothes for needy youngsters Will be sent to Haiti and Swaziland By Jennie Key jkey@communitypress.com
Peggy Kelm, secretary of the Christ Lutheran Women’s Guild, and church member Saundra Lee with some of the shorts made by the guild this year. THANKS TO PEGGY KELM
ON TRACK High schools into the season. See story A6
Rainbows of pillowcase dresses, made beautiful by the love and care sewn into each stitch, were delivered last year to young girls in Haiti and Swaziland. They were created by members of the Christ Lutheran Church Women’s Guild. The seamstresses added special touches in the appliques, and ribbons, and then the creations were handed off to two ministries: Kids Against Hunger in Swaziland in southern Africa and Matthew 25: Ministries for distribution. “Matthew 25: Ministries
RITA’S KITCHEN Recipes for chili, corn brad. See story B3
has been active in Haiti and (Kids Against Hunger) in Swaziland, Africa, so the people know them and trust their aid,” said Peggy Kelm, secretary for the guild. “We heard from one of the missionaries that the dresses delighted the little girls, but the boys felt left out.” Kelm said the guild had been told these children rarely have any new clothes, especially girls who are not as valued as boys. But not wanting to leave anyone out, the group set about righting the fashion inequity for its 2013 project. Church member Saundra Lee was asked to provide easy sewing patterns for boys shorts in sizes 4, 6, and 8. Fabric material stashes were depleted and new fabric was purchased.
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“One of our member’s daughter, Donna Schaetzle, sent us enough material from Alaska to make 40 pairs of shorts,” Kelm said. The guild kept their sewing machines humming and 294 pairs boys’ shorts were ready to go. Kelm said the group is again dividing the bounty between Kids Against Hunger, which took half of the shorts to Swaziland in southern Africa, where they have previously sent aid in the form of healthy meals packed in zip-lock bags for the children. Matthew 25: Ministries has a volunteer team returning Haiti and will take the remaining shorts for distribution to the boys there. Kelm said partnering with See CLOTHES, Page A2 Vol. 76 No. 7 © 2013 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED