EXPERIENCING HISTORY B1
Indian Hill Elementary School third-graders participated in a simulated experience of what it was like to arrive at Ellis Island generations ago.
Your Community Press newspaper serving Indian Hill
Email: indianhill@communitypress.com Website: communitypress.com T h u r s d a y, M a y
5, 2011
JOURNAL B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
Salaries for school frozen
Volume 12 Number 48 © 2011 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Sportsman of Year contest set to open
The Community Press will start accepting nominations for its third annual Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year online contest starting Wednesday, May 4. The nomination period will be Wednesday, May 4, through Monday, May 16. The ballots will be online Friday, May 20, and run until midnight Monday, June 6. For more details, see the story in this week’s sports section.
By Forrest Sellers
fsellers@communitypress.com
The Indian Hill Board of Education recently approved a salary freeze for its employees in 2011-2012. “At this time, all employee salary and hourly compensation for the Barber 2011-2012 school year will be based on current year salary,” said board President Molly Barber. “We believe this is the most prudent way to proceed in light of
It all adds up
Indian Hill resident Chip Kostic and his father, Bud, are looking to help local students with their math homework through a new business venture in Blue Ash. The family recently opened Mathnasium of Blue Ash, located at 9525 Kenwood Road, a franchise that specializes in teaching students math skills. SEE STORY, A3
The three Rs
Indian Hill High School is practicing the three Rs of education. However, it’s not just the traditional reading, writing and arithmetic. In this case, it’s rigor, relevance and relationships. During a recent school board meeting, Principal Nancy Striebich and Assistant Principal Josh Kauffman shared how the school was helping students to compete in a 21st century global market by developing skills in a variety of areas. SEE STORY, A2
Indian Hill online
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Published weekly every Thursday. Periodical postage paid at Loveland, OH 45140, and at additional offices. USPS020-826 POSTMASTER: Send address change to Indian Hill Journal 394 Wards Corner Road, Suite 170, Loveland, OH 45140
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potential changes and current uncertainties due to Senate Bill 5.” Senate Bill 5, which aims to overhaul collective bargaining rights for public employees in Ohio, was passed by the Senate in early March. Among the provisions of the bill are the elimiAult nation of statutory salary schedules and steps and a requirement that salary be performancebased.
See FROZEN on page A2
Village adds Indian Hill Church to road project ROB DOWDY/STAFF
Indian Hill resident Eric Holzapfel is heading up Indian Hill Church’s capital campaign. The church is hoping to raise $2.5 million for improvements on the building and grounds.
looking to renovate By Rob Dowdy rdowdy@communitypress.com
The Indian Hill Church has never carried out a capital campaign, but with the church and grounds in need of renovations it seems now is the time. The church has begun a campaign to raise $2.5 million by June 12. Church member and Indian Hill resident Eric Holzapfel is heading up the campaign for the church, and said the renovations are divided into three categories: sanctuary and narthex, infrastructure and grounds. The church hopes to raise $398,000 for the expansion of the sanctuary and narthex. Holzapfel said the increase in space will bring the sanctuary from 150 to approximately 200 seats. “The church does not have enough seating for special events,” he said. The narthex, or the main entrance into the sanctuary, will be increased to create a small gathering place at the front of the church. Indian Hill Church is looking to invest $850,000 in infrastructure improvements that include air conditioning for the sanctuary, guild hall, kitchen, offices and library; septic tank upgrades; flooring; exterior doors; heating upgrades, restroom renovations; and renova-
tions to the youth center. An additional $212,000 will be used to make improvements to parking lots, landscaping, lighting, signage, columbarium and terrace. The church is hoping to raise an additional $1.04 million for contingencies, a professional fundraising consultant as well as a building fund and grounds fund. Anne Wrider, Episcopal priestin-charge, said the capital campaign is the church’s first, and the funds will be used for basic improvements. “The work we’re doing isn’t radical or new,” she said. “It’s time.” David Hawley, Presbyterian minister at Indian Hill Church, said church members often refer to the church as their home, and homes often require general maintenance and repairs. “This capital campaign enables us to do the same things on behalf of our church home,” he said. Holzapfel said the church identified many of these needs about six years ago. He said the church was able to tackle many of its minor repairs then, but the major repairs require a capital campaign. “We consider carefully what we’re going to do,” Holzapfel said. “It’s just meeting the basic needs of the church.” For more on your community, visit www.Cincinnati.com/indianhill.
By Rob Dowdy rdowdy@communitypress.com
Indian Hill suspended its repaving program in the last several years due to budget concerns. However, the program is back in a big way for 2011. During the April 25 Indian Hill Village Council meeting, Mayor David Ottenjohn said with the village’s income tax receipts exceeding budget expectations this year’s repaving program will include the portion of Drake Road between Graves and Indian Hill Road. The additional section will cost approximately $100,000. Indian Hill Village Council previously budgeted $220,000 to repave and repair roads and intersections in the village. Ottenjohn said the additional cost was “reasonable” with income tax receipts higher than anticipated. City Manager Mike Burns said the projected $100,000 is just an estimate. He said while bids could come in low because of the number of contractors looking for work, oil prices could drive the cost of the project higher. Vice Mayor Mark Tullis said income tax receipts are up from approximately $4.7 million last year at this time to $5.5 million this year. “This is the first time in three years that we will be ahead of the year before,” he said. Tullis said while the village is doing better than anticipated at
In other news
Here’s a look at other topics of discussion during the April 25 Indian Hill Village Council meeting: • Councilwoman Lindsay McLean said donations for the veterans memorial are at approximately $157,000. • Vice Mayor Mark Tullis noted the announced Local Government Fund reductions in the governor’s budget. He said Local Government Fund revenues for the village will be down $21,000 during the last half of 2011, approximately $100,000 in 2012 and potentially $150,000 in 2013. The village typically received about $400,000 per year from the fund in past years. this time the village isn’t in the clear yet. The original resurfacing project included Drake Road between Shawnee Run Road and Graves Road; Graves Road from Drake to Miami Road; Pamlico from Graves South Terminus; and the intersections of Shawnee Run and Given, Shawnee Run and Drake Road and the intersection of Drake and the Indian Hill Road. The village brought the program back this year by repairing roads recently dug up because of a recent water main replacement project. The resurfacing program has been on hold for two years. The village spent between $500,000 and $550,000 annually repaving and repairing roads. For more on your community, visit www.Cincinnati.com/indianhill.
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