GATEWAY MEMORIAL A4
These renderings from design firm Kinzelman Kline and Gossman show a layout for the gateway site at the Colerain Avenue/Springdale Road corner.
Your Community newspaper serving Colerain Township, Green Township, Groesbeck, Monfort Heights, Pleasant Run, Seven Hills, White Oak Email: northwestpress@communitypress.com Website: communitypress.com We d n e s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 2 1 , 2 0 1 1
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Volume 94 Number 32 © 2011 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Checking In
Check out Checking In, a daily online feature that gives you the scoop about what’s going on in the community every morning. It might be an activity or a reminder to register for a future class or program, or maybe just a note about what your township trustees or school board’s agenda will be dealing with that night. You can also get Colerain Township news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe at cincinnati.com/ coleraintownship, and each day at 8 a.m. you’ll receive an email listing the latest township news.
Gabriella Limada, 2, left, shows off her colored butterfly mask at the 18th Annual Cincinnati Hispanic Festival at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. At right is her sister, Bella, 4. The sisters, from Colerain Township, were with their mom and aunt. The two-day event featured music, food, and a variety of other booths. It's all part of September’s Hispanic Heritage celebration.
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Board disappointed with forum turnout By Jennie Key
Turn around
La Salle high School quarterback Dominic Capano didn’t set the world on fire last season. In fact, his only pass was intercepted. But this year is completely different as he has led the Lancers to a 4-0 record. – SEE STORY, A
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Northwest Board of Education President Pam Detzel says attendance at the Sept. 12’s forum to talk about potential cuts if the district fails to pass a levy this school year was disheartening. “This is probably one of the most disappointing meetings I have had in my career with the board,” she said. “Thousands of community members couldn’t make it a priority to be here for the children in our community. More than $6 million already cut, hours spent deciding and agonizing over those decisions … We had hoped to engage the community, to hear the community’s ideas. “We are one levy fail away from cutting drastically, in a way that’s going to impact every student in the district,” she said. Less than a dozen residents came to the hearing. Northwest PTSA President Kim Snow said the forum was scheduled at the same time as Volley for the Cure. “I think a lot of parents are there, supporting their students,” she said. There were questions from res-
The district has placed a 5.07-mill combination levy on the Nov. 8 ballot. The levy includes 3.5 mills of new, permanent operating funds and a 1.57-mill bond levy to renovate the district’s two high schools. The levy would raise about $5.78 million in new operating funds annually and the bond issue would generate about $44 million to renovate Colerain and Northwest high schools. The cost to the owner of a $100,000 home is estimated to be $155.14 annually. The ballot says the length of the bond project would be about five years and the maximum maturity for the bond is 37 years. idents who did attend, clarifying details of the cuts that have been discussed. The board has already agreed to make $1.2 million in permanent cuts by cutting two administrative positions and classified staff and introducing blended online classes, which will reduce staff by 14 teachers. The administration hopes to accomplish all of those cuts through attrition and these cuts will be effective Aug. 1 and will remain in effect, even if a
ed to be cut and the district would reduce custodian hours by closing buildings earlier. That means higher costs to groups that currently use district buildings after hours. The cuts would be effective Aug. 1 if a levy is not passed before then. If the district continues to be unable to pass a levy, the board has more cuts under discussion. Pam Detzel said there was little need for additional discussion and the board will vote on the reduction plan at its next meeting – at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, at the board office, 3240 Banning Road. “I hope people were listening to what (Superintendent Rick Glatfelter) was saying,” said board member David Denny after the meeting. “If levies continue to fail, we won’t be raising the pay to participate more, we will be talking about eliminating all of our extracurriculars. I don’t think people are paying attention and when the cuts happen, they will be angry, asking why we did it. I don’t know what the answer is. Until it directly affects them, people just don’t care.”
Trustees closer to approving mall plan By Jennie Key jkey@communitypress.com
If nothing changes, Colerain Township trustees plan to approve a revised preliminary plan for Northgate Mall that adds five out-
lots to the shopping center later this month. Three of the outlots are along Colerain Avenue and two are along Springdale Road. While the addition of outlots was questioned by some, both representatives for
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the mall’s new owner, which is the Dallas-based Tabani Group, and township officials said it will drive redevelopment plans at the shopping center. Not all of the specific tenants have been named, but the outlots
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levy passes. If no levy passes, the district will likely increase sizes in some core area high school classes, and expand the narrow grade range program, converting the four more of the district’s elementary schools into narrow-grade-range buildings. That plan would pair Bevis and Taylor schools and Struble and Weigel elementary schools, combining the student bodies of both, and then putting students in grades kindergarten through second in one building and students in third through fifth in the other. All of these options would mean bigger classes and a reduction in staff. The district would also cut back on board-paid field trips. Some parents could also see the school day change. The district could add a fourth set of start times, allowing fewer drivers to meet the transportation needs because they could make more trips. If a levy isn’t passed, student participation fees would double to $200 per club or sport, and gifted and remedial services would be cut. High school electives are slat-
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will have two fast food restaurants, a sit-down restaurant, reported to be Cheddar’s, and two banks. Assistant Administrator Frank
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