WESTERN HILLS PRESS
Your Community Press newspaper serving Addyston, Bridgetown, Cheviot, Cleves, Covedale, Dent, Green Township, Mack, Miami Township, North Bend, Westwood
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015
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BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS
Three Rivers makes pick for its next superintendent
KURT BACKSCHEIDER/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Green Township residents Mike and Joy Dattilo enjoy setting up a large Nativity scene each year in their basement. Their nearly 500-piece collection of Fontanini Nativity figures takes up an entire wall in their basement when displayed. The couple set up the scene to depict the town of Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s birth.
Green Twp. family’s Nativity embraces true meaning of Christmas By Kurt Backscheider kbackscheider@communitypress.com
GREEN TWP. — Many families display a Nativity or two in their home for Christmas. Few people, however, likely spend a week setting up their Nativity scenes. That’s about how long it takes Green Township couple Mike and Joy Dattilo to arrange their annual Christmas Nativity. The Dattilos’ Nativity comprises nearly 500 figurines they’ve collected over the span of their 27-year marriage. “We received the Holy Family and the three kings as a wedding gift, but we didn’t realize they were collector’s items at the time,” Mike Dattilo said. He and his wife eventually learned the handcrafted Nativity pieces they received were made by an Italian company named Fontanini. The figures are crafted and hand-painted in the foothills of Tuscany, and he said each figure comes with a Biblical story card explaining why the individual was in the town of Bethlehem when Jesus was born. “We kept adding and adding and adding to the collection,” he said. Joy Dattilo added, “There is a purpose to each piece. That’s kind of what got us going on it.” Their Nativity scene takes up an entire wall in their finished basement. Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus are at the center in the manger, surrounded by hundreds of figurines and several structures and shelters set up to depict the town of Bethlehem. The couple begin assembling
NEW YEAR ROLLS IN Rita shares cabbage roll recipe A5
CLEVES — Three Rivers Local School District is set to hire a new superintendent. The district’s board of education is expected to vote Jan. 13 to approve the hiring of Craig Hockenberry as its next school leader. Hockenberry, the former principal at Oyler School in Lower Price Hill, has served as the superintendent of Manchester Local Schools in Adams County since July 2013. He’ll replace Three Rivers Superintendent Rhonda Bohannon, who is retiring at the end of January. Hockenberry will begin his role with Three Rivers on Feb. 2. “I am honored and humbled to be the next superintendent of the Three Rivers Local Schools. I have never been more excited to be part of such a great district and community,” Hockenberry said in a press release. “I look forward to working together with the staff and community to create a world-class education for our students.” Three Rivers partnered with Bill Sears of the Hamilton County Educational Service Center to conduct the superintendent search. After an initial screening of more than two dozen candidates who applied for the position, the school board interviewed nine candidates before narrowing it down to
three finalists. The three finalists met with the board, teachers, parents and community members for a second round of interviews during the week of Dec. 15. In addition to Hockenberry, the finalists were Anthony Orr, superintendent of Northwestern Local Schools in Springfield, Ohio, and Todd Petrey, superintendent of Springboro Community Schools just north of Cincinnati. The board unanimously agreed to offer Hockenberry the position. “The Three Rivers board took this undertaking very seriously and were so impressed with enthusiasm and the knowledge of Mr. Hockenberry,” board President Tim Wagner said in a press release. “This is an exciting time for Three Rivers Schools and we look forward to seeing what Craig and the future bring to this district.” who Hockenberry, lives in West Price Hill with his wife and three children, built his administrative experience as the assistant principal and then principal of Oyler School. Prior to becoming an administrator, he at Roosevelt taught School in the Cincinnati Public Schools system. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Mount St. Joseph University and his master’s in education See SCHOOL, Page A2
KURT BACKSCHEIDER/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
A closer look at one of the handcrafted nativity pieces made in the foothills of Tuscany. This shepherd is one of nearly 500 figurines the Dattilo family of Green Township displays as part of their annual Christmas Nativity.
the scene at Thanksgiving and leave it up for display until February. “We never set it up the same way twice,” Joy Dattilo said, noting there are some days she’ll spend eight hours working on it. Her husband said, “Joy is the creative one.” regularly welcome They
NEIGHBORS WHO CARE Our 2014 Neighbors Who Care profiles can be found on Cincinnati.com — http://cin.ci/1D4unHP.
friends and family into their home to view the display. “A lot of people do like coming over to see it,” Mike Dattilo said. When their four children were younger, he said they would sit down with them and read the Biblical story cards with them so See NATIVITY, Page A2
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FILE PHOTO
Craig Hockenberry, the former principal of Oyler School in Lower Price Hill, made weekly walks through the neighborhood when he served as Oyler’s principal. The Three Rivers Local School District has selected Hockenberry to be its new superintendent. Vol. 87 No. 8 © 2015 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED