Early Bird eNewspaper 03-05-17

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THE EARLY BIRD NEWSPAPER

S U N D A Y, M A R C H 5 , 2 0 1 7

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE GREAT DARKE COUNTY FAIR!

District dedicates new ‘Green Wave’ home SUSAN HARTLEY

STAFF WRITER shartley@earlybirdpaper.com

A few members of The Early Bird/Bluebag Media team that will be providing support for the Great Darke County Fair are Clinton Randall, Gaylen Blosser, Ryan Berry and Keith Foutz.

Fair and Early Bird team up GREENVILLE – With a unanimous decision by the Darke County Fairboard, The Early Bird became the ofďŹ cial newspaper of the Great Darke County Fair. A contract was presented to the board on March 1 that laid out a plan for the locally owned and operated newspaper to work hand-in-hand with Darke County’s greatest treasure. The deal is a win-win for both organizations. The Early Bird/Bluebag Media gets to align itself with an institution that is known throughout Ohio and the country as the greatest county fair in existence. The Great Darke County Fair will not only continue to see great coverage and promotion, it will also have use of The Early Bird staff for advertising promotions and recording a pictorial history of the fair that will preserve the 161st edition for future generations. The fair represents the entire county and by partnering with The Early Bird they are assured of reaching approximately 28,000

homes and businesses in every corner of the county as well as parts of contiguous counties. The fair will also be heavily promoted on the newspaper’s website, www. bluebagmedia.com, The Early Bird Facebook Page has nearly 11,500 followers, Twitter and Instagram. Keith Foutz, president, publisher and co-owner, of The Early Bird, said, “It’s extremely exciting for Fred (Foutz, co-owner) and I, two Greenville natives to have the opportunity to partner with The Great Darke County Fair as it has always been an event we have always looked forward to.� He continued, “To be recognized as the designated newspaper for this outstanding event instills a sense of pride and community involvement that is a major component to our business strategy and long term goals. We are looking forward to providing them with the marketing and promotion efforts through both our print and digital platforms to assist them in meeting and exceeding their desired goals.�

Hughes approved as new GHS principal SUSAN HARTLEY

STAFF WRITER shartley@earlybirdpaper.com

GREENVILLE – The Greenville Board of Education met for a 6:45 a.m. Special Session on Thursday, March 2, and approved Stan Hughes as the new high school principal, effective for the coming school year. Hughes is currently serving as the district’s Career Technology Director/Coordinator of Technology & Virtual Academy. During the board’s regular February meeting, the high school principal agenda item naming Hughes was tabled following a brief executive session, due, board president Jim Sommer said,

to the absence that evening of board member Brad Gettinger. “We held a discussion on the high school principal position with all ďŹ ve members there,â€? Sommer said of the March 2 special meeting. Thursday’s vote was 4-1 approving Hughes for the position, a two-year contract for 2017-18 and 2018-19 and will pay $98,349 yearly. Last fall, the board accepted the retirement resignation of current high school principal Jeff Cassell, effective this coming summer. Superintendent Doug Fries said Thursday the district will be searching for a new Career Technology Center Director in the near future.

GREENVILLE – School administration and staff, elected ofďŹ cials, students and community gathered Sunday, Feb. 26 for the dedication of Greenville’s new K-8th grade facility. The $55 million, 231,000 square-foot facility sits on 62 acres along North Ohio Street and opened to students in January, following winter break. On Sunday, the school’s main gym was ďŹ lled with those attending the dedication, ribbon-cutting and self-guided tours. Superintendent Doug Fries again thanked voters for support of the new school. “Thanks to the Greenville community for supporting our Greenville schools,â€? Fries said, noting that the new state-of-the art building will help to “enhanceâ€? the educational opportunities for Greenville’s students in grades K through 8. The “quality of school facilitiesâ€? also play an important role for student growth, Fries said, especially in 21st century learning, to offer Greenville students learning opportunities in our “global community.â€? In his closing remarks, Fries invited parents, grandparents and community members to “come back often and support students in your new Green Wave home.â€?

Fries also recognized the work completed by the district’s levy committee – Strong Schools, Strong Community – led by Rita McCans, Susan Spille, Jan Teaford, and John Swallow, who served as the campaign treasurer. Also speaking during the dedication ceremony was board president Jim Sommers. “Thanks again, you the people who made this possible. This is just a new beginning for our students,â€? said Sommer, who also explained he had three granddaughters attending the new school. “What a great day.â€? Past and present elected ofďŹ cials – former Rep. Jim Buchy, current Rep. Keith Faber, 84th District – also spoke, commending the community for the role they played and must continue to play for the new building. “The biggest thanks goes to voters and taxpayers,â€? Buchy said, “who after several rounds of therapyâ€? passed the bond issue allowing the school to be built. Buchy also gave advice to students who were present in the audience, admonishing them to pay attention and work hard. “It’s up to you to listen and work hard,â€? he said. Faber, who was elected last fall to ďŹ ll Buchy’s position, thanked the community for “investing in the future of students.â€? And to the young students, he said

Callee Moore and Libby Harter recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the Feb. 26 dedication of the new Greenville Elementary and Middle School. (Clinton Randall photo)

“What you earn, nobody can take away.� District treasurer Carla Surber read a proclamation from Sen. Bill Beagle, 5th District and Sen. Matt Huffman, 12thDistrict, commending the school district for completing the new school and offering students educational opportunities. Other participants in Sunday’s dedication included Bruce Miller from Garmann-Miller Architects and Engineers, Nathan Jones, who served as the project administrator with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, Greenville High School Band, Greenville High School Jazz Band, Greenville High School NJROTC and the Rev. Donald D. Myers. Elementary students who led the Pledge of Al-

legiance included Callee Moore, Libbee Harter, Adalee Boner, Ivy Sommer, and Gibson Steyer. During self-guided tours of the building, several groups performed, including the junior high band and drama students. Prior to their performance, three concert band members commented on their experiences attending class in their new school. Eighth-grader Aaron Matthews said it was “pretty great,� and that he likes the “bigger gyms. It’s awesome.� “There’s a lot more room,� said seventh-grader Zack Denniston. With the unusually warm weather, seventh-grader Parker Bailey said he was grateful for the school’s new HVAC system. “It’s air conditioned,� he said of his new school.

Local event helps vets deal with injuries, PTSD RYAN BERRY

MANAGING EDITOR editor@earlybirdpaper.com

GREENVILLE – Brian Luce knows what it is like to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and injuries sustained while serving in the military. The retired Air Force veteran credits the Wounded Warriors Project (WWP) for giving him a different perspective and a desire to help others. Luce said he hadn’t gone hunting in years, but when he saw a program offered by WWP in Florida to go deer hunting he jumped at the chance. Not only did the opportunity change his life, it continues to change the lives of veterans that have suffered injuries and PTSD. Luce was involved in a plane crash in Afghanistan in 2010 that he says “messed me up physically.â€? The crash also attributed to his PTSD diagnosis. Although he continued to serve on active duty for ďŹ ve more years, Luce decided it was time to retire in December 2015. He moved to Ohio and six months later decided he wanted to help others like WWP helped him and

started Ohio Veterans Outdoors, Inc. He enlisted the help of James Sanders and the duo has already witnessed great results from the program. The veterans he’s serving are saying the same thing he said when he went deer hunting with the WWP, “I had a great time and met some good people. I felt it really helped me out when it came to dealing with PTSD.� They originally planned one event for fall – a crossbow deer hunt. That one event led to another deer hunt and two duck hunts. The most recent outing took place near Greenville and included a few local veterans. Nine veterans joined Luce and other Ohio Veterans Outdoors volunteers for a pheasant hunt. While these events give veterans a chance to hone their shooting skills, Luce believes the event is less about the hunt than it is about hanging out with their fellow servicemen and women, the camaraderie and sharing their experiences with others that are facing injuries or have disabilities. “Our mission is to promote wellness through outdoor experi-

Nine veterans braved the snow and joined with volunteers and event organizers for the Ohio Veterans Outdoors, Inc. Pheasant Hunt near Greenville.

ence education,â€? he said. “It gives them an opportunity to talk about what they are facing.â€? The majority of veterans participating in the hunt were from post Sept. 11, 2001 conicts including Iraq and Afghanistan. However, there were a couple of participants who served prior to that tragic day, including one who served in Vietnam. Participants in the Ohio Veterans Outdoors events are provided with everything, including a hunting license and gun if needed. They also provide ammo, orange hunting vests, and food. They even had some-

one donate the pheasants for the recent hunt. Cabela’s outdoor store is a big supporter of the organization and provides the ammo, gift cards and several give-aways. By networking at previous hunts, Luce was invited to come to Greenville for a duck hunt and they decided this was the perfect place to hold the pheasant hunt. If you would like more information on Ohio Veterans Outdoors, Inc., call Luce at (701) 340-5962, visit www.OHVetsOutdoors.org or ďŹ nd them on Facebook at OHVetsOutdoors.

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