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Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Protection levy likely will be on Nov. ballot Harrison residents have an important decision to make probably on Tuesday, Nov. 4, jawad@registerpublications.com when a special levy to raise money for public services provided by the police and fire departments will be on the ballot. An ad hoc committee, comNext Week: prised of union and city adminA look at what levy istrative representatives, voted passage means to Monday, April 21, to place a fire department. five-year, 4.8-mill levy on the ballot to raise $1 million annually to keep services at their traditionally high levels, prevent more layoffs, and provide raises for the city’s 72 union employees. Three unions, representing labor, voted earlier this year to extend their collective bargaining agreement two years to May 31, 2017, and to postpone talks on base wage increases until after a levy is approved. The ad hoc committee voted to place the issue on the special August ballot, but the city ran into logistics and filing problems that prevented the summer vote, said Mayor Joel McGuire. The numbers break down like this: a resident in a house with an appraised value of $50,000 would pay $84 per year; $100,000, $168; $200,000, $336; $300,000, $504, and $400,000, $672. Another way to look it is daily cost, starting with the LEVY, $100,000 valuation, 46 cents; SEE PAGE 4 Joe Awad Harrison Press Editor
2014 Cornfield 5K
The Physical Education Department of the Southwest Local School District and United Healthcare sponsored the Cornfield 5K run/walk Saturday, April 26, to promote good health. Competitors took on the 3.1-mile grass and dirt course behind Harrison High School.
Timely action could have prevented business losses Authorities: gas leak discovered as danger increased
PHOTO BY PATRICIA HUELSEMAN/HARRISON PRESS
Parts of Harrison Avenue and New Haven Road in Harrison were closed after a gas leak, caused by drilling, spilled nearly 75 gallons of fuel Monday evening, April 21. The roads remained closed from 7:30 p.m. until 3 a.m. Tuesday, forcing businesses to close while crews flushed storm drains.
A barricade that cost businesses to shut down after a gas leak spewed 70 to 150 gallons phuelseman@registerpublications.com of fuel into sewers along New Haven Road and Harrison Avenue late Monday, April 21, could have been prevented if the companies involved had informed authorities of the situation, said Harrison Fire Chief Rob Hursong. SRW Environmental Services, Inc., Milford, Ohio, was drilling at the Sunoco on New Haven Road for reasons undisclosed. The company, which says it is recognized as a “top-producing environmental consulting firm” struck an underground storage tank containing unleaded gasoline at 2:47 p.m., according to the EPA’s report. After 25 gallons of spillage, the EPA requires an incident be reported but the spill was not reported even though meters later showed authorities at least 70 gallons was lost. Fuel continued to leak, and, according to Hursong, flowed to a storm drain below the Sunoco parking lot. About five hours passed before Harrison police officer Robert Seiter discovered the situation. “Officer Seiter, just doing routine patrol, noticed something was unusual,” said Hursong. SRW crew members apparently were working around an open manhole attempting to contain the spill themselves. Seeing men working around the manhole, Seiter knew something was amiss. Manholes typically are not touched by anyone other than Harrison personnel. “Officer Seiter deserves a lot of credit because had he not been paying attention to his surroundings … it’s hard telling what could have happened.” When Seiter learned about the spill, he immediately notified authorities, and police, fire, and road department crews were dispatched and on the scene by about 7:30 p.m. The EPA also was notified and responded to the scene. The joint decision was made by the various authorities that the roads should be closed and businesses evacuated. “My thought process was, if SEE GAS LEAK, something happened, if someSEE PAGE 4 body threw a cigarette and it Patricia Huelseman Harrison Press Staff Writer
Science program updated It may not be rocket science, but it will be better science beginning this August for all students of jawad@registerpublications.com Southwest Schools. For the third time in three years, the district is upgrading its curriculum. The science upgrade follows language arts two years ago and math this school year. The program conforms to Ohio’s new science learning standards for which every science teacher and intervention specialist will be trained before June, according to Assistant Superintendent John Hamstra, who administers the district’s curriculum development. Each teacher will be trained on the new science materials throughout the summer and again this fall. An 11-instructor committee, including Hamstra, took on the challenge beginning last August to upgrade the science department. Joe Awad Harrison Press Editor
“Our approach to selecting the best possible product to grow all of our students in … science and with the new learning standards and assessment expectations was multi-faceted, looking at both materials and instructional techniques,” said Hamstra in a summary to the school board. “We paid particular attention to the hard and soft components of each program, as well as the need to supplement each grade band. We also worked under the assumption that we would be using these materials for the next six years.” At the school board meeting Thursday, April 17, Hamstra told the board the committee looked at many publishers and small companies. “Our whole quest was to design the absolute best science curriculum for our district K through twelve,” he said. Hamstra told the board SEE SCIENCE, that first- through fifthPAGE 4 grade teachers will no lon-
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The man suspected of robbing the Cheviot Savings and Loan in Harrison remains at large. Michael Kline, 26, of Colerain is the only known suspect involved in the robbery that occurred on Friday, April 25, at about 4 p.m. According to Lt. Wilson of the Harrison Police Department, the report indicates Kline passed a menacing note to the clerk, demanding money. No weapons have been recovered and it is not likely that SEE BANDIT, Kline ever revealed one. PAGE 4 It is not yet determined how Copyright Register Publications, 2014
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