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Saturday, January 14, 2023
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2023
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Lakeland decides contrary to parent protest BY CORNELIA GRACE Harrison News-Herald Reporter FREEPORT—The Lakeland Academy Board of Education held its annual organizational meeting, along with a regular meeting immediately following, on January 10, 2023. Several parents and teachers attended the meeting to voice their continued concerns about how the board, specifically president James Fleming, handled a recent scandal. The
school had an issue with their most recent superintendent, along with several past supers, employing at least four in the last few years. During the organizational meeting, board members quickly and quietly voted to keep the board exactly as it has been for the last year, with Fleming as president and Dr. Michael Dundr as vice president. The regular meeting began with public comment. Adam Spencer, a concerned parent who has been heavily involved in board
meetings and organizing parents, spoke first, “See you guys ain’t changing much … Is there anything in prospect for how we’re going to employ someone for checks and balances on our teachers?” The board was quiet. It is normal for public comment to be made without a response from board members, although Spencer found this continued silence frustrating. “We’re gonna get no response. Shows everybody what we’re worth to them. I don’t
think I’m gonna waste my time on it.” Mark Bardall was next on the agenda, saying that he felt the board members didn’t care. As a member of the community, he asked that Fleming step down. “You need somebody that cares,” he concluded. Board member Joyce Klinger responded to Bardall, “I have cared about this school long before you were coming to the meetings … See PROTEST Pg.- 6
Ohio firefighters get More than grades oilfield emergency training Top Row (Left to Right): Bailey Smith, Abigail O’Rourke, Amelia Puskarich, Turner Snyder, Katie Cumings, Justin Scott, Abigail Puorro; Middle Row (L to R): Taylor Nemeth, Lily Gibbons, Zane Carson, Brice Tanner, Brady Moss, Anthony Pelegreen, Michael Stock; Front Row (L to R): Ava Carson, Lexi Smith, Emma Fischer, Cabot Arbaugh, Treston Nemeth, Julia Doty; Not Pictured: Gracie Smith, Hunter Bittinger, Nicolette Peeler. PHOTO PROVIDED
BY ALEXIS CORDER Harrison News-Herald Staff Writer
The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) is also offering scholarships for individuals seeking employment in the Oil and Gas industry. See page 10 for more information and how to apply. PHOTO PROVIDED
BY REBECCA BRATTEN-WEISS Harrison News-Herald Staff Writer GRANVILLE—The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) is offering free training for firefighters to prepare them to respond to potential emergencies in the natural gas and energy industry. The program is called GoSafer, which stands for “Gas & Oil Safety Awareness for Emergency Responders,” and it is free to both volunteer and paid firefighters, as well as inspectors from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The training is designed to prepare emergency responders to deal with issues and hazards connected with oil and gas production and transportation and to help them keep up with state-required training hours. George Brown, Executive Director of OOGEEP, explained to the News-Herald that while the program has been around for over 20 years, it was only recently overhauled and reformatted as a hybrid program, both online and hands-on, to make training easier for firefighters and emergency responders to access, and so they can go at their own pace. Part of the hands-on component of the program entails demonstrations using retired oil and gas props. Usually, Brown explained, that kind of experience would only be available using a live prop. The program is specific to Ohio and available to emergency responders in all 88 counties across the state, but Brown said that it had drawn more participants from the eastern part of Ohio, where there are more oil and gas operations, both conventional and unconventional. Area fire departments that are
presently participating in the program include the Scio Village Volunteer Fire Department and the Jewett Volunteer Fire Department. “Over the years, we’ve had hundreds of firefighters across Ohio take part in the training,” Brown said. “A lot of volunteer firefighters have been able to take advantage of this program to keep communities safe if they are called out for an emergency.” At the program relaunch in November 2022, about 30 firefighters and emergency responders participated. And according to Brown, firefighters and emergency responders have “given great feedback” about the program and the training they have received. Participants in the program are prepared in case they are called to a well site, compressor station, or pipeline to help deal with a safety issue or potential hazard. They are also trained to deal with traffic incidents involving transportation vehicles and tanker trucks. “This way, they know what to be looking for, they know the chain of command, and they know how to keep themselves safe and the community safe,” said Brown. However, there have not been many real-life scenarios, he noted. “Actual incidents are few and far between, but safety is a number one priority of the industry.” The program, including the new props and modules, is financed by the oil and gas industry. “It was a six-figure investment this year,” said Brown. Those who are interested in the training program can go to the organization’s website: oogeep.org, and look at the “firefighter” tab at the top of the page. “You can check out the site and see photos and the specifics of the program,” said Brown.
CADIZ—A focus of School Counselor Ashley Doren and the Student Services team this school year is on a social/emotional learning tool called the “7 Mindsets Curriculum.” This is an evidence-based program supported by years of research that helps people become the most successful versions of themselves. The seven mindsets of the program are: Everything is Possible, Passion First, We are Connected, 100% Accountable, Attitude of Gratitude, Live to Give, and The Time is Now. All students in grades 7-12 receive a lesson once a month where they study these mindsets and learn how to implement them in their daily lives. The teaching staff went through a training session about this curriculum as well, and many elementary teachers have decided to implement it. The Student Services team has also collaborated with high school students to create a quote of the week and mindset of the month to be featured on the morning announcements. According to Doren, “The goal is for Harrison Central to have happier and more successful students ... Being a therapist, this is very important to me because regardless of the pathway a kid chooses, I want them to be successful and happy.” Apart from School Links and the 7 Mindsets Curriculum, Student Services has implemented positive behavioral intervention and support (PBIS) initiatives. One of the best examples of these initiatives is the “Huskies Way” club that was created this year. The goal of this club is to encourage students to be respectful, responsible, and ready in everything they do. Students who demonstrate these qualities receive “Huskies Way” t-shirts and recognition. The group is headed by a student leadership team who has been working on culture and climate at Harrison Central. They’ve brought back games to the pep rallies, worked shifts at the “Husky Store” on the elementary side, put notes and quotes in teacher mailboxes to motivate them, and manned “High Five Fridays” for the elementary students. This special group has increased student engagement and positivity and pushed everyone to do things the “Huskies Way.” Each member of the Student Services team have their own way in which they help students. School Counselor Rob Richards focuses on
the online school program that he directs in addition to the team programs. He coordinates the education of fully online students, registers them for classes, makes sure their graduation requirements are being met, and serves as a liaison for the parents and teachers. “It’s a very successful program,” Richards said. “I get to help kids that probably wouldn’t have gotten through high school [if not for the online academy], for one reason or another.” Tiffany Stock, the school-based therapist, services the entire building from Pre-K through 12th grade. For the younger elementary students, Stock spends most of her efforts on prevention activities. She’s implemented a program for kindergarten and first-grade students called “Project Kind.” This teaches kids to be respectful and kind to others. For Pre-K, Stock works with Sergeant Frank Valesko to participate in the “Worry Woos” program. Worry Woos is a social/emotional learning program backed by years of research. It is centered around a series of children’s books featuring plush characters that help kids work through big emotions and put “a positive spin on topics that don’t have easy answers.” Stock also offers mental health therapy for all students that may need it in the district. “I think I’ve always had a strong desire to help others and to help children,” Stock said. The last piece of the Student Services team puzzle is Truancy Prevention Specialist Mark Smith. Smith records all absences in the entire building and works to track those absences to make sure the students are staying within the allowed number of missed school hours. When kids start to miss more than the allowed amount of time from school, that’s when Smith comes in to try and help. According to Smith, he has about a 95% success rate with mediation solving attendance issues. He likes to focus on looking at the situations through the student’s point of view, trying to figure out how to help rather than focusing instead on aggression and discipline. “A lot of times, it’s not just a kid missing school; more times than not, there’s a particular cause for them missing. It’s not like we have a bunch of kids just doing their own ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and just missing because they want to,” he said. Smith also expressed his appreciation for the rest of the team and explained that they are often able to refer students to each other to solve problems better.
OBITUARIES Michael Dwain Smith USPS Publication No. 236-080 One Section, 10 Pages Vol. 55, No. 36