LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Author: Claire Beseler

  • Alumni Interview: Adam Paddock

    Alumni Interview: Adam Paddock

    Claire Beseler

    Loveland alumni Adam Paddock (’18) has been making a splash in the music scene; releasing his first single onto all music platforms in August 2020 and releasing a single every month since. “My musical background began in 5th grade with learning trumpet and evolved into playing baritone and trumpet in the choirs all through high school. I picked up the guitar and piano along the way, as well. I joined Loveland By Request my senior year of high school and had the incredible opportunity to be the male soloist for the year on our rendition of “Backyard Party” by Ole Borud.”

    In high school, Paddock enjoyed band but kept his music identity mainly to himself. “At multiple points, I was first chair but rarely put any identity into that, due to the rigor of playing baseball and soccer for the school and travel baseball on a club team. My junior year, my best friends convinced me that I had no excuse not to try out for showchoir, despite my best efforts. I did not know I could sing and I certainly knew that I could not dance. Through the audition process, I found that I was capable of performing and fell in love with the shows, new skillset, and (mostly) the community of people who encouraged this leap of faith.”

    In July 2020, Paddock posted a video on the popular platform TikTok. Captioned “when you have a baseball game at 7[pm] but a choir concert at 8[pm]”, the video showcased Paddock singing a solo from Shawn Mendes’ song “Stitches” in his baseball jersey. As of today, the video has 2.7 million views and over 632,000 likes. Following this attention for his voice, Paddock used the platform to announce his first single “Milky Way” (with MOSES) which he released on August 7th 2020.

    As a current junior at The Ohio State University, Paddock is studying strategic communication with minors in music and Spanish and continues to record music in his dorm, after most of his current pieces were created near the end of his sophomore year. “Towards the beginning of quarantine, in early 2020, the rugs were being redone at my house and I convinced my dad to allow me to use the old carpet, in the portion of the basement that is unfinished, to create a studio. I threw the carpet on the walls, ceiling, and floor and the soundproofing was astoundingly better than anticipated. I got to work with the studio equipment that I had and began producing rough versions of the songs that you hear today… Now that I am at school and don’t have the luxury of my soundproofed space, I use my single RA room at Ohio State to make music. I ‘soundproofed’ the room with $1 carpet squares from GoodWill and no one would ever know.”

    “My musical process is on the forefront of the wave of many self-produced artists. I write, produce, and play most instruments on each track and the road to understanding this process came with much trial and error. I have written every song released thus far alone but there are a handful coming in 2020 that are co-written. I find inspiration in my writing from some of my experiences, some extravagant experiences that I dream in my head, or simple lines and phrases that come and go through the circles in which I run. Once out of the writing stage, I enjoy producing with friends’ presence for instantaneous feedback. I enjoy the presence of those who do not know the inner workings of production because they don’t care how the mix sits or the sibilance of some words slice – they just care if it sounds good.”

    “Paddock makes alternative chamber pop records driven by gripping vocal layering, riveting lyrical intention, and genre-bending instrumental arrangement.” On Friday, December 18th 2020, he is dropping a three part release of his song “Tattoos” which will include a studio version, acoustic version, and a voice memo version. Paddock is planning on releasing his first EP near the beginning of 2021 and has planned more collaborative singles before then.

    Search for ‘Adam Paddock’ on all streaming platforms or @adampaddock on instagram, facebook, twitter, and tiktok.

    Note from Claire Beseler:

    Adam and I overlapped in high school for a year and although we never talked or met, I heard whispers of him throughout the school. I was very excited to see him all over social media with his music success. While writing this article, I listened to all of Adam’s music on repeat and I’m not quite sure how to explain it but it made me feel happy, hopeful, content, anything you would hope for in a song. Best of luck to Adam! His music is truly special, and I look forward to listening to what he creates next.

  • Community Racism is a Problem.

    Community Racism is a Problem.

    Photo by Claire Beseler

    Claire Beseler

    Warning: This article contains recounts of racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks/actions that may be unsettling to some readers.

    Dear LCSD BoE and Loveland Community,

    Being white and living in a 93.5% white community (according to the 2010 census), I am ashamed to say I never really paid attention to the racism or oppression in our area. I decided to talk to some high school students about their experiences within Loveland in order to raise awareness of these instances to members of our community and LCSD Board to implement anti-racism and anti-oppression policies at our schools.

    One student commented, “I think something that really bothers me is jokes. Once I was walking through the cafeteria and two kids behind me were talking to each other, and one of them said, — ‘if you threw a black man and a Jew off the top of a building, who would fall faster?’ — and the answer to the ‘joke’ was, — ‘trick question, they’d fall equally fast because the black man has chains around his hands and the Jew has his pockets full of coins.’ — I legitimately stopped in my tracks, and conveniently the water fountain was right next to me so I just sipped some water, but it was one of the most horrific ‘jokes’ I’ve ever heard. [It] wasn’t the first, or the last, but definitely the most intense and specifically terrible.” 

    Another student mentioned, “I’ve definitely had problems with people using racial stereotypes with grouping [other students] and me together. People use ‘fox eyes’ more often than you’d think to mock (not in the context of fashion or art) and I’ve had people ask me what it’s like to not be able to see as well as everyone else because my eyes are so small. There’s also the basic stereotyping with academics where people would justify my good grades and hard work with ‘being genetically better at math’ and more.”

    A student told me about her experiences at her old school and why she had to transfer to Loveland, saying, “I was bullied pretty bad at [previous school] for being a woman. I was assaulted during my freshman year by my boyfriend at the time and I only told some friends and the school administration. None of my friends believed me and neither did the school or the police. They all just told me shit like ‘that’s just what boys do’ and he never got held accountable. People called me a wh*re and a liar because of something that happened to me. People would shove me into doors and trip me in the hallway. The school administration even threatened to punish me, but not him. So I had to transfer to Loveland. The amount of discrimination and inequality women still face in our society is just astonishing.”

    A student talked about their experiences with homophobia, “someone called my friend a f*ggot while we were all leaving the lunchroom. Because there were so many people I couldn’t tell who said it and report them to staff. No one else seemed to bat an eye and the next day my friend dressed completely differently in order to not be called that again.”

    One of the biggest causes of racism is ignorance and because of our high percentage of Caucasian students and staff, there has never really been a place to learn about different cultures and experiences from the minority population. We can change and become better and more educated together. Black Lives Matter.

    Sincerely, 

    Claire Beseler — LHS Senior

  • [Video Interview] City Hall: Is the collapsed sewer a public or homeowner problem?

    [Video Interview] City Hall: Is the collapsed sewer a public or homeowner problem?

    Claire Beseler – Loveland Magazine Writer

    by Claire Beseler

    Loveland, Ohio – Homeowners in Glen Lake subdivision, Tom Vargo, and Mack Fey continue to voice the problem of a collapsing storm drain between their homes. Out of seven storm drains in the subdivision, two are labeled as ‘private’, the one landing in between Vargo and Fey’s houses being one of them.

    Vargo maintains that the City keeps the other five in working order.

    This particular storm drain catches runoff water from about 8-10 houses in the immediate neighborhood. Since March, the two have been communicating with the City of Loveland to understand why it is private and steps to fix it.

    One temporary solution would be to add an insert to prevent the ground from caving in which would end up costing Fey and Vargo $20,000 of their own money for a 114 feet worth of storm drain from their backyard to the street. Vargo and Fey don’t believe they should shell out that kind of money now when in the past City Hall had stepped up to the plate and admitted responsibility. Twice under previous administrations, the public works department has made repairs.

    In terms of what they would like to see happen, Vargo commented, “I would say first and foremost, I would like to get [the collapsing storm drain] fixed. I’m just afraid that somebody’s going to get hurt. Mack has grandchildren, I have grandchildren, they do come out and run around, now, we watch them, but, still know you can’t watch them every second they’re out here, so I would like to get it fixed but I really think… we need to talk. We need to figure out why the City is not fixing the sinkhole. Just because it’s private? Is that the City’s only claim to fame here?”

    After months of contacting the City Hall, Vargo and Fey still don’t have the answers they are looking for. City Manager Dave Kennedy told the homeowners he would visit, even suggesting it and would bring the City engineer with him. The visit never happened and now, the only communication Vargo and Fey have received is from the City’s attorney.

    Loveland Magazine emailed City Manager Dave Kennedy when we published Tom Vargo’s Guest Column on June 27 and received no response. (Old storm sewer causes sink holes in local neighborhood)

  • Meet the 2 New School Board Members Dougherty and Schwetschenau

    Meet the 2 New School Board Members Dougherty and Schwetschenau

    Claire Beseler

    by Claire Beseler

    Loveland, Ohio – On May 28th, 2020, two vacancies on the Loveland City School Board, previously held by Art Jarvis and Ned Portune, were filled. After Loveland’s Spring Operating Levy failed, Jarvis and Portune publicly announced their resignations, leaving the board to accept new applications. After reviewing 36 applications and interviewing each applicant, The Board chose Kevin Dougherty and Dr. Eric Schwetschenau to sit on the Board of Education along with current members, President Kathy Lorenz, Vice-President Michele Pettit, and Eileen Washburn.

    Treasurer and CFO, Kavin Hawley, swore in Dougherty and Schwetschenau at the May 28th Board Meeting. Each, if they choose to remain on the Board must run in the November 2021 election. Their terms expire on 12/31/21.

    After they took their oath of office, Dougherty volunteered to serve on the Finance and Facility Committees and Schwetschenau volunteered to serve on the Finance Committee.

    Dougherty sent Loveland Magazine a response to his appointment to the Board. Schwetschenau referred us to the application he sent to the Board when he applied for the position.

    Before moving to Loveland with his family, Dougherty worked in the Healthcare industry at American Hospital Supply Corp and Baxter Laboratories. After accepting a job at Kroger Co., he and his wife moved to Loveland in 2001, where his daughter completed her K-12 at Loveland City Schools. Dougherty was initially responsible for Logistics and Supply Chain at Kroger Co. but has moved over to their new Digital program. In an email, Dougherty wrote, “My overall goal is to help create a consensus on the right direction to take the District from here, built on ever-improving transparency, trust, clarity of facts and a sense of common purpose.”

    Dr. Schwetschenau moved to Loveland in 2005. He has four sons, with one currently in 6th grade at Loveland Intermediate School. He has worked as a business owner with his own medical practice, as well as working with Evendale Medical Center and eventually TriHealth. Schwetschenau has served on the District Finance Committee. He told Loveland Magazine, “Education serves as the basis for the development and growth of our society. Without schools performing at their highest level in their mission of education of our children, our future becomes both less certain and less strong.”

    Kevin Dougherty

    Kevin Dougherty moved into the Loveland District in 2001 after he accepted a role with the Kroger Co. He was initially responsible for logistics and supply chain and later moved to lead the company’s new digital program. Prior to Kroger he had a number of different roles, particularly in the Healthcare industry at American Hospital Supply Corp and Baxter Laboratories. Dougherty retired in early 2017 after he said, “leading organizations from relatively small and simple to very large and complex over some 40-plus years.”

    “Our daughter attended Loveland Schools K-12 so we have been parents served by the district for many of the years we’ve lived here,” said Dougherty.

    He and his wife are the sponsors of Xavier University’s “X-Path” program, “focused on helping young people on the Autism Spectrum develop social skills as a foundation for independence and success in life.” Dougherty said it is very important to them and they are “very proud” of the life-changing impact the combined team of Xavier administrators, teachers, and student mentors have regularly with the clients of this program.

    Dougherty said that when the Board openings occurred, some friends suggested he could be helpful with the challenges facing the District.

    I hope to bring a career of business and people experience for example, to addressing the complex issue of back to back failed levies. There are certainly other urgent and emerging issues but this has been a visible, polarizing one. It’s an issue that demands a solution and we have to engage in it and find an answer.

    Dougherty said that he fundamentally believes in people’s good intentions every bit as much as I expect and welcome their diversity of viewpoint. “I’ve learned in business that personal opinion is at best second to hard-earned facts and objective assessment. Our actions need to be driven by the facts, clear and agreed goals, and the viewpoints of the community.”

    That means we have to find new ways to connect with the community … to discover what they think is important, how they think we are performing, and what they are capable of supporting. We have to understand them as a great business continually strives to understand its customers.

    Dougherty wants the Board to look “realistically” at the financial performance of the district and running the business of the district like a business with the expected necessary control and accountability.

    Knowing these things becomes critical to developing realistic operating,  expenditure, and facility plans that balance the educational goals we have for our children with the community’s ability to afford it.

    Dougherty emphasized that transparency is a foundation to trust, involvement, and ultimately, community support. He said, “Without it, great visions and great ideas risk never being realized. Despite whatever barriers to doing this really well may exist, I believe we must find ways to solve for a higher level of community engagement.”

    Dougherty told Loveland Magazine that his overall goal is to “help create a consensus on the right direction to take the District from here, built on ever-improving transparency, trust, clarity of facts and a sense of common purpose.”

    I believe we have some difficult, complex but very solvable problems in front of us. We will need dialogue and trust to arrive at answers we all can feel are right for our community.

     

    Dr. Eric Schwetschenau

    Eric Schwetschenau was born on April 13th, 1970. He is married and is the father of four sons, one of whom is currently in 6th grade at Loveland Schools. He is a resident of the Loveland City School District and has been so since 2005.

    Schwetschenau told the Board of Education that his interest in serving as a board member is twofold.

       First

    I have a strong belief that a healthy and well-performing school district is critical to the future of our community. Education serves as the basis for the development and growth of our society. Without schools performing at their highest level in their mission of education of our children, our future becomes both less certain and less strong.

    Recently, there has been a disconnect between what our community appears to desire in the form of financial support for the mission of the schools and what the school district (and board) believe is necessary to fulfill that mission.

    I believe that I am relatively uniquely suited to help to bridge that divide. As a longstanding educator (albeit in a much different field) I can understand the difficulty of providing information in the form necessary to be both understood and incorporated by a diverse target audience.

    I would be privileged to have the opportunity to speak to the current board members about my possible value as an addition to the school board.

       Second

    As an Ear, Nose, and Throat physician who by nature specializes in respiratory illnesses and their effects, I am also relatively uniquely suited to help the board and the school district to find their way forward in the mission of educating our children safely and effectively while also helping to provide guidance about the protection and safety of staff in these very uncertain times of pandemic illness.  I by no means claim to have the answers as to how to proceed but I am happy to provide my expertise and guidance in making these difficult decisions for and during the upcoming school year.

    Schwetschenau also told the Board in his application, “With those two things in mind, one other area of expertise that I have to offer the board is my background as a business owner and finance committee member. After returning to Ohio in 2001 I joined, grew, and sold a medical practice with more than 20 employees and several million dollars of yearly revenue. I also served as a member, and ultimately chair, of the finance committee at Evendale Medical Center before and after the facility was sold to TriHealth.

    These years of experience should help me to provide guidance and support to the board and the true professionals managing and running our school system.”

    Both Kevin Dougherty and Dr. Eric Schwetschenau can be reached via their District email addresses.

    FRONT PAGE STORIES

    To the class with 2020 vision… we made it!

    Here is Loveland High School’s 2020 Graduation in photos and videos – you can experience the whole 11-hour day!

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