LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Author: Cassie Mattia

  • Come Out to Support the LHS Athletes at the Annual Athletic Boosters Golf Scramble!

    Come Out to Support the LHS Athletes at the Annual Athletic Boosters Golf Scramble!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – The LHS Athletics community has come together in light of the “Pay-To-Play” announcement to support the Tiger student-athletes that now have to pay $310 per sport. The Loveland Athletic Boosters, a non-profit organization composed of adult volunteers, have been and continue to be one of the biggest advocates for the LHS student-athletes as they are consistently coming up with ways to generate income for the LHS Athletic Department. Money is raised typically by running concessions, fundraising, and Booster Membership fees.

    Recently, the Loveland Athletic Boosters created a Facebook group that is focused on raising money for the pay-to-play fees for LHS student-athletes. Click the article link below to learn about the Loveland Athletic Boosters Facebook group and how you can “Adopt-A-Tiger!”

    Local Facebook Group Fundraises for “Pay-to-Play” LHS Student-Athletes!

    Now that July is here, the Boosters are now preparing for one of their biggest fundraisers of the year, the 21st Annual Athletic Boosters Golf Scramble, which is set to be held on July 27th at O’Bannon Creek Golf Club. There are several different packages that you can grab to support the Tiger athletes that are listed below!

    The Golf Scramble registration, buffet lunch, and practice time on the golf range will start at 11 AM and end at 1 PM. At 1 PM the shotgun will sound kicking off the scramble officially. At 6:45 PM dinner and awards will be held.

    The Annual Golf Scramble will feature course challenges such as the longest drive and the closest to the pin, a Par 3 challenge, a Par 5 challenge, a putting contest on the practice green, a Mulligans sale, and a Hole-In-One Challenge sponsored by Performance Lexus.

    The deadline for registration is Friday, July 17th. To register now click the REGISTRANT INFORMATION tab below!

    2020 Athletic Boosters Annual Golf Scramble

    When
    Monday, July 27th
    Lunch starts at 11:00 AM and the shotgun start will occur at 1 PM
    Dinner and awards will follow immediately after the golf scramble
    Where
      
    O’Bannon Creek Golf Club, 6842 Oakland Rd, Loveland, OH 45140
    Ticket options
    Foursome                       $600.00
    Individual Golfer             $175.00
    Tee or Green Sponsor     $150.00
    Coach                            $100.00 or
    Dinner only                    $45.00
    To learn more about the Loveland Athletic Boosters and the Annual Golf Scramble you can visit their Facebook Page or website at http://lovelandathleticboosters.com/.
  • Caroline Ginder and Jordan Collins Awarded Seth Mitchell 2020 Scholarships!

    Caroline Ginder and Jordan Collins Awarded Seth Mitchell 2020 Scholarships!

    Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Students across Ohio have felt and continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the remainder of the school year canceled as well as graduation and all the fun events that go along with it, many students did not get the opportunity to be a part of their Annual Senior Night missing out on receiving Senior Awards and Scholarships.

    Steve and Connie Mitchell could not bear the thought of not giving out the annual 2020 Seth Mitchell Scholarships to the LHS Senior applicants so they decided to give the scholarships away virtually! The Mitchells usually make an annual visit into town to personally hand out the scholarships on the Senior Award Night.

    Connie and Steve’s, son and decorated war hero, LHS graduate, Captain Seth Mitchell was killed on October 26th, 2009 at age 30 when two helicopters collided while he was supporting combat operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. At the time of tragedy, Captain Mitchell was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA, and was part of the Marine Corp HMLA 367 Scarface unit. Captain Mitchell piloted an AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter.

    Seth volunteered for the fatal mission.

    If you would like to learn more about Captain Mitchell’s story click on the links below to access Loveland Magazine stories of the past about Mitchell.

    Please join us Saturday – to keep Captain Seth Mitchell’s memory alive

    Why there is a Captain Seth Mitchell HERO 5K

    In memory of Captain Mitchell both, his family and friends not only hold “The Seth Mitchell Hero 5k” in Downtown Historic Loveland every year, but they also give away “Seth Mitchell” scholarships to two well accomplished LHS Seniors. Below is Steve and Connie Mitchell’s explanation of how the scholarship recipients were selected this year.

    “As you probably guessed we were unable to do personal on-site interviews with our 2020 Seth Mitchell scholarship applicants. However, we summoned help from some younger folks and proceeded with the interviews through Google Hangout,” the Mitchell’s explained,  “Yep, Steve and Connie on Google Hangout. Who’d of thought that? Loveland High School also did not have their annual Senior Night on May 13, so the scholarships were awarded virtually. We had 18 applicants this year and personally interviewed six before awarding two scholarships. Your scholarship committee consisting of Greg Carpinello, Damien Cook, Mollie Schrichten, Marisa Sobb, (all friends of Seth and ’97 LHS graduates) Connie and I, take seriously the process to recruit, interview and select candidates. All the kids were deserving and we are especially proud of the recipients.”

    The $3,500 Let Us Never Forget Seth Mitchell Scholarship was founded by the Mitchell Family and the “Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Foundation.”
    The scholarships are funded by the Seth Mitchell Hero 5K, in which both Seth’s friends and family run, in memory of Seth every year.
    This year the 2020 “virtual” Let Us Never Forget Seth Mitchell Scholarships went to Jordan Collins and Caroline Ginder! Below are the biographies for both scholarship winners provided by the Mitchell’s.
    . 
      .
    Jordan Collins is the 2020 scholarship recipient and she has a spirit similar to Seth.
    She was and still is involved in many theatrical and musical productions. She is a National Honor Society member, volunteers through Mom’s Hope, and works part-time.
    Jordan will be paying a large part of her college costs.
    She has a “do something” attitude, a strong work ethic, and knows no stranger, being kind to all. She is not afraid to fail in the pursuit of her dreams and is strong in the face of adversity.
    She hopes to pursue her theatrical dreams at Syracuse University.
       .
        .
    Caroline Ginder is also a 2020 recipient of the Memorial Scholarship. Caroline was described by one of her references as “being self-motivated, goal-oriented, and a fine example of caring more about her teammates rather than herself.”
    She participated in many school events such as Tiger’s Inc., LHS Women’s Soccer, NEST, and National Honor Society.
    Caroline will be attending Ohio State University where she will pursue medicine. She hopes to someday be a part of Doctors Without Borders.
    Like Jordan, Caroline is paying a share of her college costs as well.
    .
    .
    If you would like to learn more about the Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Foundation you can visit their website at yellowribbonsupportcenter.com. 
    .
    If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved with the Seth Mitchell Hero 5K this year you can visit the event’s website at sethmitchell5k.org.

    The 11th Annual Seth Mitchell Hero 5k will take place on Saturday, October 10th at 11 AM in Nisbet Park in Historic Downtown Loveland, Ohio.

    .
    You don’t have to run or walk in the race to support the scholarship program. You can donate now or volunteer your time and skills!
    Congratulations to both Caroline and Jordan for being selected to receive the Never Let Us Forget Seth Mitchell Scholarships!
  • Local Facebook Group Fundraises for “Pay-to-Play” LHS Student-Athletes!

    Local Facebook Group Fundraises for “Pay-to-Play” LHS Student-Athletes!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland has always been known as a community that gives back, and ALWAYS takes care of the youth. Over the past few months many have been fighting for the Loveland School levy because, without the appropriate funds, Tiger student-athletes have to “pay-to-play.”

    Recently two Loveland School levies failed, leaving both Tiger student-athletes and their parents at a stand-still. Now those Tigers wanting to participate in a sport will have to pay $310. This did not sit well with Loveland Tiger advocate, Tori Morrison, so with the approval of the Loveland Athletic Booster Board she created a Facebook group that would help those athletes that could not afford to pay the sports fees.

    “With the recent failure of two school levies, we knew that Pay to Play fees would be increasing this year,” Morrison explained, “In anticipation of that, the Athletic Boosters decided that we needed some way to help the athletes to continue to play. We feel that no tiger should be left out. Fees were previously $105 for all sports except football and lacrosse which were $155. Now all sports will be paying $310 per sport.”
    Morrison attended Loveland Schools from 2nd through 6th grade before she moved with her family to New Richmond where she eventually met her husband and moved back to Loveland when her oldest child entered into 3rd grade.

    “We have had three children graduate from Loveland schools – Ashlei (03), Chelsei (10), and Ben (20). My kids have been involved in soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, football, lacrosse, yearbook, drama, and choir,” Morrison said, “Over the years I have been a team mom for various sports and most recently organized and planned the Homecoming Parade for the last six years. When my son graduated I decided I was ready to become involved in a different way and decided to run for the Loveland Athletic Booster Board.”

    Morrison says that the newly created Facebook Group “Loveland Athletic Boosters” is focusing on raising money for the student-athletes that may not be able to afford the pay-to-play fees.

    “We want to share information and we encourage everyone to spread the word,” Morrison said, “The more people that join the group the more Tigers we can help! We want everyone to get a chance to play regardless of their financial situation. It’s going to be really tough for some families to pay the now $310 pay to play fee. Some athletes won’t be able to play at all and others will be forced to pick one sport where they used to be able to play two or three.” Many, many families have more than one child that will want to participate in a sport.

    Thus far Morrison told us that the entire Loveland Athletic Boosters (LAB) Board is behind the fundraising efforts including, President Jeff Williams, Vice President Rich Myklebust, Treasurer Stephanie Bashardoust, and Secretary Stacey Lund. Soon LAB will be offering Business Memberships which would be a first for the Board.

    I asked Morrison if the new Facebook Group would be holding any fundraising events and she said they are ALWAYS searching for new ideas and ways to raise money. The LAB’s do in fact have some awesome events planned that they hope will bring in a lot of funds for Tiger Student-Athletes.

    Learn more about the annual Golf Outing on July 27 at O’Bannon Creek  Golf Club.

    “Our annual Golf Outing is July 27 at O’Bannon Creek  Golf Club.

    The Membership drive kicks off on July 1 and fall student-athletes will be selling discount cards that will be good at local restaurants and businesses,” Morrison said, “We will also be having like we do every year in January our Tiger Ball. One hundred percent of the money from these events will go towards helping our student-athletes with fees, gear, and anything else they need.” 

    Here at Loveland Magazine we encourage everyone to join the Loveland Athletic Boosters Facebook Group and support the Tiger student-athletes!

    The group added Venmo so that it makes it easier to donate.

    You may also comment on the FB page to adopt a Tiger. To learn more about how you can get involved with helping Loveland’s Student-Athletes compete in sports visit the Loveland Athletic Booster Facebook Page or check their website at www.lovelandathleticboosters.com.

  • LPD Prepares to Host Annual “Stuff the Cruiser” Food Drive!

    LPD Prepares to Host Annual “Stuff the Cruiser” Food Drive!

    Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – It’s that time of year again for the Annual “Stuff the Cruiser” Food Drive sponsored by the Loveland Police Division and the Loveland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association!

    The food drive is scheduled for Saturday, July 18th at the Loveland Kroger store from 9 AM until 1 PM. There will be many smiling volunteers set up outside Kroger to accept all donations. The donations that are collected will be taken to LIFE Food Pantry where they will be both sorted and dated.

    LIFE Food Pantry volunteer, Connie Rotterman is more than excited for this particular food drive because there have been so few since February in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “This food drive will really help fill our pantry shelves and feed the over 300 families in Loveland that depend on LIFE Food Pantry each month for food,” Rotterman said.

    If you would like to provide over 300 families with the food they need please take a few minutes out of your day to stop by Loveland Kroger on July 18th between 9 AM and 1 PM to donate food items!

    Click the image below to read about all of the programs offered by LIFE Food Pantry…

  • LHS Athletics Enter Into Phase 3 of “Skills Practice”

    LHS Athletics Enter Into Phase 3 of “Skills Practice”

    LHS’s Athletic Director, Brian Conatser

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Its been a tough road for athletes all across Ohio in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Competitions have been canceled, sports seasons have been postponed, and in-person practicing has been banned. Although this new normal has been hard on many high school athletes and coaches, many were glad to hear that the Ohio Governor and Health Department’s Responsible Restart Ohio implemented a “three-phase process” that would ease both athletes and coaches back into practicing and competing.

    LHS’s Athletic Director, Brian Conatser, couldn’t be happier to get the Tiger Athletes and Coaches back into LHS’s athletic facilities, but in the safest way possible!

    “We are in Phase 3 of our skills practice which will last until July 6th,” Conatser explained, “Once we get more guidance from the Ohio Governor and OHSAA, we will move forward with those restrictions and guidelines.”
    On June 1st, LHS opened its Athletic Facilities in accordance with the OHSAA skills training guidelines.
    “Our coaches are extremely committed to working with the Athletic Department to implement COVID-19 procedures and guidelines. As an Athletic Department, we walked through the process as a team, fine-tuning our plan prior to our athletes returning to campus,” Conatser said, “The plan is extremely thorough and detailed, as the safety of our student-athletes and coaches are our primary concern.”
    Conatser provided the guidelines given to him by OHSAA that both coaches and student-athletes are following as they begin to return to athletics.
    1. Every student-athlete and coach MUST complete the 2020-21 Final Forms COVID-19 waiver prior to the 1st training session.
    2. Every student-athlete and coach MUST complete the LHS COVID-19 Self-Evaluation Google Form every day prior to each skills training session.
    3. Social distancing includes a 6-foot separation.  Entrances and Exits are outlined and over-communicated to avoid congregation and lingering of student-athletes.
    4. Facial coverings must be worn when in the building (gyms, fitness center, athletic training room). Facial coverings may be removed during the training session.
    5. Sanitation products and stations are located at the entry and exit of our inside facilities. We also ask EVERY student to bring: Water bottle, Sanitation wipes, Hand sanitizer, and Facial covering.
    6. All equipment, balls, etc. must be wiped down at the beginning and end of each training session.
    7. Three phases:  Phase 1: May 26th – June 8th / Phase 2:  June 9th – June 22nd / Phase 3: June 23rd – July 6th

    Conatser gave credit to Loveland’s student-athletes, coaches, and parents for playing such an important role in the three-phase process.

    “From parents dropping off their kids in designated spots to everyone following the COVID-19 guidelines. The coaches deserve an overwhelming amount of credit,” Conatser said, “These outstanding professionals make sure their programs have all of the information well ahead of time via communication from ZOOM, Google Hangout, email, Twitter, etc. We are looking forward to a safe and productive summer of skill training.”

    For more Loveland Tiger sports updates stay tuned to the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!

  • LHS’s Cross Country Team releases 2020 schedule!

    LHS’s Cross Country Team releases 2020 schedule!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – As high school sports across Ohio begin to enter back into in-person practicing and competitions Fall sports teams are beginning to release their 2020 competition schedules including LHS’s Cross Country Team.

    On Wednesday, LHS’s Cross Country Twitter page released its 2020 Cross Country schedule, describing it as “very fun and challenging!”

    https://twitter.com/lovelandcc1/status/1275899167383130120

    Be sure to come out and support the Tigers beginning August 15th at the OHSAA Season-Opener at Fortress Obetz, a multi-purpose sports, and entertainment complex in Obetz, Ohio. The bleacher system alone holds 6,500 people and the standing room holds near 20,000 people. Fortress Obetz opened in 2017 and was the former site of Columbus Motor Speedway.

    GO TIGERS!!

     

     

  • Loveland Magazine Brings You This Week’s Summer Salad!

    Loveland Magazine Brings You This Week’s Summer Salad!

    Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – The flowers are in bloom, the temperatures are rising, the Loveland Bike Trail is flourishing with families enjoying Nisbet Park and the Little Miami River…so that means it’s time for another rendition of the Loveland Summer Salad!

    This week we are featuring BRS Insurance, Loveland High School’s Cross Country Team, Hope Restored Counseling Services, Loveland Dairy Whip, Vibe Nutrition, and Move2Loveland. The Summer Salad will feature what Loveland’s local businesses are up to as well as fun Summer activity ideas and events that you, your friends, or family can get involved in! So what are you waiting for?! Scroll down to see who is featured this week!

    BRS Insurance has joined forces with A.M Peck & Company! Read below to find out what this means for insurance clients!

    AM Peck & Company Joins BRS

    We would like to welcome A.M. Peck & Company, Inc. to the BRS team! This merger provides all BRS Insurance clients – new and old – expanded coverage options and opportunities. LEARN MORE

    Our agency slogan “Worry Less with BRS” means we will provide our policyholders with a superior insurance value by offering personal attention, professional service, and a broad range of insurance products at a competitive price.

    Loveland High School’s Cross Country Team is preparing to host the Cross Country Championships set to take place in the Fall! Check out their trail progress!
    xlovelandcc Tweeted…”Thank you volunteers who worked on the trails at Home of the Brave Park for the sold out ⁦XC Championships this fall.“

    UPDATE: We are continuing to see clients and can also offer telehealth sessions. We are accepting new clients at this time as well. Please email us to schedule an appointment.

    Outdoor Seating Again

    Loveland Dairy Whip is offering outdoor seating again! Click the link above for more “creamy” details!

    Vibe Nutrition is offering some new refreshing energizing teas and shakes to kick your Summer off right! Click the link below to learn more about Vibe and their delicious products!

    At Vibe Nutrition, our mission is to transform lives by providing excellent wellness support for every client to achieve the best version of themselves!

     Move2Loveland wants to help you sell your home! Click the link below to see how you can utilize their selling resource guide!

    Sellers, Start Here!

    We’ve put together our most useful resources to help guide your selling decision. From a step by step look at what the process would look like to stories from real people we’ve worked with in the past and everything in between.

    Curious If Online Home Values Are Accurate?

    We Did Some Research

    The Move2 Team | Keller Williams Pinnacle Group

  • ECC Names Former LHS Athletic Director Assistant Commissioner!

    ECC Names Former LHS Athletic Director Assistant Commissioner!

    Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Last Friday the Eastern Cincinnati Conference made quite the “Tiger” announcement when they named Jeff Zidron as the new Assistant Commissioner. Zidron was the former Athletic Director for both Loveland and Indian Hill High Schools. Currently, Zidron is an administrator for the Milford School District.

    The ECC referred to Zidron as one of the “founding fathers” of the ECC and said that both Zidron’s experience and expertise will help the ECC continue to be one of the premier conferences in Ohio.

    “I can’t wait to work with Jeff again in his new role,” ECC Commissioner Ray Spicher said, “I have the utmost respect for him as a person and as a professional educator. Look for great things as the ECC expands to 10 teams this year.”

    To learn more about the ECC you can visit their website at http://eccsports.com/index.aspx.

    Stay tuned for more of the latest sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!

  • Eastern Cincinnati Conference Holds a “Slogan Contest!”

    Eastern Cincinnati Conference Holds a “Slogan Contest!”

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Calling all student-athletes, coaches, parents, and fans! The Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) recently announced that they will be going through somewhat of a league transformation. In addition to adding three new schools, Little Miami, Winton Woods, and Lebanon, to the ECC for the 2020-2021 sports season they are also looking to add a new conference slogan.

     

    The ECC stated that they would love to bring more awareness and reach to the conference’s brand so the conference decided to have students, coaches, and fans submit slogan ideas. The ECC selected the top 4 slogan ideas and posted them on the ECC website so that anyone and everyone could vote on their favorite slogan! Below are the top 4 slogan selections.

    1.  Engage.  Compete.  Conquer

    2.  Excite. Challenge.  Compete.

    3.  Eastern Cincinnati Conference … top-level competition with community-based values.

    4.  Engagement.  Competition.  Community.  We are the ECC!

    The Slogan Contest allows voters to submit their slogan selection as many times as they want up until Friday, June 26th, 2020. The new slogan will be released in early July. If you would like to participate in the Slogan Contest click the link below to submit your vote!

    VOTE NOW

    ECC Schools

    Stay tuned for the latest and greatest Local Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!

     

  • LHS Begins Three-Phrase Process in Reopening of Athletic Facilities

    LHS Begins Three-Phrase Process in Reopening of Athletic Facilities

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – The time has finally come to begin the reopening of high school athletic facilities! Loveland High School announced last Thursday on their school website that they would begin a three-phase process following and according to the guidelines given by the OHSAA for the reopening of their athletic facilities, which began on June 1st.

    After the initial announcement, Loveland’s Athletic Department reassured the community that they have been in communication with all teams about the expectations and guidelines so that all of the student-athletes and coaches are both protected and safe.

    Loveland High School Athletic Director Brian Conaster

    LHS’s Athletic Director, Brian Conatser, explained more in-depth as to what the three-phrase reopening process entails and what his Athletic Department is going to do to ensure the safety of Loveland’s student-athletes and coaches.

    “This is a three-phase process that follows the Ohio Governor and Health Department’s Responsible Restart Ohio. Our coaches are extremely committed to working with the Athletic Department to implement the COVID-19 procedures and guidelines,” Conatser explained, “As an Athletic Department, we walked through the process as a team, fine-tuning our plan prior to our athletes returning to campus. The plan is extremely thorough and detailed, as the safety of our student-athletes and coaches are our primary concern.  Here are a few guidelines that our coaches and student-athletes are taking as we begin our return to high school athletics;
    1. Every student-athlete and coach MUST complete the 2020-21 Final Forms COVID-19 waiver prior to the 1st training session.
    2. Every student-athlete and coach MUST complete the LHS COVID-19 Self-Evaluation Google Form every day prior to each skills training session.
    3. Social distancing includes a 6-foot separation. Entrances and Exits are outlined and over-communicated to avoid congregation and lingering of student-athletes.
    4. Facial coverings must be worn when in the building (gyms, fitness center, athletic training room). Facial coverings may be removed during the training session.
    5. Sanitation products and stations are located at the entry and exit of our inside facilities.  We also ask EVERY student to bring: Water bottle, Sanitation wipes, Hand sanitizer, and Facial covering.
    6. All equipment, balls, etc. must be wiped down at the beginning and end of each training session.
    7. Three phases: Phase 1: May 26th – June 8th / Phase 2:  June 9th – June 22nd / Phase 3: June 23rd – July 6th”

    Conatser told us that June 1st was a great day to be a Tiger because all of LHS’s student-athletes, coaches, and parents played such an important role in the reopening process.

    “From parents dropping off their kids in designated spots to everyone following the COVID-19 guidelines, day one was a success,” Conatser said, “The coaches deserve an overwhelming amount of credit! These outstanding professionals made sure their programs had ALL of the information well ahead of time via communication for ZOOM, Google Hangout, Email, Twitter, etc. We are looking forward to a safe and productive summer of skill training. Welcome back TigerNation! Go Tigers!”

    Here at Loveland Magazine, we are so happy to see the Tigers able to train and eventually compete again! We wish all the athletes and coaches the best of luck! Train Hard and Run Like a Tiger! Stay tuned for the latest Loveland Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!