News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area
Without fear or favor
Since 2004
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Middle School students Abigail Boyle and Zane Shrewsberry recently competed in the regional Power of the Pen tournament. They both qualified for state competition. Power of the Pen is a statewide creative writing program that encourages students to find and develop their talents.
Loveland, Ohio – Eight Loveland Middle School students have been selected to participate in the Ohio Music Education Association District 14 Honor Jazz Band. They will have an opportunity to join together with other talented musicians from around the region for a special concert later this month. Eighth-grade music teacher Chris Huening, teaches the young jazz musicians.
Loveland, Ohio – The Life Food Pantry says, “A huge thank you to the Loveland High School Student Council for all the amazing goods donated to the pantry! The Loveland Schools and community are an enormous source of support for the pantry. Thank you so much for sharing the wealth for those who need a hand!”
CURRENT NEEDS
FOOD
• Canned Peas
• Coffee
• Crackers
• Manwich/Sloppy Jo
• Rice a Roni
• Taco or Chili Seasoning
HOUSEHOLD/PAPER GOODS
• Laundry Detergent
• Paper Towels
BABY
• Diapers, Pull-Ups, Wipes
SENIORS
• Ensure/Boost
Loveland, Ohio – Head Coach Chris Switzer said on FaceBook after Elizabeth Madison completed her perfect season, “So proud of this kid…. what a year – undefeated State Champ as a freshman.” He was exclaiming his esteem for Madison after she defeated every opponent in Columbus at the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State University during the DI OHSAA State Wrestling Championships.
Madison won every match she entered as a 170 lb. ninth grader and finished the season 42-0 with 40 pins. This was the inaugural season for the Ohio High School Athletic Association to host a Women’s wrestling tournament. Madison will forever be remembered as Ohio’s first 170-pound champion.
In January 2022, the OHSAA announced that Women’s wrestling and Men’s volleyball would be added as sanctioned sports beginning with the 2022-23 school year. The Ohio High School Athletic Association averages more than 50,000 fans for the weekend of wrestling.
The 2023 Ohio Severe Weather Poster Contest is accepting submissions until April 21.
For students grades 1-6
This poster contest is a valuable tool to help students learn about severe weather safety and preparedness. The contest is open to all Ohio students in grades 1-6, and individualized instruction (special education) classes. All public, private, charter and home schools are encouraged to participate.
Regional winners are invited to attend the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) awards ceremony at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy on the Ohio State Fairgrounds.
Prizes for regional winners: Prizes include admission passes to the Ohio State Fair, a certificate of appreciation from the National Weather Service, and more (prizes vary per year).
Prizes for state winners (one student each from grades 1-6): Same prizes as regional winners, plus a National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) weather radio, a smoke alarm, a congratulatory letter from Gov. Mike DeWine, and the student’s poster framed.
Prizes for state winners (one student each from grades 1-6): Same prizes as regional winners, plus a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio, a smoke alarm, a congratulatory letter from Gov. Mike DeWine, and the student’s poster framed.
Prizes for overall state winner: Same prizes as regional and state winners, including a personalized trophy, four tickets to the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) museum in Columbus, and a backpack. In the fall, OCSWA members will present a “traveling trophy” to the overall state winner’s school to be displayed throughout the school year.
To learn more, and to view the complete contest rules and entry forms, visit the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness website.
Loveland, Ohio – Did you know more than 6 million Americans have one or more developmental disabilities (DD)? That means about 15 percent of the United States population is living with DD. Over the few past decades, individuals with DD and DD advocates have been fighting for inclusion and equal opportunities within their communities and the workforce. Without help from leaders and social reformers like Dorothy Dix, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, to name a few, both National Developmental Disabilities Month and the Americans with Disabilities Act wouldn’t exist.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public announcement asking Americans to provide individuals with DD “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.” Reagan’s powerful message not only established the month of March as National DD Awareness Month, but his advocacy also led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being passed in 1990 by George Bush. The ADA officially made it illegal to discriminate against individuals with disabilities.
Once the ADA passed, DD advocates across the world began to take a stand, using their own experiences and success stories to promote equal rights. Although progress has been made in the DD community there are still many obstacles’ individuals with DD face every day. This is why National DD Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of those with DD and take the time to educate yourself and those surrounding you on the importance of including individuals with DD in all aspects of community life!
In light of this very special March celebration, I decided to invite two of the most respected DD advocates in Ohio, Community Connection Coordinator Connie Mehlman and Community Outreach Advocate Courtney Hineman, both with the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities to my Loveland Magazine TV Table of Discussions! Connie and Courtney have paved the way for inclusion and equality within the DD community giving them both a plethora of knowledge when it comes to educating others about how they too can advocate for individuals with DD.
I am pleased to present my latest Table of Discussions episode featuring Connie Mehlman and Courtney Hineman! Happy DD Awareness Month!
Check out Episode 1 of Courtney’s BCBDD VLOG, “Courtney Explains It All!”
The video below features Courtney as she discusses Neurodiversity with the BCBDD staff!
Below Courtney was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Best Buddies Ohio Annual Gala!
The gallery of photos below was provided by the Butler County Board of DD and Cassie Mattia.
by Tom Allen
I’d like to take a few minutes of your time to share my perspective on the school levy that will be on the May ballot.
I’m a 60-year-old, 30-year Loveland area resident with a home in the Loveland school district. I’m semi-retired and our children, who attended Loveland schools from K-12, are grown. Being semi-retired means, like many of you, I watch my spending closely. As someone who has always been proud of the Loveland Schools’ reputation and performance, the divide in our community from the past few levies has been disheartening. I have friends and neighbors on both sides of this issue. I have voted no in the past and I understand why people feel as they do about the situation.
The perspective I want to share is fairly simple, and one that as fellow property owners I hope you will consider. I firmly believe it’s in all of our best interests to be more aligned this May.
The premise is this: I understand that property values are subject to a variety of factors. I believe that school district performance is among the leading considerations of families looking to move to a new community. The way l see it a school district that does not support reasonable funding requests is destined for declining property values over time, as school performance and reputation declines. The reality is that things do cost more over time and it does cost to attract and retain top talent.
Let’s say for the sake of argument that property values drop 10 percent over the next ten years. If your Loveland home was valued at the current Zillow average of $355,000, you will take a $35,500 hit when you sell it. That is a very significant loss. I would prefer to pay a few hundred dollars more each year to help maintain the good reputation of our schools, protect our property values and provide our students with a well-rounded educational experience.
While each of us has reasons that affect our decisions about these levies, I believe what we have in common is that we all prosper when we have a high performing school district. I would like our state to provide a better funding mechanism for our public schools, but unfortunately, it doesn’t. I trust that our current school leaders are good stewards of our hard earned tax dollars and I believe that they reacted appropriately to our feedback when the District overreached.
After voting against the oversized levy a few years ago, I will be voting yes on the May levy that will be on the ballot, mostly to help protect our property values. I’m willing to find the additional hundreds of dollars per year as an investment in education, our community and in all of our property values.
I appreciate you giving this issue further consideration and I respect that each of you has the right to vote for what you believe is best for your situation.
by David Miller
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School graduate Samuel Wright Smith has been chosen to be the Director of Photography on the high-profile short film, Heartbreak on Murray Hill and fundraising has begun in earnest to support the costly production. Loveland area residents might be particularly interested in donating or becoming a “credited” producer.
The film promises a slash of Edward Hopper-esque cinematography from Smith who will act as the eyes of the film, sculpting light, movement, and framing.
The movie is the true story of the director’s (Malcolm Quinn Silver-Van Meter) grandmother’s childhood breakup in 1956 immigrant NYC.
In preparing to begin shooting, Smith described his vision of how two scenes will be composed:
“A smoggy evening light outlines a working-class mother, hunched over a sewing machine. A split composition: out of focus in the background of her 1956 New York tenement apartment, her children hug their father.”
“Bobby, 11, donning a school uniform, stands over the camera with a note in her hand. A low-angle, wide-lens shot might indicate confidence, but not here. The note fills the frame and holds the power. Her body looks awkward and distorted—her hands are too big, torso too long, head too small.”
Since leaving Loveland in 2018 for the prestigious New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Smith has been the cinematographer on numerous projects including Crimson Ties, directed by Francesca Scorcese, which premiered at Tribeca. In 2020, at only age of 19, he published a photo book titled Abandoned Cincinnati through Fonthill Publishing.
Recently, Smith shot a feature film with the Secoya indigenous community in the Ecuadorian rainforest. His work has garnered attention at other major festivals including Nashville Film Festival and Beverly Hills Film Festival.
For Heartbreak on Murray Hill, the crew will build a replica 1956 tenement apartment. Smith describes the style as “warm realism”. Pulling inspiration from American Realist painters, he intends to create a style that is bold, believable, and magical.
When shooting begins, Smith will be using a sound stage at the NYC landmark, Kaufman Astoria Studios* which has been making entertainment history for more than 90 years. Heartbreak on Murray Hill will be filmed on stage F which belongs to Sesame Street when they are in production.**
Heartbreak on Murray Hill is the story of 11-year-old Bobby and her first breakup in 1950s NYC. It is based on a true story.
Heartbreak is set to be one of NYU’s most ambitious thesis films ever. Seeking an indie budget of $150K, the film is fiscally sponsored and donations are tax-deductible.
“Writing and photographing for Loveland Magazine in high school opened my eyes to the possibility of meaningful work through the lens of a camera. I owe so much of where I am to David Miller, the LM publisher. So many peers, teachers, and community organizers in the Loveland community gave me the push to pursue my dreams. I can’t believe that this is my life now. Living off of art seemed impossible once. But thanks to community: here I am,” said Smith.
Contact Sam Smith via EMAIL if you need more information about your fully tax-deductible support of Heartbreak on Murray Hill.
Thank you so much for your support! For this generous donation you will receive a shout out on our social media!
Thank you so much for your generosity! For this donation you will receive our Donor Package including behind the scenes content and a shout out on our social media!
For this donation you will receive our Patron Package including behind the scenes content, and early access to stills and trailers of the film, as well as a shout out on our social media!
For this donation, you will receive a Benefactor Package including behind the scenes content and early access to stills and trailers of the film, as well as an invitation to HBOMH red carpets and premieres!
For this donation, you will receive the Co-producer Package, including your name in the credits, your own IMDB page, behind the scenes content, and early access to stills & trailers of the film, as well as an invite to HBOMH red carpets and premieres!
Associate Producer Package: an invitation to set, your name in the credits, your own IMDB page, behind the scenes content, as well as early access to the final cut of the film, and an invite to HBOMH red carpets and premieres!
VIP Executive Producer Package: exclusive behind the scenes access and an invitation to the set, as well as your name in the credits, your own IMDB page, early access to the final cut of the film, and invitations to attend HBOMH red carpets and premieres!
Learn more about Heartbreak on Murray Hill and meet the team
DONATE and SUPPORT the Production of Heartbreak on Murray Hill
* Today, KAS is the location for major motion pictures, independent film, television shows and commercials. The stages have been graced by actors such as Harrison Ford, Matt Damon, Ben Stiller, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Bill Cosby, Demi Moore and many other esteemed stars. Kaufman has also been the chosen production location of prominent directors including Martin Scorsese, Sydney Lumet, Norman Jewison, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, and Paul Greengrass. Today, KAS is the location for major motion pictures, independent film, television shows and commercials. The stages have been graced by actors such as Harrison Ford, Matt Damon, Ben Stiller, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Bill Cosby, Demi Moore and many other esteemed stars. Kaufman has also been the chosen production location of prominent directors including Martin Scorsese, Sydney Lumet, Norman Jewison, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, and Paul Greengrass.
**In 2008, Martin P. Robinson, who plays Mr. Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster, and Slimey the Worm on Sesame Street, married Annie Evans, a writer for the show on the Sesame Street set. The ceremony was performed on the steps of 123 Sesame Street and the reception was held throughout the rest of the set.
Watch this promotion for the film Capulí, which Smith recently shot in the Secoya indigenous community in the Ecuadorian rainforest
Loveland, Ohio – “We would like to Congratulate Ty Harter and Elizabeth Madison for qualifying for DI OHSAA State Wrestling Championships in Columbus this weekend,” said Kristy Brulport, the Administrative Assistant to the Athletic Director at Loveland High School. “We are going to celebrate Ty and Elizabeth at 1:50 PM on Thursday afternoon right at the start of our 7th bell.”
Teachers, students, and staff will step out into the halls to cheer on Madison and Harter as they leave the building on their way to the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State University. The Pep Band will be accompanying Ty and Elizabeth through the building.
Madison will compete in the inaugural Women’s tournament and Harter will compete in the 86th annual State matches. Madison, who won the Harrison regional and is 38-0, is the #1 seed at 170 lbs. Madison is the first Loveland Female Wrestler to punch her ticket to the OHSAA Wrestling Championships.
Tickets, Gear, Programs and Photos
Women’s preview: https://ohsaa.org/news-media/articles/2023-girls-wrestling-state-tournament-preview…
Men’s preview: https://ohsaa.org/news-media/articles/2023-boys-wrestling-state-tournament-preview…
Brackets, pairings, media guide & more: https://ohsaa.org/sports/wrestling
Elizabeth Madison is the first ever female wrestler at Loveland High School to earn her way to the OHSAA Championships.
Madison is the 170 lbs Regional Champion.
Madison will take her 38-0 record to state this upcoming weekend and compete for a state title.
