Loveland Magazine

Tag: Hannah Roberts Gwynne

  • Watch the Loveland Stage Company’s Holiday Radio Show

    Watch the Loveland Stage Company’s Holiday Radio Show

    Loveland Magazine is in a holiday spirit because we were able to help keep local ARTSalive by lending our video equipment to the Stage Company for the recording of this show and being a year-round sponsor to make possible this production of:

    2020 LSC Holiday Radio Show

    By The Loveland Stage Company

    Recorded:  December 2, 2020
    Released:  December 11, 2020

    Scroll to the bottom to watch the show!

    Cast:

    Becky Jones
    Becky Jones – Storytelling of A visit from St Nicholas
    Becky is thrilled to participate in the LSC holiday show! She is the music director at Christ Presbyterian Church, the assistant band director at Loveland high school and teaches flute clarinet and sax privately. She loves playing in pit orchestras around town for fun! 
    When she isn’t teaching or playing, she spends time at her farm with her herd of dairy goats! She loves sharing the stage with her best buddy, Louie!
    Louie Jones
    Louie Jones
    Louie loves the Loveland Stage Company! This is his second performance with the company and is honored to be here with his friends. He wants to thank Michael and Jill for this opportunity to develop his onstage persona! He also hopes everyone has a great howliday!
    Caitlyn Sanderson
    Caitlyn Sanderson – Story of The First Holiday without a Family Member 
    Caitlyn is thrilled to be performing in her first radio show in LSC. She’s been with LSC for 4 years helping backstage, ushering shows, and going to Saturday’s Dance Class with Margie. She was recently in Gypsy as Agnes with LSC. She’s also involved with different theater groups such as Mason Community Players and Queen City Productions. When, she isn’t at the theater, she works full time as an Order Picker at The Hillman Group and spending time with her nephew and niece, Beau & June. She thanks her family and her co-workers for their support. Lastly, she would like to thank Michael & Jill, who allowed her to be part of the radio show. Caitlyn wants to dedicate the radio show to her Grandma Dolores who recently passed away last December.
    Dave Marcus
    Dave Marcus – Singing – Nothing But A Child 
    Dave is currently Vice President of LSC. He has been in a number of LSC productions including, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, White Christmas, and The Producers. Dave has a love of Celtic music and plays the guitar, mandolin, 4-string banjo, and octave mandolin in several bands around Cincinnati. He would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and to stay healthy during these trying times.
    The Hubbard Family
    The Hubbard Family Band – playing/singing Christmas melodies. Arranged by Aiden Hubbard
    The Hubbard Family Band was first established in 2000 when Christopher and Melinda officially joined forces. They performed together at events around the country (mostly at the weddings of friends). In 2002, Aiden came singing into the world, and has never stopped. Gavin joined in at the end of 2004. In honor of these boys, the band recorded their first album – Lullabies That Will Hopefully Put Them To Sleep. But the band was not complete until 2007 when Mearen joined in. At age 5, Mearen overheard her parents say ‘All we need is a drummer!’ and she never looked back. In its current incarnation (Aiden – arranger, composer, vocals, electric ukulele; Gavin – saxophone; Mearen – percussion, vocals; Christopher – guitar, bass, voice of reason; Melinda – vocals, keyboard, videographer, general-keeping-it-togetherer), The Hubbard Family Band provided music and fun to family and friends via videos on Facebook during the pandemic shut down. We are thrilled to be at the Loveland Stage Company to share our love of music, family, and holidays with you.
    Jazz McMullen
    Jazz McMullen – Singing O Holy Night 
    Jazz is a Cincinnati Native and graduate of The School for Creative and Performing Arts, where he majored in Drama, Vocal Music and Musical Theatre. He is thrilled to continue his involvement with LSC in the Holiday Radio Show! Being no stranger to the stage, Jazz has appeared in such productions as; Dreamgirls (James “Thunder” Early), Parade (Newt Lee/Riley), Beauty and the Beast (Maurice), Little Shop of Horrors (Mushnik), The Whiz (Lion) and a host of others! “Give me your hands if we be friends and Robin shall restore amends.”
    Jill Gornet
    Jill Gornet – Announcer / Producer 
    Jill is excited to be co-producing The LSC Holiday Radio Show. She was co-producer for Bugsy Malone, Jr., Don’t Drink the Water and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Jill won an Orchid as the producer of The Drowsy Chaperone. She was last seen on-stage at LSC in Memphis (Clara/ensemble), White Christmas (quintet/ensemble), Will Rogers Follies (quartet) and Fiddler on the Roof (Rifke/ensemble). Retired from USPS, she sings with Sharonville Chorus at retirement/assisted living homes. Jill would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support.
    Micheal Harris-Kiser
    Micheal Harris-Kiser – Announcer / Director / Producer
    Micheal is a multiple award-winning director, actor, and set designer. Studying acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Micheal has pursued his passion for theatre in various fields. He is co-founder of Stage and Steel in Pittsburgh, PA. He has performed with many groups throughout the city. His set designs have graced many a stage. He serves as president for the LSC board, as well as secretary for The Greater Cincinnati ACT board. He is delighted to continue bringing LSC Radio to you.
    Jenna Schroeder
    Jenna Schroeder – Story of Mary’s Journey 
    Jenna is a mom, writer, dancer and doula in Loveland. She enjoys participating in LSC’s productions whenever she gets a chance! Jenna is excited to share her rendition of the journey of Mary and Joseph during the holiday season with LSC’s radio program. Although it’s been a heavy year, she hopes her story will provide encouragement to everyone listening…that even out of hard places, beautiful things are born. She wishes you and yours, a very Merry Christmas!
    Lily Schroeder
    Lily Schroeder – singing Silent Night (with Jenna)
    Lily is an actor, singer, and dancer who is in Loveland Show Choir. She loves to read any book she can get her hands on and is excited to sing “Silent Night” on LSC’s radio station! She hopes you enjoy and that you have a merry Christmas!
    Mary Shumar
    Mary Shumar – Story of My Memorable New Years Eve
    Mary’s love of theatre dates back to children’s theatre classes in Canton, Ohio. At Marquette University, Mary worked in the costume shop and made time to perform in student productions. Her favorite role was Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. As a “grownup,” Mary’s audience had been limited mostly to preschoolers, teacher trainees, and her three grandsons. Since moving to Loveland in 2018, she has enjoyed performing in both Mamma Mia and now the LSC Radio holiday show. It’s so much fun to be onstage and to spend time with theatre people! Mary wants to thank Micheal and Jill for assembling this happy group of performers to celebrate the holidays!
    Susan Shapiro
    Susan Schapiro – Story of Juggling Two Holidays in the Family
    Susan is delighted to be performing in her 8th LSC show. After a 41-year break from musical theater, she has been thrilled to perform in many LSC musicals, from Anything Goes to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, as well as in Eastside Players’ Mary Poppins, Oliver, and Into the Woods, in Footlighters’ Jekyll and Hyde, and most recently in Queen City Productions’ Titanic. This is her first and long-awaited experience with a radio show. A retired neonatologist, Susan also enjoys choral singing and is currently a member of the Forest-aires and Jubilant Singers. She thanks her family for their support, and trusts that everyone will love the 2020 LSC holiday show.
    Crew:
    Bob Kessler
    Bob Kessler – Tech Director
    Bob works as both a Director of Photography in the regional video community, and as an artist at Kessler Studios, a Loveland-based stained glass and mosaic firm. Bob has served as the Lighting Chair for the Loveland Stage Company since 2013, and has volunteered as Lighting Director on many plays at LSC: Cole: An Entertainment, Memphis, 9 to 5, Jekyll & Hyde, Fiddler On The Roof, I Remember Mama, Oklahoma!, and The Producers.
    John Nixon
    John Nixon – Music Director
    John’s musical experience stretches over a wide range of styles and eras from directing a Renaissance choral group in his native England to performing and recording on digital electronic instruments for modern-day musicals. John has worked with many of Cincinnati’s community theater groups as music director and orchestra member and is the recipient of numerous Orchid awards at local, regional and state levels. He directed the music and vocals for “Miss Saigon”, “Anything Goes”, “The Producers” and “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum” and most recently “Cole” for Loveland Stage Company.
    Nancy Downing
    Nancy Hartman-Downing – Photography
    Nancy has been Owner/President of Cleveland Specialties Company since 1986, which designs and manufactures paperboard and plastic packaging products for the food and dairy industry. Her experience is in administration, sales, accounting and computer technology. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College. She currently serves as President for Loveland Woman’s Club. Nancy has been involved with LSC since 2006 doing fundraising, photography, publicity, ticket sales, program ad sales, as well as serving on the Board of Directors as Treasurer. She enjoys working with such a talented group and looks forward to continuing her involvement into the future.

    Donating to LSC

    With your donation, Loveland Stage Company is able to provide quality theater and performing arts experiences for the greater Cincinnati community.  Your donation allows us to make updates to our theater as well as produce some award winning theater.  Even $1 dollar goes far to help us provide our audience and community with a great performance.  The donations we receive go to our general fund, which supports the theater, including maintenance, licensing fees, technical upgrades, and productions.

    Thank you for generosity and support of community theater.

    DONATE NOW

    Many companies offer matching grants for their employees participation in community theaters.  Ask your company if they offer one.  (For example, current or retired GE employees are eligible for the GE Foundation Matching Grant.)

  • COVID-19 up-date for Loveland’s 3 counties

    COVID-19 up-date for Loveland’s 3 counties

    Loveland, Ohio –  Although Hamilton County is no longer listed on Ohio’s watch list to turn PURPLE, there are still serious concerns about spread of the coronavirus new health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health reveals.

    Clermont County is now a RED County.

    Hamilton County remains RED.

    Warren County remains RED.

    Level 3 (RED) on the Risk Level Indicator means there has been a public emergency declared and there is very high level of spread and exposure in the county.

    The Ohio Department of Health guidance in a RED county is to:

    • Conduct a daily health/symptom self-evaluation and stay at home if symptomatic.

    • Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from non-household members.

    • Wear face coverings in public, especially when social distancing is difficult to maintain.

    • Increase caution when interacting with others not practicing social distancing or wearing face covers.

    • Avoid traveling to high-risk areas.

    • Follow good hygiene standards, including:

    Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

    Use hand sanitizer frequently.

    Avoid touching your face.

    Cover coughs or sneezes (e.g., into a tissue, or elbow).

    Symptom self-evaluation monitoring.

    • Avoid contact with anyone who is considered high-risk.

    • High-risk individuals should take extra care to follow precautions.

    • Decrease in-person interactions outside household.

    • Seek medical care as needed, but limit or avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care facilities to see others as much as possible.

    • Decrease in-person interactions with others
    • Consider necessary travel only
    • Limit attending gatherings of any number

    Forty-three Ohio counties currently have a very high risk of exposure and spread (Red Level 3), up from 38 counties last week. This represents the highest number of Red Level 3 counties since the launch of the advisory system in July. As of today, 78 percent of Ohioans are living in a Red Level 3 county. Less than 1 percent of Ohioans live in a Yellow Level 1 county.

    “The virus is raging throughout the state, and there is no place to hide,” said Governor DeWine today. “We must face this virus head-on with the tools that we know can beat this virus back: masks, social distancing, washing hands frequently, and good ventilation when inside.”

    DeWine announced today that Ohio has now hit a record number of cases reported in a single 24-hour period. Between yesterday and today, health officials have reported a total of 3,590 new positive coronavirus cases in Ohio which is more than 700 cases more than the previous high number of cases reported last Saturday. A total of 194 new hospitalizations were also reported in the past 24 hours, the third-highest number of hospitalizations reported in a single day so far.

    Meanwhile, the Loveland School District reported today that they were notified that two more Loveland High School students have tested positive for COVID-19. One student was last at school on Thursday, 10/22/20, and the other on Monday, 10/26/20. (Also read: COVID-19 Positive Cases in Loveland Schools)

    Loveland PK-8 grades are in the “Full Capacity” mode of attendance for students not enrolled in the remote academy. Loveland High School remains in a blended mode of attendance for students not enrolled in the remote academy.

    COVID-19 Case Rates Per County as of Oct. 28, 2020


    County
    Color
    Cases Per 100 K
    Case Count
    Population

    Clermont    		RED (H)
    219.9
    454
    206,428

    Hamilton    		RED (H)
    261.4
    2,137
    817,473

    Warren    		RED (H)
    303.5
    712
    234,602

    “H” indicates there is “High Incidence”
    The 14-day period used for this table covers data from Oct. 14 to Oct. 27. The data were pulled on Oct. 28 and exclude incarcerated individuals.
    Source: Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS). Population from 2019, U.S. Census Bureau.

    –

    There are currently 96 Clermont County cases in the 45140, 45147, and 45150 Zip Code areas. Forty have died in Clermont County and there are 340 current active cases.

    Hamilton County is reporting that there have been 320 cases in the 45140 Zip Code. There are currently 177 cases in the county and 235 deaths recorded. The 7-day average for new cases is 177.

    In Warren county there are currently 295 hospitalizations and 642 new cases in the last 14 days. Sixty-six have died and 3 have died in the last 14 days. There is an average of 72 new cases per day in the county. No zip code level data is available for Warren County.

    (While the city of Loveland lies partially in Clermont County, the city’s public health services are contracted with Hamilton County Public Health. So, if a resident lives in the city of Loveland and tests positive for COVID-19, that case would be counted in Hamilton County Public Health’s statistics, not Clermont County’s.)

    Per CDC

    Among adults the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. People of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness: chronic kidney disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; weakened immune system from solid organ transplant; obesity (body mass index of 30 or higher); serious heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies; Sickle cell disease; and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

    Children who are medically complex, who have neurologic, genetic, metabolic conditions, or who have congenital heart disease are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 than other children.

    People who need to take extra precautions include racial and ethnic minority groups; people experiencing homelessness; women who are pregnant or breastfeeding; people with disabilities; and people with developmental and behavioral disorders.

    More information is available at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html.

  • “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” reports for Loveland Intermediate School

    “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” reports for Loveland Intermediate School

    Loveland, Ohio – Here are the “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” reports for the Loveland Intermediate School that were obtained through a public records request to the District.

    Loveland Magazine asked the Superintendent to provide Loveland Magazine with the report “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” that LJB Inc. prepared for the District. LJB was awarded a contract in July for $66,250 for “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” services. The report was prepared under the previous CDC definition of “close contact”.

    Here is what was prepared for the Loveland Middle School

    FINAL R0119763A LIS

    DRAFT Deliverable R0119763A LIS

    0119763A LIS Cafeteria

    LIS General Classroom Room Controls-Procedures

    LIS Art Room Controls-Procedures

    LIS Boys Restroom Room Controls-Procedures

    LIS Girls Restroom Room Controls-Procedures

    LIS Cafeteria Room Controls-Procedures

    LIS Gym Room Controls-Procedures

    LIS Visit Summary and Photo Reference

  • As Loveland High to remain in hybrid learning District fails to provide full data

    As Loveland High to remain in hybrid learning District fails to provide full data

    David Miller is the Editor and Publisher of Loveland Magazine

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio– Yesterday, the Loveland School District described their newsletter that was issued at 4:34 PM as an “Urgent LHS Schedule Update”. In the release, they announced that Loveland High School will remain on the current hybrid learning model through Friday, November 6.

    The students were scheduled to go to 5-day in-person learning (for all students that have chosen to attend in-person classes) this Monday, October 26.

    Students in PK-8 will remain in their current “full in-person” learning model which began Monday, October 12.

    An important note is that some students at all grade levels have not been attending any in-person classes and have enrolled in the District’s Remote Learning Academy, so none of the school buildings are at, or will be at, “full in-person” or 100% student capacity.

    The in-person, high school students have been in a “blended” model of attendance since the start of the school year which means individual students have been alternating between in-person and remote learning activities at home.

    The District has been regularly reporting in the afternoon when student or staff positive COVID 19 cases have been reported to the schools, but have refused to release data during the week about how many students or staff are under quarantine. In response to questions to Superintendent, Dr. Amy Crouse, she only says that the quarantine numbers will be released when they publish a new “dashboard” on Fridays. She was asked for the quarantine numbers on Tuesday and Wednesday this week when new positive cases were reported. When she refused, she was then asked, “What is the reason you will not answer the question or release this information to Loveland Magazine?” Her answer was, “I will forward the question about quarantines and our procedures for sharing those on a single day to our health team. They do all the contact tracing, communications, and protocols.”

    Loveland Magazine is waiting on the answer.

    In yesterday’s “Urgent LHS Schedule Update” the District said, “Due to a recent rise in LHS student cases and subsequent quarantines because of events outside of school, next week will operate like this week. As the district has continued to receive more information, we are concerned that more student cases may arise.”

    The District says that their change of plans for the high school is based in part on “quarantines” and we believe students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community have a right to know how exactly how many students are not attending classes today because they are under quarantine.

    The District has repeatedly emphasized how important it is for children to have an in-person educational learning opportunity. We believe that the quarantine numbers are important for the public to have when evaluating how effective the in-person model actually is.

    Loveland Magazine has also asked for the report “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” that LJB Inc. prepared for the District.

    LBJ was awarded a contract in July for $66,250 for “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” services. We have not received that report after repeated attempts. All we are being told is that the report is in the business manager’s office and he is out of his office and we should receive the report when he returns. Loveland Magazine sent the public records request directly to the Superintendent because we believe she certainly has a digital file of the report on her server and sending it to us should take but a click of her mouse.

    The report belongs to the public. District taxpayers funded the report and they have a right to see what the experts recommended when they studied how many students and teachers should be in classrooms under the hybrid and full capacity models.

    The Superintendent is making unilateral decisions based in part on quarantine data and should release the data and the “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” report immediately.

    From the District COVID-19 Update Newsletters

    • In the evening on 10/21/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On 10/22/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On 10/22/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • In the evening on 10/19/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On 10/20/20, the district was also notified that two additional students at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On 10/19/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On 10/13/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • The district was notified that a student at Loveland Primary School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On Thursday, 10/8/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On Tuesday evening, 10/6/20, the district was notified that two students at Loveland High School tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On Sunday, 10/4/20, the district was notified that a non-teaching staff member at Loveland Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On Monday, 10/5/20, the district was notified that a student at Loveland High School has also tested positive for COVID-19.
    • On Saturday, September 19, 2020, the district was notified that a student member of Loveland Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. 
    • (September 14) This weekend, the district was notified that one of our bus drivers has tested positive for COVID-19.

     

  • Changes ahead for Christmas in Loveland 2020

    Changes ahead for Christmas in Loveland 2020

    Loveland, Ohio – Cee Cee Collins told City Council on October 13 that changes to the format of the annual Christmas in Loveland are coming.

    Cee Cee also shared information about Red Ribbon Week.

  • Time is here to nominate Valentine Lady and enter Valentine card design contest

    Time is here to nominate Valentine Lady and enter Valentine card design contest

    The winning Valentine Card design by Loveland Magazine Publisher David Miller after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

    Loveland, Ohio – The Little Miami River Chamber Alliance says they are excited to kick-off the 2021 Valentine Program with the assistance of the Valentine Committee. The Committee is chaired by past Valentine Lady Patricia Furterer and is comprised of some of the Valentine Ladies from past years and other representatives from Loveland.

    Valentine Card designs and all the names of the Valentine Ladies are engraved on granite  walls in Historic Downtown Loveland.

    The committee is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Valentine Lady. Valentine Lady nominees are women who distinguish themselves in community, school, and family endeavors. The Valentine Lady serves as the official spokesperson of the Valentine Program in the Loveland area and helps the Chamber make the 2021 Valentine Program a success.

    The Committee is chaired by past Valentine Lady Patricia Furterer and is comprised of some of the Valentine Ladies from past years and other representatives from Loveland.

    Nominees must reside in the Loveland 45140 zip code, and be able to work with the Chamber January 2, 2021 through the end of February 2021, stamping Valentine cards and visiting area schools, businesses, and other community organizations and participating in area events throughout the year.

    Ohio Sweetheart City Offers Valentine Card Design Contest

    Don’t miss the opportunity to compete in the Annual Valentine Card Design Contest sponsored by the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance. All Tri-State area artists, photographers, high school students, and interested persons are encouraged to participate.

    If you can design a card which pertains to love and Valentine’s Day, and contains the signature slogan, “There is nothing in this world so sweet as love”, submit the original artwork to the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance. 

    “The submission deadline is November 20, 2020 but don’t wait until the last minute and be caught in the holiday rush,” says the Chamber.

    The winning card design will be unveiled at the Valentine Kick-off on January 9, 2021 and will be the official 2021 Valentine card. 

    The card will be for sale at several Loveland area businesses, stores, and other locations. Don’t miss the opportunity to have your design displayed for everyone to admire.

    Send your Valentine Lady nominations and card designs to:

    Little Miami River Chamber Alliance

    113 Karl Brown Way Floor #2

    Loveland, Ohio 45140

    Nominations and card designs must be received at the Chamber office by November20, 2020. 

    All nominees will be recognized at the Valentine Kick-off on January 9, 2021 and the annual Valentine Breakfast on February 12, 2021. For further information, feel free to contact:

    CeeCee Collins, President/CEO Meredith Taylor, Program Director.

  • Socktober sock drive to help homeless shelters

    Socktober sock drive to help homeless shelters

     
    @BionicTigersFTC are participating in a sock drive led by @CRoboknights to donate to homeless shelters. If you would like to donate, there are boxes at LECC, LPS, LIS, and LMS, or you can ask a team member. 
     
  • Symmes Township’s Nancy Mulvey honored by national school organization

    Symmes Township’s Nancy Mulvey honored by national school organization

    Symmes Township resident and Great Oaks Director of Student Services Nancy Mulvey was honored this month with the Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Local Administrators NCLA, a national association for career and technical administrators.  She was recognized for her service to career-technical education and for her professional accomplishments.

    Mulvey has served the students of Great Oaks Career Campuses for more than 30 years as a math teacher, counselor, career specialist, campus dean, and district administrator. In her current role as Director of Student Services, she has strengthened both physical health and mental health services for students, led the effort to rewrite Board policies, began a summer camp program for younger students, and helped guide the district to record levels of high school enrollment.

    The nomination read in part, “Nancy recognizes best practices in the field, and shares, adapts, and improves those practices to benefit current and future students as well as the organizations she serves. She freely shares her own ideas and innovations and champions those practices that others have developed, for the benefit of career-technical education as a whole.”

    The award was presented virtually during the NCLA Best Practices Conference, which was held online this year.

  • Lovelanders and their trees

    Lovelanders and their trees

    By Joe Timmerman

    “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe,” John Muir, a transcendentalist, wrote of nature’s connectedness in his 1911 book, My First Summer in the Sierra.

    In 1997, Nature journal published ecologist Suzanne Simard’s Ph.D. theses, describing newfound proof of how plants within communities can be interconnected through an underground system, called a mycorrhizal network, to interact with each other.

    This is Part 2 of a series Loveland resident and Ohio University student, Joe Timmerman wrote for The Post in Athens, Ohio. The Post is an award-winning, student-run media outlet that publishes online daily and also prints a weekly tabloid. They cover local and Ohio University news, sports, Athens life, entertainment and everything in between. The series is re-published here in Loveland Magazine with permission of The Post and Loveland High School graduate, Joe Timmerman a frequent contributor to Loveland Magazine.

    “All trees all over the world, including paper birch and Douglas fir, form a symbiotic association with below-ground fungi … They compete with each other, but our work shows that they also cooperate with each other by sending nutrients and carbon back and forth through mycorrhizal networks,” Simard said in an interview with Yale Environment 360.

    In this sense, trees communicate with one another on a deeper level than what is seen in the overstory and the understory of a forest.

    From mothers and fathers sharing memories of trees they have grown to love with their kids to a lifelong woodworker who discovered a new relationship with wood as time went by, people are connecting with nature in new and old ways, as COVID-19 has brought a global feeling of social disconnection. People and their trees alike have a story to be told.

    Phil Ping, 62, and his dog, Bandit, of Loveland, Ohio, with his logs and boards of Maple, Oak, Walnut, Pine on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. (Photo by Joe Timmerman © 2020)

    Phil Ping and his dog, Bandit, of Loveland, Ohio, with his logs and boards of maple, oak, walnut and pine. Ping has been a full-time woodworker for 35 years and has lived in his home for the same amount of time. The wood in the foreground are boards and slabs he cut from the logs that now have to air dry for one year per one-inch thickness before Ping will make them into tables, benches, shelves and more.

    “The wood in the piles here are just waiting for their project,” Ping said. “Most of the wood I use in my built-in projects is from Paxton Lumber in Cincinnati. I use a lot of poplar, oak and maple. I use a sawmill to custom-cut local wood from dead trees that people bring by the shop. It’s been a great business to be in. Wood is a wonderful thing. I have a degree in agriculture, but I started in botany, so I’ve always loved plants and trees and have a real appreciation for trees and different species. When I first got my sawmill, it really changed my whole attitude for trees, so now not only do I love the outside, but I started to take them apart and learn how to use them in my craft. It’s been an ongoing relationship knowing how to handle the wood from the log all the way to the finished piece that I would sell to a client.”

    Part 3 will introduce you to Iris Wilson of Hamilton Township, Ohio, with her pin oak tree. Wilson takes care of her dad, who still lives in this farmhouse.

    Part 1:

    Lovelanders Pat, Norah Jane, and Becky Hill connect with their trees…

  • A RED TIDE: 65% of Ohioans now living in counties with ‘very high’ levels of COVID-19

    A RED TIDE: 65% of Ohioans now living in counties with ‘very high’ levels of COVID-19

    Jake Zuckerman is a statehouse reporter. He spent three years chronicling the West Virginia Legislature for The Charleston Gazette-Mail after covering cops and courts for The Northern Virginia Daily.
     
    This story was written by Jake Zuckerman with local news added by Loveland Magazine staff.
    –

    Thursday was Ohio’s worst day of the pandemic and all evidence suggests things are likely to worsen, according to interviews and new state data.

    Nearly 2,200 new COVID-19 infections were reported Thursday, the state’s third record breaking day last week.

    There were 1,041 Ohioans in the hospital with COVID-19 — about 100 shy of the all-time high set in late July. The COVID-19-hospitalized population has nearly doubled since mid-September.

    A “Public Emergency” has been declared in RED counties – with very high exposure and spread.

    On Thursday, Governor DeWine released Ohio’s updated Public Health Advisory System map. New health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health found that 29 counties currently have a very high risk of exposure and spread (Level 3): Hamilton, Butler, and Warren are among the “RED” counties.

    “We’ve gone up dramatically in a relatively short period of time,” Gov. Mike DeWine said to reporters Thursday.

    “What you’re seeing in today’s numbers should get our attention,” DeWine said. “There’s a red tide flowing all over the state of Ohio.”

    The good news: More Ohioans than ever are being tested for the new coronavirus. The bad news: The rate at which those tests are coming back positive has doubled since Sept. 23, a sign the virus is growing more prevalent.

    Thirteen new counties turned red this week indicating “very high exposure and spread” on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System — a product of seven inputs like hospital visits, outpatient care visits in a county, population-adjusted infection rates and others. Twenty-nine counties are red, spanning about two-thirds of the state’s population.

    “What you’re seeing in today’s numbers should get our attention,” DeWine said. “There’s a red tide flowing all over the state of Ohio.”

     

    DeWine said some of the newly-turned red counties are slated to host community events like political rallies, pub crawls and social gatherings and that “now is really the time to rethink whether these are in the best interest of the community.”

    He did not address his own administration’s decision to exempt recent rallies for President Donald Trump from the statewide mask requirement.

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    While DeWine said there are no plans in store for any kind of statewide stay-at-home order, he declined to promise against instituting the policy down the line.

    All told, nearly 176,000 Ohioans have contracted COVID-19. Nearly 17,000 have been hospitalized, and 5,038 have died since March.

    In red counties, health department staff said they continue to see spread at family gatherings like bonfires, birthday parties and barbeques.

    Jennifer Hiestand, a public information officer at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department, estimated 60% of people in public are wearing masks. Contact tracers have found “mini outbreaks” that are seemingly the result of people letting their guards down.

    In red counties, health department staff said they continue to see spread at family gatherings like bonfires, birthday parties and barbeques.

    “People just made the decisions not to social distance or not to wear a mask, those things that they probably should have,” she said.

    Mahoning County Health Commissioner Ryan Tekac said he is seeing a lot of the county’s progress this summer start to erode as cold weather drives people inside.

    “I think there are some concerns right now that individuals are putting their guards down,” he said.

    Ohio’s recent case surge fits in with a national trend. The New York Times reports cases are trending upward in 41 states, especially in the Midwest.

    Sycamore Aves mom reminds us of the importance to stay home if you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. These next few weeks will be crucial. Please do your part so we can stay in school!

    Two holidays are coming up that will test Ohio’s public health discipline — Halloween and Thanksgiving.

    Tekac said there’s a lot of concern, especially with Thanksgiving, about the potential for outbreaks. However, he said people know the guidance; wear masks, keep your distance, wash your hands, outside is better than inside.

    He said at a certain point it comes to individuals making their own good decisions.

    Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the National Institute of Health, told CBS News it’s an “unfortunate fact” that Thanksgiving will cause a lot of spread and suggested skipping out on the tradition this year.

    “I think given the fluid and dynamic nature of what’s going on right now and the spread and uptick of infections, I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings,” he said.