LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: loveland ohio

Interim state superintendent named yet again

Stock image from Pixabay

BY: SUSAN TEBBEN and Ohio Capital Journal

Dr. Stephanie K. Siddens
Photo by the Ohio Department of Education

A new interim state superintendent will hold down the fort at the Ohio Department of Education, following the departure of the previous interim superintendent.

Dr. Stephanie K. Siddens, currently the senior executive for the state’s Center for Student Supports, will take over in September, after current superintendent Paolo DeMaria officially retires. The Ohio State Board of Education approved Siddens as interim head at a special meeting on Monday.

Siddens has been with the Ohio Department of Education since 2006, working as assistant director and director for the Office of Early Learning and School Readiness, and as senior executive director for the Center for Curriculum and Assessment, before taking her current job.

Deputy State Superintendent John Richard had previously been picked by the state school board to fill the interim spot, but on August 10, Richard announced he’d be leaving the department.

Media reports say Richard took a job as president of the Stark Education Partnership in Stark County.

August 25, 2021
LHS Women’s Cross Country Team Grabs 1st Place at Season Opener!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio- LHS Tiger Athletics kicked the Fall sports season off with a bang as the Women’s Cross Country Team collected their first 2021 victory on Saturday at the Ohio High School Athletics Association (OHSAA) Cross Country Season Opener!

Both Loveland’s Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams competed Saturday against 43 (scored) teams from all across Ohio at Fortress Obetz in Columbus, Ohio, which is also where the OHSAA’s 2021 State Cross Country Meet will be run this year.

Both Tiger teams are being looked at with high expectations this year as they have a squad full of veteran runners returning including 2020 Eastern Cincinnati Conference Runner of the Year Senior Ryan Chevalier and 1st Team All-ECC Jesse Gibbins and Emmy Sager.

Loveland did not disappoint their supporters at the first meet of the 2021 season as the Women finished in 1st place out of 43 very talented teams and the Men finished in 3rd place. The Women finished with a score of 90 (11-12-18-20-29-108-130), a team time of 1:38:48, a runner average of 19:46, and a mile average of 6:22. The Men finished with a score of 185 (5-13-38-50-79-116-132), a team time of 1:26:04, a runner average of 17:13, and a mile average of 5:33.

For LHS’s Women’s Cross Country Team, Junior Madison Conatser finished 11th with a time of 19:27.8, Senior Jesse Gibbins finished 12th with a time of 19:33.7, Senior Sarah Madix finished 18th with a time of 19:40.5, Senior Emmy Sager finished 20th with a time of 19:51.5, Junior Ally Colegate finished 29th with a time of 20:13.6, Senior Maaike Snider finished 108th with a time of 22:00.2, and Sophmore Lauren Gard finished 130th with a time of 22:24.8.

The Men’s Cross Country Team also had some impressive finishes with Senior Ryan Chevalier finishing in 5th with a time of 16:13.6, Junior Brady Steiner finishing in 13th with a time of 16:44.9, Senior Sam Neiger finishing in 38th with a time of 17:26.1, Freshman Nick Huff finishing in 50th with a time of 17:38.1, Junior Grant Hanson finishing in 79th with a time of 18:00.4, Senior Andrew Waple finishing 116th with a time of 18:21.8, and Junior Alex Saletta finishing in 132nd with a time of 18:32.7.

For the full meet results click here.

Congratulations to LHS’s Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Team’s on their 1st and 3rd place finishes in their first meet of the 2021 season! We are looking forward to seeing all the Tiger success this year! Thank you to LHS Cross Country parent Paul Madix for providing us with both the stats and photos from the opening meet!

The Tigers will compete again on Friday, August 27th at Christ Church for the Moeller Prime Time Invitational at 8:45 P.M.

Tentative 2021 LHS Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Schedule

8/24 Sat, OHSAA Season Opener, 10:00 a.m. at Fortress Obetz

8/27 Fri, Moeller Prime Time Invitational, 8:45 p.m. at Christ Church

9/4 Sat, Loveland Invitational 8:45 a.m. at Home of the Brave

9/11 Sat, Mason Invitational 9:00 a.m. at Corwin Nixon Park

9/18 Sat, Asics Woodbridge XC Classic TBD at Irvine, California

(Top 7 Times from the OHSAA Season Opener & possible wildcard. Pending approval from OHSAA & Loveland Schools)

9/25 Sat, Loveland Sunset Invite 6:00 p.m. at Loveland High School

10/2 Sat, Saturday Nights Lights TBA at Centerville HS

10/16 Sat, ECC Championships TBD at Home of the Brave

10/21 Thur, Southwest Ohio Championships 5:45 p.m. at Site TBD

(Based on the ECC Championship results, all remaining non-Top 7 will compete)

10/23 Sat, District Championships TBD at Voice of America

(Top Seven will compete)

10/30 Sat, Regional Championships ** TBD at Troy, Ohio

11/6 Sat, Ohio State Championships ** TBD at Fortress Obetz

** Team or Individuals must qualify for the Regional & State Championships

*** Start Times will vary due to our participation in multiple races.

For more LHS sports updates stay tuned to the Sports 411 With ME, Cassie Mattia!

August 25, 2021
Local Business Creates a Luxury Picnic Experience Like no Other!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – What better way to celebrate an event or milestone than gathering around one another outdoors for a customized elevated picnic experience! This is exactly what new local business Epic Picnics is all about!

Loveland resident and Owner of Epic Picnics, Amanda Ericson, started the business in 2020 in hopes that she could use her love for art, her passion for the community, and her attachment to the outdoors to craft and create one beautiful experience!

“Every day should be cherished, celebrated, and lived to the fullest,” Ericson said, “My husband and I believe in living healthy robust lives surrounded by family, friends, and our beloved dog Butters. This is why we are excited to bring an elevated picnic experience to the Cincinnati area! We believe every day is worth celebrating!”

Ericson, a Studio Art Major, began her journey managing a Coffee and Wine Bar and then eventually moved into sales and customer service. Although she always loved the jobs she took on, Ericson knew that there was something more she was meant to do; that’s when Epic Picnics came into conception!

Epic Picnics “specializes in creating the personal perfect atmosphere for a romantic picnic for two, a memorable moment for brunch in the park, an outdoor movie experience in your backyard, a surprise engagement, a gender reveal party or a private intimate moment.” The luxury picnic set-up is really anything but ordinary! Ericson not only creates the theme of the picnic based on the location, the type of Epic Picnic selected, and a questionnaire filled out by the customer explaining what special touches they want to be added to the picnic, she also executes the picnic set-up and packs up everything after the picnic!

Ericson is able to create and customize any picnic for any occasion and of course, if a customer is unsure of what they want Epic Picnics does offer picnic set-up options such as The 1-hour Picnic, The 2-hour Picnic, The Luxury Movie Night, “Just Brunchin,” and Uniquely Yours (typically for large groups like Corporate Events, Weddings, Baby Showers, Proposals, Engagement Parties, and Birthdays). All of the picnic options include a unique set-up depending on the theme and the customized add-on’s selected by the customer.

After chatting with Ericson on the phone about Epic Picnics I knew we had to get her on-camera talking about the concept and her passion for creating!

Ericson offered to set up an Epic Picnic for me, my best friend Stacie, and my grandma in the heart of Downtown Loveland at Nisbet Park so that we could experience exactly what an elevated picnic feels like. The experience was above and beyond my expectations and the “Boho Sheek” picnic theme was to die for! The Epic Picnic was the perfect backdrop for an on-camera interview with Ericson so we decided to share with YOU the readers not only what Epic Picnics is all about but also what an Epic Picnic looks like!

Without further ado, Cassie the Food Guru brings to you Amanda Ericson from Epic Picnics in her first on-camera interview! Believe me, you won’t want to miss out on all the fun and delicious snacks we got into on our elevated picnic!

Are you looking to celebrate a meaningful occasion or host a unique event with style? Visit Epic Picnics website or give them a call at (513) 525-4812 to start planning your luxury picnic today!

A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your requested picnic date. The balance due must be paid in full 7 days before the reservation date or the reservation may be subject to cancellation. All picnics include take-out boxes for leftover picnic food, sanitizer, and bug spray. Flowers included in the picnic setup can go home with you!

For more local food and restaurant reviews stay tuned to Cassie the Food Guru!
Columnist Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland. She is the Co-Owner, Associate Editor, and Director of Marketing at Loveland Magazine. Contact Cassie if you are interested in promoting your event or business in Loveland Magazine. Cassie also Emcee’s events so feel free to reach out if you are in need of an Emcee for your next event, fundraiser, or sports-related competition.

Watch more LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV stories on our YouTube channel!

August 25, 2021
Dirty air continues into Wednesday

Loveland, Ohio – The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency has issued an Air Quality Alert for Wednesday, August 25 for the Loveland, Ohio Area.

The Air Quality Index is predicted to reach 105.

The Agency expects to see levels of ozone in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range on the Air Quality Index.

Active children and adults, and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, should be avoiding all outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.

Activities for children, who can be especially harmed by high levels of ozone because of their developing lungs and that some activities such as sports result in them breathing in quite a large amount of the chemical irritants should be suspended.

To keep informed about Loveland’s hour-by-hour air quality you can always look for this image on our Home Page or use this LINK.

On Air Quality Alert days, everyone can help reduce ozone formation by taking the following actions:

• Take the bus, carpool, bike, or walk instead of drive.

• Refuel your vehicle after 8 p.m.; do not top off when refueling and tighten the gas cap.

• Do not idle your vehicle; exhaust contributes considerably to ozone formation.

• Combine trips or eliminating unnecessary vehicle trips.

• Keep your vehicle maintained with properly inflated tires and timely oil changes.

• Avoid use of gasoline-powered lawn equipment on Air Quality Alert days.

• Avoid use of oil-based paints and stains on Air Quality Alert days.

• Never burn leaves or other yard trimmings.

• Suspend use of fire pits, campfires and charcoal grills on Air Quality Alert days.

• Conserve electricity by turning out lights and unplugging unused appliances and electronics.

August 24, 2021
Mayor Bailey launches process for 10 new D-5J liquor permits and drinking district for Loveland Madeira Road Business Corridor

Loveland, Ohio – “I have reviewed the CED application and the benefits it represents to the Loveland Madeira Road Business Corridor. Based on this review, I am submitting the application to City Council with a recommendation of approval and request that City Council schedule a public hearing to be held on September 28, 2021, to allow for public comment on the application,” Mayor Kathy Bailey said in a recent memo to Council.

Loveland Mayor Kathy Bailey (Loveland Magazine File Photo)

The drinking district, or “Community Entertainment District” (CED) within the Loveland Madeira Road business corridor would create 10 new D-5J liquor permits.

At the August 24 council meeting, City Manager Dave Kennedy described the effort as a new pool of liquor licenses, called D5-J, “…to help create a long and sustained turnaround for the Loveland Madeira Road business corridor.” He said it could expand the corridor’s opportunities for dining and entertainment-type businesses.

Mr. Kennedy added that, if a CED is created, a D5-J would cost the applicant a $100 processing fee and a permit fee of $2,344, a savings of $27,000.

The proposed district would encompass 54.029 acres between the intersection of West Loveland Avenue to Kroger, including all of the city’s Chestnut Street parcels. If approved, it would allow for ten D5-J liquor permits to be available in the district. The City council must: approve or disapprove the application.

If Council moves forward with the process they will set a date and time for a public hearing regarding the application.

Kennedy told Council that the CED could easily be expanded in the future. He said there would be a maximum of fifteen D5-J licenses in one district.

August 24, 2021
As classes return, 62.5% of eligible 12-18 year-olds unvaccinated

BY: JAKE ZUCKERMAN and Ohio Capital Journal

Nearly two in three age-eligible teenagers remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 as summer ends and the disease looms over its third consecutive school year.

Spokespersons for the state departments of health and education said they did not know what percentage of students enrolled in public schools are vaccinated.

However, looking at the total population (which would include homeschooled students), more than 62% remain unvaccinated.

“As of today, there are 390,903 Ohioans age 12-18 who have started the vaccination process,” said Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Alicia Shoults. “This represents 37.5% of that age group.”

Despite plans to attend classes in close contact with their peers several days per week, teenagers are the least vaccinated age cohort — surpassing 20-29-year-olds (44%) and 30-39-year-olds (51%).

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in people aged 16-and-up in mid-December, though most states restricted access for elder and sicker residents through early 2021. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its use on children 12-15 on May 11.

At a press conference last week, Gov. Mike DeWine said a communal goal of keeping students in school for in-person learning is “threatened” by the hyper-transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19. He repeated a recommendation from ODH that students either seek vaccination or wear a mask at school.

“The best way to make sure a child can stay in school and not have his or her classes interrupted, is for that child to be vaccinated,” he said. “If that child cannot be vaccinated, the best way to ensure a good school year for that child is for that child to wear a mask while in class.”

See Breaking News Up-Date:

FDA gives full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Loveland Magazine – Aug 23, 2021

August 23, 2021
CANCERFREE KIDS APPOINTS THREE PROMINENT BUSINESS LEADERS TO TRUSTEE BOARD

Loveland, Ohio – CancerFree KIDS has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees in a move to “grow more relationships with Greater Cincinnati’s business community and expand its impact in pediatric cancer research”.

Tom Simpson, chief operating officer, Cincinnati Bell, Inc

Javier Diaz, vice president, Cancer & Blood Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Rob Reifsnyder, chief executive officer (retired), United Way of Greater Cincinnati

“We are strategically putting the pieces together to help take CancerFree KIDS to the next level,” says Al Early, vice president and principal of consulting services, CBTS, and incoming board chair for CancerFree KIDS. “With Javier, Rob, and Tom, we can stay closely aligned with emerging research opportunities while reaching more of Cincinnati’s business leaders and growing the support for vital pediatric cancer initiatives.”

Diaz, Reifsnyder, and Simpson join a board that has also recently seen a change in leadership.

Al Early replaces CancerFree KIDS Founder Ellen Flannery as the new board chair.

In addition to Early’s new role, Kelly Holden, partner, DBL Law has been named vice-chair and Greg Carroll, director, technical support center office of ground water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been named treasurer.

“CancerFree KIDS is a tremendous partner to Ohio cancer researchers,” says Diaz. “I’m excited to join a team that is so clear in its mission to apply revolutionary research to cure high-risk and relapsed cancer in children. Thanks to CancerFree KIDS and the research it has funded, there are kids who are right now enjoying longer, happy lives. I am grateful for this opportunity to help CancerFree KIDS grow these important efforts.”

Founded in 2002, CancerFree KIDS has invested more than $7 million since its inception to fund high-risk, high- reward research initiatives at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Avondale and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. The studies intend to find cures and gentler treatments to help children better cope with the pains and challenges of fighting cancer. In most cases, this research would go unfunded without the support of CancerFree KIDS.

Visit www.cancerfreekids.org to learn more about the organization’s mission and work to fight childhood cancer.

August 23, 2021
How to Get Involved With The Loveland Learning Garden!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Would you like to make a difference and give back to the community? Local non-profit, The Loveland Learning Garden, provides the opportunity for anyone to volunteer to help teach local students about the environment, or maintain the vegetable garden, the flower garden, and the nature trail!

The Loveland Learning Garden, located at 600 Loveland-Madeira Road (Loveland Primary and Loveland Elementary school grounds), dedicates everything to giving kids the opportunity to form “lifelong connections to the wonders of the natural world.” The non-profit outdoor education program not only strives to build awareness and community support but also maintains a vegetable garden, a flower garden, and a nature trail that is used for hands-on learning. The over 1,200 Loveland 1st-4th grade students involved are able to get an interactive experience, through a 20-week curriculum (taught by “Garden Educators” during the school day in the Spring and Fall), with nature while still adhering to the academics they are being taught in class. Seeing how food is grown, tasting fresh produce, and harvesting food that is eventually donated to local non-profit LIFE Food Pantry are just a few things students are able to get involved in at the Loveland Learning Garden.

Planting Kale in May at the Loveland Learning Garden

Board President, Laurie Flanagan, chatted with us at the Loveland Learning Garden about why gaining dedicated volunteers is vital to keeping the non-profit education program running.

“In order to successfully sustain our program, we seek people who want to share their talent and ‘dig in’ to join us by taking on leadership roles on our board or owning pieces of work that make the organization run,” Flanagan explained, “Our committees include education, communications, garden and trail maintenance, volunteer recruitment, and grants/fundraising. We have a diverse volunteer base of ages and backgrounds and welcome everyone! For example, we have students from the LHS National Honor Society, Tigers in Service, and the LHS Environmental Club who have helped us, University of Cincinnati students, workgroups, church groups, students from neighboring school districts, local parochial schools, and many individuals from across the Cincinnati area.“

Check out the video below to see Laurie Flanagan explain how you can help the Loveland Learning Garden!

During the months of March-October volunteers are heavily needed at the Loveland Learning Garden. If you or your organization would like to volunteer email the Loveland Learning Garden.

The Loveland Learning Garden will be a part of the 2021 Great Outdoor Weekend sponsored by Green Umbrella. On September 25th from 9 AM-1 PM, the Loveland Learning Garden will be holding a scavenger hunt for kids ages 4-10. For more information click the above Great Outdoor Weekend link!

To stay informed on the Loveland Learning Garden’s upcoming events and volunteer opportunities you can visit their Instagram and/or Facebook.

Loveland Learning Garden History
The foundation for Loveland Learning Garden was planted in 2002 as a floral garden on grade school grounds thanks to the vision of a grandmother who wanted to share the joy of picking fresh flowers with children. With the addition of vegetable gardens and a nature trail in the woods behind the school, Granny’s Garden School grew to be one of the most comprehensive school garden programs in the country and was recognized as a model for nature-based education training. In 2016, the founder retired while a new group of leaders, believing in the value of the program to students and the community evolved the nonprofit to its next iteration. Today, with new energy and a refreshed identity, the Loveland Learning Garden operates with strong, collaborative school partnerships, diverse leadership, community involvement, and a continued passion to educate and inspire children to the lifelong benefits found through nature.

For more ways to get involved with the community stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!

August 23, 2021
12th Annual Captain Seth Mitchell Hero 5k Saturday October 16

Loveland, Ohio – The 12th Annual Captain Seth Mitchell Hero 5k will take place in Nisbet Park on Saturday, October 16. Hope to see you then to revise this great Loveland tradition.

Last year’s event was “virtual” but the race to raise funds for The Seth Mitchell scholarship programs this year in live and in person in Historic Downtown Loveland on the Loveland Bike Trail along the State and National Scenic Little Miami River.

Seth Mitchell, a captain and pilot in the United States Marine Corps and a 1997 Loveland High School graduate, was killed in action in Afghanistan in October 2009. Seth contributed greatly to the Loveland community in his youth… he served as a leader and role model on the varsity football team, was voted to be Class President his senior year, and was named “Mr. Personality” by his peers. He was well loved here. After graduating, he took that same sense of service and loyalty into all that he did: as a son, a brother, a friend, a leader in the Marines.

In other words, Seth was a hero for all.

We are a group of Seth Mitchell’s high school classmates, who miss our friend and want to keep his memory alive. We represent the many people who Seth made an impression on with his sense of humor, kind heart, and loyal friendship. As we organize this 5k Race and the scholarship memorial fund, we are motivated by one enduring inspiration: to live each day a little more honorably, kindly, and humbly… just like Seth.

Read more and register…

Meet the 2020 Scholarship Winners

Dear friends, we hope you are well, safe and doing all you can to blunt the force of the pandemic surrounding us. We are truly in unchartered water. Our prayers are with you. As you probably guessed we were unable to do personal on site interviews with our 2020 Seth Mitchell scholarship applicants. However we summoned the help from some younger folks and proceeded with the interviews through Google Hangout!! 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 the two scholarships detailed below. 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.

So here goes: The Let Us Never Forget Seth Mitchell scholarship ($3500.00) is a partnership between the Mitchell Family and the Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Foundation (yellowribbonsupportcenter.com). Jordan Collins (above left) is the 2020 recipient and she has a spirit similar to Seth. She was/is involved in many theatrical and musical productions, 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.

The Seth Mitchell Memorial Scholarship ($3,500.00) is funded by the Seth Mitchell Hero 5k (sethmitchell5k.org). This annual event is in its 11th year in downtown Loveland, OH and is ran by Seth’s friends named above. The goal of the scholarship is to keep Seth’s spirit and story alive. Caroline Ginder (above right) is the 2020 recipient of the Memorial Scholarship. Caroline was described by one of her references a “being self motivated and goal oriented…and a fine example of caring more about their teammate than herself”. She participated in many school events such as Tiger’s Inc., soccer, NEST and is a National Honor Society member. Caroline will attend 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.

Thank you for your support, prayers and investment in our scholarships through the last eleven years.

Steve and Connie Mitchell Parents, Capt. D. Seth Mitchell, USMC KIA 10/26/2009, Helmand Province, Afghanistan Let Us Never Forget

August 23, 2021
Video Slide Show: The Timestamp band

Loveland, Ohio – On August 14 the Time Stamp band performed 80’s and 90’s rock and roll covers at the Town Fountain and railroad station in Historic Downtown Loveland.

Photos by David Miller/Loveland Magazine © 2021

August 22, 2021