Lebanon, Ohio – The Southwest Region Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) has recognized the Loveland City Board of Education with an award for reaching the “Gold Level for Effective School Boards.” The award, which signifies the outstanding work of the school board and the positive cooperation and collaboration among the board, district superintendent, treasurer and administration, was presented at the Southwest Region OSBA Spring Conference in Lebanon, Ohio, on March 12.
“We are so grateful to our board members and the tremendous amount of work they put into the decisions for our school district,” said Dr. Amy Crouse, superintendent. “Each and every member is committed to our vision of high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction and makes significant contributions to the work we do every day. This award is well deserved!”
Gold level award winners meet at least 23 of 26 criteria determined by the OSBA, including among others, clear goal-setting, serving as a united team with the superintendent and administration, and practicing fiscal accountability. Board of Education members are: Art Jarvis (president), Dr. Kathryn Lorenz (vice president), Michele Pettit (board member), Ned Portune (board member) and Eileen Washburn (board member).
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Tigers Baseball held their 1st Annual Alumni Game on March 16th and had a nice turnout of fans and 19 LHS baseball alumni.
Alumni attending the game included:
Tyler Dombroski ‘18
Chris Dombroski ‘16
Drew Steinbrunner ‘16
Blake Schlesner ‘16
Cole Schlesner ‘13
Ryan Brooks ‘09
Steve Polce ‘08
Rob Brooks ‘06
Danny Rosenbaum ‘06
Robby Wolfram ‘05
Mike Wagner ‘95
Shawn Richardson ‘89
Scott Gordon ‘85
David Terry ‘85
Current varsity assistant Griffin Williams ’08, JV coaches Bryce Plitt ’13 and Ryne Terry ’13, freshman coaches Sam Timmerman ’12 and Darren Sackett ’14 were also there.
It was great seeing so many alumni players back on the “Dave” and hopefully, this will be a nice Tigers vs. Tigers exhibition event for years to come.
Mike Wagner who played outfield and pitched an inning “won” the prize for most veteran Tiger who played in the game.
We listened to your suggestions, and we thought this was the best one yet!
The 2019 Amazing Charity Race is entirely in Loveland & Miami Township. So, that means….No bus ride is needed to transport you back from finish line to the start line!
Dear Amazing Charity Race Volunteer Groups,
This year we have added a new challenge for a Company or Volunteer Group to take part in the fun! Two fabulous Prizes will be given out after the race, to the fastest Company/Volunteer Group team and also to the Company or Volunteer Group that has the most teams entered!
Soooo, talk to your Work-mates or your other Volunteer-mates and get some teams signed up today!!
NEW FAMILY CATEGORY If you have at least 2 teams from the same family, you could win a prize in our new category!
ABOUT THE RACE
The Amazing Charity Race started in 2005 as Loveland’s Amazing Race and has grown into one of the biggest races in the whole Cincinnati tristate area! With a a little bit of this and a little bit of that – we make you walk, run, ride, think and do – all for the fun of it!
All of your entry fees go straight to all of our charities after we pay off our expenses for the race.
WHAT IS IT??: It is a full day of good natured competition, music and food and laughs. The race committee is laughing itself silly coming up with fun challenges. It is not a triathlon or a 5K race. It is not limited to runners or highly athletic individuals. It is a race in that it has a start and finish line but along the way it challenges the contestants in many ways. It is a fun, quirky, adventure that challenges the contestants agility, balance, coordination, strength, intelligence, problem solving skills, fine motor skills, and most important their sense of humor. You are invited whether it is to compete or join our team of over 500 volunteers so come enjoy, have a great time for a good cause and as always expect the unexpected. Racers must be AT LEAST 13 years old to do the race with a parent. At 16 years old, racers can do the race with another 16 year old. Avai divisions: Parent/Child, Male/Female, Male/Male, Female/Female.
This year’s race will feature more fun, less stress and an all new course! Check back here often for race updates!
Loveland, Ohio – On February 26, City Engineer, Cindy Klopfenstein, said that during the first nine months of 2018, the City experienced 33 reported vehicle crashes into the low clearance, train trestle on Karl Brown Way in Historic Downtown Loveland.* To reduce the number of wrecks and traffic congestion they cause, the City hired Choice One Engineering to complete a safety study of the area.
Based on the study, Klopfenstein reported on her evaluation of the findings. This LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video is Klopfenstein’s report to City Council.
* From the minutes of the Council meeting: “City Engineer, Cindy Klopfenstein, noted that during the first nine months of 2018, the City experienced 33 reported crashes at the train trestle on Karl Brown Way.” We should have paid more attention to what the City Engineer actually said, rather than what the minutes reported she said. Klopfenstein says in the video, that the 33 crashes occurred from 2016 through the first 9 months of 2018, not just the first 9 months of 2018.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School (LHS) has earned the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles. Schools honored with the award have expanded girls’ access to AP Computer Science courses. Of more than 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offer AP courses, LHS is one of only 685 – and less than a dozen public high schools in Ohio – to be awarded.
LHS Principal Peggy Johnson
“We’re honored by this recognition and are very proud of the achievements of our female students who take computer science,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “We’re committed to providing our female students with access to AP Computer Science courses to help prepare a more diverse workforce for critical STEM jobs.”
Schools receiving the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have either 50 percent or higher female representation in one of the two AP computer science courses available, or have a percentage of the female computer science examinees meeting or exceeding that of the school’s female population.
The AP Computer Science Principles course launch in 2016 was the largest in AP Program history. It has promoted the growth of AP computer science in high schools, and has led to a 135 percent increase in course participation since 2016, broadening STEM career opportunities for more students. The number of female, rural, and underrepresented minority students taking AP computer science exams has more than doubled in that period.
Providing female students with access to computer science courses contributes to gender parity in the industry’s high-paying jobs, and drives innovation, creativity and competition. According to UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics data, less than 30 percent of the world’s researchers are women; in North America and Western Europe, it is 32 percent. Research shows that women are more likely to pursue a computer science career if they’re given the opportunity to explore it in high school.
It was Senior Day on February 16 when Loveland High School Head Wrestling Head Coach Chris Switzer was presented with pillows and a quilt made of tee-shirts that represented his 20 years of coaching. The gifts were made by wrestling parents.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School (LHS) Wrestling Head Coach Chris Switzer has just finished his 20th season at Loveland. Returning from the 2019 District Championship on March 2, he reflected on the past season and his 20 years of coaching at Loveland:
Chris Switzer was an accomplished wrestler at Loveland High School in the 1990s.
“2018-19 was a good season overall. I’m very proud of the fact that we had a lot of obstacles to overcome, especially with injuries and illness, but the boys worked hard, adapted to the bumps in the road, competed well, and pulled together as a team. I am so proud of our seniors for their commitment over the past four years – they all left the Loveland Wrestling Program in a better place than it was four years ago.”
Born and raised in Loveland himself, Switzer made significant and lasting contributions to the wrestling program while in high school. He was a four-time District Qualifier, two-time District Champion, two-time State Qualifier, and a four-time finalist/ three-time Cincinnati Hills (CHL) League Champ, with a career record of 110-20-1. As a high school junior and senior, in 1993 and 1994 respectively, he was selected First Team for Cincinnati. He then went on to wrestle at the Mount St. Joseph University, where he ended up a four-time National Qualifier and a two-time Academic All-American wrestler.
Switzer was last awarded “Conference Coach of the Year” in 2018.
“While still at LHS, I was asked what I wanted to do after college. My response was: ‘teach history at Loveland High School and be the head wrestling coach…’”
Switzer stayed true to his goals – he has now taught history and coached at Loveland since 1998. He became wrestling head coach at the beginning of the 2003-04 season, when Mike Rich retired from the position after 25 years.
Looking back over the years and the success of the program, a few highlights stand out: Switzer has coached his team to six league titles, won Sectionals in 2014 and placed second at Districts the same year. He also coached Loveland heavyweight wrestler Andrew Alten to a state title. But coaching is as much about reflecting on the challenges and understanding that you have to work hard and maintain your commitment to be successful. Wrestling is different by being a one-on-one sport and you have no one else to blame than yourself when things don’t go well. Even so, the importance of the team and its support can’t be overstated.
“It really does take a village – or in our case, a ‘family,’ – to make the wrestling program successful,” said Switzer. “Every year we run two home tournaments over one weekend, and we need lots of support to make that happen: table helpers, setting up and providing food for the hospitality room, moving heavy mats, etc. I am often humbled by everyone’s effort in pulling it all together.”
The Loveland Wrestling Team after winning the 2018 ECC Championship.
With a coaching philosophy of “work hard and everything will work itself out… No matter if you win or lose, walk off the mat the same way you walked on,” Switzer is dedicated to continuing to run the Loveland Wrestling Program. His commitment extends beyond the regular season to include attending all youth practices and, for the past 20 years, helping run the off-season Freestyle and Greco Club. He has also taken wrestlers to camp during the summer, including the renowned Jeff Jordan State Champ Camp, for just as long. And, the team works out on open mats and in the weight room for 11 out of the 12 months of the year.
Coach Chris Switzer was celebrated by his team at the 2019 Eastern Cincinnati Conference Championship in Loveland on February 16. (photo credit: Megan Hogan)
“I am so honored to coach here at Loveland,” said Switzer. “It is such as big part of who I am. I love what I do, and can’t think of a better place to coach. I love the competition, the grind, the interactions, the friendships, the winning tradition, and the pride of being the head coach of the Loveland Wrestling Program. Hopefully, I have another 20 years left in me!”
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School orchestras hosted Cincinnati’s New Horizons Orchestra in concert on Thursday, February 21. New Horizons, a music program at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM), provides an entry point to music making for adults over 50, including those with no musical experience and others who may have played an instrument in their youth. The New Horizons Orchestra offers ensemble instruction under the direction of UC Assistant Professor BettyAnne Gottlieb.
New Horizons in concert with the LHS Orchestras at Loveland High School, February 21.
“This was such an exciting opportunity for the musicians in both ensembles,” said Loveland Orchestra Director Rachel Bierkan. “The collaboration across generations offered insight, perspective and a wealth of life knowledge sharing for both groups!”
The New Horizons program at CCM is tied to the New Horizons International Music Association, which supports similar music groups across the United States, Canada and the world.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School wraps up a special Winter Sports Season. Loveland teams had many great accomplishments that were earned by the great individual and team efforts.
Final ECC Standings for all teams include:
Men’s Basketball, tied 4th (with Milford)
Women’s Basketball, tied 3rd (with Kings)
Wrestling, 2nd
Men’s Swimming, 5th
Women’s Swimming, 4th
Men’s Bowling, 4th
Women’s Bowling, tied 2nd (with Milford)
Academic, 2nd
Cheer, 3rd
Dance, 6th.
The updated All-Sports trophy standings are as follows:
Loveland (112.5)
Turpin (110.5)
Kings (106.5)
Milford (100)
Walnut Hills (87)
West Clermont (83)
Anderson (82)
Withrow (10.5)
Loveland has won the All-Sports trophy 4 out of the 6 years that the ECC has existed and looks to make it 5 out of 7 with a win this year.
Jillian Hayes was named AP All Southwest Ohio 2nd Team in basketball.
Loveland, Ohio – The 2019 Spring brush pickup program will begin on Monday, March 25, and end on Friday, March 29. Brush must be placed at the curb no later than Sunday night, March 24. Public Works crews will pickup brush for the entire City during this week.
Guidelines
The following are guidelines established for the brush pickup program:
Brush must be placed at the curb or edge of roadway. Do not place brush in the roadway, gutter, ditches, or on sidewalks. Do not block fire hydrants.
Limbs cannot exceed 10 inches in diameter at the cut section.
Limbs should be placed at the curb with the cut section facing the street and all limbs should be facing the same direction. This makes it easier and faster to handle.
No leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, or other yard waste will be collected.
Small twigs and sticks should be bundled with twine in bundles 12 inches in diameter. Twigs or sticks can also be placed in a container at the curb, but no other yard waste should be in the containers. Please, no loose piles of sticks and debris.
“We are so grateful to our board members and the tremendous amount of work they put into the decisions for our school district,” said Dr. Amy Crouse, superintendent. “Each and every member is committed to our vision of high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction and makes significant contributions to the work we do every day. This award is well deserved!”
Loveland, Ohio – LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV was at Loveland City Hall on March 12 to live broadcast the Council meeting.
Guidelines