Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: news

  • Barry Kuhn’s Campaign Statement

    Barry Kuhn’s Campaign Statement

    EDITOR’S NOTE:
    Barry Kuhn is a candidate for Loveland City Council and provided this Candidate Statement to Loveland Magazine.
     

    Loveland Magazine invites all candidates for public office in the 45140 zip code or within the Loveland City School District boundary to send a similar Candidate Statement for publication. Send to lovelandmagazine@cinci.rr.com

     

    My name is Barry Kuhn, and I’d like your vote for Loveland City Council on November, 7th.

    I have been a resident of Loveland for over 40 years. This has allowed me to see the progress our city has made over the years in making Loveland a place where people are want to live, and raise their families. I am involved in several local organizations, and feel that I have a good understanding of the things that our citizens want from their local government. My experience of the last few years serving on the city’s Finance Committee has exposed me to the budget process, and where our tax dollars are being spent. I am also the Vice-Chairperson on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Serving the city in this capacity has allowed me to develop strong working relationships with the various departments in City Hall. My experience in the business world has allowed me to develop leadership skills, and the ability to partner with different groups in working towards our goals. I am also an effective communicator. I plan on leveraging all my experience in making myself successful as a member of City Council.

    Our city has gone through some tough political issues this year. My top priority will be increasing the amount of communication between City Council and our residents. I will be looking for opportunities to expand resident participation in decisions that are made regarding city owned land development, city policies or ordinances that effect organizations or businesses, and other matters that directly impact them. My goal would be to hold quarterly or semi-annual town meetings so that a dialog can occur outside of City Council chambers. This will allow our residents an opportunity to have their voices heard and have their questions answered. Another priority will be to review the City’s Charter, and its’ ordinances. Our city has changed over the years, and I believe that our Charter may need updating to change with it. I support both the direct election of our city’s Mayor, and term limits for our elected officials. These changes would require a Charter Amendment. City Council should take an active role in ensuring that our Charter is serving the citizens of Loveland. Another top priority would be to repair the relationships between City Council and our local Chamber of Commerce, Farmer’s Market, Amazing Race, and other organizations and businesses that make our city a great place to live. We need to view them as partners, and collaborate with them instead of viewing them as enemies. We’re all in this together, working towards the same goal. Making our city the best that it can be.

    Thanks for your consideration. If you have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly at barryk98@gmail.com. 

  • Hamilton County BOE denies protests filed against Gross and Batemen nomination petitions

    Hamilton County BOE denies protests filed against Gross and Batemen nomination petitions

    Norwood, Ohio – Loveland resident Patty Horton-Sandmar filed protests over the nominating petitions to run for City Council of Pam Gross and Andy Bateman. Both candidates had already been certified to be on the Fall ballot, but Horton-Sandmar told the Hamilton County Board of Elections (BOE) this afternoon that the paperwork the pair submitted had fatal flaws because they did not follow the letter of the law..

    At the BOE hearing today the Board overruled Horton-Sandmar’s protest in both cases.

    Horton-Sandmar alleged that the address of one of Gross’ five nominating committee members was wrong. The address listed according to Horton-Sandmar was 274 Shadow Ct. and it should have been 274 Shadow Wood Ct. Gross said it was an innocent error because when she filled out the form she used the address she saw on the “Walking List” of registered voters, a spread sheet provided by the BOE. The BOE determined that if Gross had expanded the spread sheet “cell” she would have seen the entire correct address.

    In the case of Bateman’s petition, Horton-Sandmar alleged that the candidate turned in 83 signatures of registered voters and that was eight more than allowed by the Ohio Revised Code and 33 more than allowed by the Loveland Charter.

    In overruling the protests the BOE determined both petitions were in substantial compliance with election law.

    Below are the protests Horton-Sandmar submitted to the BOE, and the response Gross submitted. Bateman did not file a written response however did explain his position at today’s hearing. Gross and Horton-Sandmar also testified today at the hearing.

    The hearing was broadcast live on Loveland Magazine’s Facebook page. Go to the -21:40 minute mark to watch the agenda items of interest to Loveland voters.

    Horton-Sandmayr Protest of Pam Gross Petition

    Pam Gross response

    Horton-Sandmayr Protest of Andrew Bateman Petition

    This story was up-dated at 7:15 Am on 8/31/17

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  • Council hopeful Andy Bateman’s Candidate Statement

    Council hopeful Andy Bateman’s Candidate Statement

    EDITOR’S NOTE:
    Andy Bateman is a candidate for Loveland City Council and provided this Candidate Statement to Loveland Magazine.
     

    Loveland Magazine invites all candidates for public office in the 45140 zip code or within the Loveland City School District boundary to send a similar Candidate Statement for publication. Send to lovelandmagazine@cinci.rr.com

     

    To Get Along We Have to Agree to Disagree with Civility

    by Andy Bateman,

    Recently I traveled to Italy for work and Iceland for vacation and while I was awestruck many times experiencing some of the most beautiful places in the world, I was most struck by how good it felt to return home. Every day that I wake up as a resident of Loveland, it is impossible not to appreciate the charm and beauty of this Little Miami River community. The natural landscape and our ancestral residents have given us this gift. Loveland, like so many other communities in this country, owes its identity to geography and history. But its future is shaped by the community of residents, businesses and organizations that call it home.

    I was able to attend a few of the more recent meetings of City Council. Each instance left me feeling frustrated with the lack of civility exhibited within our community. A recent article in the Cincinnati Enquirer asks the question, ​Is the national political climate affecting our local governments?​ Loveland is featured prominently in this story as a prime example of how disagreement has turned divisive. Too many times in recent memory these divisions have become dangerous. It’s toxic and I agree with those within our community ​who call for it to stop​.

    Prior to the premature adjournment of council on July 27th, Mayor Mark Fitzgerald read from a prepared statement quoting such notable Americans as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Noble ideals as they may be, a more modern and plain spoken quote from Rodney King leaps to my mind. “Can we all get along?” he asked twenty-five years ago. To that I say clearly, no we cannot.

    We can’t get along because there are too many people in positions of power who are unwilling to get along, unwilling to work together to find compromise. And there are too many people unwilling to get involved, perfectly willing to let others do their thinking for them. Today it is remarkably easy to get trapped in an echo-chamber of self-validation. It is comfortable to surround oneself with people who agree with you and who belittle and denigrate those who do not. But this path of least resistance actually creates extreme resistance to progress and growth and does nothing for our community. We need to engage each other in challenging this divergent separation of beliefs and opinions into opposing camps and instead see things in more nuanced shades of gray.

    Despite the political climate which reverberates the loudest within the safe spaces of social media, I have faith that most people are willing to compromise and find common ground. To strive for a middle way is to strive for the community at large rather than its disparate factions. For two years our community’s achievements have been overshadowed by its behavior. For two years an active community has asked to be engaged in the process of local government. For two years I have sought active participation toward making our city a more positive place. I want to continue these efforts through direct involvement in the mechanisms of change. Therefore, I submit to the residents of Loveland my candidacy for Loveland City Council. At this moment our current council seems entrenched in their individual and divided positions, which is why this election cycle is so important. It allows for change at the behest of the people. I urge our community to inform themselves, choose to participate and speak truth to power as they elect their representatives to local office who will serve our community in a productive and constructive manner.

    Andy Bateman​ is a graduate of Loveland High School and has lived in Loveland since 2007. Cited articles:

    (​http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/07/28/national-political-climate-affecting-our-local-g overnments/485074001/​)

    (https://lovelandmagazine.com/open-letter-to-city-council-and-candidates-im-asking-everyone-to- please-stop/)

    Candidates and Issues on the November 7, 2017 local ballot

     

     

     

    Now Enrolling at All About Kids at Wards Corner today!

     
  • [Video] Eva Hunley: “Everything historical is going away.”

    [Video] Eva Hunley: “Everything historical is going away.”

    Loveland, Ohio – Eva Hunley, a resident of Historic Downtown, said at the July 11 Council meeting that when she moved to Loveland it was a historical town and now everything historical was gone. She asked why the train horns had to stop blowing and said the clock had quit ticking, and the chimes have stopped playing music.

    “Everything historical is going away and is gone and I’d like to know why it’s going away,” said Hunley.

    She mostly got patronizing laughs, except City Manager, Dave Kennedy who replied that the train horns stopped because the City created a quiet zone as part of the development agreement with Loveland Station Apartments in downtown and that the chimes were malfunctioning and he is working on the repair.

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  • Tonight’s special council meeting omits open forum – Other recall news

    Tonight’s special council meeting omits open forum – Other recall news

    Loveland, Ohio – Mayor Mark Fitzgerald has called for a special meeting of Loveland City Council for tonight, Monday, August 14, at 7 PM at Loveland City Hall.

    According to a press release issued by the City, “The purpose of the special meeting is to respond to matters related to the recently filed petition seeking his recall as a member of City Council, and to take up any other matters that may lawfully come before City Council.”

    City Hall just got around to publishing the agenda for tonight’s meeting and announcing the meeting on their website. “Open Forum” when the public is allowed to speak and is a usual requirement of every City Hall meeting is not on the agenda.

    Loveland Magazine also acquired today a second letter Fitzgerald’s attorney sent to the Hamilton County Board of Elections regarding the Boards decision declaring recall petitions valid and giving Fitzgerald until midnight tonight to either resign his Council seat or stand for a recall election this November. Fitzgerald has two years remaining on his four-year term. In this letter from Doug Holthus, it gives the reason neither the mayor or the attorney showed up at the appeal hearing they called for last week and says, “We will be pursuing other available legal remedies.”

    Loveland Magazine will be broadcasting the Council meeting live at 7 PM on our Facebook Page.

    Read background on the efforts to recall Fitzgerald as Mayor: 

    Recall of Mayor Mark Fitzgerald is “On” again

    Mayor does not need to call a “Special Meeting” to comply…

    lovelandmagazine – 

     

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  • [BREAKING] Board of Elections gives Loveland Mayor 5 days to resign or face recall

    [BREAKING] Board of Elections gives Loveland Mayor 5 days to resign or face recall

    Loveland, Ohio – In a statement to the Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC today, Sherry Poland, the Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections said, “On August 4, 2017, the Hamilton County Board of Elections received a petition for the recall election of Mark J. Fitzgerald, and an election of a successor. We have completed the review of the petitions and determined the petitions to be sufficient.”

    Fitzgerald is the Mayor of Loveland and has two years remaining of his elected term of four years as a council member.

    Poland said that if Fitzgerald does not resign within five days, an election will be held at the next general election on November 7. She also informed the community group that attorney Doug Holthus, on behalf of Mark J. Fitzgerald, has requested a protest hearing on the validity of the petitions and that the board has scheduled a Special Meeting on Friday, August 11th at 8:30 AM to hold a hearing.

    Resident Neal Oury has collected signatures to run in the recall election against Fitzgerald, however, has not filed those petitions with the Board of Elections. He did, however, file a petition last week to seek one of the four-year-term open seats on council this fall. He told Loveland Magazine that if the recall petitions are certified, he will withdraw that petition and then file the signatures supporting his candidacy for the direct head-to-head vote against the Mayor.

    BACKGROUND:

    [VIDEO] Interview with Halie Rebeccaschild after turning in Fitzgerald recall petitions for 2nd time

     
  • Granny’s Garden changing school garden model

    Granny’s Garden changing school garden model

    “Our new model requires less support staff and funding but will depend on greater participation from parents and the general community.”

    by Julie Whitaker

    Our mission and goals are the same at Granny’s School Garden: only our methods have changed. We will use the process of growing produce for the cafeteria to provide hands-on educational opportunities for first to fourth-grade students at Loveland Primary and Elementary Schools.
     
    Students will have the opportunity to plant, weed, harvest and be involved in the general upkeep of the gardens. Instead of individual classroom garden beds containing a variety of vegetables, there will be beds of various vegetables, i.e. lettuce, carrots, squash, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, and peppers.
     
    There will be an ongoing list of tasks, i.e. plant carrot seeds in two garden beds or weed the carrot patch. Teachers can sign the classes up for the tasks that best support their educational goals.
     
    Simplifying the gardening aspect of the program will allow teachers to focus on the educational process rather than the mechanics of gardening and make it easier for volunteers without gardening experience to assist.
     
    We can no longer afford the Garden Educators and other support staff that made our program so successful for fifteen years.
     
    Our new model requires less support staff and funding but will depend on greater participation from parents and the general community. We have a core group of volunteers who make up our leadership team and are seeking others to grow and strengthen the program. 
     
    Call or text 513-324-2873 to learn more about ways you can get involved.
     
    We will keep the lesson plans and other parts of the website as is until we have time to update it later this year.  Meanwhile, if you would like to follow along as our new model evolves, sign up for the GrannyGram News! Just send your email address by text message or text: GRANNYGRAM to 22828 to get started.
     
    Julie Whitaker is a Granny’s Garden School Leadership Team Member
     
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  • Clermont County Community Alternative Sentencing Center will soon admit women

    Clermont County Community Alternative Sentencing Center will soon admit women

    Bativia, Ohio – Clermont County Commissioners approved on July 12 the expansion of the Community Alternative Sentencing Center (CASC) to serve women. The CASC, which has been open since September 2015 under the management of Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Systems, provides an alternative to jail for misdemeanants who are convicted of drug- or alcohol-related crimes.

    Clermont County will start admitting women to the CASC as of Sept. 1.

    Now, thanks to a grant from the federal 21st Century Cures Act, Clermont County will start admitting women to the CASC as of Sept. 1, said BCC President David Uible. “This will allow us to address a gap in our attempts to address this crisis. We have wanted to offer this treatment alternative to women, and the grant will allow us to do so.”

    Under the Cures Act, $26 million was allocated to the State of Ohio to fight the opioid epidemic. Clermont County, as one of the top 15 counties in the state most affected by the crisis, was given priority in the grant process, according to Karen Scherra, Executive Director of the Clermont County Mental Health & Recovery Board (CCMHRB), who led the application for the grant.

    CCMHRB is receiving approximately $418,000 in the first year of the grant and up to $700,000 in the second year, which is being provided to the County to fund the CASC program. By the second year, the county hopes to serve up to 25 women in the pod. Medication-assisted treatment will be emphasized, Scherra said.

    The CASC, which operates in a wing of the County Jail, will operate its women’s pod completely separated from the men’s.

    The CASC, which operates in a wing of the County Jail, will operate its women’s pod completely separated from the men’s. The new staff will include an admissions coordinator, three counselors, three aides, a part-time employment specialist, and a recovery coach. It will also include dedicated hours from a physician and nurse.

    The Community Alternative Sentencing Center – the only one in the State of Ohio – is a voluntary program. Municipal Court judges refer misdemeanants to the CASC if they think they will be good candidates for treatment as opposed to incarceration. Since it began operating under the management of Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health, the CASC has admitted 378 men. Of those 307 have successfully completed the program, with many transitioning into continued services and supports in the community.

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  • Up-date on Loveland Madeira Road re-construction

    Up-date on Loveland Madeira Road re-construction

    Loveland, Ohio – City Engineer Cindy Klopfenstein told Loveland Magazine Thursday morning that the contractor for the Loveland Madeira Road project anticipates beginning in early September, “Weather dependent.” Klopfenstein added, “The project manager said he would give us about two weeks notice prior to starting.” The culvert replacements which will require a full road closure will be at the beginning of the work. The detour route will utilize Lebanon Road. and West Loveland Ave.

    The project involves re-construction of Loveland Madeira Road from the City Limits to near the loading dock of the Kroger store. The project will include replacement of three storm sewer culverts, catch basins, the extension of sidewalk on the north side of the road to the Corporation limit, curb and sidewalk repairs, milling and paving, and other miscellaneous work.

    READ MORE about the project: 

    Coming soon: 5-day road closure of L. Madeira near Kroger

     

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  • New McCluskey Automotive corporate headquarters in Loveland near opening

    New McCluskey Automotive corporate headquarters in Loveland near opening

    by Sam Smith

    On January 6, 2016, developers for McCluskey Automotive went before the Loveland Planning and Zoning Commission for review of plans for a new corporate headquarters in the Loveland Commerce Park at 179 Commerce Boulevard. The plans for the 42,000 square foot facility have quickly taken shape, and the facility anticipates to open in early fall according to city zoning coordinator, Eva Parker. The facility is expected to bring approximately 80 jobs to the city.

    The new McCluskey Automotive building nears completion. Behind the corporate headquarters, cars will be stored and repaired.

    The new McCluskey building is intended to serve not only as corporate headquarters for the car dealership but as a center for repair, maintenance, detailing, and car inventory behind the new building. The original plans failed to meet code by planting an evergreen tree per 5000 square feet of parking lot, a requirement presumably filled or else waived.

    A closeup of the entrance to the new McCluskey headquarters. The facility is expected to be completed and open by early fall.

    City Hall has seen the new facility as a major success for the city, and displays a rendering of the new building in the lobby. The new headquarters will no doubt encourage Loveland’s economic growth.

    Construction equipment sits outside the soon-to-be complete headquarters