10 minutes to - Gatehouse Media

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014
STORE
PRICE
$.75 DAILY
MASSILLON, OHIO
INDEONLINE.COM
ORZO VEGGIES
FOR POTLUCK
US ELIMINATED
IN WORLD CUP
With almost any vegetable, this recipe will
help clean out your fridge. FOOD, PAGE A-7
It takes extra play, but Belgium outlasts the
underdog Americans. SPORTS, PAGE B-1
LEGENDS: 18 HOLES AGAIN
BY STEVEN M. GRAZIER
Independent staff writer
MASSILLON The city — at least for
the time being — is scrapping the
idea of selling The Legends of Massillon golf course. Instead it will
move forward with a downsizing effort to save money.
Parks and Recreation Director
Doug Nist said the number of holes
at the golf course will be reduced
from 27 to 18 by next March. Work
to begin the effort is targeted for this
fall.
“We’re going back to the original
18,” said Nist, noting that there has
10 MINUTES TO ...
U
sing a thermometer provided by Kamph’s
Hardware in Tuscarawas Township, The
Independent on Tuesday parked a car,
turned off the air conditioning and
watched to see how long it would take the temperature to rise inside the car. It was 88 degrees
just after noon with the hot sun high in the sky.
In just 10 minutes, the temperature climbed 32
degrees — from 68 to 100. Experts say 10 minutes is all it takes for temperatures to climb at
least 20 degrees, even if windows are left open a
crack. Leaving a child or pet inside, even for a
short period of time, can be a deadly mistake.
been no boost in the number of
18-hole rounds played at the golf
course since ramping up to 27 holes
in 2001.
“This is an effort to reduce costs
and look for ways to increase revenue,” he added.
Between $50,000 and $100,000
12:09
p.m.
Outside
temperature
was 88
degrees —
68 degrees
inside car.
1
2
Ten minutes is all it takes for
the temperature inside a car —
even with the windows
cracked — to jump 20 degrees.
Today, when temperatures
hover in the 80s, the temperature inside a parked vehicle can exceed triple digits
within a short time.
And for a small child left in
a car in those temperatures,
the results can be deadly.
So far this year, 13 deaths
nationwide, including that of
a 22-month-old Georgia boy
who was left in his father’s vehicle for seven hours with
outside temperatures reaching
90 degrees, have occurred
when a child was left in a
See the video:
only online
■ It took just 10 minutes for
our thermometer to spike
32 degrees — from 68 to
100 degrees — inside a car
during Tuesday’s hot
afternoon. Watch the
video at IndeOnline.com.
Child vehicular heat
stroke deaths in U.S.
2014: 13 (as of June 30)
2013: 44
2012: 33
2011: 33
2010: 49
2009: 33
Average child vehicular
heatstroke deaths per
year since 1998: 38 —
1 every 9 days.
3
4
1. FUN ON
THE FOURTH
Classifieds ....B-4
Cuisine............A-7
Comics ..........B-6
Opinion ..........A-4
Local ......A-2, 3, 5
Obituaries ......A-3
Sports......B-1 to 3
Television ......A-6
For newsroom questions/comments,
call the newsroom: 330-775-1126
For delivery or billing questions, call
Customer Service: 330-580-8500
GATEHOUSE MEDIA INC., © 2014
2.
3. READING CHALLENGE
Exclusively on our website,
INDEONLINE.COM:
ON TWITTER Stay up to date
on the latest local news from
western Stark County. Follow us
on Twitter @Indedotcom and
like us on Facebook. Visit us
online any time at
IndeOnline.com.
Massillon’s Independence Day
celebration is Thursday, and
there are plenty of other area
events Friday to help you
celebrate the Fourth of July.
See the list on Page A-5
Dough for salt
Massillon needs a new salt
dome. But at $305,000, can the
city
afford
it?
See the
story
this
week.
12:19
Another five
minutes
went by and
the mercury
had soared
to more than
100 degrees.
SEE HEAT A-2
STUFF TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAY
12:14
Three
minutes later,
the gauge
measured
nearly 90
degrees.
vehicle. Most of the deaths are
attributed to heatstroke.
Heatstroke occurs when the
body cannot cool itself fast
enough, explained Dr. Charles
Wallace, a physician at Affinity Family Physicians in Jackson Township.
As the temperature rises,
the body’s core temperature
jumps to dangerous levels
and the sweating mechanism fails, making it impossible for the body to cool
down.
A child’s body can heat
up three- to five-times faster
than an adult’s body.
TODAY’S TOP THREE:
12:11
Within two
minutes, the
temperature
inside the
car rose to
80 degrees.
Hot box
Independent staff writer
one-third will save money because
the 45 acres encompassing the nine
holes being cut will need less attention with mowing and maintenance.
The course’s fleet of golf carts also will
drop from about 110 to 80 or 85.
DANGER
Heat-related deaths in
vehicles on rise in US
BY AMY L. KNAPP
will be saved annually when The Legends returns to an 18-hole course,
Nist said. Roughly $5.4 million is
owed on the debt at The Legends,
which opened in 1995 and totals
about 275 acres at 2100 Augusta
Drive S.
Cropping the number of holes by
Weather
HIGH
TODAY
Sunny, humid;
a PM storm.
85 59
LOW
TONIGHT
■ For details and 5-day forecast, turn
to Page A-2 or visit our online weather
center: IndeOnline.com/weather
Good morning,
Randall Woodall
Thank you for subscribing to
The Independent!
The Massillon mayor’s summer
reading challenge is underway.
For every 15 books a child reads
this summer, the mayor will
give the child a new book.
Plus, each child who meets the
challenge has a chance to win
lunch with Mayor Kathy CatazaroPerry. Five winners will be chosen
in an Aug. 7 drawing. Summer
reading forms are available at the mayor’s office, 151
Lincoln Way E. For more information, call 330-830-1700.
SEE LEGENDS A-5
Visiting
Amish
country?
Measles
a threat
BY ANDREW
WELSH-HUGGINS
The Associated Press
SHILOH Visitors from
around the world to two upcoming events in Ohio’s Amish
country could come away with
more than they bargained for,
health officials fear — a case of
measles from the nation’s
largest outbreak in two
decades.
The outbreak, with more
than 360 cases, started after
Amish travelers to the Philippines contracted measles this
year and returned home to rural Knox County. From there,
the highly contagious disease
spread quickly because of a
lower rate of vaccination
among the Amish.
Health officials believe the
outbreak is slowing in Ohio
thanks to vaccination clinics,
door-to-door visits by public
health nurses and cooperation
by the Amish, who quickly
quarantined themselves when
measles was present. But
Horse Progress Days, an international showcase of horsedrawn equipment scheduled
for Friday and Saturday, is
expected to draw more than
20,000 Amish and others
from around the globe. And a
large annual auction that raises money to help Amish families pay medical bills for children with birth defects is
scheduled for Saturday.
Authorities are trying to
spread education — and
vaccination.
“Very easily someone could
come for these events, be exposed to someone who didn’t
know that they were sick, and
travel home, and start another outbreak in another community somewhere in the
United States or overseas,”
said Dr. D.J. McFadden, health
commissioner in Holmes
County, site of Horse Progress
Days and home to one of the
country’s largest Amish
populations.
The county has 54 cases of
measles and one hospitalization. Most of its Amish were
vaccinated before the outbreak, McFadden said.
SEE MEASLES A-3
A-2
LOCAL
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 The Independent
HEAT
5-Day Forecast for Western Stark
Today
Tonight
85°
75°
53°
Some sun, humid;
a p.m. t-storm in
spots
Partly cloudy
An a.m. t-storm
in spots; sunny
intervals
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
77°
52°
82°
Nice with plenty of
sunshine
58°
84°
Sunny and beautiful
63°
Partly sunny
Almanac
Sun and Moon
Akron through 4 p.m. Tuesday
Temperatures
High ................................................ 89°
Low ................................................. 74°
Precipitation
24 hours ending 4 p.m. ............ 0.00”
Year to date .............................. 25.91”
®
Sunrise today ...................... 5:59 a.m.
Sunset tonight .................... 9:01 p.m.
Moon Phases
RealFeel Temperature
The patented AccuWeather.com
RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive
index of effective temperaure based on
eight weather factors.
First
Full
Last
New
July 5
July 12
July 18
July 26
Weather History
Violent thunderstorms developed at
the northern rim of a hot air mass on
July 2, 1980, dumping hail the size of
hens’ eggs on Louisville, Ky.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2014
Ohio Weather
Sandusky
80/60
Toledo
79/58
Van Wert
78/56
Mansfield
83/60
Cleveland
84/62
Youngstown
84/60
Akron
84/61
MASSILLON Canton
85/60
85/59
Columbus
87/65
Dayton
83/60
Marietta
85/64
Cincinnati
85/60
Weather
Trivia™
Q: What is
the record high
temperature for the
United States in July?
Portsmouth
87/62
Shown is today’s weather.
Temperatures are today’s highs
and tonight’s lows.
A: 134 F at Death Valley,
California, on July 10, 1913.
Regional Cities
World Cities
Today
Today
City
Hi/Lo/W City
Akron, OH
Buffalo, NY
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH
Columbus, OH
Dayton, OH
Detroit, MI
Erie, PA
Evansville, IN
Ft. Wayne, IN
84/61/pc
83/64/t
68/56/c
85/60/pc
84/62/pc
87/65/pc
83/60/pc
80/59/pc
83/63/pc
83/60/pc
77/56/pc
Hi/Lo/W
Hamilton, OH 86/59/pc
Huntington, WV 84/63/t
Indianapolis, IN 78/57/pc
Mansfield, OH 83/60/pc
Pittsburgh, PA 86/64/t
Sandusky, OH 80/60/pc
South Bend, IN 71/54/pc
Terre Haute, IN 78/58/pc
Toledo, OH
79/58/pc
Youngstown, OH 84/60/pc
Zanesville, OH 85/62/pc
Today
Today
City
Hi/Lo/W City
Athens
Acapulco
Baghdad
Berlin
Bermuda
Buenos Aires
Cairo
Dublin
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
Kingston
91/72/s
84/76/t
115/81/s
70/51/pc
83/74/pc
60/48/pc
101/74/s
72/56/pc
92/84/t
85/64/s
91/79/pc
Hi/Lo/W
London
Manila
Mexico City
Moscow
New Delhi
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Toronto
76/57/s
89/79/t
68/55/t
78/51/pc
98/81/t
76/53/pc
79/60/s
86/68/t
66/38/s
82/73/pc
82/58/t
National Forecast
-10s -0s
0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s
Precip Key
Showers Rain
Snow
T-Storms Flurries
Ice
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
Today
Today
City
Hi/Lo/W
Albuquerque
88/65/t
Atlanta
94/73/pc
Atlantic City
90/73/t
Baltimore
95/74/t
Birmingham 95/71/pc
Boston
90/72/pc
Charleston, SC 94/76/pc
Charleston, WV 86/65/t
Dallas
94/74/t
Daytona Beach 89/75/r
Denver
81/57/t
Des Moines
66/52/pc
El Paso
94/74/t
City
Hi/Lo/W
Fairbanks
Helena
Honolulu
Houston
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
69/55/pc
91/59/s
88/75/s
94/74/pc
92/74/t
70/51/pc
111/86/s
89/65/c
79/64/pc
88/64/pc
88/65/c
91/77/t
60/53/c
Today
City
Hi/Lo/W
Minneapolis
Myrtle Beach
Naples, FL
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Norfolk
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Orlando
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, OR
70/54/pc
88/78/pc
91/78/t
89/64/pc
95/79/t
90/74/t
93/77/t
85/64/pc
71/51/s
91/76/t
95/76/t
110/88/s
83/58/pc
Today
City
Hi/Lo/W
Providence
Raleigh
Reno
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Santa Fe
Seattle
Tampa
Topeka
Tucson
Wash., DC
86/70/t
94/73/t
96/62/s
77/59/pc
96/69/s
73/67/pc
70/56/pc
82/57/t
80/56/pc
92/79/pc
76/52/s
106/81/s
95/78/t
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
SHARE
CERTIFICATE
SPECIAL
Rate of
Rate of
1.09%
1.10%
18-MONTH
TERM
Minimum $1,000 of
NEW MONEY
APR*
Keeping kids safe
■ Always check the front and
back seats of the car before
you lock it and leave.
■ See a kid alone in a hot car?
Call 911 immediately. Get
them out ASAP if they are in
distress.
■ Put your purse, briefcase or
something else you need by
the child’s car seat so you
don’t forget to check.
■ Always lock your car when
it’s empty so kids can’t get in
without you knowing.
CONTINUED FROM A-1
Thursday
59°
IndeOnline.com
APY*
OFFER ENDS JULY 11, 2014
“The issue with the car is, it’s
like an oven,” Wallace said.
“The heat rises so quickly.
When you put someone in
that environment that can’t escape, the lower body-core size,
the lower body water and the
higher surface area, it’s a perfect storm to overheat, and
that is why kids die in that
environment.”
At an internal temperature
of 104 degrees, a child’s major
organs begin to shut down, he
said. When internal temperatures are greater than 105 degrees, it could result in death
if not treated.
WHEN TRAGEDY
STRIKES
Symptoms of heatstroke include dizziness, nausea and
vomiting, confusion and dry,
hot skin (no sweating).
Heat stroke can happen
when the temperature is as
low as 57 degrees outside.
Within an hour inside a
hot car, Wallace said children
can exhibit symptoms.
“It can become very serious,
very quickly,” he said.
Wallace said if a child is experiencing symptoms of heat
stroke, the child should be
put in a cool place, sprayed
with cool water and be given
cool fluids. In a short period,
the child should begin to respond. If the child does not respond, Wallace said, 911
should be called immediately.
Studies show that heat-related tragedies often occur
when there is a change in the
driver’s routine, stress or a
sleeping baby in the back and
caregivers forget the child is in
the car. Some deaths occur
when a child is left in a vehicle for just a minute.
The majority of heat-related deaths — 59 percent — occur when caregivers were distracted and forgot about the
child. Another 29 percent
stem from a child playing unattended in a vehicle.
Canal Fulton police Officer Chuck Kassinger said his
department has been fortunate not to experience any
heat-related deaths or close
calls. His department is more
likely to hear from concerned
citizens about dogs left in hot
vehicles, but they do respond
to reports of children left in a
vehicle. “We would rather
come and check it out and get
ahead of it rather than have to
come to it later and it be
worse than what it was,” he
said. “If you feel something isn’t right, feel free to call.”
According to the Stark
County Coroner’s Office, in
the last 10 years, the county
has not had a heat-related
SOURCE: NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
Heat stroke
warning signs
INDEPENDENT GLENN B. DETTMAN
■ Tia
Chandler buckles her 1-year-old son, Dontae, in a child
safety seat after shopping Tuesday at Wal-Mart in Massillon.
Chandler was skeptical that any parent would leave a child in a
vehicle, though 14 percent of parents who responded to an
online survey by Public Opinion Strategies of Washington, D.C.,
said they intentionally have left their infants, toddlers and
kindergarten children alone in a parked vehicle.
“Many people are shocked to learn
that the temperature inside of a car
can rise up to 20 degrees in 10
minutes, and cracking a window
doesn’t help.”
KATE CARR, PRESIDENT AND CEO
OF SAFE KIDS WORLDWIDE
death of child left in a car.
The last death in Ohio was in
Akron on Sept. 2, 2011,
when a 1-year-old girl was
left in a SUV for hours when
outside temperatures reached
92 degrees.
Often, said Kassinger, parents leave their child in a vehicle to run into a store for a
quick purchase. Kassinger
warns against the practice.
“Most of this stuff happens
in a matter of minutes,” he
said. “They think they are
only going to be a second,
but 20 to 30 minutes later, it
could be too late. There might
be a line in the store, or you
start to talk to someone and
forget the kid is in the car.”
CHILD ENDANGERING
Twenty states have laws
specifically addressing leaving
a child unattended in a vehicle. Ohio is not one of them.
Kassinger said these circumstances would fall under
child-endangering laws.
Safe Kids Worldwide, an
organization devoted to preventing unintentional childhood injury, stresses even one
minute is too long to leave a
child alone in a vehicle.
Heat stroke is the No. 1
cause of non-crash related
“The issue with
for children 14 and
the car is, it’s like deaths
younger, the organization rean oven. The heat ports.
“Many people are shocked to
rises so quickly.
learn that the temperature
DR. CHARLES WALLACE OF inside of a car can rise up to 20
AFFINITY FAMILY degrees in 10 minutes, and
PHYSICIANS
cracking a window doesn’t
Coroner rules on
deadly tree fall
help,” said Kate Carr, president
and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “Tragedies from heat
stroke in cars happen far too
often. They are heartbreaking
and preventable.”
According to a national online survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies of
Washington, D.C., a high
number of parents, particularly dads and those with children 3 and younger, said they
have left their children alone
in a parked car,
The survey reveals that almost seven in 10 parents,
about 69 percent, said they
have heard about children
suffering heat stroke in vehicles, but some still are willing
to make exceptions when it
comes to their own children,
including 14 percent of parents
who said they intentionally
have left their infants, toddlers
and kindergarten children
alone in a parked vehicle.
For parents of children
3 and younger, the figure increases to 23 percent; 11 percent of parents admit to forgetting their child in a car. For
those with children 3 and
younger, it is nearly 1 in 4.
The survey also found that
fathers are almost three times
more likely than moms to
leave a child alone in a parked
car — 23 percent compared to
8 percent — and 6 percent of
parents are comfortable letting
their young children stay in a
parked, locked vehicle for
longer than 15 minutes.
Safe Kids offers these steps
■ An extremely high body
temperature (above 103
degrees)
■ Red, hot and dry skin (no
sweating)
■ Rapid, strong pulse
■ Throbbing headache
■ Dizziness
■ Nausea
■ Confusion
■ Unconsciousness
If a child is experiencing
symptoms of heat stroke:
■ Get child to a cool place.
■ Give the child cool fluids.
■ Remove the child’s clothing
and spray with cool water.
If the child does not respond
quickly, call 911.
Child deaths
■ 52 percent of deaths —
child forgotten by caregiver
(136).
■ 29 percent — children
playing in unattended vehicle
(175).
■ 18 percent — child
intentionally left in vehicle by
adult (108).
■ 1 percent — circumstances
unknown (6).
■ On days when outside air
temperature is in the 80s, the
temperature of a dark
dashboard or steering wheel
can be 180 to 200 degrees.
■ In the three-year period of
1990-92, before airbags
became popular, there were
11 known deaths of children
from heat stroke.
■ In the three-year period of
2011-13, when almost all
young children are placed in
back seats instead of front
seats, there have been at least
109 known fatalities from heat
stroke, a 10-fold increase from
the rate of the early 1990s.
SOURCES: KIDSANDCARS.ORG,
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND CLIMATE
SCIENCES, SAN FRANCISCO STATE
UNIVERSITY
— using the acronym ACT —
to protect children:
A: Avoid heatstroke-related
injury and death by never
leaving your child alone in a
car, not even for a minute.
Keep your car locked when
you’re not in it so kids don’t get
in on their own.
C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of
your car next to your child,
such as a briefcase, a purse or
a cellphone that is needed at
your destination, especially if
you’re not following your normal routine.
T: Take action. If you see a
child alone in a car, call 911.
Emergency personnel are
trained to respond to these
situations.
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or
[email protected].
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
In your local
paper this
Thursday
Preliminary results of an autopsy this week found that a
Massillon man who fell from a
tree over the weekend died as a
result of injuries he received
from the impact, the Stark
County Coroner’s Office said.
Danny E. Smith, 57, of the
600 block of Green Avenue
SW, was pronounced dead Sunday morning after a neighbor
found the man in his backyard.
Smith was seen leaving his
home around 9:30 p.m. Saturday and may have tried to
climb a tree to get over a fence
about a block from his home.
He was discovered around
11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Coroner Dr. P.S. Murthy conducted an autopsy Monday.
The final cause of death will
not be determined until the results of other testing is known.
5333080827
6" Work
Boot
INDEPENDENT STAFF REPORT
CORRECTION
American
Share
Insurance
This institution is not federally insured,
and if the institution fails, the Federal
Government does not guarantee that
depositors will get back their money.
MAIN OFFICE • 3920 Erie Street S.
WALES SQUARE BRANCH • 2056 Wales Rd NW
DOWNTOWN DRIVE-THRU • 46 Federal Ave.
*ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE. ** ANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD. Minimum deposit of NEW MONEY $1,000.
All rates and promotions subject to change without notice. Additional restrictions may apply.
5445680703
www.friendsandfamilycu.com
330-832-1371
■ The Independent strives for
accuracy. If you see an error in
The Independent, please contact
Editor Veronica Van Dress at 330775-1126, or email veronica.
[email protected].
6" Composite Toe
Metal Free
Work Boot
Available in
Safety and
Soft Toe
6" Work Boot
10265 Winesburg Road (1 mile south of Mt. Eaton)
330•359•5862
5443250702
3 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU
Steven Dettelbach is the U.S.
Attorney for the Northern
District of Ohio. His last name
was misspelled Tuesday in the
main News section, Page A-1,
in a story about the verdicts in
the Benjamin D. Suarez trial in
Cleveland.
THURSDAY, JAN. 23, 2014
STORE
PRICE
$.75 DAILY
MASSILLON, OHIO
INDEONLINE.COM
PERRY CRUISES
IN QUARTERFINALS
COACHING SEARCH
DOWN TO TWO
Top-ranked Panthers lose just one match in blowouts
of McKinley, Hoover in state dual. SPORTS, PAGE B-1
According to reports, Bills DC Pettine is
favorite; Schiano also meets. SPORTS, PAGE B-1
FAIRLESS LOCAL SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION
Emergency levy will get another shot
Same 8.9-mill measure was shot down twice last year by voters
BY AMY L. KNAPP
Independent staff writer
Fairless Local School officials
hope the third time is the charm as
they will once again ask voters to
approve an 8.9-mill, seven-year
emergency levy in May.
Voters defeated the levy in May
and November last year.
The emergency levy is an attempt to replace $1.2 million lost
to state and federal funding cuts,
and loss of tangible personal property tax.
The levy will generate $1.576
million per year. The levy will cost
about $311.50 annually for a home
with a $100,000 value.
STARK COUNTY
SHERIFF LAWSUIT
Swanson
plans to
keep on
fighting
Attorney says latest
court dismissal
‘moot point’ in dispute
BY MATTHEW RINK
GateHouse Ohio Media
CANTON The county’s former sheriff plans to file a second challenge over
Sheriff George Maier’s qualifications
by the end of the
month, his attorney
said Wednesday.
The Ohio Supreme
Court’s dismissal of an
earlier court filing
Wednesday — the latest
development in the
protracted legal fight
MAIER
over the sheriff’s job —
has no bearing on how
former Sheriff Timothy Swanson plans to
proceed in his challenge of Maier, attorney
Greg Beck said.
Swanson and Beck
still don’t believe Maier
meets the statutory
SWANSON
qualifications to hold
the job.
Maier was ousted by the state’s
high court in November because he
had not served as a full-time peace officer within five years of the appointment. Maier believes he satisfied what
he called “technical requirements” by
working full-time as a sheriff ’s deputy
in Harrison County in the five weeks
between his ouster and reappointment
by the Stark County Democratic Central Committee on Dec. 11.
“Generally, any time you put a
levy on the ballot and ask folks to
pay more in taxes, you think long
and hard about it,” Fairless Board
of Education member Jody Seward said. “It’s never done flippantly, or never taken lightly. We genuinely need the money to provide
our kids with the best education.”
Superintendent Broc Bidlack
said it is critical that voters pass the
levy.
The district has about $1- to
$1.4-million deficit. Moving forward it will continue to grow without new revenue, he said.
SEE LEVY A-2
Fairless emergency
levy: A closer look
MILLS: 8.9
YEARS: 7
YIELD: $1.576 million
COST: The levy will cost about
$311.50 annually for a home with a
$100,000 value.
WHY SEEKING LEVY? To replace
$1.2 million lost to state and federal
funding cuts, and loss of tangible
personal property tax.
NEW STATE SCHOOL CALENDAR
182 DAYS =
1,002 HOURS
A new change in the law converting school
days to hours is designed to make it easier
for school districts to make up for lost time.
AREA SCHOOLS: DAYS
TO HOURS CONVERSION
BY AMY L. KNAPP
Independent staff writer
W
hen
the
new
school
year rolls around in
the fall, a major
change will take
place to the school
calendar, but parents and students
likely won’t be able
to tell the difference.
Starting next school years, the Ohio
Department of Education is changing
school calendar from days to hours.
Here is a look at what each local
district’s calendar looks like this year
in number of days, against what it
will look like next year.
Days
Hours
2013-14 2014-15
Fairless
178
1,092
Jackson
175
1,131
Massillon
184
*TBD
Northwest
181
1,146
Perry
78
1,157
Tuslaw
173
1,085
* Massillon has not approved the
2014-15 calendar.
A new state law, which takes
effect next school year, changes
the length of time students
must spend in the school from
days to hours.
The law is designed to give
districts flexibility while also
making it easier to make up for
lost time due to weather emergencies or other unexpected
situations.
Under the existing law, students are required to have 182
days of instruction, Tuslaw Superintendent Al Osler said.
The current law allows for
two days for parent teacher
conferences and two days for
professional development, he
explained, leaving 178 days of
instruction.
Tuslaw, Osler said, has 179
days in its school calendar.
Districts also receive five
calamity days, more commonly known as snow days,
leaving 173 days as the minimum number of instruction
days.
When the minimum is not
reached, districts are required
to make up days, Osler said.
Under the new regulations,
calamity days are eliminated.
SEE HOURS A-3
SEE SHERIFF A-3
3. LOOK WHO
TURNED 200
TODAY’S TOP THREE: STUFF TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAY
2.
1. SUPER BOWL XLVIII
Hey Inde readers, we're looking to talk to
diehard fans of the Denver Broncos and Seattle
Seahawks who live in western Stark County for
an upcoming Super Bowl preview story. If you're
a big-time fan of the Broncos or
Seahawks, and have the sportswear
and/or memorabilia to share with us,
call Steven Grazier at 330-775-1134 or
email [email protected]
Classifieds ....B-4
Comics ..........B-6
Local ......A-2, 3, 5
Nation/World A-7
Obituaries ......A-3
Opinion ..........A-4
Sports..........B-1-4
State ..............A-6
For newsroom questions/comments,
call the newsroom: 330-775-1125
For delivery or billing questions, call
Customer Service: 330-580-8500
GATEHOUSE MEDIA INC., © 2014
Community
action agency
center to city?
■ Could a Stark County
Community Action Agency center be in Massillon’s future?
Perry Township is celebrating its
bicentennial this year. The township had
its first organizational meeting in October
1813, and a follow-up meeting officially
establishing the township in February
1814. Learn more about the history of this
Western Stark County community
Saturday in a special Perry 200 section.
Exclusively on INDEONLINE.COM:
ON TWITTER: David Harpster and Chris
Easterling keep you updated on the latest
local sports news. Follow them on Twitter
@dharpsterINDE and @ceasterlingINDE.
And visit FridayNightOhio.com for
complete Stark County sports coverage.
Weather
HIGH
TODAY
LOW
TONIGHT
Mostly
cloudy, frigid.
15
1
■ For details and 5-day forecast, turn
to Page A-2 or visit our online weather
center: IndeOnline.com/weather
Good morning,
Susie Gruber
Thank you for subscribing to
The Independent!
HOME APPLIANCE
COMPANY
THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL
406 N. ERIE STREET, MASSILLON
330-832-6320
www.homeapplianceco.net
• Best in Product • Best in Service • Best in Price
6 MO.
SAME AS CASH
with approved
credit
MON, THURS
8:30am - 8:00pm;
TUES, WED, FRI
8:30am - 5:30pm
SAT. • 8:30am - 5pm
SUN. • Closed
6 Months No-Interest Option with Regular Minimum Payments: Special terms apply to purchases charged with approved credit to the Home Appliance Co., Inc. card issued by Wells Fargo Financial National
Bank. Regular minimum monthly payments are required during the special-terms period. The no-interest option means there is no interest if the purchase is paid in full within the special-terms period; otherwise,
interest accrued from date of purchase at the regular APR. For newly opened accounts, the regular APR is 27.99% and the default APR is 27.99%. All APRs given are as of 9/28/10. All APRs may vary. 5218480123
OBITUARIES/LOCAL
IndeOnline.com
Listed information, including
addresses, has been gathered
from arrest and incident reports
publicly available at area law enforcement agencies. If your
name appears here and your
case was dismissed or you were
cleared of the crime, let us know
by calling The Independent at
330-775-1126, or by emailing [email protected].
MASSILLON
BREAKING AND ENTERING Copper pipes were stolen
from a vacant home between
3:14 p.m. Sunday and 3:14 p.m.
Tuesday in the 1000 block of
11th Street NE.
THEFT A man reported
fraudulent charges were placed
on his credit card Tuesday.
Someone used his credit card
number without his consent at
pharmacies in Massillon, Orrville and Wooster.
IDENTITY FRAUD A man
reported Monday that someone
opened an account in his name
with a cable company. He said
the company contacted him
about a bill for $227 and he did
not open an account with that
company, the police report
states.
Man
pushing
car hit
by SUV
Independent staff report
PERRYTWP. A man pushing
a car that had broken down was
taken to the hospital Tuesday
night after he was struck from
behind by an approaching SUV.
Three people were pushing
a 1995 Nissan Maxima eastbound along 12th Street NW
near Ambrose Avenue NW.
One man was struck at 10:40
p.m. by a 2002 Chevrolet Blazer, according to Sgt. Leo
Shirkey with the Ohio Highway
Patrol.
The man was transported to
Mercy Medical Center, Shirkey
said. The crash remains under
investigation and no charges
had been filed Wednesday, he
said. According to statements
in the report, the disabled vehicle that was being pushed did
not have lights on, Shirkey
said.
SHERIFF
CONTINUED FROM A-1
As they tried to do a year
ago, Swanson and Lt. Louis
Darrow of the sheriff’s office —
a candidate for the post —
asked the state’s top court to
determine whether or not the
central committee could consider Maier for the job prior to
it meeting.
They argued that only Darrow and Republican Larry
Dordea, the applicants qualified to hold the job at the
time the vacancy occurred,
could be considered.
“The purpose was to compel
them to either not convene or
to follow what we felt was the
proper qualification date,”
Beck said. “But since the (De-
New levies discussed
Grand jury will hear
pizza-delivery rape case by Perry officials
BY STEVEN M. GRAZIER
Independent staff writer
GateHouse Ohio Media staff report
CANTON A 20-year-old Canton man ac-
cused of robbing and raping a pizza delivery woman will have his case heard by a Stark
County grand jury.
And the 16-year-old suspect in the same
case may be tried as an adult.
Jeremy Joseph, 20, of Canton, waived his
preliminary hearing Wednesday in Canton
Municipal Court, and his case will be sent
to a grand jury.
He is being held in the Stark County Jail
on a $2 million bond.
An indictment — if the grand jury decides
there is enough evidence for a trial —
should take 30 to 60 days to issue, according to the city prosecutor’s office.
Joseph is charged with rape, kidnapping
and aggravated robbery. The teen boy faces
juvenile counts of the same charges.
In mid-January, the 33-year-old woman
delivered a pizza to a vacant house on
Massillon City
Schools Board
of Education
WEDNESDAY MEETING
KEY ACTION Approved
the purchase of plaques for
the 2014 Distinguished Citizens, not to exceed $1,000,
and the cost of food for the
Distinguished Citizens luncheon not to exceed $900.
HOURS
CONTINUED FROM A-1
Legislators and educators
have been discussing the
change to the school calendar
for some time.
Broc Bidlack, superintendent of Fairless Local Schools,
said there were plans to phase
out calamity days.
Students in grades seven
though 12 are required to
have 1,001 hours of instruction, and students in kindergarten though sixth grade
910 hours. Half-day kindergarten students must receive
455 hours of instruction.
NO DIFFERENCE
Bidlack said his district’s
2014-15 calendar won’t look
any different than this school
year’s.
The change, he said, eliminates paperwork and
makes it easier to plan the
calendar.
“This year, we requested
mocratic Central Committee)
was able to meet without the
court ruling that means the
mandamus action was effectively moot.”
Attorneys for the central
committee and party chairman
Randy Gonzalez said the argument was absurd and asked
the court to dismiss the filing,
which justices did Wednesday.
Steve Okey, an attorney for
the party, said Wednesday’s decision is good indicator that the
court is “not looking too enthusiastically on their argument.”
Maier declined to discuss the
status of the legal battle beyond
Wednesday’s court decision,
but he said the right forum to
challenge him is at the ballot
box.
“If Tim Swanson or anyone
else wants to be sheriff, in
14th Street NE at about 7 p.m.
She was robbed at gunpoint by two
males, placed into the trunk of her vehicle and driven around before they stopped
at a wooded area on 17th Street NE, according to police. The woman also was sexually assaulted.
The victim was left without clothes and noticed by a passer-by, who drove her to her
house to get clothing and then to Aultman
Hospital for treatment.
Also Wednesday, the 16-year-old boy had
a hearing in Stark County Family Court.
A probable cause hearing is set for Feb. 4
to determine if the boy will be tried in adult
court.
The juvenile also has robbery and theft
charges pending in another case, according
to the prosecutor’s office.
He is being held in the Multi-County Juvenile Attention Center.
The board also approved up
to $1,300 for the senior citizen dinner previous to the
free showing of the high
school musical “42nd Street.”
DISCUSSION Superintendent Rik Goodright termed
the the expenses as “community expenditures,” saying it
was the district’s way of giving
back.
OTHER BUSINESS
■ Approved student trips
for DECA state competition
March 14 and 15 in Columbus; DECA International
Conference May 3 and 6 in
Atlanta, Ga.; and marketing
class trip March 17-20 to New
York City.
UP NEXT Meets at 9 a.m.
Saturday at the administrative offices, 930 17th St. NE,
for a board retreat. Meets at 6
p.m. Feb. 26 at administrative
offices for a regular meeting.
AMY L. KNAPP
(from the state) early release
days for staff development,” he
said. “We had to apply for a
waiver. We did that in June
but we didn’t know if we
were going to get approved
until the school calendar (for
2014-15) was out and already
approved.
“That’s one detail we won’t
have to worry about (under
the new law).”
He and other superintendents also won’t have to file paperwork for calamity days.
Fairless students will be in
class for the same amount of
time next year as they are this
school year — 178 days. It
amounts to 91 hours more
next year, than the required
1,001 hours. By law, districts
are not permitted to have
less instructional time than
the previous school year, Bidlack said.
“It’s going to be safe to say
that most districts are above
the minimum amount (of
hours),” Bidlack said.
Tuslaw will exceed the state
three weeks is the filing deadline, so file and run,” Maier said.
Maier and Dordea have filed
petitions to run for the seat at
the May primary. Douglas
Smith, a lieutenant for the
Summit County Sheriff’s Department, has pulled a petition
to run as a Democrat. The filing deadline is Feb. 5. All candidates must be certified by the
Stark County Board of Elections
before appearing on the ballot.
In addition to challenging
Maier’s qualifications, Beck
and Swanson have indicated
that they will file a lawsuit
against Stark County commissioners to recoup a
$33,805 legal bill. Swanson
said earlier this month that he
may sue for back pay for every
day Maier served as sheriff.
The legal battle started ear-
minimum by nearly 13 days or
about 85 hours.
Bidlack said administrators can seek approval from
the board of education to reduce instructional time.
“You would have to have a
pretty good reason why (you
reduced instructional time),”
he said. “You don’t want to
miss too many days ... that will
start to affect your academic
success.”
John Charlton, spokesperson for the state Department
of Education, said the change
from days to hours will allow
school districts more flexibility.
“There are no more calamity day so if you come up short
you have some extra time to
make up days,” he said. “...
Rather than go extra days
(at the end of the year) districts can add an extra 30
minutes onto the end of the
school day.”
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or
[email protected].
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
ly last year when sheriff-elect
Michael McDonald was too ill
to begin his term. Swanson,
who planned to retire from the
job after 13 years, stayed on as
sheriff until the Democratic
party could find a replacement. Swanson, who helped
write the state’s job requirements, backed Darrow for the
job from the get-go.
Although unlikely, Okey
said, he hopes both sides can
move on.
“Sheriff Maier went out and
met the requirements,” he
said. “It’s probably a closed issue. I’m hopeful this ends the
legal wrangling that Sheriff
Swanson has started. It’s up to
them what they’re going to do.
It’s our hope we can close this
chapter and let Sheriff Maier
go forward and do his job.”
Call me to review your current coverage
and compare costs.
• Welcomes all stages
of Alzheimer's and
Dementia
CHRISTINE SANOR
Financial Advisor
• We offer Respite
Care & Adult Daycare
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
Member FINRA/SIPC
• We are never shortstaffed, allowing us
to provide the one-toone care you desire.
OVER 25 YEARS OF INVESTING
EXPERIENCE
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AWARD
RECIPIENT 2014*
• We accept longterm
care insurance
and VA assistance
A DEDICATED ALZHEIMER’S/
DEMENTIA COMMUNITY
• Private Rooms
3328 13th Street NW
Canton, OH 44708
Sign the online guestbook
Create a memorial website
IndeOnline.com/obituaries
Rita E. Awkerman
age 92, of Massillon, passed
away on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014.
She was born
in Massillon on
June 6, 1921
and was the
daughter of the
late Joseph and
H e l e n
(Donant)
Friedrich. Rita
was a longtime
resident of Huntingdon, Pa.,
returning to the Massillon area
in 2011.
Along with her parents, she
was preceded in death by her
husband, Ted Awkerman and
her brothers, Rev. Fr. Ralph
Friedrich, Paul Friedrich and
Jim Friedrich. She is survived by
her daughter, Bev and Burk
Taulien of Tennessee; her grandchildren, Joanne Manning and
Cevin of Florida and Chris and
Haley Fiske of Tennessee; her
great-grandchildren, Connor
and Abigail Fiske; her sister-inlaw, Joanne Friedrich and many
nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial
will take place at 11 a.m. at St.
Joseph Catholic Church 3223rd Street SE in Massillon on
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. Revs. Fr.
Raymond Paul and Fr. Donald
Feicht will concelebrate the
Mass. Burial will follow in the
parish cemetery. The family will
receive friends at the church
from 10 a.m.–11 a.m. before the
Mass. In lieu of flowers, donation can be made to the
Maryknoll Missions, PO Box
302, Maryknoll, NY 105450302 or Catholic Charities of
Stark County, 3112 Cleveland
Avenue NW, Canton, OH
44709. Messages of love and
support may be sent to
www.paquelet.com.
Paquelet Funeral Home
& Crematory
330-833-3222
Reach Steven at 330-775-1134
or [email protected]
On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE
Shirley L. Yost
Age 73 of Massillon passed
away Tuesday morning, Jan. 21,
2014 in Affinity Medical Center.
She was born July 22, 1940 in
Akron, Ohio to her parents, the
late Price and Edna Lawler. In
addition to her parents, she was
preceded in death by her husband, Robert Yost this past
October, one brother and two
sisters.
Shirley is survived by her
daughter, Laura Yost of
Massillon; son, Robert “Wayne”
(Valerie) Yost of Akron; grandchildren, Natassia (Jacob)
Kilver, Diedre Haupt; stepgrandchildren Jessica and
Jason.
Funeral services will be held
Saturday at 10 a.m. in the
Williams Funeral Home with
Rev. Barry Whetstone officiating. Private burial will follow in
Sunset Hills Memory Gardens.
Friends may call one hour prior
to the service. Those wishing to
share a fond memory or their
condolences may sign the
online
guestbook
at
dwilliamsfh.com
Williams Funeral
Home and Cremation Services
330-455-0387
Derik T. Payne
age 34, passed away Monday
at his home. He was a 1998
graduate of Washington High
School.
He is survived by his daughter, Kaycee Marie; his mother,
Twila McClaskey; sister, Angela
(Ford) Beadle; and nephew,
Dylan.
Services for the family were
Wednesday at Anchor Baptist
Church. Messages of support
and sympathy can be sent to the
family at
www.paquelet.com.
Paquelet Funeral Home
& Crematory
330-833-3222
Tuslaw Lions Club
MONTE CARLO NIGHT and Steak Fry
at Massillon K of C • 988 Cherry Road
Saturday, February 1, 2014 • 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Casino Games
Dinner served 6 - 9 p.m. which includes
steak, baked potato, baked beans,
Basket Raffle
hot rice, cole slaw, roll & dessert
$100 Drawing at 10:30 p.m.
Donation $12.00 — Tickets available at the door Or call (330) 232-5046
ISOM ASSOCIATES INC.
HOME HEALTH SERVICES
A Medicare Certified Agency
providing Home Services
• Skilled
Nursing
• Physical
Therapy
• Occupational
Therapy
• Speech
Therapy
• Skilled Home
Health Aides
167 Lincoln Way East
Massillon, Ohio
4790 Erie Ave. SW ~ Navarre, OH 44662
5201400130
■
■
■
John Masalko, the township’s
road superintendent. He said
a new levy would help pay for
additional street paving material, salt and equipment.
“Our roads are getting in
such bad shape, and the funds
are just not there anymore,”
Masalko said.
The two police levies being
discussed could replace three
existing levies over five years,
Haines said.
Trustees plan to further discuss whether to take the levies
to voters this year at the next
regular meeting, which is
scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at
the township administration
office, 3111 Hilton St. NW.
*Membership is based on prior fiscal year
production. Re-qualification is required annually.
raymondjames.com/csanor
P 330.454.6914
F 330.454.7986
PERRY TWP. Up to three
new levies to help fund township services could go to voters as early as this spring.
Trustee Doug Haines said
two police levies — one for
3.49 mills and another for
2.99 mills — and a 1-mill
road levy are being considered
for the spring or fall ballots.
“Right now, we’re trying to
decide what makes the most
sense,” said Haines, who noted the levies were part of a discussion during the township’s
Tuesday work session.
A 1-mill road levy would
be an addition to the current
2-mill road levy, which expires in 2016, according to
OBITUARIES
When was the last time
your insurance agent
called about reviewing
your life insurance?
• 24 Hour Supervision
& Care in a Secured
Environment
• Housekeeping, Cable,
Home Cooked Meals,
Activities & more!
A-3
5215950128
CRIME
REPORTS
The Independent Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014
330-879-1500
5213510123
330-834-3399
Serving Nine Counties
5222120206
SATURDAY, OCT. 11, 2014
STORE
PRICE
MASSILLON, OHIO INDEONLINE.COM
$1.50 WEEKENDER
COVERAGE ONLINE
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
WEEK 7 SCOREBOARD
23
14
Chippewa
Dalton
35
7
Lake
Perry
28
14
Tuslaw
Tusky Valley
24
0
Central Catholic 56
Barberton
21
Jackson
Northwest
37
8
Fairless
Timken
42
0
McKinley
GlenOak
37
7
Ursuline
Massillon
■ COMPLETE
AREA FOOTBALL COVERAGE INSIDE SPORTS / SECTION B
WEEKENDER EDITION
CENTRAL EYES D2 STATE GOLF TITLE;
LEADS AFTER FIRST ROUND SPORTS,
PAGE B-5
ELECTION 2014: FAIRLESS LOCAL
SCHOOL DISTRICT EMERGENCY LEVY
THE BLADE ANDY MORRISON
■ Obie, one of the former Washington High
School live tiger mascots, walks in his enclosure
at Kenny Hetrick’s Tiger Ridge Exotics near
Toledo. This Obie is one of four former WHS
mascots that live in the sanctuary.
Four Obies
could be
forced to
new home
State threatening to shut down
Toledo-area animal sanctuary that
houses four ex-WHS tiger mascots
INDEPENDENT KEVIN WHITLOCK
BY ALEXANDRA MESTER
The Toledo Blade
STONY RIDGE A Toledo-area animal sanctuary, which is home to four “Obies,” is in danger of being shut down by the state for noncompliance with state exotic animal laws.
“It’s going to ruin my whole life,” said Kenny Hetrick, owner of Tiger Ridge Exotics. “This
is all I know.”
Hetrick, 69, received a letter Thursday
from a special prosecutor on behalf of the Ohio
Department of Agriculture. The letter gives
him 10 business days to voluntarily surrender
his animals to the state or face criminal or civil charges in Perrysburg Municipal Court
and have his animals seized by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
SEE OBIES A-2
TODAY’S TOP THREE:
STUFF TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU GO ABOUT
YOUR DAY
1. CARTOON CONTEST
From the Great Pumpkin to the Jolly Green
Giant to Cinderella and Jack and the
Beanstalk — you made some funny cracks
about this week’s cartoon. See who took the
top prize in this week’s contest. PAGE A-2
2.
Exclusively on our website, INDEONLINE.COM:
VIDEO: Watch a preview of what you can
experience tonight at Massillon’s Zombie
Walk.
BLOGS: Following your passions has its risks
and rewards. Read what George Bickis has to
say about that in his “Life Lessons” blog.
3. HOMECOMING
PHOTOS
Are you going to the fall dance?
Whether you have a date to homecoming or
you’re going with a group of guys or gals, we
want to see you all dressed up and having fun
at the annual high school homecoming event
or just clowning around with your friends.
Send us your homecoming photos by email to
[email protected]. Your photos may
be published in The Independent.
Business ......A-10
Classifieds ....B-5
Comics ..........B-8
Education ......A-9
Local ..A-2, 3, 5, 8
Obituaries ......A-5
Religion ......A-6, 7
Sports..........B-1-5
For newsroom questions/comments,
call the newsroom: 330-775-1126
For delivery or billing questions, call
Customer Service: 330-580-8500
GATEHOUSE MEDIA INC., © 2014
Fairless High School geometry teacher Holly Postlewaite goes over a lesson with students (from left) Bo Snyder, Gavin Cerrato
and Jack Fortner. Below, Fairless School Superintendent Broc Bidlack proudly holds the district’s report card, which includes an
A in the gap closing measure. Fairless was the only district in the county to get the top grade in the category.
■
‘A’ FOR
ATTITUDE
INDEPENDENT GLENN B. DETTMAN
Fairless shifts culture to make academic strides, including being
the only district in Stark County to get the top grade in closing the
education gap. But leaders fear a levy failure would thwart gains.
Independent staff writer
BREWSTER
W
hat does it take to
be a winner? A
good plan. Hard
work. Practice.
Fearless determination
helps. So does support.
Winners often have a formula for their success. For
Fairless Local Schools, winning has a lot to do with attitude.
When the district set
out to improve the academic performance of all
students — no matter
their ability — educators
developed a “no excuses”
stance. The result showed
up on the most recent
school report card when
Fairless was the only district in Stark County to
receive an “A” in closing
the learning gap between
the best students and
Your guide
for Nov. 4
■ ELECTION 2014 The Inde
and The Rep combined forces
to bring you an election guide
to the Nov. 4 vote. Find it in
Sunday’s Repository, with
extras such as candidate questionnaires at IndeOnline.com.
school performance.
Then about five years
ago, something changed.
Fairless educators decided
■ If you have more
“effective” was no longer
questions on the Fairless
school levy, and we’ll have
acceptable.
the answers. See a Q&A on
“It was almost like a pot
additional issues
that was ready to boil over,”
surrounding the levy on
said Fairless Elementary
PAGE A-3.
School Principal Julie
Weyandt. “We turned up
those most challenged.
our expectations just a few
Now, Fairless wants to
notches and it really made
keep the momentum going, a difference and paid off.”
and hopes voters will apOfficials described the
prove an additional 8.9change as a culture shift
mill, seven-year emergency where nothing would get in
levy Nov. 4 to maintain the the way of academic pereducation effort. It’s the
formance.
fourth election in which the
With a new attitude, addistrict has gone to the vot- ministrators, teachers and
ers asking for new money.
staff realized before they
could address learning they
CLOSING THE GAP
needed to start with the baFor years, Fairless scored sic needs of students — food,
an “effective” rating on its
clothing, school supplies.
state’s report card under
SEE FAIRLESS A-3
the old system for grading
Question &
answer session
BY AMY L. KNAPP
Weather
HIGH
TODAY
Partly sunny
and cool.
58 35
LOW
TONIGHT
■ For details and 5-day forecast, turn
to Page A-2 or visit our online weather
center: IndeOnline.com/weather
Good morning,
Amanda Proper
Thank you for subscribing to
The Independent!
Cost reductions
since 2008
■ Three administrators —
technology director,
curriculum director, facilities
supervisor.
■ 22 teachers across all grade
levels.
■ 22 classified positions
including secretarial,
custodial and instructional
aides.
■ Four years of wage freezes
■ Employees’ increase in cost
of health insurance to 15
percent for the next two years
and 20 percent in three years.
■ Elimination of field trips
■ Reduction of Education
Service Center services
About the levy
ISSUE NO.: 4
ISSUE TYPE: Additional
MILLS: 8.9
YEARS: 7
ANNUAL YIELD: $1,568,000
COST annually to owner of
$100,000 home: $311.50
LOCAL
IndeOnline.com
FAIRLESS
ual work.
Students who are working
CONTINUED FROM A-1
at grade level or above might
be provided with work that
Community groups,
challenges their abilities,
churches and other organiza- struggling students might be
tions, said Superintendent
receiving personalized tutorBroc Bidlack, play a role in
ing to improve math or readhelping to meet those needs
ing.
by donating items or provid“RTI is teaching students
ing meals.
to take ownership of their
Fairless Helping Fairless — learning,” Kornish explained.
a home-grown organization
“We chart their progress and
that assists Fairless families
even in kindergarten they
— has provided school supare learning to set learning
plies and book bags to about goals and that is a powerful
400 students — about half
thing. They all want to imattend the elementary
prove.”
school, said Assistant PrinciStudents are categorized in
pal Colleen Kornish.
tiers — red for those who
Putting students first and
need the most help and
building relationships begreen for those who need the
tween teachers and students least. The goal is to move
are key to success in the
students into the green cateclassroom.
gory, Weyandt said.
“Everyone is more successThe process is fluid and
ful in life when you are loved students can move from catand supported and our stuegory to category daily.
dents feel that,” Kornish exRather than waiting to see
plained.
what the report card says,
A positive climate at an
the district is evaluating stuearly age can lead to a love of dents frequently.
learning, said elementary
Test data tracks whether a
school PTO President Kelly
student’s learning plan is
Snavely. The mother of three working. If it isn’t, the plan is
elementary students and a
tweaked.
middle school student be“It’s happening in real
lieves when students enjoy
time,” Snavely said. “There
learning, they succeed
isn’t a time lapse so if somethroughout their school cathing needs changed they are
reers.
changing it.”
TEAM APPROACH
Bidlack said educators are
no longer territorial about
their classes or buildings. Instead, they focus on a team
approach so that success in
one teacher’s class or in one
school translates into success
for the entire district.
Working collaboratively
increased efficiency and better utilized resources, Bidlack said.
Within the team, leaders
emerged. The shared leadership has led to better informed teachers and has
kept everyone moving in the
same direction.
Teachers began working
with students in new ways.
Missy Evans-Knop, a
sixth-grade language arts instructor, said it’s no longer a
teacher standing in the front
of the classroom teaching
from a textbook.
In her class, students don’t
sit still for more than 20
minutes.
She said studies show that
the more active a person is
the more blood is flowing to
the brain.
“It’s whole brain learning,”
she said. “We are getting up
and moving and meeting all
of the needs — auditory, visual and kinetic.”
Like her counterparts,
Evans-Knop employs teaching methods that include
whole-class instruction, partner work and individual
work.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all
anymore,” she said.
Teachers research ideas,
strategies and lessons so that
they can reach students at all
levels, Evans-Knop said.
Traditional lesson plans
are a thing of the past. Tiered
lessons are developed so that
no student falls behind.
Segregating students
based on their learning ability was detrimental to the student, Jamie Askren, elementary school prevention specialist said.
In the past, it was common
to exclude some students
from the regular classroom,
but educators have found
that created larger gaps.
“Pulling them out and taking them away from the general education students wasn’t a good idea,” she said.
“They are going to be working together in the real
world.”
Instead, educators developed individual instruction
— not just for special education students — but for all
types of learners.
FALCON TIME
Response to Intervention,
or Falcon Time, which allows
educators to monitor a student’s progress and needs
and reinforce skills, was introduced. Falcon Time is set
aside daily.
Walking into a classroom
during Falcon Time, visitors
might find a small group of
students working with a
teacher while other students
are doing a variety of things
including group and individ-
The Independent Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014
Fairless Levy Q&A
■ Fairless
Elementary
School thirdgraders Cailey
Kinder, Caleb
Thompson,
Danny Soehnlen
and Sydney
Suhmid work as
a team in a
friendly
competition
during physical
education class.
The goal is to
get one
member of the
team to the
other side of the
gymnasium
without that
person touching
the floor.
Do you have a question about Fairless Local’s 8.9-mill
emergency levy that will be on the Nov. 4 ballot? Send your
question to [email protected] or 50 North Ave.
NW, Massillon, OH 44647, or phone 330-775-1135. We’ll do
our best to find the answer and publish it.
HERE ARE TODAY’S QUESTIONS:
Why does the district need additional new money to
operate?
According to school officials, state and federal funding
was reduced by $1.2 million annually while operational
expenses have increased. The district has already cut more
than 40 positions and $3.9 million annually from its budget
since 2008.
Q
A
long has it been since voters approved “new”
Q ItHow
money for district operations?
has been 18 years — May 1996 — since the last “new”
A
operating levy was approved by the community, according to district data.
What has the district done already to reduce costs
Q Since
and stretch tax dollars?
the district has made significant cost reducA tions in2008,
order to balance the budget, Bidlack said.
Fall Festival
A-3
INDEPENDENT GLENN B. DETTMAN
While it looks a little different at every grade level,
Evans-Knop said, the districtwide policy allows everyone to be at their best.
“Behavior is better and we
can stay on task,” she said.
programs including art and
field trips. Technology has
Fairless Local Schools will host a community Fall Festival at 5
not been updated and rep.m. Oct. 18 at Brideweser Stadium, 11885 Navarre Road SW,
pairs to the aging high school
Brewster. Event will include a costume contest, pie-eating
were left undone.
contest, games and a movie will be shown on the field at 7:30
p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets.
Bidlack said everything reChildren must be accompanied by an adult.
mains on the chopping
block. Anything that could
LEVY VITAL
reduce costs has been done.
care for students who may be
“If there is a common
Maintaining the school’s
There is nothing left to cut,
homeless or from homes
theme it is recognizing the
strategies for excellence is a
he said, but eliminating
where domestic abuse is
importance of each student
top priority for Bidlack and
more teachers and staff and
happening, whose families
and what they bring to the
his staff.
reducing programs could
are struggling financially or
table,” Hearn said.
The superintendent said
stymie the academic gains
who have special education
Students are being chalhe’s unsure what the district made.
needs.
lenged to exceed academical- will do if the levy fails for a
Fairless educators are foCARE TEAM
“Teaching and learning are ly, and also to behave.
fourth time.
cusing on attitude and effort.
At each school, care teams not the same things,” high
Routines and discipline
Without the resources the
“Teachers, like in every disare in place to address stuschool Assistant Principal
help keep kids in line, Evans- levy would provide, maintrict, are working really hard
dent needs. The teams meet Michael Hearn said. “The
Knop said. Fewer behavior
taining the strategies in place to come out of the box and
regularly to discuss students true art of teaching and
issues mean less time that
would become more difficult. meet standards and expectaand recognize problems that learning is creating a bridge
students are out of the classClass sizes are rising with
tions,” Evans-Knop said. “I
some might be facing such as to gap those barriers.”
room and more time learnreductions in staff, operating work with great people that
home issues or drug and alHearn looks at learning
ing.
costs continue to increase
go big and beyond. Students
cohol abuse.
like a pyramid. On one side
Strategies have been imand demands at the state
are doing their part and it all
High School Principal Lar- of the pyramid is a student’s
plemented to put everyone in and federal levels continue to starts with leadership.
ry Chambliss said the district academic needs. On the oth- the district on the same page. put a strain on the district’s
“And it’s all done with fihas specialists on staff to
er side is social, emotional
Not only are students
shrinking budget.
delity,” she said, “because we
provide immediate help.
and behavioral needs.
taught to be respectful, kind
To balance the budget over care and love what we do.”
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or
Despite financial probThe two sides, he said, are and caring, but they are also the past few years, the [email protected].
lems, the district is commit- equal and neither side can be shown what it means to be
trict has cut teachers and
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
ted to providing specialized
ignored.
kind or respectful.