INDIAN HILL VILLAGE

BULLETIN

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION of the VILLAGE OF INDIAN HILL, OHIO

All Village Bulletins available on our website www.ihill.org

October 7, 2020 Number #8

COUNCIL ACTIONS REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

September 28, 2020

• Passed Resolution – Accepting the amounts and rates as set for the City of the Village of Indian Hill, Ohio by the Budget Commission, authorizing the necessary tax levies, and certifying them to the County Auditor

• First Reading – Ordinance adopting Chapter 53,

amended Chapter 153 and amended Chapter 154, Section 154.098 Rules and Regulations, for the City of the Village of Indian Hill

Please go to http://www.ihill.org/council/council.aspx

to review full Council Packet for more details

PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING

ACTIONS The Planning Commission meeting for September 15th was cancelled due to a lack of agenda items.

Village of Indian Hill Public Meeting Dates All meetings held in Council Chambers

Please see back page for a complete listing of Village Public

meeting dates & times. COPY DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE

October 16, 2020

Notice of Public Hearing

There will be a public hearing on the draft "2021 Budget Appropriations" at the November 23, 2020 Council meeting to be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the Village Administration Building, 6525 Drake Road. The draft budget will be available online Friday, November 20, 2020 with the Council Agenda at www.ihill.org. Due to current COVID-19 status and its continuous policy changes, please refer to Village website/App calendar for meeting format closer to date (www.ihill.org). The Village of Indian Hill, Ohio by: Paul C. Riordan Clerk/Comptroller

Don’t forget to fall back on November 1, 2020

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 2

THE VILLAGE OF INDIAN HILL, OHIO OFFICIAL DIRECTORY

VILLAGE COUNCIL 6525 Drake Road

Melissa S. Cowan, Mayor Richard J. Hidy

Elizabeth C. Isphording Stephen H Krehbiel

Shayne Manning Donald C. McGraw Monique A. Sewell

VILLAGE STAFF

Dina C. Minneci, City Manager Jonathan D. West, Assistant City Manager

Paul C. Riordan, Clerk/Compt. Scott D. Phillips, Solicitor

Scott Gully, Finance Director / Tax Commissioner 561-6500

Chuck Schlie, Chief of Police 561-7000

911 (Emergency) Jason Adkins, Superintendent WW & PW Departments

831-3712 Rick Babcock, Park Ranger Grand Valley Preserve

979-6221 Stephen C. Oughterson, Fire Chief

561-7926 (Business) 911 (Fire call)

Tim Ingram, Health Commissioner

PLANNING COMMISSION Paul F. Madden, Chairperson

Shayne Manning Joe Rhodenbaugh Rita Stolper Richard C. Wiggers

GREEN AREAS

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Ms. Liz Tilton, Chairperson

Eileen Alexander Todd Bailey Jeffrey Graham

Pat Hinkley Ken Koster Cynthia King Trish Krehbiel

Wallace Lovejoy Shayne Manning Jenny Margo Ellen Schiefer

STANLEY M. ROWE ARBORETUM 4600 Muchmore Road—561-5151

Jason Donovan

GUN CLUB REPRESENTATIVE Dick Steuerwald, Range Supervisor 831-0994

Jack Basham, Asst Supervisor 831-0994 Thomas C. Rink, Village Representative

PERSONNEL ADVISORY &

APPEALS BOARD Kim Burke, Chairperson

Eric Holzapfel George Glover

MADEIRA/INDIAN HILL JOINT FIRE DIST.

Beth Wright, President Jeff Evans, Vice President

Jim Gulick, Treasurer John Hassan, Secretary

David Ellis Scott Gehring William Higgins Jennifer Lightcap Don McGraw Dave Parlin Sam Robinson Joe Weil

THE HEART CHURCH MINISTRIES OF CAMP DENNISON

10048 Campbell St, Camp Dennison OH 45111 513-831-5659

Alfred B Winters Jr, Pastor 10:45 am Sunday Worship Service

7:00 pm Tues Night Bible Study & Perfecting Class 2:30 pm 1st Saturdays, Ministry of Love at Heartland

of Madeira Nursing Home 7:00 pm 4th Friday Men & Women Fellowship (please

call for Host/Hostess location for the month)

INDIAN HILL EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF EDUCATION 6855 Drake Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45243

Nancy Aichholz, President Kim Martin Lewis, Vice President of Finance

Elizabeth Johnston, Vice President of Operations Eddie Hooker & Niki Singh

Mr. Kirk Koennecke, Supt. 272-4500 Mick Davis, Treasurer 272-4513 Indian Hill High School 272-4550 Indian Hill Middle School 272-4642 Indian Hill Elementary School 272-4703 Indian Hill Primary School 272-4754

RECREATION COMMISSION

John Rabenold, Chairman 271-4938 Jack Alley, Program Coordinator 979-6212

www.ihrecsports.com

INDIAN HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY 891-1873

Mrs. Frank Welsh, President Mr. George Glover, Vice President Mr. Gregory Miller, Vice President

Ms. Lois Rust, Secretary Mr. Chip Hunter, Treasurer

ST. GERTRUDE PARISH

Miami Ave. & Shawnee Run Rd. Church 561-5954 School 561-8020

Religious Education 561-8369 www.stgertrude.org

Rev. George Schommer, O.P. Pastor Sister Maria Christie Greve, O.P. Principal

Brad Bursa, Dir. of Evangelization Mass Schedule:

Daily: 7:00, 8:00 & 11:30 a.m. Saturday: 4:30 p.m.

Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 a.m. 12:30 & 6:00 p.m.

THE INDIAN HILL CLUB

SWIM & TENNIS Dot Lane off Shawnee Run Road

Across from St. Gertrude, www.ihclub.com

INDIAN HILL WINTER CLUB 10005 Fletcher Road

Camp Dennison, OH 45111 513-576-9444

ihwinterclub.com

CINCINNATI COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 6905 Given Road, Cincinnati, OH 45243

513-561-7298 Anthony T. T. Jaccaci, Head of School

ARMSTRONG CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

5125 Drake Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45243—561-4220

www.armstrongchapel.org Www.armstrongpreschool.org

David Brown, Lead Pastor 8:20 a.m. Traditional Worship in Old Chapel 9:40 a.m. Traditional Worship in Sanctuary

10:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship in Worship Ctr Student Ministries—Wed. at 7:00 p.m.

THE INDIAN HILL CHURCH

Episcopal-Presbyterian 6000 Drake Road

Telephone: 561-6805 www.indianhillchurch.org

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Caine, Presbyterian Minister The Nancy Hopkins-Green, Episcopal Priest

Jennifer Taylor, Dir. Of Youth Worship Schedule: Sunday 8 am & 10:30 am (Alternating Services: Episcopal/Presbyterian)

Nursery/Preschool care provided 10:30 am Sunday School (K-7th grade) 10:30 am

Adult Ed Forum 9 am (Sept-May)

CINCINNATI FRIENDS MEETING 8075 Keller Road—791-0788

www.cincinnatifriends.org Jim Newby, Minister

SUNDAY: Adult Discussion 10:00 a.m.

Meeting for Worship 11:00 a.m. Children’s Sunday School 11:00 a.m.

Nursery and childcare provided

SONRISE COMMUNITY CHURCH 8136 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227

513-576-6000 www.sonrise-church.com

Facebook: facebook.com/SonRiseCommunityChurch Twitter: @sonrisec

Contemporary Worship & K-6 Programs: Sundays @ 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Childcare provided at both services Jr. & Sr. High Sundays @ 6 p.m.

HORIZON COMMUNITY CHURCH

3950 Newtown Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45244

513-272-5800 www.horizoncc.com “Yours to Explore”

Schedule of Sunday Services: 8:50 a.m. Equipping Service, 10:00 a.m. & 11:10 a.m. Exploring Service Separate programs offered for infants through high

school students

GREENACRES ARTS CENTER 8400 Blome Road, 45243

513-793-2787

AUDIT REVIEW COMMITTEE Monique A. Sewell, Chairperson

Al Koncius David Williams Michael Sewell Paul C. Riordan

CAMARGO HUNT ETB 1925 Membership contact: purple@reagan.com

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 3

The Village of Indian Hill will observe Halloween on October 31 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. However, on September 18, 2020,Govenor DeWine issued COVID-19 guidelines pertaining to all Halloween related events, including trick-or treating. You can locate these guidelines at: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/celebrating-

halloween.pdf

Individual families can opt in or out depending on their own comfort level. These guidelines urge everyone to use caution and plan ahead for celebrating Halloween amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions regarding the above guidelines, please contact 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

(Continued on page 12)

HALLOWEEN 2020 AND COVID-19

The recent start of the deer hunting season gives us pause to consider why we allow hunting in Indian Hill. Many residents of Indian Hill see deer almost every day. It was very different a hundred years ago, as

deer were nearly extinct at the turn of the twentieth century. Deer have staged a remarkable come-back since then, and now are over-abundant in many areas of Ohio and nationally. This happened for two main reasons. First, although land development by humans has taken habitat away from many kinds of wildlife, the opposite has happened with our native white-tailed deer. These deer seem to be ideally suited to live in the human-developed areas of our suburbs, exurbs and agricultural-rural areas. Deer thrive in our residential landscapes. Second, deer populations have swelled mightily as the growth of our cities and real estate development have removed most of the deer’s natural predators (an exception: Coyotes prey on fawns, but without major impact on the numbers of deer.) Without nature’s check on

the deer population, those numbers need active regulation through prudent wildlife management programs. Without these programs, over-crowded deer may exhaust their food supply and die of starvation in the harsher months. Higher deer populations also have a negative impact on our lives, with vehicle-on-deer collisions, the damage to our trees and gardens, tick-borne diseases, and the degradation of our Village green areas. These problems could get worse if deer populations go unchecked. Recognizing this, our state and local governments have shouldered some of the responsibility by establishing safe and controlled hunting programs, which serve as the primary means for controlling numbers of deer. Locally, the Indian Hill Rangers oversee the Village Deer Management Program, which attempts to control the size of the deer population while ensuring the safety of our residents and those who use our green areas.

WHY HUNT DEER?

The Green Area Advisory Committee (GAAC) invites you to the October 7th meeting. We will be meeting at a Bridle Trail and hearing a review of our Bridle

Trail system, and viewing a majestic (potentially record making) Tulip Tree! Please join us at 5:30 pm. Look for the location on the Village website or call 561-6500 as we get closer to the date.

GAAC OCTOBER MEETING

Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the Governor’s Order allowing no more than ten people at a gathering, the Village of Indian Hill and the Indian Hill Veterans Committee regretfully announce that this year’s formal observance will be cancelled on November 11, 2020. However, the Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of Shawnee Run Road and Drake Road, will be decorated appropriately with the annual placement of flags and

military wreath honoring all those who served their country. On November 11th as well as any day, we welcome everyone to take a few minutes out of their day to visit the Memorial and pay their respects to all military families. Their sacrifices to defend all the freedoms we share today are immeasurable. The November Bulletin will include Mayor Cowan’s Observance speech as well as other Veterans Day history.

VETERANS DAY OBSERVANCE NOVEMBER 11, 2020

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 4

Stepping Stones will host the 2020 Golf Classic on Monday, October 19 at the O’Bannon Creek Golf Club in Loveland. The morning flight will tee off at 8 a.m. and the afternoon flight will tee off at 1 p.m. Stepping Stones and event chair Steve Mennen invite you to enjoy a beautiful fall day with great food, refreshing drinks, exciting hole challenges, raffle prizes and more. Presented by Niagara Bottling, the Golf Classic benefits Stepping Stones’ mission to build pathways to independence and promote inclusion for people with developmental and physical disabilities. Show your support by starting a team or becoming a sponsor. Following the afternoon flight, dinner options will be available and event winners will be announced. Stepping Stones will be adhering to all State of Ohio COVID-19 guidelines and will have enhanced safety protocols in place for the event. “Stepping Stones plays such an integral role in our community” said event chair Steve Mennen. “I’m so glad that we were able to put together a socially distant version

of this event to keep our golfers safe while raising money for a cause we all care so much about.” Event tickets are $200 for a single and $800 for a foursome. The O’Bannon Creek Golf Club is located at 6842 Oakland Road in Loveland, Ohio. To order tickets, visit SteppingStonesGolf.org. For more information, contact Kelly Crow at 513-965-5148 or email Kelly.Crow@SteppingStonesOhio.org. Who: Stepping Stones What: Annual Golf Classic, Presented by Niagara Bottling When: Monday, October 19, 2020 at 8 a.m. Where: O’Bannon Creek Golf Club Why: To raise money for year-round programs benefiting children, teens and adults with disabilities. Morning winners Price McLane, Jaime Masters, Todd Block and George Musekamp (Indian Hill) attend the 2019 Golf Classic fundraiser benefiting Cincinnati-area individuals with disabilities.

STEPPING STONES TO PUT ON ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC

Stepping Stones hosted its annual Bloom Gala virtually on September 12, 2020. The first event of its kind for the organization, Stepping Stones netted more than $242,000 to benefit year-round programming for children, teens and adults with disabilities. Allie Martin from WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle hosted this year’s virtual event: Bloom, Boots and Bourbon. The event featured a special appearance by Chef Cristian Pietoso of Via Vite as well as a featured drink courtesy of Comfort Station & Sundry and Vice. Attendees raised money for the organization by participating in a silent auction with over 50 packages and by purchasing gardening kits for program participants. Several Stepping Stones supporters hosted “Mini Blooms” where they watched the virtual event from home with friends and family. “Stepping Stones is an organization that perseveres in times of hardship,” said Elizabeth Rogers (Indian Hill), Bloom host. “After the pandemic started, the Stepping Stones development team worked to transition Bloom into a virtual event and I was impressed with how smoothly the event went. We will continue our support, and hope to see everyone back in person next year.” The event’s presenting sponsor was Huntington Bank. Diamond sponsors were Susie & Neil Bortz, the Chemed Foundation and the Pettengill Family. Gold sponsors were

Beth & Doug Brendamour of Brendamour Warehousing. Stepping Stones is a United Way partner agency serving more than 1,100 people with disabilities in day and overnight programs that increase independence and promote inclusion. Founded in 1963, the agency provides educational, recreational and social programs at locations in Batavia, Indian Hill, Norwood and Western Hills. For more information, visit www.SteppingStonesOhio.org.

Above: Lisa and Dirk Schneider entertain guests at their Mini Bloom party to benefit Cincinnati-area individuals with disabilities. Left: Ann and Sam Johnston dress up in their Western attire to celebrate Bloom.

STEPPING STONES’ FIRST VIRTUAL EVENT NETS MORE THAN $242K

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 5

Indian Hill resident Spencer Rodenberg, Cincinnati Country Day School Class of 2021, earned his Eagle Scout rank from Montgomery Scout Troup 674. Spencer worked with Country Day faculty members to envision, plan and construct a garden that could be used as part of the curriculum. His work was part of the 21 merit badges needed for Eagle Scout rank. Spencer wanted his project to have both an immediate, and a long-lasting impact for Country Day. During the planning stages, different projects were contemplated. “We looked at several projects that could meet our requirements, including a composter,” stated Spencer. “We eventually settled on a garden that students could use over and over and actually see progress during a large portion of the year.”

The project was not without it’s challenges according to Kaki Scheer, Director of Outdoor Education for CCDS.” Spencer started raising money for the supplies with a bake sale. His plan was to return from Spring Break and build the project, but COVID-19 had other ideas. He was unable to gain access to campus through the spring and summer, so he completed the project during the first week of school,” Sheer said. “Even then, he had to navigate new protocols to enter campus, wearing a mask, and maintaining social distancing.” The project was completed on the playground of the Early Childhood Center, home to Country Day’s youngest students. Early Childhood teacher Tara McMullen Hofstetter was instrumental in making the project happen. “We plan to incorporate the garden into the curriculum to teach children about living in the natural world. The

COUNTRY DAY STUDENT EARNS EAGLE SCOUT AWARD

Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) was introduced to North America in the late 1700s as an ornamental, fast growing, and shade-providing species. This invasive species can reproduce by seed (300,000+ seeds per female tree) and root shoots (sprouting up to 100 feet away). The young plants outcompete native species and can produce chemicals that may inhibit the growth of nearby plants. This tree was listed as invasive by the Ohio Invasive Plants Council in 2014. Tree of heaven can be found growing throughout Hamilton County. It is sometimes mistaken for walnut or sumac (due to the compound leaves). Tree of heaven leaflets contain glandular teeth at their base and their leaf margins are smooth (see Figure 1), whereas, sumac leaflets are toothed. Tree of heaven leaves have an unmistakable odor when crushed which has been compared to the smell of rancid peanut butter.

Greenacres has documented the rapid spread of this

species. Part of our honeysuckle eradication efforts include experimenting with different removal methods. Last October, we used a Fecon Bull Hog to mechanically remove invasive honeysuckle, multiflora rose and privet from a section of the woods. This portion of the woods had a population of adult tree of heaven plants, and the removal had the unintended consequence of their root shoots developing. Within one year of invasive shrub removal, tree of heaven saplings quickly established themselves (Figure 2). We have since observed this invasion of tree of heaven saplings in other areas of shrub removal, regardless of removal method.

Homeowners should identify tree of heaven species on their property and be aware that this species may affect other invasive plant removal efforts. Greenacres will begin investigating the most effective way to remove tree of heaven on our property. If you have any questions about tree of heaven identification, please reach out to Jennifer Mansfield at jmansfield@green-acres.org or 513-898-3250.

TREE OF HEAVEN - NOT SO HEAVENLY

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 6

garden that Spencer created will provide valuable lessons for many years to our young learners.” When Spencer was asked how he envisioned his project, he said, “I hope it is used to enrich the learning of the younger students and that perhaps it can grow into additional gardens. Who knows maybe soon we’ll have a CCDS version of the hanging gardens.” Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. This prestigious award is widely recognized throughout the country and is based on accomplishing a set of national standards. Eagle means you have finished 21 or more merit badges, been a leader of your Troop, know what it means to be of service to others, and is someone who shows character by their “actions”.

Spencer Rodenberg ‘21 of Troop 674 in Montgomery is assisted by his brother Asher ’27 completing a garden project on the Cincinnati Country Day Campus for his Eagle Scout Merit

The IHF is proud to announce the leadership for the 2020-2021 year: Janet McMillan, President; Lisa Consolina, Vice President; Cindy Neumann, Treasurer; Melody Hamilton, Secretary. New Board members joining this year include Pete Boylan, Jeff Heinichen, Scott Holzapfel, Peter Klekamp and Mike Wentz. Returning Board members include Amy Campa, Kirk Koennecke, Jennifer Lightcap, Leigh Anne Meurer, Rohit Nayak, Niki Singh, Kristin Skidmore, Andy Swallow, Carrie Vanden Boom and Garrett Youngblood. The mission of the IH Foundation is to put our community's philanthropy to work innovating, accelerating and enriching the classroom experience and enriching the connections between the district and the community. The support of parents, alumni and the community help fuel our mission. To learn how you can be involved, visit indianhillfoundation.org for more information.

Janet McMillan, President, and Lisa Consolino, Vice President of the Indian Hill Foundation

New Board volunteers (l to r) Pete Boylan, Scott Holzapfel, Jeff Heinichen, Mike Wentz. (not pictured: Peter Klekamp)

The IH Foundation Board for 20-21 proudly stands on the staircase of the recently completed Home of the Braves complex

IHF LEADERSHIP FOR 2020-2021

Nominations for the IHHS Alumni Awards for 2021 are due to the Indian Hill Foundation on November 1, 2020. For over 60 years, graduates of IHHS have been changing the world in countless ways. The IH Foundation is proud to honor their legacy of

commitment, integrity and achievement. There are three categories of awards: Distinguished Alumni, Brave Service Award, and Young Brave Award (for achievements within 20 years of graduation). Please visit indianhillfoundation.org for more information and to download a nomination form. Any questions, please email alumni@indianhillfoundation.org.

IHHS ALUMNI AWARDS NOMINATIONS DUE 11/1/20

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 7

Be Brave … within the Indian Hill School District, from

our academics, to our arts, to our athletics – we strive to do

just that. This past school year was historic for K-12

education. In March 2020, we completely altered the

model of how we deliver our educational services due to

COVID-19. All of us – from our students, to our parents,

to our faculty and staff – exemplified what it really means

to Be Brave.

While a unique chapter, the completion of our 2019-2020

school year did not define us as a District; we authored our

own amazing story, of which distance learning was only

one part. It is a story captured in our eighth annual

publication of the Quality Profile, which we just released

and is available on our District website

(indianhillschools.org; “About”).

We also revolutionized how we share our story that is so

uniquely Indian Hill through a special State of the Schools

video series, which you can access within the “About”

section of our District website. These stories give you

access to testimonials from our students, our parents, and

our faculty and staff, so you can fully experience what it

means to Be Brave.

Ours is a story built upon developing and delivering on an

intentional plan. Through the pages of our Quality Profile,

our stakeholders can explore our advancements within our

G.O.L.D. Strategic Plan for Transformational Excellence.

While we continue to evolve as a District, some parts of

the Indian Hill story won’t change – that is the excellence

our stakeholders both expect and deserve.

From our No. 5 high school state ranking by U.S. News &

World Report to our No. 9 national ranking by Niche as

one of the best public school districts in the country – we

remain the example of exceptional educational services

ensuring the intellectual development, personal growth,

and social responsibility of each student.

Our #IHPromise is our commitment to our stakeholders to

continue to Be Brave.

In service to our children,

Kirk Koennecke

Superintendent

Indian Hill School District

BE BRAVE: INDIAN HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT RELEASES EIGHTH

ANNUAL QUALITY PROFILE REPORT

To be on the guest list is a victory.

This October, seven Indian Hill High School (IHHS)

students will participate in the Bulldog Invitational, an

invitation-only mock trial tournament hosted annually by

the Yale Mock Trial Association.

“Based on our seven state championships, one world

championship, and Ethan Marx's recent Gladiator national

championship, Yale has taken note of our program,” said

Indian Hill High School Teacher and Mock Trial Sponsor

Steve Reger. “We are thrilled to receive this first-time

invitation to compete at such an elite level.”

“This is a testament to the world-class mock trial program

we have developed within Indian Hill High School, and

we are incredibly proud of our students who made this

happen,” said Indian Hill High School Principal Jeff

Damadeo.

Yale’s Bulldog Invitational consists of two parts: A

dynamic workshop series taught by Yale's Mock Trial

association and a four-round tournament where the top

high school teams in the country have the opportunity to

compete against each other. Indian Hill High School will

be represented by students Ethan Marx, Sarah Motawi,

Sydney Poffenberger, Audrey Bristol, Brooke

Youngblood, Tacey Hutten, and Claire Hardek via an

online format the weekend of October 17 and 18.

Ethan Marx won the mock trial Gladiator national

championship; he is one of seven Braves invited to

participate in an invitation-only mock trial

competition hosted by Yale.

INDIAN HILL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO COMPETE IN EXCLUSIVE

YALE MOCK TRIAL ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 8

Indian Hill High School (IHHS)

congratulates the seven students who

competed at the Just Write State

Competition for competitive writing in

May. Two students, Joy On and Elsa

Zhang, placed in the top 15 writers!

Each will have stories featured in the

Just Write anthology showcasing the

best of the best from the competition.

“We are incredibly proud of all of our students who

competed, and we want to send special congratulations to

Joy and Elsa who were still in their freshmen year when

they placed as top writers in the state!” said Indian Hill

High School Teacher Tom Millard.

The Just Write State Competition was restructured and

held online. Student writers participated in three rounds,

each 45 minutes long. For each round, writers were given

a prompt and required to write in one of seven genres:

Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Realistic Fiction,

Mystery, Classic Horror/Gothic, Fantasy, and Narrative

Nonfiction. The Indian Hill High School state competitors

included: Callie Gibson, Julianne Lambert, Ricky Martin,

Marianna Narita, Joy On, Samara

Summers, and Elsa Zhang.

Indian Hill High School students Joy On (left)

and Elsa Zhang (right) placed in the top 15

writers at the Just Write State Competition.

INDIAN HILL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GET IT

‘JUST WRITE’ AT STATE COMPETITION

In March, when the Indian Hill School District joined

districts across Ohio in distance learning, Indian Hill High

School (IHHS) student Sophie Chabris felt the distance.

“During the stay at home time I got super sad since I was

disconnected from my friends,” described Chabris. “Yes, I

was able to text them, but it wasn’t the same as face-to-

face or even over FaceTime.”

Chabris turned that feeling into a plan of action for the

start of the 2020-2021 school year. She created the IHHS

Corona Care Callers Program. The mission of the program

is to create meaningful connections between students,

particularly those who are part of Indian Hill’s Brave

Virtual Academy (BVA), a new learning option for Indian

Hill families wanting to study in a flexible, online

environment.

“It is our hope to build connections between our

kindergarten through grade eight students enrolled in

Brave Virtual Academy and our high school students; we

want all of our Braves to feel connected,” explained

Chabris.

When Chabris shared her plan with fellow Indian Hill

High School students, more than 100 signed up to

volunteer their time. Working with Brave Virtual

Academy Supervisor Dr. Kim Given, Chabris emailed

BVA families to distribute program details and open

registration. Once registered, the volunteer high school

students coordinate directly with BVA families to create

virtual meetings. Chabris plans to offer these virtual

meetings between students either weekly or monthly

depending on schedules.

“Amazing,” said Indian Hill High School Principal Jeff

Damadeo. “What Sophie has created is absolutely

fantastic, and it is a true representation of what it means to

be a member of our Brave family. We are all in this

together!”

“I want to offer a big thanks to my parents and my

principal, Mr. Damadeo, for supporting me and helping

me launch the program!” said Chabris. “I hope that this

project helps students who are feeling the same I was

during distance learning.”

Indian Hill High School student Sophie Chabris has a virtual meeting

with Indian Hill Elementary School Brave Virtual Academy student

Chase Peterson.

INDIAN HILL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT BUILDS VOLUNTEER

FORCE TO KEEP VIRTUAL STUDENTS CONNECTED

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 9

SUBMITTING ARTICLES AND PICTURES All copy and pictures sent to the Village office to be included in the Bulletin should be sent by email to kzenni@ihill.org. If it is not possible for you to email, you can contact Kari at 979-6218.

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE WWW.IHILL.ORG You can find the Indian Hill Bulletin on our website at www.ihill.org. Just click on Bulletin and begin reading! You will find the most recent Bulletin as well as past Bulletins. You will also find information on all our departments, Grand Valley and meeting minutes for Council and Planning Commission. You can find schedules for recycling and trash pickup and fill out forms for Building and Zoning, the Rangers, Public Works and Taxes. There are also links to the schools, churches and the Recreation Commission.

Village of Indian Hill 2020 Bulletin Schedule

ONLINE BILL PAYMENT NOW AVAILABLE Residents and customers can now make payments online. This service is a bill payment service for alarm monitoring, boat storage, bridle trail membership, gun club membership, extra pickups, water bills, or any other account you may have with the Village. One time payments can be made, or you can sign up for payments to be deducted from your bank account on their due date automatically. This service allows for secure electronic transfer of payments from your bank account. To sign up for this service, log on to the Village’s website at ihill.org and click on the link on the homepage.

Copy Deadline Mailing date

9/18/2020 10/7/2020

10/16/2020 11/4/2020

11/13/2020 12/2/2020

12/18/2020 12/30/2020

Last school year, a dedicated team of Indian Hill School District

residents who comprised the community-based Finance Steering

Committee and the Facilities Steering Committee delivered

comprehensive recommendations for our Board of Education to

consider. These reports were the culmination of research into our

operations and facilities needs that first began in 2018.

And the work to Build a Brave Future has not stopped.

Members from each of those committees have formed a 2020

Facilities Vision Task Force. The task force is divided into three

main teams working on: plans for a complete rebuild of Indian

Hill Middle School and enhancements to Indian Hill High School;

plans for enhancements to Indian Hill Elementary School and

Indian Hill Primary School; and, plans for what the transition

would look like for students and staff during a proposed

construction timeline.

Guided by outside consultants, and in conjunction with District

administrators and staff, those volunteers will develop a draft plan

working within the framework first defined by the

recommendations of the Finance Steering Committee and

Facilities Steering Committee.

The task force will present this plan to the Board of Education

before the end of 2020. The work of our dedicated volunteers is

appreciated. We look forward to sharing the vision they are

creating in the near future.

Our needs remain real.

Over the years, the District has had to divert funds from the daily

operating budget to provide for building maintenance, upkeep,

and upgrades needed throughout the District’s campus. The last

operating levy was more than 25 years ago. The District continues

to operate from levies passed in the 1980s and earlier with a near-

zero inflationary increase.

Additionally, we are also taking into consideration the financial

impact of COVID-19. For school districts, the pandemic has

created a situation of an uncertain financial future in terms of

state funding. This spring, due to COVID-19, we saw

a significant and immediate shortfall in the State’s revenue which

was passed on to the budget items, such as school funding, and

the Indian Hill School District endured an immediate loss of more

than $200,000. We still do not know the continued impact of

COVID-19 on our District finances because this pandemic is not

over yet.

In the meantime, we continue to look for ways to operate in a

fiscally conservative manner while maintaining the excellent

educational services you expect and deserve.

As always, I thank you for your continued support of the excellent

educational services we provide within the Indian Hill School

District. Should you have any questions about our District’s

finances, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Mick Davis

Treasurer

Indian Hill Exempted Village School District

BUILDING A BRAVE VISION

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 10

Charles Samways – Renowned Huntsman

IMAGES

...THEN AND NOW

From the Indian Hill Historical Society

Charles Samways was instrumental to the success of the Camargo Hunt in Indian Hill. Both his diligence and the commitment of leading local businessmen and dedicated fox hunters (and their families) assured that the Hunt became an organization with rich traditions during the early twentieth century. Samways was born in 1889 in Great Britain, and his father was kennelman to King Edward VII. He lived in Windsor Castle Park and attended cricket games played by the Duke of Windsor and George VI. During World War I, he served in the Mesopotamian Expedition and then in India. After the war, he moved to America, residing for some time in New York and then Maryland. Julius Fleischman hired Samways to be the second huntsman for the Camargo Hunt in 1929, the year after the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America recognized the group. To meet the requirements, the Camargo Hunt had to pass a rigorous inspection, have suitable kennels, pedigreed hounds, and a top-notch huntsman. Charles Samways was such a man. The job of professional huntsman for a prestigious foxhunt requires a vast amount of knowledge and experience. It is much more than controlling and directing the pack of hounds on hunting days. The huntsman decides the general plan for each day’s hunt. Camargo, in those early decades, hunted on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from September through April. The huntsman is the only one to use the horn. Excellent horsemanship is required to blow the proper signals on the horn while galloping over land with unexpected hazards. Also, the huntsman is responsible for the welfare of the hounds and the cleanliness of the kennels. At his 1600-acre Winding Creek Farm, Mr. Fleischmann built the Camargo Kennels and cottages for the residential staff. Samways and his wife lived at the Huntsman’s Cottage on Spooky Hollow Road. His duties included maintaining the health, hygiene, exercise, and training for the dogs, as well as feeding and breeding them. Other professionals assisted Samways with these activities. The Camargo pack was fed a diet based on flesh, consistent with traditions established in England. The huntsman supervised the boiling of the flesh (cattle, horses, and sheep) and added oatmeal, barley, vegetables, and sometimes oil to the pudding like broth. The Camargo hounds originally were English bred, but later became a half-bred pack, with the crossbreeding of English and Welsh hounds. Later Kentucky and Virginia hounds were introduced to the line. Hounds were bred for stamina and scenting ability. The handling of the hounds was a year-round, day in day out occupation. The pack was

taken out for exercise and training walks three times daily, which established a rapport and kept them fit. A native Brit, Samways had to adapt to the American style of foxhunting. Some Indian Hill landowners installed fences to mark property lines, and some of these were barbed wire, which were dangerous. The terrain was rugged, and interspersed with ravines, rocks, and other obstacles. Over time, the Camargo Hunt members, their grooms, and Hunt staff devised jumps over fences, installed gates, and established trails through the Village. These improvements benefitted horses and riders alike. Charles Samways was admired and dedicated. Recalling him, the late Dr. John Wulsin stated, “Charles Samways… was a short bandy-legged

Englishman with a beautiful bell-like baritone. When he called in hounds at a check, his voice rose to a plaintive, tender peal that carried over field and down to the hollow and then faded to a beckoning, almost mournful call. It lured hound and human alike back to the comfort of the huntsman. He seemed to be singing, ‘cum, cummy, cum, cum, cum’, and they came.” Samways retired in 1958 after 29 years of “providing the sport” for the Camargo Hunt. He and his wife moved to Florida. Not only did he build a bond with his hounds and train them to work together as a pack, he was venerated by Hunt members. He was part of a closely knit group that bettered the sport and continues to make an impact in Indian Hill today.

Charles Samways blowing hunting horn.

October 7, 2020—Indian Hill Bulletin— Page 11

E-Newsletter Indian Hill Historical Society’s quarterly newsletter contains fun facts, stories and news! If you would like an emailed copy (you do not have to be a member), please provide your

email address by sending it to history@indianhill.org or by calling 891-1873. Previous newsletters may be found: https://www.indianhill.org/newletters/

Student Awards

Each year, the Indian Hill Historical Society awards two junior students, one at Cincinnati Country Day School (CCDS) and one at Indian Hill High School, with the “Outstanding Achievement in American History” award. The winner is selected by the teachers at the respective schools and is based on students’ participation in co-curricular activities related to American History and student government. This person also exemplifies a positive attitude, shows respect for others, and serves as a leader and role model in the school community. Due to COVD-19, schools held their end-of year awards ceremonies at different times. CCDS held a virtual event at the end of May, and as previously reported (IH Bulletin 6/24/20), Lila Weizer received the Historical Society’s honors at CCDS.

Indian Hill High School has recently nominated Graham Pierce for this award. Several of his teachers mentioned the following accolades: − Graham is a student who truly thirsts for historical knowledge. He is in a constant search for the next answer. He

knows all the deeper historical understandings that students much older and more experienced than him normally have. Grant approaches history differently than most students. He does not do it merely for a grade but to understand as much as possible.

− Graham is a true history scholar. He knows so much history from his personal reading and video viewing that he is deep into historical comparisons, counterfactuals, contextualization, and ultimate causes and effects, before classes even start. He challenges his teachers and fellow students to consider different perspectives and interpretations.

With the generosity of the Nippert Foundation, the Historical Society is pleased to recognize Graham’s and Lila’s passion for and achievements in American History.

Did you know ? …

The Hauck Library at the Historical Society’s office on Camargo Road has many resources for local history. For example: • Indian Hill telephone directories from 1954 to the present • Cincinnati Country Day School yearbooks, “Archive” starting in 1958 to the present. (Not all years are

available.) • Indian Hill High School yearbooks, “The Legend” starting in 1955 to the present. (Not all years are

available.) The Library is open and available for research. Please contact the office, 891-1873 or history@indianhill.org , with any questions.

INDIAN HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY

RETURN TO: INDIAN HILL BULLETIN 6525 DRAKE ROAD CINCINNATI, OHIO 45243

October 2020 Recreation Commission 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5, 2020 Green Areas Advisory Comm 5:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 2020 Public Safety Committee 7:30 a.m. Oct. 15, 2020 Law Committee 8:00 a.m. Oct. 15, 2020 Finance Committee 7:30 a.m. Oct. 16, 2020 Water Works Committee 7:00 a.m. Oct. 20, 2020 Public Works Committee 7:30 a.m. Oct. 20, 2020 Buildings & Grounds Committee 8:00 a.m. Oct. 20, 2020 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Oct. 20, 2020 Mayor’s Court/Council Meeting 6:00 p.m. Oct. 26, 2020

November 2020 Recreation Commission 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 2020 Green Areas Advisory Comm 5:30 p.m. Nov. 4, 2020 Public Safety Committee 7:30 a.m. Nov. 12, 2020 Law Committee 8:00 a.m. Nov. 12, 2020 Finance Committee 7:30 a.m. Nov. 13, 2020 Water Works Committee 7:00 a.m. Nov. 17, 2020 Public Works Committee 7:30 a.m. Nov. 17, 2020 Buildings & Grounds Committee 8:00 a.m. Nov. 17, 2020 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Nov. 17, 2020 Mayor’s Court/Council Meeting 6:00 p.m. Nov. 23, 2020

Village of Indian Hill Public Meeting Dates

IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MONTHLY COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND/OR COUNCIL MEETING, PLEASE REFER TO THE CALENDAR SECTION ON THE VILLAGE WEBSITE (WWW.IHILL.ORG) OR VILLAGE

APP FOR WEBINAR LINKS AND CALL IN PHONE NUMBERS PLEASE REFER TO THE WEBSITE AND APP CALENDAR FOR FUTURE

CHANGES THAT MAY NEED TO OCCUR DUE TO COVID-19

In addition, the Center for Disease Control, recently announced its recommendations for Halloween which cautions about taking part in annual Halloween traditions. Health officials have recommended lower-risk activities to do. Those include having a virtual Halloween costume contest, holding a movie night with people you live with, or having a candy-scavenger hunt in your home. You can locate these recommendations at https://www.cdc.gov

(Continued from page 3)