7/31/2019 The Greasers Rock North Park

1/1

Editors note: Following is a letter Springboro Board of

Education member David Petroni recently sent to new superin-

tendentTodd Petrey.

Mr. Petrey:

Over thepast eightmonths, many residentsand parents areunaware

of what the school board has done for the childrens education in

Springboro. I have listed what this board has accomplished on behalf

of ourchildren.

AddedAP classes at thehigh school.

Hired new teachers for this coming school year at the high school

to focus on math andscience.

Asked high schooladministration to focus curriculumon career&

college preparation. Hired new superintendent and administrators to focus on children

needs with an enhanced focus on curriculum.

Planned tohire teachersforthiscoming schoolyearto reduceclass

size in elementary grades oneandf ive.

Invested over $350,000 in textbooks for grades one through 5 to

supportcurriculum forguided reading which address thenewcommon

core standards.

Acceptedtherecommendations fromoursuperintendent regarding

central office hiring with a strong focus towards curriculum and the

future.

Invested over $150,000 on technology as a plan to bring wireless

to all districtbuildings.

Reduced pay to participate fee from $350 to $260 for high school

andfrom $263 to $160 for juniorhigh sportsplus high schoolathletes.

Instituted a mechanism whereby a high school student athlete can

work 10 hours that will result in up to a $100 refund per sport of their

fee if that family so desires.

Asked toughquestions around Support Organizationsthathas leadto investigations and audits.

Encouraged anincreased focusonpolicy, sinceweare a policyand

governance board.

Revisited the financial forecast that took a surplus from $500,000

to$13.6 million inMay2012with NOcutsto services or staff.

Directedtheadministrationto focusonunmetneeds that havebeen

ignored foryears, such as buses andcapital improvements.

Expanded whistle blower protects to include students, parents, and

not just employees.

Contrary to comments made by former Superintendent Gene Lolli,

myphilosophies aresimple. Firstand foremost,it is imperative that we

putcurriculum andour childrens educationat theforefrontof anydis-

cussionsinwhichweare engaged.Secondly, whenaskedtotakeaction,

wewillask questions, forwe havea fiduciary responsibility toourdis-

tricttaxpayers and children.Thirdly,as a policy and governance board,

weexpectouremployeesandSupport Organizationsto followthe poli-

cies, some ofwhichhavebeenin placefordecades.Finally, theBudget

& Finance Committee spent untold hours on the budget and five year

forecast to assure thetaxpayerwe arebeing fiscally responsible.

As an elected schoolboard member, I do notshy awayfrom debate

andin factencourage thefree exchange of ideas.A perfect example of

that philosophy is in the way the Budget and Finance Committee was

able to craft its recommendation to thefull board regardingpay topar-

ticipate fees. After many long hours of gathering and analyzing the

information, the Committee asked for comments from those dozen or

so community members in attendance. The discussions, debating

pointsbackandforth,lasted fornearly two hours.It was anentirely pro-

ductive conversation, which yielded real results. Some of their ideasandsuggestions made it into thef inal recommendation andhelpedthe

Committee produce a better proposal that further ameliorated the fees

that areburdeningso many of ourparents.

I applaud you, Mr. Petrey, for coming to this district with a plan

focused on our children. With all of the positive things accomplished

these past eight months, it is difficult for me to comprehend the noise

created by detractors. There must come a time when this community

rallies behindtheeducationof their children,and notthe personalagen-

das ofa few adults. Not everyone we meetis as openor fair-mindedas

they claim, or as honest about their motives. Let us strive to be, open

andfair-minded, as well as honestaboutourmotives.

The issues that arose in March around staffing, and most recently

regardingsports,arean indication ofmy lost confidenceandtrustin the

previous Superintendent and some administrators. I am very encour-

aged bythe new team youhaverecommended, a team,whichhas been

unanimously approved by the board.

Every position has a focus on curriculum that concentrates our

efforts where they are desperately needed. I am also excited by theopportunities you all have to impact the lives of this districts children

in the mostpositivefashion imaginable.

With your leadership of an outstanding teaching staff, I have no

doubt our children will outperform the rest of the country when it

comes time to take thenew commoncore tests.

Regards,

David F. Petroni

OPINIONCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of

speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

- The First Amendment to the United States Constitution

4 Thursday, August 9, 2012 Springboro Sun

1836 West Park Square, Xenia, OH 45385 - 937-294-7000

To contact the Springboro Suncall the extensions or

numbers listed below.

LOUISE D. PHELPS

Acting Group Publisher, Ext. 101publisher@xeniagazette.com

DOUG SKINNER - Editor, Ext. 155dskinner@tcnewsnet.com

MERRILEE EMBS

Managing Editor, Ext. 126membs@tcnewsnet.com

LINDA SKINNER

Business Manager, Ext. 157lskinner@tcnewsnet.com

ADVERTISING POLICYNo responsibility is assumed by the publisher for

omission or errors occurring in advertisements, but

correction will be made in the next issue following

when attention is directed to them.

DON YEAZELL

Assistant Advertising Director, Ext. 162dyeazell@tcnewsnet.com

TAMMY TOOTLE

Classified Advertising Director866-212-7355 or 937-372-4444 press 2

ttootle@tcnewsnet.com

CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICECirculation department hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday. Ciculation is

located at 1836 W. Park Sq. Xenia. Call 937-294-7000.

SHERRIE RITZ

Circulation Director, Ext. 122

sritz@xeniagazette.comSUBSCRIPTION RATES

Home delivery

Year - $40, 26 Weeks - $24

13 Weeks EZ Pay - $10

*EZ Pay is automatic withdraw from

credit or debit card. Minimum of 3 months.Yearly mail out of county - $50

Yearly online only - $20

Monthly online - $3

Ohio Community Media, LLC

Copyright 2012, all rights reserved

Published every Thursday 50 weeks a year, except New

Years and Christmas days.

Periodicals postage paid at Dayton, Ohio. Postmaster:

Send address changes to Xenia Gazette, 1836 W. Park

Square, Xenia, Ohio 45385.

The publisher shall not be liable for damages out of

errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for

space actually occupied by that portion of the advertise-

ment in which the error occurs, and there shall be no lia-

bility for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the

amount paid in advance for such advertisement.

This newspaper is environmentally friendly. Itis printed in recycled fibers and soy-basedinks, with the exception of some supplements.

The Springboro Sun encouragesreaders to write letters to the editor:

Letters should be typed, orprinted legibly, signed and includecurrent address and daytime phonenumber of the author. We will pub-

lish only the name of the author andcity, or organization. Full addresseswill not be published. Form letterswill not be accepted. Anonymousletters will not be printed.

Letters to the editor must be350 words or less. Deadline for let-ters is 9 a.m. The Friday before

publication. Letter writers have alimit of one published letter every30 days.

Letters will be verified by thenewspaper via telephone. Thenewspaper reserves the right to edit

for length, style and grammar andto limit the number of letters on aspecific topic.

If content is libelous or mislead-ing, letters will not be printed. Forletters that include claims that arenot a matter of public record, theburden of proof of the claim(s) fall

upon the letter writer. Election letters will be pub-

lished prior to the election, but notthe week before the election, thatissue is reserved for the newspa-pers endorsements.

Opinions of letter writers orcolumnists are those of the authoronly. They do not represent theopinion of the staff and manage-ment of the Times CommunityNewspaper Group. Send letters to1836 West Park Square, Xenia, OH45385 or dskinner@tcnewsnet.com.

Letter to the Editor Policy

There have been a thousand moments over the last 21 years when

Troy Holtrey has confronted seemingly hopeless situations.

A player struggled to find his true talent, or an injury forced the

adjustment of a game plan. More than that, an opponent caught fire

and took a lead, creating the rare potential that the Springboro boysbasketball team might lose a game.

Tough situations require bold action.

Troy Holtrey hasnt been Panther head basketball coach for over

two decades by giving up easily.

Success comes because of preparation and execution, but also

because of composure and shear determination when times are

tough. If theres one thing that consistently beats in Holtreys heart,

its a desire to overcome any challenge.A leader takes charge.

That holds especially true right now as he fights the biggest, if not

most unbelievable, challenge of his coaching career.

Forreasons still unknown, the Springboro Board of Education has

elected to open up his position to other applicants. Holtrey is wel-

come to apply, too, but for the first time in ages hes not been guar-

anteedhell getit.Given the success the program hasalways had, this

willforever regardedas oneof themostmysterious actions inthe his-

tory of this proud town, butthats a discussion foranothertime. Right

now, a strong, composed response is needed.

A weaker coach would panic, because thats what separates the

average coach from the really great ones. Inexperience hasnt seen

the fire before and doesnt know how to forge through it, confident-

ly. But the strong coach believes in his ability and his methods, and

has the record to show for it.

Holtrey is 332-117 in his 21 years. His teams have won the con-

ference 14 timesand been runner-upanother5. Twice histeams have

won theDistrictchampionship and advancedto the Regionals.Twice

hes been Ohio coach of the year. Those numbers are impressive for

any coach at any school.

He will tackle this newest challenge the way he has tackled all the

others, directly.In spite of thechallenges, he willmake application to

stay on as Springboros basketball coach, andstand proudfor what he

can offer,because he knows deepdown its nowjust something thats

best for him.

Its the best thing for the program.

Lets talkabout something for a second,seriously.Has Springboro

won all those games over the years simply because of its talent? Has

there been something in the water here thats generated magical bas-

ketball talent here that didnt exist in Centerville or Lebanon, both

neighboring communities? Cmon, it doesnt work like that.

Centerville and Lebanon arent basketball powerhouses because

they dont have powerhouse coaches. Over the years, theyve had the

same kind of players and talent pass through the program as

Springboro has. The difference is that Holtrey has been around to

develop it.

Thats why he should be given first preference as coach.

I liken this to a child custody case, which Im in the middle of as

a child advocate all the time. If a child is doing well under the pri-

mary care of one parent, the court shouldnt look at changing that

arrangement just because the other parent wants to change every-

thing.

But he keeps saying he hasa betterhouse anda betterstyle of liv-

ing, frightened mothers often say. If Ive done the best that I can

andcanshowthatthechildren aredoing well, I cantlosecustodyjust

because Dad bought a new house, can I?

As a general legal principle, the answer is no. If its not broke,

theres no need to fix it.And so Im wondering why, on the heels of four straight league

championships and a District runner-up just five months ago, theres

a suggestion here that TroyHoltreyneeds to be replaced.Fornow, no

ones giving a reason.

Whatever the reason, it remains a challenge Troy must face. If

theres someone who will gut this out, its him. Thats what good,

experienced and successful leaders do.

Back in the 50s Brylcreem commercials

sang about A little dab will do ya. But the

crowd at North Park wanted a big dab of theGreasers on Tuesday, July 31st. They didnt

want to go home and the Greasers didnt,

either.

Itwas greatfun providedbya terrific group

of singers and musicians. And the biggest

swarm of dancers we had all month crowded

the new dance floor in front of the stage for

almost every song.

The band from Germantown, Ohio started

in 1976 played venues everywhere in the tri-

state area until 1999.Theytook a 10-year hia-

tusand gotback togetherin 2009.

This coming Sunday evening, theyll be

playing at the amphitheater along the Great

Miami river in downtown Miamisburg.

Their music is 50s and 60s primarily, but

they throw in some great songs from the after

decades tomixit upa bit.A lotof family involved in this group from

grandpa to grand kids, and they know how to

sing and play their guitars, key boards, drums

and sax. It was a great finale to the city of

Springboros 2012 concert series at North

Park.

Five concerts this year because there were

five Tuesdays.

Next year we go back to four. The

Greasers willreturnfor sure ata futuredate.

Dont miss this group, lotsa fun and theyll

make ya happyya came.

Next up this summer at North Park is the

musicalALittlePrincessbeingpresentedby

Playhouse South this Friday, Saturday and

Sunday andagain nextweekon the same days.

The play is based on a childrens novel by

thesame name.

Thestoryof a rich little girl Sara Creweand

her struggle to survive in a London boarding

school during WWII.

Admission is free, but donations of $5 will

beacceptedto help PlayhouseSouth withsets,

microphones, sound system and administra-

tive costs. For more information check out

their website right now at: www.playhous-

esouth.org.Here are a few more vanity Ohio license

plates that you might not have seen. H8IIW8

(hate2wait) NOT DADS on a new Mustang,

CU CIAO on a Lamborghini,3CHICKSon a

Lexus, D CEASED on an older hearse,

WILD777 on his truck and 777WILD on her

sports car, 42FISH (for to fish) on a Jeep,

DUMB PL8 (dumb plate) on a VW SUV,

LUV2 SEL, (loveto sell)and 1MOJITO(one

Mexicandrink), IM4GZUS(Imfor Jesus) on

a grey Infinity.

If you come across any jot em down and

send them to my email address at the end of

thiscolumnand Illget emin ata later date.

Thanx and a tip ofthehattoBob, Lucyand

Jimfor our latest update.

Ive been writing about some of the health

problems Lucys sister and mom have been

experiencingand someof thecostsassociated

withtheir medical bills.

Another stunner this past week. While

reviewing their bills, I found one that said inBIGRED letterstheyare nolongerwaitingfor

the balance on her bill and turning it over to a

collection agency onAug. 1.

Barb(Lucys sister)saysthe phonecalls are

starting to come in daily, some threatening,

somenice.

The first invoice was received the begin-

ning of July when momwas still in thehospi-

tal, shes in rehab right now for a few more

weeks.

Theamountowedon thebill afterinsurance

paid was $4.

I think Illpaythatone nextyear,maybein

March.

What dopeopledo that arestill incapacitat-

ed and haveno one tolook after their bills?

Imsuremillions have beenin thissituation

before.Its probablyall computergenerated andnot

a soul has seen or knows anything about this

ridiculous invoicebeing turnedover to collec-

tions.

Thefollowup letters,phone calls, andlabor

will surely exceed$4 times10 andthensome.

Its a situationcomedy andI love it.

NextWednesday is thefinalSummer Slam

at the K&W (the K) from 6-9:30 p.m. Well

have dancing, karaoke andlotsaice cream for

everyone. Bring the kids and come on down

forsomegreat funsinging,dancing,andslurp-

ingice cream.

Ill be your host as always and will make

sure you get to sing or dance to the song you

want.CU atthe K nextWednesday,Aug.15at

6:30 pm.

mergewright@yahoo.com

The Greasers rock North ParkMERGE WRIGHT

By Don Wright

Times

Columnist

To the Editor:

All signs point to Troy Holtrey not being retained by

Springboro as basketball coach next season despite the outcry ofpublic support at a recent school board meeting. As someone

who is very familiar with high school basketball in the Dayton

area, I can say there are very few men in the area who under-

stand and coach the game as well as Troy Holtrey.

His 330-117 record setting coaching mark at Springboro and

the number of young men he has guided in achieving scholar-

ships speak for themselves. But over the past few years I have

had the opportunity to spend a good deal of time around Coach

Holtrey and he is one of the most loyal and genuine men I have

ever known. Coach Holtrey has created a basketball powerhouse

in Springboro and has served as a great leader for the

Springboro school system.

The merits of school boards being composed of people who

are not at all qualified to evaluate education or personnel can be

argued at a later date, but the merits of the cur rent school boards

ad hominem attack against Coach Holtrey are preposterous.These elected officials, who have been accused of campaigning

against their own school systems levy along with attempting to

reintroduce a creationism debate into Springboro schools, are

severely misguided and ill equipped to judge the merits of

Coach Holtreys coaching record let alone the quality of man

and leader he has been for the program.

The Springboro school system and community should realize

the quality of man and leader they have in Troy Holtrey. The

community as a whole should pray that Coach stays and should

be deeply embarrassed for electing Kelly Kohls, Don Miller,

David Petroni and Jim Rigano. Shame on you.

Jimmy Staley

Dayton

COMMENTARY

By JeffKirby

Times

Columnist

Troy Holtrey in

biggest challenge

in coaching career

Board members are severely misguided

Letter to the editor

COMMENTARY

By DavidPetroni

Times

Columnist

Board has many accomplishments