Village of North Bend Council Briefs - September 26, 2022 Council Meeting |
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North Bend Mayor Makes On Site Evaluation of Property |
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The property pictured here was a topic of discussion again at the September Village Council meeting for North Bend. Village ordinances require that all properties in the Village have a numerical sign that can be seen from the road. The property is owned by John Tisch and is currently being rented and does not have a number visible from the road.
Recently Hamilton County Sergeant Mike Carney and North Bend Mayor Doug Sammons visited the property that now has a deck and an additional building on it. The Village will be checking to see if the appropriate permits have been filed with Hamilton County. The building is allegedly being used to restore old automobiles according to an unidentified man who was at the property on the day of their visit.
Sammons told council, "When we were up there, I took pictures of the property. It is basically a junk yard. There are 7 or 8 trucks on the property and garbage is everywhere. They are definitely a fan of Mountain Dew!" He also made council aware that there has been a new deck and a square building is now attached to the trailer. Sergeant Carney added, "When I asked the guy on the property if he had water and sewage, his answer was no. The person on site claimed that he has a honey pot and that he pays for the waste to be sucked out."
The Mayor told council that he asked their Law Director to start proceedings to have the property declared a nuisance. The property has an abundance of trash laying on the ground that is now concealed by the trees growing in front of the property. Carney told the council, “I will contact Corporal Peak who is Hamilton County’s Environmental officer. There are at least 10 tires on the property which is a violation of the law.”
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Bonner Questions Sheriff's Department about Addyston Patrols |
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During Sergeant Carney’s Report, Joe Bonner asked, “What is the story in Addyston? You guys are up there patrolling a lot.” Carney admitted that Addyston currently has no coverage 2nd or 3d shift and that the Sheriff’s Department is covering emergency runs. Carney went on to emphasize that there are no active patrols in Addyston by the Sheriff’s Department. He added, "We are just helping out. Addyston has authorized the hiring of another police officer, but at the same time did not add additional money."
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Sunset Avenue Repairs Made by Village |
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Discussions on the repairs needed for Sunset Avenue began last November. The cause for the damage remains unresolved. There were extensive talks between the Village of North Bend and the Village of Cleves as to whether or not the damage was caused by repeated waterline breaks owned by Cleves Waterworks or if the damage was caused by landslide issues. The Village of North Bend decided that a geological evaluation was needed to determine the actual cause. In the end that option was too costly and the Village decided to repair the street using a SKIP grant and loan.
Cleves Waterworks moved the waterline to a different location and still services Performance Construction on Sunset Avenue. The line was moved away from the road to ensure that if the waterline breaks would not pose a threat to the road. Cleves Waterworks moved the line at no cost to the Village. The pictures below show the damage before the repairs.
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The pictures below show the repairs that were made to Sunset Avenue. |
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Council told “Library Infrastructure Not of this Century, Or Close to it! |
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Paula Brehn-Heeger, Director of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, spoke at the September meeting of the North Bend Village Council. Heeger presented an overview of the challenges that many of the forty-one libraries in Hamilton County face. She told council, “There are forty-one locations across Hamilton County, including the distribution center. Many of our buildings were Carnegie Libraries and are 80 or more years old. The Walnut Hills location is about 110 years old.”
Heeger went on to say, “Many of our older buildings are not handicapped accessible and others are without study rooms, conference rooms, and electrical wiring needed for adequate outlets for computers and the internet.” She reminded council members that the library’s 2013 levy is up for renewal in 2023 and that the 1 mil levy that was passed in 2018 is used for operating expenses. Fifty percent of the library’s funding comes from the State of Ohio through the public library fund, while the remaining comes from the levies passed by the voters. Heeger added, “We have been looking for innovative ways to move branches into larger vacant facilities. Prior to the pandemic we had talked to the Three Rivers Local Schools about the possibility of patterning at the new campus when the YMCA was part of the discussion. That did not live through the pandemic.”
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North Bend is currently served by the Miami Township branch in Cleves. The Miami Township Branch is less than 5,000 square feet in size and is part of what Heeger called the Library’s “Western Planning Zone”. This zone includes branches in Cheviot, Coverdale, Delhi, Green Township, Harrison, Montfort Heights, Miami Township, Price Hill, and Westwood and represents about 22% of the library’s circulation.
“We also know that there is a “Library Desert” that exists along East U.S. 50 that includes Sayler Park where the people who live there do not have a library close by. So, we will continue to look for ways to use existing structures that are close to population centers to meet the needs of those who live in the area. Throughout her presentation Ms. Heeger referred to the master plan that was developed in 2019 and encouraged members of “Council” to access the information from the library’s website. The information below comes directly from the Library’s website.
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Mayor Sammon’s said, “You said that you are not looking to build new buildings, but you also said that the building in Cleves is way smaller than it needs to be. I mentioned to you that there are properties in North Bend that have buildings that might have 4,000-5000 square feet. One of our residents sits on your board, Mr. Hendon, and we also have the land by Dollar General.”
Ms. Heeger responded, “Perhaps, I should have been clearer, we have 41 libraries, and we are not looking to increase the number of locations. Our Madisonville location has over 8,000 sq. feet and we still have difficulty cramming everything in. Small businesses’ love to use the library and have access to our equipment before determining if it makes sense for them to purchase their own. Our Carnegie Buildings have served us so well and were a generational gift. We want to focus on the future and use our tax dollars wisely so future generations will have a solid system. The Miami Township branch is a small branch and people love to pick up their holds there, but we have to look at the whole community and its needs. I will be happy to look at that property. Miami Township is in our plan to do something, but we just haven’t found the right property yet.”
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WCPO Report Highlights Stabbing in the Village of Cleves |
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According to a WCPO report and Incident Detail Report that was received by the Three Rivers News Dispatch, a stabbing took place on October 2, 2022 during an alleged break-in at 171 Pontius Avenue. The call came into Dispatch at 11:20 a.m. by an unidentified caller at the residence.
According to the WCPO report one person was stabbed and the other was injured during the attempted break-in at the residence. There were a total of 6 Hamilton County deputies that responded to the call. The Cleves car 9V12 manned by Deputy Alex Kramer was first on the scene. That unit remained involved on the call until 5:13 p.m. The incident report from the Communication Center shows that the scene was declared secure at 11:24 AM. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene.
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WCPO reported that there were two men with injuries that were transported to the hospital by the Miami Township Fire Department. That same report stated that Ron Simple 42 and Cody Ray Otto 19, pictured on the left, forced their way into the home. During a struggle the report said that Otto was stabbed and Simple received minor injuries. The Dispatch independently confirmed that both men were charged.
The photo above is credited to Fox 19. Subscribers can listen to the 911 call below:
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Cleves Residents' Individual Calls for Services Not Discussed at September Meeting |
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Every month at the Village of Cleves Council meeting Sergeant Mike Carney gives a statistical run down for the month, but never discusses any of the significant events. Following the September meeting, The Dispatch reviewed the run reports for the month and chose the following events to report on to the general public. Some of the events will be accompanied by 911 audio files. Members of the Village Council listen to the statistics each month but seldom ask any questions.
Sergeant Carney's report to the Village Council for the month of August 2022 at its September meeting included the following information. " There were 167 calls for service, four cases were referred for investigation, there were 8 criminal reports, 2 accidents, and four citations. No other information was given, and no member of council asked any questions.
The Dispatch is limited to information that is contained within the reports. The reports do not give the final disposition of each case, but still should be of interest and concern to area residents and members of the Cleves Village Council. The Dispatch filed public records requests for the 911 calls and where it has felt it appropriate has made the calls available below.
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Incident One: On August 12, 2022 a woman at 105 S. Miami called the Hamilton County Dispatch at 9:08 p.m. The caller claimed that she was attacked while asleep. The attacker could be her son's father who has a restraining order. No other information is available in the report. Subscribers can listen to the call below.
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Incident Two: On August 12, 2022 a call came into the Hamilton County Dispatch at 8:13 p.m. The caller called to report a burglary in process at 108 E. Main Street. Allegedly the door to that residence was kicked in by two juveniles.
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Incident Three: A call came into the Hamilton County Dispatch on August 14, 2022 at 5:37 p.m. The caller is concerned about a male that us allegedly a "Meth Head" walking up and down the alley. She is concerned about the area that she claims is an area where Meth heads hangout.. The address in concern is listed as 320 Porter Street.
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Incident Four: A call came in at 1:48 p.m. on August 17, 2022 to the Hamilton County Dispatch from the Cleves Waterworks at 92 Cleves Avenue. The caller said there was a white male in his forties with brown hair that was shirtless and wearing jean shorts who was digging into his back pack. While sitting on a bench, the caller said the man was possibly attempting to shoot up. Subscribers can listen to the 911 call below:
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Incident Five: On August 19, 2022 a call came into the Hamilton County Dispatch at 8:15 p.m. The CAD report stated that at 45 Harrison Avenue a man had been shooting his gun multiple times in the last two hours. The first unit arrived on the scene at 8:32 p.m and the second unit arrived at 8:33 p.m. Neither unit that responded was the Cleves Unit 9 V32. The deputies that responded were Miami Township Car 9V31 and the west car 9W35.
The Dispatch has the 911 call but has chosen not to release the actual call because the caller was clearly afraid of the person who she claimed was firing the gun. The gun was allegedly being fired from within the house into the air out a window.The caller claimed that the person has psychological issues.
The last notation in the incident report was that the allegation of firing shots was unfounded. There were no further details.
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The Village of Cleves Holds Town Hall Meeting to Discuss November Renewal Levy |
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The Three Rivers News Dispatch was on site for the Town Hall meeting to discuss Issue 20. The video is unedited. It includes comments from those who were present. Articles on the meeting will appear in the next week's edition of the Three Rivers News Dispatch. The handout that was presented in the meeting is available immediately below the videos. |
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The information below on the Three Rivers Local School District is the 2nd in a series of five articles on the district's School rankings. The charts and data are taken from the Ohio Department of Education. The content has been interpreted soley by the Three Rivers News Dispatch. |
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Three Rivers Local School District Received 5 STAR Ranking for Student Growth/Progress |
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In last week’s edition of the Three Rivers News Dispatch we covered how the state of Ohio has changed its school rating system to a series of stars. Districts and schools are now rated on a 5-star system with 5 being the highest and 1 the lowest. In the area of achievement the Three Rivers Local District received a 4-STAR rating with a performance index of 84.3%. A 4-STAR rating is the second highest designation the state awards. |
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The second area that the state of Ohio evaluates is student progress or growth. Measuring student growth is a very important piece of data to evaluate because it shows from year to year if a student’s academic performance is moving forward, remaining the same, or falling behind. The Three Rivers Local School District received a 5-STAR rating in this area. This is the highest rating any district or school can receive in our state.
Ohio has used a mathematical formula developed by the University of Tennessee to calculate progress/growth since 1997. The formula determines the amount of progress that each student makes every year as they continue through each grade level. A simplified way to explain the formula is as follows: If a student’s score on the 5th grade mathematics test is 100 and on the 6th, grade test the same student scores at least 100, he has made a year’s progress or growth. If the student’s score was less than 100, he has not achieved a year’s growth.
The state of Ohio not only looks at individual growth/progress for each student, but they also determine whether or not the student’s cohort class within a grade level achieves or falls short of a year’s academic growth in each subject area tested. The chart below explains how the State of Ohio statistically measures and defines the progress component and awards a district and or school within a district a 5-STAR rating.
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Ohio Department of Education Progress Component Table |
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The Progress Details Chart |
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The Progress Details chart below shows that there is statistical evidence that the district made progress in the areas of English/Language Arts and Science similar to the statewide expectation. It also shows that in the area of Mathematics there is significant statistical evidence that Three Rivers students made more progress than expected compared to students like them in Ohio. This chart also shows that there is significant statistical evidence that 6th & 8th grade students at Taylor Middle School made less progress in Mathematics than students similar to them in Ohio. The same is true for Taylor Middle School in Science.
Taylor High School's Algebra and Biology scores show that there is significant evidence that students made more progress than expected when compared to their peers in Ohio.
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The Ohio Department of Education Value Added Chart |
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The Value Added Chart above is the actual statistical report that the colored Progress Chart above is based on. This graph will show you the number of students tested in each subject area per grade level. You will also notice a gain score, standard deviation, and a gain index. The gain index is calculated by dividing the gain score by the standard error. The larger the positive gain index means that the evidence of growth, and the larger negative gain index means there is significant evidence that students did not progress as expected.
For example: When you look at the Progress Details colored chart for 7th grade mathematics you will see the dark gray bar which indicates there is significant evidence that students made more progress than their peers across the state. Now look at Value Added Chart for 7th grade mathematics and you will see that their gain index is 10 and is the statistical basis for the gray bar in the Progress Details chart.
Next look at colored Progress Details chart for 6th grade mathematics. You will see a red bar. According to that chart there is significant evidence that Taylor Middle School 6th grade students made less progress than expected than their peers across the state. The Value Added Chart shows that 6th grade students had a -6.10 gain index. Using the positive/negative line graph below can illustrate that the further away the score is from 0 the greater statistic evidence there is whether or not a cohort grade level class progressed or not.
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Understanding What Five Stars Means |
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Does having A Five Star Rating mean that here is no room for improvement for the Three Rivers School District? No that is not what it means. The Three Rivers Local School District has areas it needs to work on, and that is no different than any other school district who has received the same rating. It just means compared to other districts it is doing a better job of ensuring academic growth than those districts with lower ratings.
The beauty of having data at the district’s fingertips is that the District knows what it excels in and in what areas it needs to improve. Parents whose children were in the 6th & 8th grade last year may be concerned about the growth scores from last year’s test. They should be, but they also need to understand other factors such as student attendance, health issues, emotional issues, pandemic hangover, student effort, and test anxiety can affect test scores. These factors will be assessed and used along with individual student data to develop an instructional plan that provides remedial assistance to get those students who need help caught up. Parents are part of the equation for success too, and should be actively involved by regularly monitoring their child’s progress throughout the year.
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