MIDWEST YOUTH TEAM TENNIS PROGRAM NOW REGISTERING IN TIPP CITY

Online registration available at www.MidwestTeamTennis.com

Indianapolis, Ind. – The United States Tennis Association in partnership with the Tipp City Tennis Association will be conducting a Midwest Youth Team Tennis program this summer in Tipp City. The multi-week program for youth ages 10 and under will teach basic tennis skills and provide team competition opportunities. The Midwest Youth Team Tennis program is part of the tennis industries 10 and Under Tennis initiative, which features age appropriate equipment, court sizes, and scoring.

The Tipp City Youth Team Tennis program will be offered starting 6/12/2012, and the deadline to register is 5/20/2012.

Register online at www.MidwestTeamTennis.com. Additional information about Midwest Youth Team Tennis, 10 and Under Tennis, volunteering and coaching opportunities is also available.

For more information about registration, volunteering, or coaching, please contact Bud Schroeder at (937) 669-5552, email: bud@schroedertennis.com.

The Tipp City Midwest Youth Team Tennis program is open to girls and boys ages 5-10 years of age. Beginning, intermediate, and advanced players are all welcome to participate. The program participant package includes the following: new tennis racquet (21 or 23 inch for 8-and-Under, 25 inch for 10-and-Under), Ace’s Kids Club fun pack, team uniform, and age appropriate tennis ball.

“The USTA/Midwest Section is excited to work with this community to introduce more youth to the fun and excitement of tennis participation,” said USTA/Midwest Section Director of Junior Tennis Chad Docktor.

The USTA/Midwest Section is the second largest section of the United States Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis. The USTA/Midwest Section consists of 14 Districts in the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin as well as designated counties in West Virginia and Kentucky. The USTA/Midwest Section offers recreational and competitive tennis for individuals of all ages and abilities. Please visit www.midwest.usta.com for more information.

CONTACT: Bud Schroeder, (937) 669-5552, email: bud@schroedertennis.com

When my four siblings and I were pictured in the Dayton Daily News in 1987 as one of the first families in the area to embark upon the adventure of home education, I had no idea that the choices my parents had made would have such a major impact on my life.

Looking back on what just seemed “normal” to me at the time, I can say that learning at home opened up a whole new world or creative adventures and friendships with my brothers and sisters that have lasted my lifetime.

When I entered 6^th grade at Troy Christian, and then on to Tipp City High school…I was prepared both academically and emotionally to tackle those tricky years.My junior and senior year of high school I attended Sinclair Community College through the PSEO program, and then went onto earn my BS at Middle Tennessee State University, earning straight A’s throughout my entire journey.

I had some wonderful experiences in every level of my education, and I always just figured I would probably do the same kind of thing with my kids when they reach the school-aged years.However, as my oldest son reached the age for Kindergarten…I felt completely overwhelmed when looking into all the curriculum and choices before me regarding his education.

Unlike when my parents ventured into the unknown territory of educating at home…now there is an overwhelming amount of resources available to those who choose to teach their kids at home.I found myself stressing out about what math program to use…which history curriculum is best, etc.The more I researched and looked into everything available to me, the more I questioned if I could really do this, and the more I realized that even though I experienced the whole spectrum of education options and was able to spit back the info on the tests to get A’s…I didn’t retain a lot of the information I learned.

I feel ignorant when things happen in other countries and I have to Google it to find out where it is.Why do I have to think so hard to do a simple addition or multiplication problem in my head?If my life depended on it, I couldn’t tell you most significant dates in my own country’s history, let alone the world.When I read old documents like the Declaration of Independence, I struggle to understand the meaning, as if it is a foreign language!I’m a fast learner.I generally consider myself smart…but I feel incredibly stupid sometimes.

I wanted more for my kids.Something is failing in many forms of our current education system, and it has nothing to do with whether a child is homeschooled, privately schooled, or publicly schooled.As a culture, we seem to be getting dumber…and that just shouldn’t happen.

So, when I came across this thing called “Classical” education….something resonated in me.“Classical” refers to time-tested, something that has worked for hundreds of years….something based on the basics of humanity and human development….not just the “flavor of the month”.Why we ever came away from this style of education, I can’t figure out, but it is no wonder that the Classical Education movement is growing so quickly among homeschoolers and private institutions.

In a nutshell….here is the basics of what Classical Education is.It is based on how we learn in different stages.It is broken down into 3 stages, often referred to as the “Trivium”:The Grammar Stage, The Dialectic Stage, and the Rheteric Stage.If you are thinking of it in terms of our technical age, the 3 stages correlate with Input, Processing, and Output.Whole books are written on this concept and putting it into practice, so I’m not going to attempt to expand a whole lot on this, but this is an easy concept to see without looking to deep.

Anyone who has kids between the ages of 0-12 understand that they are little sponges.They have the ability to memorize and retain a TON of information and they are constantly learning and taking in new facts.This is the knowledge stage, the input stage, the “Grammar” stage.(grammar referring to facts, data, etc).This is the age where it makes sense to pack them full of useful information.Not necessarily information they understand or is useful to them at the time, but just taking advantage of the fact that they can memorize and retain quickly at this age.This is when you can learn all the history dates, times tables, world geography, etc, and it just becomes part of who you are and what you know.

As they enter the middle school years, that is when they are no longer satisfied with just the “who, what, when, and where,”, they want to know the “how and why”.And they don’t just want to be told, they want to discover it for themselves.In fact, if you tell them the answers, they will not take your word for it anymore!This is the Dialectic Stage, or the processing, or understanding stage….whatever you choose to call it.

“What appears to be a tendency in students to argue, or even to talk back, is really a desire to systematize their thoughts and to achieve understanding of the facts they have accumulated in the grammar years.Instead of squelching the desire to argue, the classical model complements their natural tendencies by teaching them formal logic and debate so that students learn to reason and argue clearly, respectfully, and persuasively.” (Jennifer Courtney, Classical Conversations catalog)

Can an elementary child learn the how’s and why’s?Of course they can to some degree.But taking too much time to try to use reason and logic with a younger child is not a good use of their strengths and the time devoted to their education. They will be much more capable of this when they are older, and much less capable of memorization and retention.

The last stage of a Classical education is the Rheteric stage (the Output…the Wisdom).It’s this stage that you find missing the most in our educational system…even through college.This is where a student truly masters a subject.They not only know have a firm grasp on the facts and an understanding of their applications, but they can now use this information to impact society.This is the poetic and creative stage, the eloquent, inspirational and persuasive stage where you are applying the skills you have learned to make something meaningful or to say something insightful.You have potential to reach this stage in your later high school years, but we rarely see this kind of mastery of knowledge even after 4 years of college.

Like I said, whole books have been written on the classical model of education and implementation, etc, so I will not even attempt to do that, but in order to explain my reasons for deciding to keep my kids at home…I needed to explain the basics of it.

Before, my main reasons for homeschooling were to be able to spend more time with my kids in their formidable years, free their time up a bit to be able to pursue their interests, and help create that childhood bond that I experienced with my siblings.Those are still part of the reason I am continuing on in this journey, but now that I have come across the classical model of education, I am finding that another reason I am committing to homeschool (maybe even through high school! Ahhhh!), is because I believe it will provide them with a better education.

I believe they will be more equipped to tackle any subject, to learn any new skill they may need in their future. I believe that as they enter junior high age, they will have this huge base of knowledge from which to start to really understand and navigate our world.And I am believing that as they grow into that last stage of learning, they will have the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to be able to positively effect and impact our world and our culture.

With all of these wonderful reasons I have for wanting to educate my kids at home…I am not the great adventurer my parents were.I don’t want to, and have no intention of doing this alone.I want a community!I need support!And I found this all in the group called Classical Conversations, who I have been a part of this past year in Springfield.After my experience there, I know I want this for the Tipp City area.

Classical Conversations provides the programs and community that is needed to support an excellent classical education at home.

Column News

In the three years since I started this column, my focus has grown more toward observing what’s going on around me, and less on reporting on what’s coming up in Tipp City. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying out a new column style, focusing more on single topics and humorous incidents in my life. I’ve talked about not having to mow the lawn this summer, the new iPhone, a writer’s conference I attended, and Downton Abby. The column’s been all over the place … but then, so has my life!

Well, starting soon, I’m spinning off a column! It’s like when “Grey’s Anatomy” begat “Private Practice.” One column, called “What to Do in Tippecanoe,” will highlight upcoming local events here in Tipp. My current column, focused on the humor and randomness of day-to-day life, will get a new name but remain right here on the opinion page.
Big question: I need a new title for the column. Any ideas?

Goodbye, Old Friend

Here at the house, we’re getting ready to say goodbye to an old, dear friend. He’s been sitting on our kitchen counter lo these many years, providing faithful service day after day. But lately, he hasn’t been doing so well.

I’m talking about our coffee maker.

This Senseo looks like it was designed by Iron Man. And, by the way, this is not my kitchen. My kitchen is not this calm - or tidy.

As you probably know, I’m a writer, and my wife runs her own editing and writing company, both from our home, so coffee and caffeine pretty much power everything that happens around here. I’m sipping a cup of coffee now, as I write this, but I’m also sad. Lately, the coffee just doesn’t taste as good as it used to, and it’s been harder and harder to find supplies.
Why? Well, because we have a Senseo single-cup coffee maker, similar to the K-Cup makers that have gotten popular over the last two years. We’ve had this Senseo for seven years—it was one of the first single-cup coffee makers on the market. I bought it at Target, along with several boxes of the “pods” that are inserted into the machine to make coffee, and we’ve been in love with it ever since.

But the brand never really took off, and last year I noticed that Target stopped carrying the Senseo coffee maker. They dropped it to make room for more Keurig brewers, and at the same time cut back on the Senseo pods they carried.  I’m sure there are folks out there that like the Keurig, but those don’t provide that heady, cappuccino-style froth on top of the coffee that Samantha and I both prefer. We got a K-cup maker last year and tried it out, and it just wasn’t as good. The coffee was excellent, but without the froth on top, it just wasn’t the same.

So last year, Target stopped carrying the maker. And now, with their recent update, the Target in Huber Heights has stopped carrying the pods altogether. And Food Town and Kroger and Wal-Mart don’t carry them either.

I know what you’re thinking—“oh, what a whiner. Boo boo boo.” It’s true—it doesn’t really matter what kind of coffee I drink. But when your day revolves around sitting at a computer and pounding out words by the score, you need a little fuel, and a steaming mug of coffee from my Senseo always keeps me on course. But right now, I don’t have time to write any more—I have to get on Amazon and order more coffee pods before they stop carrying them too.

Around Town

• We’re having a blast over at the Get Social Radio show—we broadcast live on the Internet every Friday at noon. Tune in—this past week was mostly about the Tipp City Council, but we also covered other local news and weather. It’s like a real show! You can listen live or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. We’re actively looking for guests if you have something you want to cover! Check us out at www.getsocialradio.com.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com to contact me, or email me at greg@gregenslen.com. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

By CECILIA FOX
Record Herald Writer
Courtesy of the Weekly Record Herald; Printed 5.13.12

TIPP CITY – Monday’s Tipp City Council meeting ended with organizers and participants in the What A Girl Wants demanding an apology for the difficulties they encountered in planning the event. Cancer survivors and community members spoke out in support of the event.
The event, which benefits breast cancer research and charities, ran into difficulties late in the planning stages. Council, concerned about closing Main Street while the citywide garage sale was taking place, suggested that the organizers consider moving the event or closing the street later. Eventually, the event organizers settled on closing Main Street later than they had planned.
“In order for any community to work, the first thing that has to happen is the government has to work for the community. This event almost didn’t happen because a small group of people didn’t agree with it,” Will Grosz said. Grosz’s business is one of the sponsors for the event and he also served as Logistics Chair.
According to Grosz, 58 cancer survivors attended the event and 400 women came to the fashion show.
He added that 50 volunteers helped to make the event happen, and approximately 2,000 people attended the free concert.
Budding also voiced concerns that not all of the downtown businesses supported the event and might not benefit from having Main Street closed. To prove that the downtown businesses could profit from the event, Grosz reported that sales were up for many of the shops on Main Street.
“Sweet by Kristy’s was up 16 percent from last year same day sales, which is an 84 percent increase from a normal Saturday. Cairn’s Toy Store was 64 percent up from last year, which is 145 percent up from a normal Saturday,” Grosz said.
Kelley Andary of Harrisons and Urban Ava’s announced at the meeting that the event will move to Beavercreek next year because of the construction on Main Street and also because of what she felt was a lack of support from council.
“I’m asking each and every one of you, and I want it to be addressed at some point, what are you going to do to fight to bring this back to our town,” one resident asked.
Members of council offered their apologies and their support to the organizers of What A Girl Wants, except for Budding, who said he was looking out for the minority.
Hale told the organizers he thought the only issue was that of having the street closed while the garage sale was happening, so he was sorry they felt council wasn’t being supportive.
Mayor Dee Gillis said the event was wonderful and she was sorry they were leaving, but cautioned that disagreements are bound to occur anywhere.
“You need to get a little tough skinned,” she said, but concluded, “We love you and we thank you.”
“If there is any way that you could reconsider your decision, please do so,” Councilman Joe Gibson added.

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By CECILIA FOX
Record Herald Writer
Courtesy of the Weekly Record Herald; Printed 5.13.12

TIPP CITY – Tipp City residents will soon notice an increase on their water and sewer bills. Council approved the rate increase for both water and sewer at Monday’s meeting in order to pay for the Downtown Utilities Replacement Project and the Main Street Lift Station Project.
The sewer rate will increase by 22.5 percent, which means that the average user, who uses about 7,500 a month, will see a monthly increase of about $2.73 on the sewer portion of their bill.
“The net effect of a 22.5 percent increase on the collection portion of the bill is about a 12 percent increase overall,” City Manager Jon Crusey said.
The water rate will go up 3 percent, so the average user can expect to pay about $1.11 more per month.
The water and sewer rate increase will fund the Downtown Utilities Replacement Project, which is expected to cost $2.15 million. This includes the construction of a new 12-inch water main, new sanitary sewers, an 18-inch storm sewer, and the repair of the roadways and sidewalks affected by the construction.
The project will affect Main Street between Fourth Street and First Street.
The sewer rate increase also funds the renovation of the Main Street Lift Station, which will cost the city $1 million. The city is required by the EPA to eliminate the sanitary sewer overflows – when the system is overwhelmed by clean watering infiltrating the sewer system – that happen during heavy rains. This project includes upgrades to the lift station and a new 30-inch sanitary sewer main.
“I’m not usually one of those guys that’s for raising any kind of rates,” Councilman Bryan Budding said, who sponsored the ordinance. “But as the cost of business goes up, whether it be employees, healthcare, a project you want to take on or a project you have to take on, as go those costs, so does the cost of the product.”
The first stages of these projects are expected to begin this fall, with construction beginning late this year and continuing through 2013.
“It probably won’t be done by summer and it will disturb some of the events that are planned for downtown. Our goal is to have it done by the first Saturday in November 2013 when we have the Winter’s Yuletide Gathering,” said Crusey.
Council also awarded contracts for two more upcoming road construction programs. The contract for the reconstruction of Franklin Street was awarded to Finfrock Construction for $116,000, which is well under budget. The estimated cost of the project was $135,249. Franklin is being reconstructed between N. Third and N. Second Streets.
The contract for the 2012 street resurfacing program was awarded to John R. Jurgensen Co. for $462,949.55, which exceeds the appropriations for the project by almost $11,000. Council voted to use funds from the underbid Franklin Street project to cover the costs of this contract.
All or part of the following 17 streets will be resurfaced: N. Willow Glen Avenue, Rolling Acres Drive, Heartwood Court, S. Willow Glen Drive, Tamarak Avenue, Wilson Court, Sycamore Court, Red Oak Court, Nelson Court, Barbara Drive, Smith Street, Fern Avenue and Fern Court, N. Weller Drive, S. Hyatt Street, South St., N. Sixth Street, and the Kyle Park parking lot.
The council approved the issuance of $675,000 in bond anticipation notes for the construction of Abbott Park Way and to extend utilities to the site of the new Abbott facility. The city has received several grants from the state to assist with this project.
The council also authorized the advance of $775,000 from the General Fund to the Abbott Park Way Fund until the grants are received. The General Fund will be paid back once the city is reimbursed with grant funds.

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May 4th, 2012 – Tipp City, Ohio

Dr. Mark Bamberger proffers that those litigating in support of animals in the State of Ohio must think creatively in finding strategies and tactics in order to protect Ohio’s animal populations.

Within the Extract, Bamberger relates “Environmentalists have always been a little tone deaf when it comes to valuating environmental resources; including the value of preserving herds of animals”. Link to Mark Bamberger’s Presentation Slides.

About the 2012 Ohio State Bar Association Annual Convention

As a part of the convention each year, the Ohio State Bar Association provides attorneys with an opportunity to not only learn in small peer groups, but also collect Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits in a classroom setting. At this year’s convention, more than 825 attendees were able to take an opportunity to learn from the most notable of Ohio’s legal specialists, respected for their work in and out of the courtroom.
Dr. Mark Bamberger shares, “The OSBA conference is really a great opportunity to network and to learn from those who specialize in their fields. The sessions provide us with a multitude of topics to choose from including consumer protection, litigation, corporate compliance, family law, estate planning, M&A, and of course my favorite topic, animal law”.

About Mark Bamberger

Dr. Bamberger received his BA from Miami University, his MS from Wichita State University, his PhD from The Union Institute, and his JD from Capital University Law School. His professional memberships include the Ohio State Bar Association and the Dayton Bar Association. Dr. Bamberger has worked as an environmental educator, hydrogeologist, contaminant geochemist, and hazardous waste remediation supervisor, law advisor, and environmental law specialist. Since 2009, he has owned and operated his firm, a general practice law firm with offices in Tipp City, West Chester, Enon, and Spring Valley.

Dr. Bamberger’s passion in legal practice is animal law, and he currently serves as general counsel for a number of small and large animal rescue and/or advocacy organizations. He has served as lead attorney on several large civil actions in Ohio against groups who have harmed or killed animals.

Mr. Bamberger is a benefactor and legal advisor to the Wolf Creek Wolf Habitat & Rescue, Inc., in Brookville, Indiana. Before his shift from environmental consulting and teaching into law, he worked in environmental consulting and taught as an adjunct professor of geology and environmental science and advised students at more than seven universities for more than 22 years, including Miami University, Capital University, Wichita State University, SUNY-Binghamton, Eastern Connecticut State University, and The Union Institute.

Dr. Bamberger taught in various sub-disciplines, including but not limited to, environmental history and philosophy, hydrogeology, contaminant geochemistry, and American presidential history. He also worked for the Connecticut DEP in their hazardous waste enforcement sections and the Ohio EPA in their drinking and ground water section, as well as several major environmental and nuclear consulting firms in Connecticut and Ohio.

Dr. Bamberger can be reached at (877) 644-8181 (office), (937) 405-1491 (fax), or via email at mark@bambergerlaw.com.

An iPhone—from the Future?

I read the other day that the new iPhone, which is supposed to come out later this year, might be made partly of a new substance called “liquid metal.” I have no idea if this metal is some kind of breakthrough in materials design or just a clever marketing ploy, but the name certainly evokes a certain “science-fictiony” quality.

Liquid metal has been around a long time in the form of mercury, a.k.a. “quicksilver.” It’s used in thermometers and barometers—and these days, that’s about it. Why? Well, because it’s poisonous.

Hat makers in the 1800s used a mercury compound to make felt hats, rinsing animal skins in the solution. That didn’t work out too well. The symptoms of their prolonged exposure to mercury led to the term “mad as a hatter,” and possibly inspired Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter.

For me, the concept of liquid metal is most tied to the shape-shifting, practically unstoppable T-1000 robot from “Terminator 2.” This James Cameron-directed sequel (he had directed the original some seven years earlier) featured a villain in the form of a liquid metal robot that could transform its shape and appendages at will. In some of the earliest advanced computer special effects, the villain chased our heroes through buildings and streets, morphing his arms into swords or hammers and using his ability to repeatedly elude capture.

In one memorable scene, the Arnold Schwarzenegger character (who, in the second movie, plays a good version of the evil robot he played in the first) is protecting Sarah and John Connor and shoots the T-1000 at point-blank range, blowing several large holes in the robot. As our heroes run away, the holes in the T-1000 begin to shrink as the liquid metal fills in and repairs the damage.

At the end, the T-1000 is caught in an explosion of liquid nitrogen, which causes the robot to freeze and shatter into a thousand small pieces. I distinctly remember sitting in the theater and watching as those small blocks of metal melted and then slowly moved toward each other, pooling and rising into the air, forming a man’s shape.

So when I heard that the iPhone 5 would be made out of liquid metal, my first thought was, “will I be able to throw it on the ground, have it shatter, and then watch as the puddles of metal ooze together and reform my phone?”

If so, that would be cool.

Around Town

• The always-fabulous “What a Girl Wants” Fashion Show for a Cure was held on May 5 to overflow crowds. My informants tell me it was the best one yet!
• The family and I got some great deals during the Tipp Community-Wide Garage Sale, held Saturday, May 5. Anna picked up some books, I found a DVD copy of “Live Free or Die Hard” for $3, and Xander scored a huge box of Nerf guns and Nerf bullets.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page, or email me at genslen@yahoo.com. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Jun 11th-14th, Location: Kyle Park in Tipp City

Field Player | Camp (ages 6-10) 9am-noon $140.00

Advanced Select | Camp (ages 10-14) 9am-Noon $155.00

The Dayton Flyers Soccer Camps provide an environment where skill acquisitions, tactical awareness and their adaptability to the game of soccer are empathized. Sessions are conducted to meet the needs of each group and skill level. Beginning, intermediate, and/or advanced will be challenged at their own pace.

Advanced Select – This Camp is ideal for teams and offers a competitive, educational and enjoyable environment. This Camp provides the opportunity for players to train with their teammates and be challenged technically and tactically. Individual players are free to sign up as well.

Field Player – The Camp utilizes the game’s skills – passing, receiving, dribbling, shooting and heading. Whether your son/daughter is a beginner or more advanced young player the field player camp can make them better. Campers will be grouped according to age and then on ability as the week progresses, ensuring the challenge of learning new skills and tactics.

http://www.justsportscamps.com/udsoccer/ (Direct Link)

937-231-9827

How can you get into Cuba?
What’s the current state of the U.S. Embargo?
What are the sports teams like?
Do they really drive 1950′s cars?
What about the medical system?
And much more….

Where: Tipp City Library, 11 E. Main St., Tipp City, 667-3826
When: Saturday, May 12, 12:00-1:00pm
How: Bring your lunch (optional) and munch while you listen. We’ll provide the drinks.

(Posted by Sue Hofer, Staff, Tipp City Library)