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Volume 130, Number 178
The Piqua golf team played Covington at Echo Hills Page 8
Cars, fish stories and backhanded compliments Page 4
Keeping It Real: Back to School Page 6
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Teacher challenges Piqua students to learn Mandarin Sharon Semanie For the Daily Call
PIQUA — While Spanish, German and French have remained the premier foreign languages taught in classrooms for decades , Mandarin Chinese is emerging as a favorite subject as evidenced by students attending both junior and senior high schools in Piqua Twenty-nine-year old Ling
Hughes, a native of Chang Sha in the Hunan Province of China, is one busy teacher commuting between the two schools both mornings and afternoons. Greeting each student with a cheery hello or “Ni hau” as they enter the classroom, Hughes is making strides as her younger charges quickly pick up Mandarin after only several weeks. Chinese paper lanterns, colorful posters of the Great Wall and city
of Shanghai and graphic posters illustrating Chinese holidays, family members and sports decorate the PHS classroom. The 30 language students — mainly freshmen, seniors and a sophomore — immerse themselves in the firstyear “Happy Chinese” textbook and learn through a combination of flashcards, videos and written/ oral quizzes. Team competition is also a teaching component with stu-
dents paired up to solve video vocabulary games. “They are learning a little bit every day,” observed Hughes “mainly through practice and repetition. I tell them ‘If you don’t use it, you will forget it.’” Through pin yin (pronunciation) and learning Chinese symbols rather than alphabetical letters, the inquisitive Piqua teens are grasping a See CLASS ACT | Page 2
Trial set for daycare officials
Fatal crash reported
Will E Sanders
Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com
Mike Ullery | Staff Photo
Authorities said a fatal two-vehicle car accident took place a little after 8:30 p.m. Thursday evening in Elizabeth Township at the intersection of State Route 201 and Walnut Grove Road. One victim of the crash was killed, sheriff’s deputies said. Another motorist was injured and transported to the hospital. Names of the drivers and any passengers, along with additional details, were not being released at deadline.
TROY — A judge appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court will hear the case against the two directors of an Elizabeth Township daycare facility that were indicted last month for failure to report child abuse. Karen A. Leffel, 62, of Troy, and Amy B. Hawkins, 43, of Casstown, both had pretrial conferences in Miami County Municipal Court on Thursday and a tentative trial date of Sept. 23 was set, though the trial date is subject to change. Leffel and Hawkins were indicted on a misdemeanor count of failure to report child abuse in August following the completion of an investigation by the Miami County Sheriff’s Office into the Walnut Grove Learning Center, 5760 E. Walnut Grove, where both of the women serve as directors. Leffel is the owner of the facility. Court personnel sent a request to the Ohio Supreme Court for an appointed judge to hear the case after judges in Miami County recused themselves from the case. Attorneys for the defendants, Jeremy Tomb and Christopher Clark, have entered a not guilty plea for
the women and have filed a request for a bill of particulars in the case. In the meantime, Leffel and Hawkins remain free on recognizance bonds. Sheriff’s reports indicate both women witnessed or knew of alleged sexual abuse taking place at center. Authorities began investigating the case at the end of June after an ex-daycare employee reported the allegations of four occasions where the same child was “caught touching other students in a sexual manner,” according to reports. Those reports stated a 4-year-old child allegedly touched three children during four occasions between April and May at the facility and none of those repeated instances were reported by Leffel or Hawkins. The investigation found the former daycare worker who came forward to police said Leffel and Hawkins allegedly wanted to keep the incidents “a secret” and when the employee expressed her concerns about not reporting the abuse she was fired. According to investigators and police reports, Leffel and Hawkins informed parents of the child victims, but downplayed the nature of the allegations.
Biermann book-signing at Hallmark Sept. 14 Meeting the challenge Bethany J. Royer Staff Writer broyer@civitasmedia.com
PIQUA — They often say, when you want something done right, do it yourself. Or in the case of former Piquad Alan Biermann when he was unable to find books on the real-life adventures of real-life heroes for young readers he decided to write them. His first publication, Chuck Yeager Goes Supersonic, can be found at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and will be available at a book signing to be held from 1-2 p.m., Saturday, Sept.
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14, at the Hallmark Store what he calls glorious experiences as a sailon Main Street. Sure, there were books plane pilot, the Mojave on the Wright Brothers Desert being the perfect and Amelia Earhart, says place for enthusiasts. “You get out Biermann, “But there and have there’s been practireally wondercally nothing else.” ful experiences,” Biermann wantsaid Biermann ed something who shared the more, not only for story of sighthis kids to read ing a dust devil and enjoy, but oth— the potential ers. of good rising Yet, the story of Biermann air— that took his eventual pubhim to a dizzylication does not quite begin there as once ing height of 14,000 feet. Not only was upon a time, a teenage Biermann worked along- Biermann a pilot, he side his father, David obtained his doctorBiermann, Chief propel- ate at the University of Berkeley, ler designer and later California, President of the Hartzell and became a professor Propeller Company. of computer science at The younger Biermann Duke University, and had assembled propellers two children. His own while attending the local young son sharing the high school and became family enthusiasm for quite the aviator and fly- planes and flying, too, ing enthusiast. So much and a proficient reader so that after graduation who wanted books on in 1956, while attending the real-life adventures Ohio State University, he of aviation heroes such became a pilot and joined as Chuck Yeager, the first a flying club where glid- pilot to break the sound ers were towed into the barrier. But they were not sky and released. An experience he took with to be found, and while him after graduation wishing there was more and a move to California material for his son to where he would ride glid- read, it wouldn’t be until ers as high as 14,000 feet the last few years, after Biermann’s retirement in into the sky. Biermann also had 2005, that the idea of a
young reader’s book on Yeager would begin to take shape. As a beginner, the fledgling author joined a writer’s club, the Society for Bookwriters and Illustrators, where members became an integral part of the early bookwriting process. “People in the society are very encouraging and nice,” said Biermann who began to send manuscripts to editors and was multiply rejected with notations they were not publishing material on aviation and pilots for young readers. “I knew they weren’t!” continued Biermann with a laugh on the irony of the situation but a determination to get his book into the hands of readers which would take him on a journey to finding a top illustrator and book designer, and contracting with CreateSpace, an Amazon.com selfpublisher. The process of illustration an arduous task alone, before discovering Yaejin Lim, who proved to be the perfect candidate given her ability to capture the finest of details on both aircraft and individuals in the 42 pictures that make up the
Many Ohioans struggle to put food on the table
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Bethany J. Royer Staff Writer broyer@civitasmedia.com
PIQUA - On Tuesday, Mayor Lucy Fess presented a proclamation challenging citizens to participate in a faith-based initiative running Aug. 24 to Sept. 11 called Feed Ohio 2013. Through the initiative, communities are encouraged to aid food pantries and food banks across Ohio’s 88 counties either by donating directly toor through the program, with information provided below. The Bethany Center, a South Street soup kitchen food pantry, has been the recipient of many similar locally-driven initiatives, such as the Nicklin Learning Center students donating 1,307 nonperishable food items in January. Wilma Earls, director of the Bethany Center, was uncertain as to any local ties with the Feed Ohio 2013 initiative but states upcoming assistance from the Waffle House on Ash Street is their most current fund raiser. The restaurant will hold what
Stacy Crumpler, manager, states is Spirit Night, from 2 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 12 with 25 percent of sales to go the Bethany Center. “It’s to help them with the food pantry,” said Crumpler of the unique fund raiser that has been held for a number of years in aid of area organizations, with this being the first year they’ve chosen the Bethany Center. “We’ve talked about it, but this is the first time (For the Bethany Center). Our franchise likes to do fundraisers to help organizations whether Bethany or the local football team, so as to give back to the community.” The city of Piqua has a strong tradition of aiding those in need, especially when it comes to food struggles. In May, the 20th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, hosted by the United States Postal Service, acquired approximately 7,000 pounds of food items. On top of school can drives for food banks and pantries, area businesses such as Little Caesar’s