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Monday, November 18, 2013
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Piqua police chief takes pro-active approach to school shooting threats Will E Sanders
Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com
PIQUA — Ever since the Sandy Hook school shooting, Piqua Police Chief Bruce Jamison has taken an aggressive and pro-active approach to the issue — and now he’s taking that message to the schools and the community. As early as January, Jamison met with school officials and began discussions about presenting active shooter scenar-
ios to schools in Piqua, in addition to delivering his message to the Piqua school board. “The feedback I started getting almost immediately was, ‘Yeah, we’re glad you’re doing this,’” Jamison said. On Friday, Jamison took that message to the Upper Valley Career Center where administrators and staff used a waiver day to take part in the comprehensive plan presented by the police department regarding active shooter scenarios
Mike Ullery | Daily Call
Piqua police chief Bruce Jamison instructs staff members at the Upper Valley Career Center during an Active Shooter training class on Friday.
or other violent threats. Over the course of the day staff members at the career center attended various work sessions where they learned about school threats and how to respond to them, from classroom barricading to communication to selfdefense and take-down tactic The last portion of the day involved police performing a shooting demonstration that allowed them to hear what a gunshot sounds like inside of the building, some-
thing Jamison said many might not be familiar with. Police simulated a gunshot throughout the school during the exercise. “A lot of the staff has never even heard a gunshot at all before (or what one) sounds like in the building,” Jamison said. “We hear in debriefings from people who have been through this that they were surprised by the sound or weren’t sure what the sound was.” In the past schools See SCHOOL | 2
Free community dinner offered Melody Vallieu
Staff Writer vallieu@tdnpublishing.com
TROY — In a continued effort to bring the community together for the holidays, El Sombrero restaurants in Troy and Piqua again will offer a free Thanksgiving feast to the public. Continuing to fulfill a promise he made to his mother to help his community, Ruben Pelayo, owner of both restaurants, will offer the 17th annual community Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 28 — or until the last visitor is served. “It’s not just me. Yes,
we started (the meal), but the community has kept it going,” said Pelayo, who has been honored by several organizations for his work in the community. The free meal, a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings, will be offered for dine in only again this year. There will be no carry-out or deliveries. Both Pelayo, and his business manager and “American mom” Judy Rose, stress that the meal indeed is for anyone who wish to have a good dinner or socialize with others, not just those in need.
A traditional Thanksgiving meal will be offered from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 28 at both El Sombrero locations. The Troy restaurant is located at 1700 N. County Road 25-A and the Piqua restaurant is located at 1274 E. Ash St.
Commission to review 2014 budget Bethany J. Royer Staff Writer broyer@civitasmedia.com
PIQUA — A third and final reading will be given to an ordinance in regards to vacating a public rightof-way at Tuesday’s commission meeting. The vacated area is located within the boundaries of what will be the future location of the new water treatment plant between Hardin Road and State Route 66. New business will consist of two separate ordinances beginning with a repeal of schedule A-1 of chapter 33 in the Piqua Code related to minimum wage municipal employees. As the state of
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Ohio has increased the minimum wage from $7.85 per hour to $7.95 per hour. The second ordinance will give a first reading of the 2014 annual budget that must be presented and passed before the end of the year. Three resolutions will round out the meeting with a request to authorize into an agreement with O.R. Colan Associates for services related to the County Road 25-A Phase III reconstruction project. A second resolution for purchase orders to Chemical Services Inc., Huron Lime Inc., F2 Industries and Univar USA Inc. for various water treatment chemicals. Followed by a final resolution that will seek to purchase excess liability insurance. As presented in the meeting agenda, this coverage has been provided by Associated Electric & Gas Insurance Services Limited or AEGIS for more than 20 years. Commission meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of the month, on the second floor of the Government Municipal Complex, in the commission chamber. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. For information on meetings, work sessions, and more visit piquaoh.org.
“We have families that have made it their tradition to be here for Thanksgiving,” Rose said. “This is for the community. We want everybody to come and let us serve them.” Employees begin cooking the some 125 turkeys the week prior to Thanksgiving in order to have them all ready for the dinner. “I find it fun to come in the week before and smell turkeys cooking instead of Mexican food,” Rose said. Rose said a core group of about 12 people help to plan the dinner each year, however, about 50 more volunteers help in the two restaurants on Thanksgiving Day. Employees, many from Mexico, are paid, and see the holiday as just another day of work, Rose said, as Thanksgiving is not recognized in their country. The meal again will be
a sit-down dinner, with each visitor being personally served. “It’s like when you have people come to your home. You sit them down and wait on them,” said Rose, who said they see a lot of doctors and nurses on shift at UVMC come in for a quick meal. “Older people especially appreciate it.” In recent years, the restaurant has received help from the public and vendors to offset the cost of the dinner. However, Rose said in all, the dinner will cost an estimated $14,000-$16,000, to serve the thousands of area residents that will visit the two locations. Rose said Gordon Food Services this year has donated turkeys, while Pepsi donates the soft drinks for the meal. Community members also drop off turkeys they Staff File Photo/ANTHONY WEBER either have purchased or El Sombrero owner Ruben Pelayo transfers juice from several received from their jobs. turkeys into another container prior to the 2012 meal at the Troy location. El Sombrero has offered a free Thanksgiving Day meal
See DINNER | 6 every year since it has opened its door.
4-H Camp fire destroys mobile homes
Mike Ullery | Daily Call
Firefighters from Pleasant Hill and Covington responded to a structure fire at the Indian Hills 4-H Camp on Lauver Road around 3 p.m. on Sunday. Firefighters arrived to find a pair of mobile homes engulfed in flames. An additional engine and manpower was supplied by Ludlow Falls Fire Department. No injuries have been reported. High winds hampered efforts to bring the blaze under control. Pleasant Hill fire authorities declared the fire as “under control” at 4:08 p.m. but advised that they would be on the scene for “the next hour or so.” No damage estimate or cause has been reported.
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