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Record The Putnam County
Volume 145 No. 29
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Putnam County’s Only Newspaper
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Changing directions Putnam County School Board reviews new core standards By Ken Schroeder kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord
GRANVILLE – The Putnam County School Board started off its meeting on March 18 with a hearing on the intent of the school to sell $5 million in bonds. Superintendent Jay McCracken re-iterated the bonds will not necessarily be issued.
“This opens a window of possibility,” he said. “With the state owing us so much money, we have to prepare. We have no intention of selling these bonds unless it’s absolutely necessary.” The main topic of discussion at the meeting was the new Common Core State Standards for learning that are being set by
legislators. Proponents of the new standards include the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, and the new core will have sweeping changes in the way teachers teach. Primary school science teachers Anita Ladage, Nichole Zellmer and Nancy Berger presented the board with an outline of how kindergarten through second grade
will be affected. Science subjects will be taught as cross-cutting courses, with portions of different science applications – biology, geology and physical science – being taught in the same class. “The accent is being placed on cause and effect, patterns and problem solving. From early on, students will be asked to look at problems and use a scientific approach to then solve them,” Ladage said.
By Dixie Schroeder dschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
By Ken Schroeder GRANVILLE – The Granville Village Board has cleared another hurdle in the quest to bring a Dollar General store to town. During its regular board meeting March 19, upon receiving approval from the planning and zoning committees, trustees established the business district in the plat of land where Dollar General would be built. The board also passed a resolution imposing a 1 percent tax on goods sold in the district with the exemption of foodstuffs and title-able items. The business district covers the total five acres of the plat instead of the 1.9 acreage Dollar General intends to use, since it is easier to exempt businesses from the tax imposed than to add the tax later. The land was also rezoned from single family residential to commercial. In addition, a resolution was passed allowing Al Cioni to locate a business in the business district. The next step in the procedure will be a meeting at 3 p.m. on March 29 with a Joint Review Board and Moran Economic Development to review the TIF plan and the eligibility of the proposed area. That meeting will be held in the village hall.
See Granville Page 3
HENNEPIN - The bells are ringing again at the United Methodist Church in Hennepin as the bell choir is practicing this spring. The bell choir is composed of 11 musicians and Director Kristen Augspols. Bell choir members are Sandy Hrasch, Cathy Phillips, Betty Dean, Meaghan Dean, Kendall Miller, Ila Weddell, Debbie Doyle, Nancy O’Connor, Nita O’Neil, Linda Litherland and Dana Lewis. “We try to play at least one Sunday a month,” said Augspols. “I have played bells before in high school, so that is how I was asked to become the director. The bells were purchased with memorial monies left to the church, so it took lots of years to save up and get them.” Augspols said they have three octaves of bells. “Each bell is a separate note,” she said. “So if you have to play a sharp, you pick up a different bell.” Participants play as many bells as they are comfortable in doing. Some play four, some play two. The members don’t have to read music, but just have a good sense of rhythm to know when to play their parts. Individual members play with gloves as to not get skin Putnam County Record photo/Dixie Schroeder oil on the bells. Sandy Hrasch (from left), Cathy Phillips, Betty Dean, Meaghan Dean and Ken“We play various difdall Miller practice in the Hennepin United Methodist Church Bell choir. ferent types of music,”
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a situation that troubles McCracken. “Usually, you start with a goal in mind and work toward it, but the state says it’ll work,” he said. High school Principal Bob Petersen presented the board with an explanation of the changes in math and the efforts of the math teachers to meet the Common Core standards.
See Standards Page 3
Ringing in the good news
Granville establishes business district kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
The second-grade students have already started lessons using the new core with the other classes starting in the 201314 school year, once the school can assess where any problem might occur. The standards are currently in the draft stage, but Berger said it shouldn’t change significantly. However, while the core standards are nearly complete, a system for measuring success is not —
Weedo the Guide See Page 2
First Person See Page 5
she said. “We are sometimes asked to play in various parts of Putnam County. We have played at an open house for some retirees and at the steel mill employee’s credit union.” Augspols said she has had her core group for quite a while. All but two of the members have been in the choir since it started. Augspols said the choir is working on a difficult piece for Easter services, and they are very excited because they get to use mallets to hit the bells. It gives a shorter sound to the music. Choir member Weddell is one of the “lifers” as choir members call their role in the bell choir. “I’m here for the duration,” she said. “I try to play to bells where they are supposed to be played,” Doyle said.”But I enjoy it. It probably helps to be able to read music. But you just have to know what note your bell is on the music score.” “This is my second year, and I started with one bell, and I made it to two bells,” O’Connor said. “There was an opportunity to join, and I took it.” Hrasch said playing the bells is like fishing because the motion is “like casting for a fish.” The bell choir will perform on Easter Sunday and on Mother’s Day, May 12.