On Sunday morning,  July 31st, 2016, Captain Jeff Parker was officially retired after 25 years at the Ft. Thomas Fire Department,  where he began his career there in 1991,  and for 17 years held the rank of a Fire Officer.
    
Jeff has always had a love for firefighting since he was a young boy, hanging out at the Dayton Volunteer Fire Department with his father Winnie. Jeff would later volunteer his time to the Dayton Volunteer Department from 1978-1994, where from  1988-1994 he held the rank of Captain.

Jeff was also an EMT for 37 years, and still remains a paramedic after 32years.  Jeff has earned both an Associate and Bachelor degree in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology from the University of Cincinnati.  He is currently enjoying his retirement with his grandchildren and family, also spending time playing drums in a country/rock band.  Jeff also has many home projects he is working to complete. Congratulations Jeff,   and enjoy your retirement! You have worked hard for it!

From your family

First I want to say thank you to everyone who read my last story about Baron and felt moved by it. Many of you donated or reached out in some way and I appreciate it.  What I thought was a happy ending changed in a moment.  It was very humbling and sad for me, but it was comforting that you cared and felt the same as I did.

This month I want to touch base about something else I need your help with.  You already know I have a huge soft spot in my heart for animals.  Well, I also have a soft spot for people in need too.  I’m talking about a little boy named Logan.  Logan has Muscular Dystrophy.  I agreed to be “Locked-Up” so I can raise “Bail” money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

If you check out my Facebook and twitter pages you will see my mug shots. I have to raise $2,000 before September 8, 2016!  So far I only have raised $39. I’m not great at asking people for stuff.  So I need your help. If I do not raise my “bail” by September 8, 2016, you can come down and see me Locked-Up at Bar Louie. 1 Levee Way, Newport, KY. 41071.  Turn in time is 5-8 PM. 

So come down and see if I made bail and get to go home that night.  Maybe you can make the difference and get me out? Please visit my MDA Lock up website:
 
http://www.mdalockup.org/nky2016
 
 

We want to hear from you! Dayton Main Street Board will conduct their regular meeting at the VFW on August 30th, at 7:00 p.m. The official board meeting will be coupled with a public hearing so bring your ideas for enhancing the Central Business District.

Cookies served by Kate’s Catering

I walked through the doors of Dayton Middle/High School on my first day as principal and swelled with feelings of nostalgia, pride and appreciation.  Linda Brandenburg (our front office "Mom") welcomed me with a smile and I was immediately taken back to my childhood as a student and Greendevil.  Teachers like Rosanne Sharon, Dan Ridder, Dianne Huff and Mike Groh taught me much more than business, drafting, trigonometry and physics... they instilled a sense of worth, confidence and pride that shaped who I am today. 

I grew up in a small house on 5th Avenue, not far from Lincoln Elementary, with fond memories of bottle hunting to buy penny candy at the Dime Store, grabbing a foot long at the Dayton Dairy Queen, little league games on the Avenue Carryout team and daring jumps from the high diving board at Tacoma swimming pool.  My dad graduated from Dayton High School in 1966 and my parents taught me the value of family and a hard day's work.  I'm proud to say that I see the very same nurturing Dayton spirit in our teachers and staff today that impacted me in such a profound way as a young man.

Upon graduating from Dayton in 1991, I went on to earn my bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology at NKU in 1996, before working as a talent agent for several years.  In 2001 I began a rewarding career as a special education teacher for ten years, led as an assistant principal for four years and had the honor of learning and leading with John Riehemann at Lloyd high school.  Then in 2015, I expanded innovative learning opportunities across the region as a coordinator in Boone County Schools.  I launched NKY MakerSpace in collaboration with schools, communities, local advanced manufacturers and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.  I am a self professed nerd, innovative maker, father of three and husband to my amazing wife, DJ Kellinghaus (DHS class of '92). 

Dayton schools are continuing our mission to inspire, engage and grow every student, working to reach 100% college and career readiness, as well as proficient ratings for a third year in a row.  We are offering early college options so our students can earn college credits while in high school.  Our goal is to become a distinguished school.  I look forward to meeting our students and celebrating success with the class of 2017.  We'll kick off our school year with home football games against Brossart and Bellevue.  Please join us at Davis Field for our first game on Friday, August 19th! 

Follow us at twitter.com/daytonhsky or facebook.com/daytonhsky. You can also contact me with at ryan.kellinghaus@dayton.kyschools.us.
 
Ryan Kellinghaus, Principal
Dayton Middle/High

The school year is quickly approaching and we are so excited for our students’ first day, August 17th, to be here!  Our teachers and staff members have been working tirelessly these last several weeks preparing for the students’ return. Along with many of our returning dedicated and exemplary teaching and support staff members, we are delighted to have several new and eager members added to our team for this school year.  We can promise our students and families that our entire staff is committed to our school’s mission statement: The Lincoln School Community is dedicated to providing the opportunity to develop a positive learning environment, which encourages each student to attain his/her optimal level of achievement.
 
The new school year not only brings some new faces, but also some new initiatives.  Our theme for this school year, that will also appear on the students’ agenda books, is “I am proud of the person I am becoming.” This theme comes from our upcoming work with the program Core-Life. Core-Life is an elementary school program designed for building student character and enhancing school spirit, culture, and climate. We are honored to be the first elementary school to implement this important program school wide and are convinced that our students will be positively impacted by the lessons and activities that will be implemented throughout the entire school year.  Our families will be highly influential in this work as home components will be embedded and sent home on an on-going basis.  Please be looking for more information.

We wanted to remind students of their summer learning challenges. All kindergarten and first grade students were given an activity calendar, while our second through sixth grade students were each provided with a grade level picture/chapter book.  Students need to have their books read by the first day of school.  Those students taking their AR test on their grade level book before school begins will be rewarded with a special incentive during the first week of school. Mrs. Young, our school librarian, is opening the media center/computer lab on August 9th, 10th, 11th and 15th from 1-3 pm and also during our Open House for students to take their quiz.  Students may also take their quiz at home. Please encourage your child(ren) to finish reading their book or complete their activity calendar by August 17th. 
    
We are both very excited and honored to have been selected for our new leadership roles at Lincoln. Both of us have dedicated our professional careers to the education of our Little Devils, which makes this opportunity even more special to each of us. We encourage our families to reach out to us throughout this upcoming school year with any of your questions, concerns, ideas, etc. 
 
Proudly serving the students and families of Lincoln Elementary,
 
Heather Dragan, Principal                                           Tim Chenot, Assistant Principal         
heather.dragan@dayton.kyschools.us                    tim.chenot@dayton.kyschools.us 

2016 - 2017..... Here we GROW!

This upcoming school year continues to be filled with great promise and high expectations.We look forward to seeing our students and community continuing the tremendous progress occurring on our school campus.The district has improved from being ranked 171 out 173 school districts to being ranked 72nd overall in the state and we are looking to GROW forward again! The renovation at DHS/DMS will improve efficiency, safety, and learning while providing a point of pride for our community.

As we look at this upcoming school year we will continue to focus on Inspiring, Engaging, and Growing each of our Students.When we inspire our students we see our students having hope for their future, a sense of belonging, and are passionate about their learning.An engaged student does the work, applies the work, and reflects of the work.Students who grow are healthy, have strong relationship skills, and have a growth mindset.

We want to welcome our new school leaders!

• Mr. Ryan Kellinghaus will be the new school principal at Dayton Middle/High School.  Ryan has 14 years of education experience.  He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Sociology, a Master of Arts in Special Education, and a Master of Arts in Instructional Leadership.
• Ryan has been a teacher and assistant principal at Lloyd Memorial High School and was most recently serving as the Expanded Learning Opportunities Coordinator for the new MakerSpace center that focuses on problem/project/passion based learning for Boone County Schools.  Ryan is recognized as a leader in the area of expanding 21st Century skills.  Ryan is also a proud Dayton High School graduate from the class of 1991.
• Mrs. Heather Dragan is our new elementary principal and she has worked 23 years in Dayton Independent Schools as a teacher, elementary curriculum coach, district-wide curriculum specialist, and assistant principal.  Heather has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and a Rank I in Education Leadership.  Heather is a proven educational leader with a strong curriculum background and a fantastic heart for kids.
• Mr. Tim Chenot is our new Assistant Principal at Lincoln Elementary School.  Tim is a 1994 graduate of Dayton High School.  Tim earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education, and a Rank I in Instructional Leadership.  Tim has also been an active leader and coach in the Dayton Youth Football League.

Remember, Children are always learning and learning has no beginning and end date. Families are a child’s first and most powerful teachers.Please check our school website for information on school events and activities.  www.dayton.kyschools.us
 
Looking forward to working with you!
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Jay Brewer
Proudly serving as Superintendent of Dayton Independent Schools

The year was 2005, and I remember it like it was yesterday. My wife came home from her job in the DHS cafeteria, wanting to talk about an offer she received from the owners of The Dayton Dispatch. They were in the process of moving and wanted to know if we would be interested in taking over the community newspaper. Having little to no knowledge about computer navigation and document formatting, my immediate response was, "I don't think so. Let them ask someone else." So much for that, right?

Validation that we should reconsider the offer soon followed. My sister-in-law said, "You would be perfect for this, Mike; you know practically everyone in town. Besides, If you don't do this, who will?".  And then I got to thinking about how I delivered newspapers (then known as the Dayton Advertiser) as a boy, and what a shame it would be to see the paper end after existing for more than 60 years. So Ruth and I decided to give it a try and 135 months later,  the Dayton Community News lives on.

The first steps of our new adventure went smoother than expected. Most of the advertisers were retained, thanks to a client list provided by The Dayton Dispatch. After that, I enrolled in a computer basics and Microsoft Word course through Urban Learning Center in Covington. I soon became proficient enough on the computer to format articles and create ads.

Leading up to our first edition of the paper, I kept thinking about the late Lee Reiber, a previous longtime editor of the paper. Lee was a respected businessman (Lee's 7th Avenue Cafe) and civic-minded gentleman who kept The Dayton Community News going for many years, sometimes at his own expense. His  paper included city news, school news, church news, and good news. Nothing more, nothing less. In Lee's honor, The Dayton Community News name was reclaimed.

A couple of weeks after our first edition came out, I received a phone call from an older gentleman named Charles Tharp. All I knew about him was that he was a realtor  and one of the first business owners to resume their ad in our paper. He called to offer his services by running a column in the paper titled "Then and Now".  He wanted to send in two photos each month, one from 1898 and the other a current one, giving a history of the subject with short bios covering the owners and their occupations. I recall the excitement in his voice as he spoke about Dayton, so I agreed to give the old-timer a shot. Little did I know, my new friend would be winning over our readers for a stretch that lasted 86 months!  Upon his retirement, Charlie donated a treasure trove of historical items and the building that his office occupied is now the home of Tharp Dayton Heritage Museum. I am proud to call him my friend.

Perhaps the best part about publishing The Dayton Community News has been the process of getting to know some really great people.  It is through their support that our residents continue to receive the paper each month, both online and delivered. And now, thanks to some gentle, yet persistent coaxing from Tina Neyer, we are now able to make news on the city website more easily accessible, timely and colorful.