Sycamore Living - The Living Magazines

Sycamore Living
VOL. 22 NO. 06
JUNE 2016
Community Publications, Inc.
179 Fairfield Avenue
Bellevue, KY 41073
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
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Newport, KY
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ECRLOT
THE HATTON FOUNDATION SUPPORTS DEVOTED DADS
Talbert House’s Fatherhood Project receives two-year sponsorship
From left, Steve Scherzinger (Sycamore Township), and Margaret and Walter Lunsford (Mariemont)
T
hanks to a generous $80,000
grant provided by the Hatton
Foundation of Cincinnati, all additional
funds raised for Talbert House’s annual
Fatherhood Celebration Luncheon will go
directly to support local fathers and families through the Fatherhood Project.
The grant has been awarded over a
two-year term beginning in 2016 and will
cover all costs associated with present-
2
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ing the luncheon. In awarding this grant,
Executive Director Walter Lunsford said,
“The Hatton Foundation is very pleased to
support this critical work that will directly
provide fathers with the support and tools
they need to strengthen their families.”
Talbert House’s Fatherhood Luncheon honors fathers from both the community and the Fatherhood Project, a
program that assists men in their efforts to
become responsible, committed and nurturing fathers. This year’s luncheon set for
June 2 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown,
will honor Buddy LaRosa; Ken Griffey, Sr.
and Brad Wallis as 2016 Fathers of the
Year. The luncheon is held as an annual
fundraiser allowing Talbert House to provide services at no charge to the fathers.
The Hatton Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation created in 1997 upon the death of E. Kenneth
Hatton, MD, and his wife, Ester Marie. Dr.
Hatton, served on the staff of Good Samaritan hospital for more than 40 years
and was a general practitioner with an
office in Bond Hill. The Foundation supports projects in the eight-county Greater
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Area.
“The Hatton Foundation has a long
history of funding projects that support
vulnerable families,” said Sycamore
Township resident and board president,
Steve Scherzinger. “We are honored and
excited to sponsor the Fatherhood Luncheons for 2016 and 2017.”
Sycamore Living
Bringing you the good news
of Sycamore for 20 years
EDITOR
Vicki Black
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Julie Isphording
STAFF WRITERS
Grace DeGregorio
Cathy Hollander
Brandon Huff
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Mark Collier
Celeste Warrington
Kristine Willike
WEBMASTERS
Kaitlyn Miller
Alysse Brubaker
PRINTER
Rick Foster
CHIEF OPERATION OFFICER
Erin Sendelbach
CONTACT INFORMATION
Community Publications
179 Fairfield Avenue
Bellevue, Kentucky 41073
859.291.1412
sycamore@livingmagazines.com
www.livingmagazines.com
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If you know of someone that lives in Sycamore
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Sycamore Living is published monthly by
Community Publications, Inc. It is mailed free in Sycamore. Subscriptions are available outside the area for
$17.00 per year. Additional copies are $2.00. No part
of this publication may be used without permission
of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors,
misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error
comes to your attention, please let us know and
accept our sincere apologies in advance. Community Publications, Inc. are publishers of Fort Mitchell
Living, Fort Thomas Living, Hyde Park Living, Indian
Hill Living, Sycamore Living, and Wyoming
Living.
© 2016 Community Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.
FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to June, a month for settling into summer. I remember
cool, fresh mornings when you could smell sweet, freshly mown grass
and hear the twitter of birds through the open window. Sometimes
when I was a youngster I liked to snuggle against my pillow for just a
few more moments and wonder what the day would bring.
As a child each day promised something new for me, and the expectation was wonderful. Of course, as the day heated up my sister and
I and maybe our friends would become bored. We’d already ridden our
bikes through our village a few times, played too many hands of Risk,
climbed trees, left the new kittens to nap, and had found nothing new
to do. Maybe a dip at their farm pond? But no adults were available to
be with us. Maybe we could see that new kid in town, what was her name? Oh! She had gone
to visit her grandmother out of town.
Some summers kids came to my village to visit their grandparents and stayed a week or
two. It was exotic having an out-of-town friend. We’d be pen pals for a few months or, in some
cases, a few years. That finally played out when our perspective worlds grew larger and our
uniqueness to one another had worn off. Still our friendship is a sweet memory.
My childhood unfurled at a slower pace than what children experience today. “Facebook” came to your front door on an occasional Sunday afternoon when out-of-town relatives
traveled more than three hours for a Sunday drive and the by-chance-they-are-home visit.
Where else would we have been? Church was over by 10:30 a.m. No stores were open. Usually we were lounging around, holding our hungry midsections, and asking Mom when dinner
would be ready. Dad was taking a well-deserved nap.
Anticipation. Expectation. So rich, those promises of what’s to be. Mom’s chicken pot pie
was worth the grumbling tummy. Funny, I never realized that Mom probably lingered over her
mid-day Sunday meal preparation in the anticipation there would be a knock on the door and
a melodic voice calling, “Anybody home?” Where else would we have been?
Enjoy the anticipation and Happy Father’s Day!
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Sycamore Living­| June 2016
3
CONTENTS | JUNE 2016
02 The Hatton Foundation
Supports Devoted Dads
04 The Salvation Army Bestows
Honor on Long-Serving
Advisory Board Member
THE SALVATION ARMY BESTOWS
HONOR ON LONG-SERVING
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
05 Montgomery Police Sergeant
Graduates from FBI National
Academy
06 The Co-op on Camargo Offers
a Fresh Shopping Concept
07 UC Blue Ash Honors Top
Alumni, Faculty and Staff
08 Ingage Group Awards $15,500
+ 200 Hours to iSPACE
09 Breathe, Stay in the Moment
for Feelings of Wellbeing
10 COVER STORY Sycamore Star,
Coach and Teacher Named
Distinguished Alumni
12 Happiness is a Place BetweenToo Little and Too Much
13 HED: Kentucky’s Confederacy
of Dummies
14 School News
ON THE COVER:
Steve Imhoff,
Sycamore Community School’s 2016
Distinguished Alumni of the Year
4
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Chris MacConnell was named a Life Member of the Salvation Army’s Advisory Board for his
30-plus years of service.
I
n March, The Salvation Army honored Christopher (Chris) MacConnell as a Life Member of the Cincinnati
Advisory Board. The honor was bestowed
by Colonel William Bamford, Salvation
Army chief secretary, “We’re deeply
grateful to Chris for his commitment to
our mission in the local community,” stated Major Larry Ashcraft, divisional commander at The Salvation Army. “We can
only serve those most in need in Greater
Cincinnati through the support, guidance
and energy we receive from long-standing Advisory Board members like Chris.
He has provided a tremendous level of
support through his time, talent and treasure, making an immeasurable impact on
the thousands of lives we impact each
year.”
MacConnell, president of Thomson-MacConnell Cadillac, has served
31 years on the local advisory board.
Among his many talents, The Salvation
Army has been blessed with MacConnell’s’ visionary leadership and “out of
the box” thinking. MacConnell, along
with long-serving board member and
friend Dick Manteuffel, has often challenged local Salvation Army leadership to
consider new opportunities and possibilities. This “dynamic duo” has led many
positive and life-changing expansions
and enhancements at local facilities, particularly Camp SWONEKY and the Booth
residences.
In addition to these important contributions, MacConnell brought leadership
and personal engagement in the creation
of a baseball diamond at camp, named in
honor of friend and fellow advisory board
member Thomas (Tom) Dewey. Chris
has been a long-standing financial contributor to local fundraising efforts, and
brought leadership and creativity to the
kettle sponsorship program. He received
the William Booth Award, among The Salvation Army’s highest honors, in 2006 for
his exemplary service and has now been
honored with a Life Member status.
MONTGOMERY POLICE SERGEANT GRADUATES FROM FBI
NATIONAL ACADEMY
Montgomery Police Sergeant Greg
Vonden Benken graduated from the 263rd
session of the FBI National Academy on
Friday, March 18, 2016.
cial agents, and other staff members holding advanced degrees, many of whom are
recognized internationally in their fields of
expertise.
Since 1972, National Academy students have been able to earn undergraduate
and graduate credits from the University of
Virginia due to the accreditation by the university of the many courses offered.
“Sergeant Greg Vonden Benken exemplifies the qualities of a superior leader in
the law enforcement profession,” explained
Montgomery Police Chief Don Simpson.
“The City of Montgomery is proud of Sergeant Vonden Benken and his accomplishment in graduating from the very prestigious
FBI National Academy. We are equally
proud to count Greg as a colleague.”
Sergeant Vonden Benken joins City of
Montgomery Police Chief Don Simpson
and Assistant Chief John Crowell as alumni
of the FBI National Academy.
C
ity of Montgomery Police Sergeant
Greg Vonden Benken along with
230 other law enforcement officers graduated from the FBI National Academy Program
at Quantico, Virginia, on March 18, 2016.
The 263rd Session of the National Academy consisted of men and women from 47
states. Included in the class are members of
law enforcement agencies from the District
of Columbia, 27 international countries,
four military organizations and five federal
civilian organizations.
Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy Program, held at the FBI Academy, offers 10
weeks of advanced communication, leadership and fitness training for selected officers having proven records as professionals
within their agencies. On average, these
officers have 19 years of law enforcement
experience and usually return to their agencies to serve in executive-level positions.
FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe
was the principal speaker at the ceremony.
Training for the program is provided
by the FBI Academy instructional staff, spe-
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Sycamore Living­| June 2016
5
THE CO-OP ON CAMARGO OFFERS A FRESH SHOPPING CONCEPT
By Grace Degregorio
T
hree happy businesswomen—who
also enjoy happy lives as women,
wives and moms—have combined their
successful enterprises to create The Co-op
on Camargo in Madeira.
Jill Haney, owner of the JH Shoes portion of the new effort, explains, “The Co-op
on Camargo is a unique shopping experience for women, as we are three independent businesses working ‘co-operatively’
together to provide on-trend, fun and quality women’s fashion, shoes and accessories.”
Rachel Hamilton of Blue Ash, owner of Bling!, and Wendy Furbay, owner of
Kennedys on Camargo in Madeira, are the
other entrepreneurs in The Co-op. In addition to having a retail outlet convenient
to their customers, they enjoy the benefit
of the “co-op arrangement” in which time
working in the boutique can be arranged
to fit their professional and personal schedules. Each person is knowledgeable about
the others’ merchandise, enabling them to
track all sales.
“For me, it’s fantastic,” says Hamilton,
who has two children—one in college, the
other a toddler. “I have my items here, but
also great flexibility.”
“I’m not aware of any type of store like
this in Cincinnati,” comments Haney.
The Co-op on Camargo opened this
past February. “We talked about the concept for over two years,” explains Hamilton.
“We’ve all been in business 15-20 years,
and we wanted a cost-effective way to
Rachel Hamilton and her daughter, who clearly
already is into bling!
6
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house our businesses. It’s nice to share
our knowledge and
offer something a
little different. None
of us will sell something we ourselves
don’t love.”
Haney
adds,
“People miss the
relationship with a
boutique,
where,
unlike
shopping
online, they can
talk to people who Jill Haney (JH Shoes), Rachel Hamilton (Bling) and Wendy Furbay
are knowledgeable. (Kennedys) join forces to create The Co-op on Camargo.
Our goal is to build a customer base with and walk with a little more confidence. It’s
trust by offering good quality and good what we really enjoy about our business.”
price points, creating individual looks with
The Co-op on Camargo is located at
so many mix-and-match options. You can,
7892 Camargo Road in Madeira. Hours are
for example, splurge on a coat and pair it Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or
with a less-expensive pair of pants.”
by appointment. Call 513-301-7276 or visit
All three women are savvy about buy- the Facebook page /cooponcamargo.
ing merchandise appealing to their customers, including trips to various fashion
markets. Haney and Hamilton also have a
satisfying relationship with supplier Sarah
Detrick-Souder, local Territory Manager of
Two’s the Number. Detrick-Souder keeps
her ear to the ground about hot trends and
regularly provides ideas for current, tasteful
items.
“The easiest way to change a look is
shoes—the right shoe elevates a wardrobe,”
says Haney, whose display includes colorful, comfortable footwear. Haney also does
corporate consulting and writes a column
on business etiquette for the Cincinnati
Enquirer. At The Co-op, Hamilton displays
“easy vibe, casual jewelry that are good
staples for any wardrobe.” Wendy Furbay,
who’s familiar with high end fabrics, offers Outerwear and shoes
vintage and custom clothing and leather
accessories. Together, they enjoy helping
their customers—busy women like themselves—find what meets their needs.
“Women don’t have time to go around
shopping or keeping up with fashions,” says
Hamilton. To further assist customers, she
“would like to have events here, such as
trunk shows, visiting stylists or informative
programs such as how to transition wardrobes.”
“I like seeing the confidence women
get when I help them put outfits together,”
Haney says. “They stand a little bit taller
Ladies’ clothing, accessories and jewelry
UC BLUE ASH HONORS TOP ALUMNI, FACULTY AND STAFF
A
former White House staff member and a rising star for a regional
restaurant management group are among
the recipients of prestigious awards from
the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College.
The achievements of some of the top
alumni, faculty and staff from the college
were honored during the UC Blue Ash College 2016 Silent Auction and Distinguished
Awards on April 13 at the Cooper Creek
Event Center in Blue Ash.
The silent auction featured more than
60 items and raised $5,484 for the UC Blue
Ash Alumni Association Scholarship Fund,
an increase of more than $1,000 over last
year’s total.
This year’s Distinguished Alumni
Award winner is The Honorable Andrew Ciafardini, a Sycamore High School graduate
who attended the college from 1997–2001.
His impressive career so far includes key
roles at the U.S. Department of State, U.S.
Office of Management and Budget, and The
White House, where he served as special
assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs. Ciafardini was also appointed as state representative for the open 28th
District seat in the Ohio Statehouse before
he transitioned into leadership positions in
corporate communications. He currently
serves as Vice-President of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility for Vantiv.
Lauren Altman is the winner of the
2016 Young Alumnus Outstanding Achievement Award. She attended UC Blue Ash
from 2003-07 and for the past several years
has helped drive the growth of the Thunderdome Restaurant Group, where she is
director of training and development. The
group owns several popular restaurants, including Bakersfield, Krueger’s Tavern, and
The Eagle.
Faculty members who are conducting
important research, leading innovation in
the classroom, and providing their leadership to key projects at the college were
honored at the event. Three members of the
UC Blue Ash staff were also recognized for
excellence in providing service to the college, showing potential as a future leader,
and going above and beyond in assisting
students. Following is the complete list of
the UC Blue Ash 2016 Distinguished Award
winners.
Distinguished Alumni Award —The
Honorable Andrew Ciafardini, vice president of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility, Vantiv;
Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award—Lauren Altman, director of
training and development, Thunderdome
Restaurant Group;
Faculty
Exemplary
Scholarship
Award—Timothy Forest, PhD, assistant professor of history;
Outstanding Faculty Service Award—
Amy Gultice, PhD, associate professor of
biology;
Innovative Teaching Award—Bradford
Mallory, PhD, associate professor of biology;
Dean’s Award for Faculty Excellence—
Heather Maloney, director, UC Blue Ash
Library;
Staff Distinguished Service Award—
Michela Buccini, senior academic advisor;
Staff Rising Star Award—Corrine Witherspoon, multicultural affairs coordinator;
Staff
Student-Centered
Service
Award—Cindy Jones, university service associate.
Andrew Ciafardini, right, receives the 2016
Distinguished Alumni Award from UC Blue Ash
Dean, Cady Short-Thompson
Lauren Altman, right, at the Distinguished
Awards ceremony with UC Blue Ash Dean,
Cady Short-Thompson
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Sycamore Living­| June 2016
7
INGAGE GROUP AWARDS $15,500 + 200 HOURS
TO ISPACE
O
n March 22, 2016 Ingage Partners Social Impact Fund awarded
$15,500 and 200 hours of volunteer time
to iSPACE in the first Ingage Partners Social
Impact Fund Award. IKRON and Women
Helping Women also made presentations to
the group of Ingage employees who funded
the Social Impact Fund. All who presented
received $1,000 and increased visibility to
this group of socially responsible technology and business professionals.
iSPACE, which has deep roots at Sycamore Schools, will use the funds and volunteer hours for curriculum development for
the IGNITE Engineering program. iSPACE’s
IGNITE Engineering is a program intended
for kindergarten through sixth grade students to learn to become problem solvers
Kelly Dolan, Linda Neenan (iSPACE) Michael Kroeger
8
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while learning science, technology, engineering and math concepts and skills. IGNITE Engineering uses LEGO Education kits
and iSPACE highly acclaimed curricula to
immerse students in the role of engineer. iSPACE’s goal is to provide hands-on, mindson STEM experiences to underserved students in the urban core to test whether early
and frequent exposure to these educational
tools, with both guided and free build time,
can influence their interest in STEM careers.
Linda Neenan, executive director of
iSPACE stated, “iSPACE is honored to be
the recipient of the inaugural Ingage Social
Impact Fund grant. We felt it was an excellent exercise to hone our message down
to a 15-minute presentation and develop
a compelling deck to accompany it. This
made us think about our specific programs
and the impact each one has and then convey that in the most efficient way possible.
This was a tremendous opportunity for us
and your investment in iSPACE validates
our efforts to develop career pathways for
our region’s future STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce. As
well as the generous financial gift, we are
especially proud to have Ingage employees
partner with us by contributing 200 volunteer hours.”
Ingage Partners created the Social Impact Fund in Fall 2015 and encouraged employees to consider donating a portion of
their Paid Volunteer Time Off (PVTO) into
the fund. Ingage matched dollars and employees had the opportunity to interact with
the presenters from each non profit.
When asked why they created this
model Michael Kroeger and Kelly Dolan
stated they were looking for a way to engage more members of the company in understanding the opportunities within local
non profits and empowering them to impact a non profit in a greater way.
Ingage Partners is a local Management
and IT Consulting firm offering services in a
variety of areas including project management, business analysis and application development. Ingage is a Certified B Corp (the
area’s first certified social enterprise), using
business as a vehicle for positive change in
the community. Ingage donates a minimum
of 25 percent of profits to charitable organizations - the purpose in the company’s
“Consulting with Purpose” business model.
BREATHE, STAY IN THE MOMENT FOR FEELINGS
OF WELLBEING
Story and Photos By Cathy Hollander
R
onald D. Siegel, PsyD., spoke about
mindfulness meditation to the community at Cooper Creek Event Center. Siegel is a professor of psychology at Harvard
Medical School and is on the faculty of the
Institute of Meditation and Psychotherapy
as well as the author of a variety of books
about mindfulness meditation. Jewish Family Service (JFS) brought him to Blue Ash
to teach a professional development workshop at JFS’s Miriam O. Smith Educational
Series Professional Event, and he agreed to
come early to appear at a program for community.
“We thought the community would
love to hear what he has to say,” said Susan Shorr, chair of the event. “Mindfulness
is a practice that’s been around for quite a
while, but has gotten increased popularity
in recent years. Therapists are incorporating
it into their practices. It’s something people
can do without having to be guided by a
therapist. It’s very relevant to today’s world.”
During his talk, Siegel discussed what
promotes feelings of wellbeing, which can
correspond to a longer and healthier life.
People who are happy function better, think
more clearly, and concentrate better. Surprisingly, it’s often not about good or bad
fortune, but how people relate to what is
happening. What we think will make us
happy only results in short periods of feelings of wellbeing and in fact, in many cases, the anticipation or expectation makes us
happier than the actual event or situation.
“Life is difficult and we’re dealing with
constant change that we need to adjust to,”
said Siegel “Mindfulness meditation doesn’t
make life’s difficulties go away, but helps
people change their impression of life’s dif-
From left, Blue Ash resident Sherry Kaplan, director of marketing for Jewish Family Service;
Symmes Township resident Susan Shorr, chair of the Miriam O. Smith Educational Series
Professional Event; Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD.; and Kenwood resident Beth Schwartz, CEO of Jewish
Family Service.
ficulties. Happiness has nothing to do with
what people are doing, but what they’re
paying attention to.”
In life, some difficulties are inevitable.
Focus on negativity was a matter of survival for people’s prehistoric ancestors. They
needed to anticipate catastrophic situations
and strategize to avoid the impact. Through
meditation, people can train their minds
and brains to be in the present moment, remembering to be aware and to maintain a
less judgmental attitude.
During mindfulness meditation, people practice bringing their attention repeatedly back to the present moment. If they get
lost in thoughts about the past or imagining
future problems, they gently, without judgement, bring themselves back to their
breathing and into the present.
One of the easiest ways to reduce stress is to focus the attention
on the breath. This experience of
relaxation can help relieve stress.
Siegel led a guided breath meditation exercise during the community
program:
Breath awareness meditation involves finding an erect, but comfortable position on a chair and bringing one’s attention to the natural
Montgomery residents Rachel (Juran) Faust PsyD with
husband, Jeremy Faust, attended the lecture
sensations of the breath in the body.
Without trying to control the breath, whether it’s short and shallow or long and deep,
Siegel encourages meditators to follow their
breath through full cycles, from the beginning of an inhalation to the end of an exhalation, and then on to the next cycle. As
thoughts enter the mind, which they will
inevitably do, meditators are encouraged to
allow them to come and go, letting go of
the thoughts and sensations as soon as they
realize that they’ve stopped focusing on the
breath. They should then return attention to
following the breath. Guided meditations
are available at Ronald D. Siegel’s website,
www.mindfulness-solution.com
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Sycamore Living­| June 2016
9
{Cover Story}
SYCAMORE STAR, COACH AND TEACHER NAMED
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
“Sycamore
doesn’t owe me a
thing. I have gotten so much more
from
Sycamore
than I can ever
give back,” Imhoff
said. “My wife, my
kids, my parents,
my coaches, teammates,
students,
colleagues
and
every player who
played for me all
deserve to be honored.”
Imhoff
became an Aviator in
1957 when he first
attended
Montgomery Elementary
as a kindergartener. Over the next
During the 1970 Senior Sports Awards, Sycamore surprised Imhoff by
retiring his number 25 baseball jersey, something that had never been done 13 years he would
attend Maple Dale
before.
Elementary
and
e’s been a student, a star athlete,
Sycamore Junior High and High School. He
a teacher, a coach, an outstandgraduated second in his class in 1970.
ing community member and now the 2016
Back in those days, Imhoff was known
Distinguished Alumni of the Year. Sycamore as “Chipper” on the baseball mound, leadCommunity Schools is proud to announce
ing the 13-6 Sycamore Aves to the District
Steve Imhoff as this year’s distinguished Championship game in 1970. In his three
alumni inductee.
varsity seasons, he pitched nine shutouts,
Imhoff has often been referred to as two no-hitters, and one perfect game. He
“Mr. Sycamore,” but he doesn’t see it that
knew from the time he was a young boy
way. He points to former Sycamore teach- that he wanted to play baseball for Sycaer, administrator and coach Dan Henke for
more, watching the Aviators and Coach
that title. Imhoff graciously and humbly acDan Henke, who were his heroes.
cepts the honor bestowed on him this year.
“I lived across the street from Coach
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Henke’s sister. Anytime he was over at her
house, I would ask my mom or dad to go
out front and toss with me. He is the guy
that I aspired and still aspire to be.”
He smiles when reminisces about the
days with his teammates and coaches, with
whom he remains in close touch even to
this day.
“There isn’t one game in particular that
sticks out to me. When I think back to those
days, I just remember how much fun we
had,” Imhoff said.
During the 1970 Senior Sports Awards,
Sycamore surprised Imhoff by retiring his
number 25 baseball jersey, something that
had never been done before.
When he wasn’t on the diamond Imhoff was on the football field and the basketball court. He even had a one-time stint
on the wrestling mat that he chuckles about
because he didn’t have his contacts in and
couldn’t see out of his headgear. He became a member of Sycamore’s 3,000 Point
Club. Again, he credits his success to his
coaches and teammates.
Imhoff’s performance in the classroom
was just as stellar as his performance on
the field, graduating second in his class. He
was a member of the National Honor Society and The Log yearbook staff. During his
senior year, he was elected homecoming
king and was a member of the prom court.
He received the “That’s My Boy” Award
from the Southwest High School Football
Coaches Association and was inducted into
the Buddy LaRosa’s Hall of Fame.
After graduating, Imhoff received a
scholarship to Davidson University to play
football. But after only a few practices, he
realized his heart was back in his hometown. He transferred to Miami University,
where he had to sit out for two years before returning to baseball and helping the
Redskins to two Mid-American Conference
Championships.
“Sitting out for two years turned out
to be a blessing. I was really able to focus
on my academics,” said Imhoff. “I thought
about all the people who had impacted my
life. They were all my coaches and teachers.
That is what inspired me to get into education.”
While he may have been a Redskin,
{Cover Story}
green and gold were still running through
his veins. Imhoff returned to Sycamore as
a volunteer assistant for the football team.
When it came time to student-teach, there
was only one place that Imhoff wanted to
be.
A brand new Sycamore High School
had just opened on Cornell Road when
Steve student-taught. He laughs as he remembers being nervous and calling his former teachers by their first name for the first
time.
Imhoff graduated from Miami University in 1974 and began teaching math at Sycamore High. He also seized the opportunity
to become an assistant football coach and
the junior varsity girls’ basketball coach. A
year later, he became the varsity girls’ basketball head coach and boys’ baseball head
coach.
Over the next three decades, Imhoff
continued to coach baseball, football, basketball and softball at the high school and
junior high. He can’t remember how many
years of each sport, but he can remember
the faces and names of all of the players and
coaches.
“I couldn’t have asked for better people
to coach and work with,” Imhoff said.
In 1995, he was inducted into the first
class of the Sycamore Athletic Hall of Fame.
Imhoff became known as “Banner Boy”
around Sycamore, hanging up banners to
promote school spirit. Imhoff says it made
him feel good to see his students and colleagues light up when their achievements
were recognized.
“What makes Sycamore special are the
great people. I have been blessed to experience life with some of the best people in
the world.”
One particularly difficult time in
Steve’s life is a direct reflection of that statement. In 1999, a tornado destroyed his family’s home. That’s when the Sycamore family stepped up to help.
“I remember going over to Sycamore
Junior High,” Imhoff said. “I returned to the
high school auditorium for a staff meeting
and all of the faculty was there with so
many gifts to replace the things we lost in
the tornado. I will never forget that.”
Imhoff retired in 2005 after 31 years
of teaching math, physical education, and
skills for living at Sycamore High School.
Since then, his passion for Sycamore has
never wavered. He helped found the Sycamore Alumni and Friends Association
(SAFA) in 2006, serving as president of the
organization a few years later.
“Steve Imhoff is a great teacher, a great
coach and a great friend,” Tom Gregory,
longtime friend and teammate, said. “He is
the epitome of what we strive to be here in
Sycamore.”
Imhoff played amateur baseball until
the age of 55, winning one AABC National
Championship and four NABF National titles. He continues to throw batting practice
for the Reading Blue Devils, the Cincinnati Spikes and, occasionally, the Midland
Redskins. But his most important roles have
been as husband, father and grandfather.
“I am nothing without my wife and my
kids,” Imhoff said.
Imhoff met his wife, Sheryl, during
their freshmen year at Sycamore. The two
have been happily married 42 years.
“Steve is highly dedicated to Sycamore—the school, the community, the students, the parents,” Sheryl said. “He is always willing to go the extra mile, put in the
extra time, or reach out to lift someone up.
He looks at every interaction as an opportunity to teach. He is a natural leader and
as long as I have known him, people have
been drawn to him because they found him
approachable, enthusiastic and genuine.”
Their daughter,Carrie, is a personal
trainer, health and wellness coach here in
Cincinnati. Their son, Casey, is part owner
of The Sweatbox in Columbus. Their two
grandchildren, Grady, 6, and Mallory, 4, are
future Aviators.
“I am so fortunate to have had my kids
and now my grandkids go through Sycamore,” Imhoff said. “This place is special.
So many people have left and come back
and I think that says a lot.”
Once an Aviator, always an Aviator.
It is obvious that Imhoff feels there is still
work to be done. He accepts the honor of
Distinguished Alumni if only to recognize
those who helped him along the way and to
inspire a renewed spirit and pride in Aviator
Nation.
“If I could describe Sycamore in three
words, it would be family, spirit and, it
sounds corny— but—love.”
Steve Imhoff was honored at the 2016
Distinguished Alumni Reception on May 22
at the Original Montgomery Inn. He also
spoke at Sycamore High School’s Commencement on May 23 at the Cintas Center.
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Sycamore Living­| June 2016
11
HAPPINESS IS A PLACE BETWEEN TOO LITTLE AND TOO MUCH
Find a Healthy Balance
By Julie Isphording
S
ometimes happiness lands in our
laps: a surprise promotion at work,
an out-of-the-blue email from an old friend,
your child’s first soccer goal. Other days,
happiness is tougher to find—what’s so
happy about a fight with your child, a miserable day at work, and an unexplained
painful illness?
Life always has some good. Life always has some bad, but the fact that there
is some good is good. I believe we have to
search for the good in everything and every
day.
Win or lose, you’re still that same outrageously wonderful person each day. You
can still dream big dreams. You still have
the courage, character and brilliance to
make great things happen for you and the
ones you love; that’s happiness.
Go get it.
Why is breakfast the worst time to eat
“reakfast foods?”
Breakfast is the one meal of the day
that should not include the typical breakfast
foods like toast, bagels, muffins, pancakes,
sugary cereals and more!
Items containing large amounts of sugar, white flour and corn syrup are rapidly
absorbed into your bloodstream creating a
“sugar high” with the rapid release of too
much insulin. This means you will get hungry within an hour and you won’t feel your
best. On the other hand, foods that are rich
in fiber, fat and protein take longer to break
down and digested. They are absorbed into
your bloodstream very slowly and you don’t
get hunger pains before lunch time.
What are some common foods that we are
overeating?
Portion sizes can get out of control. We
tend to underestimate how many calories
we are eating especially with these foods.
•Cereal
It’s easy to overdo breakfast cereal because of the growing sizes of cereal bowls.
The serving size of most breakfast cereals is
about one cup, and the average cereal bowl
holds about 2.5 cups. Try using a measuring
cup for an accurate portion or find a smaller
bowl.
•
Peanut Butter
Two tablespoons of this healthy fat is
all we need for its health rewards. But few
people stop there. Mindlessly eating it out
12
www.livingmagazines.com
of the jar is one reason, but some also have
trouble visualizing two tablespoons spread
across the PB & J.
•Bananas
Fruits offer many healthy benefits,
which is why we should eat five servings of
fruits and vegetables each day. But, we underestimate bananas because those found
in grocery stores are large enough for about
two servings. The true portion size for a banana is about the length of a pen.
•Pasta
Our view of “normal” comes from
heaping plates and bowls of pasta that
make even a triple portion look small. In
reality, based on recommended serving sizes, pasta should take up about one quarter
of your plate.
•Meats
From giant burgers to the steaks that
fall off the plate, overeating is far too easy
when it comes to meats of any kind. A portion is the size of the palm of your hand—a
small hand.
How can we enjoy a restaurant dinner and
keep it healthy?
1. Plan ahead
Check out the menu online before you
go. Many restaurants have nutrition information on their websites, which can further
guide your decision.
2. Make some personal promises
Make some dining-out rules—and
try to stick to them. How about deciding
to read only certain sections of a menu,
choosing only non-fried foods, refusing the
bread basket, leaving a third of your food
on your plate or eating dessert only when
shared by the family?
3. Check the wording on the menu
Look for menu items that are steamed,
broiled, grilled, roasted, or poached while
avoiding foods that are described as buttery,
crispy, sautéed, fried, creamed, scalloped,
and sauced.
4. Make substitutions
Substitute a vegetable, side salad or
fruit cup for a potato, pasta or rice. This one
substitution can save you a couple of hundred calories.
5. Watch the dressing
Opt for light salad dressings or ditch
the dressing altogether and use balsamic
vinegar or fresh lemon juice on your salad.
6. Take it with you
When your food arrives, ask for a to-go
container. Pack up a portion of your meal,
close the lid and enjoy your night out.
7. Talk more
Talking at the table forces you to eat
slowly and mindfully, savoring each bite
and stopping when satisfied. Your feeling
of fullness will increase over the next half
hour after eating.
8. Avoid those free refills of sugary soda
Choose sugar-free beverages such as
water with lemon. Soda calories add up
quickly, especially when refilled automatically.
How can you snack healthier at work?
• Plan your snacks for the work week
and make them at night
Put your snacks in serving-size bags or
containers so you can grab them on your
way out of the door.
•
Considering adding a little protein
Bring along a handful of heart-healthy
nuts with some fruit, or a tablespoon of peanut butter for your celery.
•
Snack on fruits with the skin on them
Don’t peel your fruit. The skins on apples, peaches or plums provide extra fiber
and will help you to feel fuller for a longer
period of time. Whole fruits are delicious
and portable, easily stored at work and eaten without plates or utensils.
•
Bring snacks that won’t spoil quickly
Consider high-fiber cereal bars or a
cup or two of a nutritious dry cereal. That
way you have a lunch if you get stuck at
your desk unexpectedly for the day. You
don’t want to skip eating.
• Try drinking a water or low calorie
beverage
Liquids can help you to feel full and
are good for you too. Research suggests
that adequate hydration can ward off hunger pains.
Olympian Julie Isphording is an author,
consultant and compelling speaker. Utilizing
her background as a world-class runner and
entrepreneur, her presentations tell personal
stories that inspire people to increase their
effectiveness, leadership skills, health and
happiness. You can reach her at www.the
healthystuff or Julie.isphording@gmail.com.
KENTUCKY’S CONFEDERACY OF DUMMIES
Story and Photos By Betsa Marsh
Jennifer Dawson helps Cecil Wiggle Nose
express his feelings. The rare dummy, made by
the McElroy brothers, was also called Ed Wynn
after the comedian.
W
hen ventriloquist Jeff Dunham
pulls that crotchety old man
Walter on stage with him, it’s nonstop complaint, served with a side order of pinched
eyebrows and crumpled lips. Walter hates
his wife, hates the government, hates the
audience. Will he never shut up?
And then, suddenly, scowling down
from the wall, is a Silent Walter. Silent as
in mute, un-animated. Praise the Lord and
pass the admission to the Vent Haven ventriloquism museum.
On a shady street in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Walter and 871 of his fellow dummies rule within the world’s only museum
dedicated to ventriloquism. They just don’t
talk about it.
Dunham sells out arenas with Walter,
Achmed and Jose Jalapeno, yet takes the
time to serve on the museum board and donate to the cause. He’s given the museum
a version each of Walter, Peanut and Jose
Jalapeno.
Often, it’s the backstory that’s as fascinating as the dummies themselves. Dunham made this version of Walter in three
days, for a Hertz commercial, and used it
for seven years before giving the dummy to
Vent Haven in 2003.
Walter is one of the museum’s
newer dummies—its oldest figures are
Goldston Heads of papier-mache, from the
1820s. Their glass eyes still glint eerily.
As priceless as Edgar Bergen’s Charlie
McCarthy and Jacko, the museum’s monkey
mascot, may be, perhaps Tommy Baloney
is the most essential. Tommy, all big brown
eyes and cherry lips, was the first dummy
William Shakespeare Berger ever bought.
The Cincinnati tile salesman saw
Tommy Baloney in New York in 1910 and
snapped him up. By 1925, he was collecting in earnest and performing as an amateur.
Soon, the dummies were edging the
Bergers out of their Bluegrass bungalow,
then their garage and then a second building. Afraid they might be sold piecemeal
after his death, Berger set up a charitable
foundation to keep all his pals together.
Today, Tommy Baloney still greets
visitors at Vent Haven, alongside Berger’s
Skinny Hamilton and mascot Jacko. Jacko
was built, with real rabbit fur, by legendary
figure makers George and Glenn McElroy.
The McElroy figures, crafted by the
brothers in nearby Harrison, Ohio, are considered the Cadillacs of dummies. Working between 1936 and 1941, the McElroys
made about 24 dummies, and Vent Haven
has nine.
“They’re so well made, complex and
rare,” said curator Lisa Sweasy. “They wink,
blink, spit, wiggle their ears and cross their
eyes.” Jeff Dunham and magician David
Copperfield both collect McElroys.
Some of the museum’s dummies
are famous by association. Ted Knight, who
created the role of Ted Baxter on The Mary
Tyler Moore Show, was a ventriloquist with
his dummy, Herkimer Hicks.
Paul Winchell was a hit with sidekicks
Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff.
Winchell is less well known as the inventor
of the first artificial heart. He held 30 patents, including those for such current everyday staples as the retractable ballpoint pen
and disposable razor.
Shari Lewis and her sock puppet Lambchop, who is represented with a toy, were
inducted into the Vent Haven Museum Hall
of Fame in 1991. Shari’s daughter Mallory
continues the act.
Visitors of a
certain age will
recognize
replicas of Charlie
McCarthy
and
Mortimer Snerd,
made from Edgar
Bergen’s original
molds. The trio
was on radio,
improbably, for
19 years before
moving to TV and
movies.
The col-
lection also includes 5,000 photos, capturing Johnny Carson and Don Knotts with
their dummies. Senor Wences and his hand
puppet Johnny have their own display:
The duo were on The Ed Sullivan Show 48
times. Turns out, Wences lived down the
street from Sullivan, so when a guest cancelled, he would sub.
And then there are the one-offs. In the
1950s, a comedian commissioned a standing figure of Marilyn Monroe for his act. The
artist did his best, working from the star’s
photos, but it’s a shaky papier-mache effigy
at best. Maybe the best conversation piece
is her breasts: When a ventriloquist moves
a slide mechanism in her back, they wiggle
up and down.
The comic toured with Marilyn for a
few years, then sold the 5’4” figure to William Berger, who was already dozens deep
into his dummy obsession in Kentucky.
Marilyn is now called Cleo, for reasons
lost to time, and occasionally a guide will
move her breasts up and down just to keep
her limber.
That’s just one of the amazing
skills among the 850 dummies. Some spit,
others blow bubbles using tiny balloons.
Some, like rakish Sailor Boy, dare to smoke.
One character, Cecil Wiggle Nose, is a
real show-off. Crafted by George and Glenn
McElroy, Cecil can wiggle his nose and
ears, wink, roll and cross his eyes, make his
hair stand on end, and, rudely, stick out his
tongue.
When You Go
Vent Haven Museum leads guided tours May-September. 859-341-0461;
www.venthavenmuseum.com.
The 40th annual Vent Haven Convention is July 13-16 in Northern Kentucky,
including the July 16 performance by Jeff
Dunham at Northern Kentucky University.
www.venthavenconvention.com
Class is always at attention in Vent Haven.
Sycamore Living­| June 2016
13
{School News}
DECA Breaks Records at State
Competition
Indian Hill High School DECA students had a school record-breaking weekend as 81 students competed at state this
past weekend, with a record 57 achieving
finalist status! Adam Sichel became a twotime state champion. Seventeen finished in
the top four of their event and qualify for
International Competition in Nashville, TN
later this year.
Congratulations to the following students who qualified for DECA Internationals:
State Champions (first place) include:
Adam Sichel (Blue Ash; Business Finance –
two-time state champion); Anna Defendiefer (Indian Hill; Food Marketing); Ben Friedberg (Kenwood; Restaurant & Food Service
Management); Ben Korengel (Indian Hill)/
RJ Dein (Blue Ash) (Financial Services
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Team); Mrinal Singh (Blue Ash; Principles
of Business Management & Administration);
and Hannah Mendelsohn (Indian Hill; Entrepreneurship Promotion Plan).
State Runners Up (second place) include: Sara Price (Indian Hill) / Mary Hall
(Blue Ash; Buying & Merchandising Operations Research); Rhian Horton (Blue Ash;
Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling);
Pablo Guzman (Indian Hill) / Tarik Whitham
(Indian Hill; International Business Plan);
and Jane Petrie (IndianHill; Start Up Business Plan).
Third place finishers include: Ben
Singer / Patrick Giroux (both Indian Hill;
Business Growth Plan).
Fourth place finishers include: Hannah Kaplan (Indian Hill; Financial Consulting) and Otto Ackermann (Kenwood; Franchising Business Plan).
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8th Grade Power of the Pen team
Places First at Regionals
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www.livingmagazines.com
Sycamore High School freshman Max
Guo took the United States of America Junior Mathematical Olympiad exam on April
19-20. He is one of three students in Ohio
and 200 nationwide to qualify for the test.
Two Sycamore High School students
took the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad exam on April 19. Aaron and Ben Charnay, who are brothers, participated in the
chemistry competition at Miami University.
Only 12 second-year high school chemistry students from the Cincinnati chapter of
the American Chemical Society can qualify
to take this exam, and only 1,000 students
from across the country qualified.
The national exam involves three parts.
The 20 top-scoring students are chosen to
attend a study camp at the University of
Mary Washington May 31-June 15. Based
on their performance at the camp, four students are then selected to represent the U.S.
at the International Chemistry Olympiad.
A line taken from the USNCO examinee
agreement form for this year states: “The
fact that you are sitting for this test marks
you as an outstanding chemistry student.”
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From the left, Aaron Charnay and Ben Charnay
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Power of the Pen 2016 8th grade team
At Indian Hill Schools, educators recognize that competent writing is a key skill
in just about every industry. The annual
{School News}
Power of the Pen competition for seventh
and eighth graders aims to help students develop competence and confidence in their
writing.
This year’s eighth grade Power of the
Pen team showed they took this lesson to
heart when they achieved a first place finish among 40 other schools at the regional
tournament! Marc-Aurele Lallement of Indian Hill placed fifth out of 256 writers.
Great writing, everyone!
E.H. Greene Intermediate PTO Honors
Principal
E.H. Greene Intermediate’s beloved
Phil Hackett is retiring at the end of this
school year. Hackett has been the principal
of Edwin H. Greene Intermediate School
since 1995, but his tenure at Sycamore
Schools began more than three decades
ago.
He first arrived at Sycamore in 1988 as
the principal of Maple Dale Elementary. He
led the school for seven years before moving to E.H. Greene where he was named
a National Distinguished Principal by the
U.S. Department of Education. Under his
leadership, E.H. Greene was selected as an
Ohio School to Watch and as a Blue Ribbon
School.
A dessert reception on May 11 is
hoped to be a loving send off and an effort
to show him how much the school community appreciates all he has done for the
Greene School. Please join the E.H Greene
PTO for for dessert on Wednesday, May 11
from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Greene School Cafeteria. The entire district is invited to help
celebrate Mr. Hackett’s retirement.
As a lasting tribute to his years of service, the PTO wishes to purchase a picnic table with umbrella to place near the
Greene walking track. This table would be
available for the entire community to enjoy.
To make a donation toward this commemoration, please make checks payable to the
Greene School PTO, and send it to the attention of Ann Margolis E.H Greene School,
5200 Aldine Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45242.
Seven Hills Senior Qualifies for
Olympic Trials
Matthew Marquardt, a senior student
athlete at The Seven Hills School, has qualified for Olympic Trials for the 2016 Summer Olympics, in the 200 Backstroke. Mar-
quardt, with a time of 2:03.68, was among
only three swimmers whose times dipped
under 2:05 in the A final.
Marquardt, of Hyde Park, recently earned the highest honor in Ohio high
school swimming at the state championship
meet when he was named Male Swimmer
of the Meet. The award is bestowed upon
the single swimmer whose performances
are considered the most exceptional of all
the swimmers at the state championship
meet under a complex formula that considers every swimmer’s times in their events.
16 Special Olympics of Hamilton County
17Opportunities for Ohioans with
Disabilities
18Living Arrangements for the
Developmentally Disabled
19 Innova Financial Group
20 Red Treehouse
Postsecond Fair Special Olympics
Matthew Marquardt has qualified for the 2016
Summer Olympics.
Indian Hill Named a 2016 Best
Community for Music Education
Postsecondary Transition Fair Provides
Information from 20 Organizations
The Indian Hill School District hosted its first Postsecondary Transition Fair on
March 3 at Indian Hill High School. The
fair connected students with a disability in
grades 6-12 and their families with organizations providing services to these students. Indian Hill Intervention Specialists
were also on hand to provide information
and support to students as they explored
future options.
Organizations represented included:
1 University of Cincinnati TAP
2Ohio State University TOPS and
EnvisionIt programs
3 Developmental Disability Services
4 Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation
5 Transition Support Program
6 Easter Seals
7 Mount St. Joseph University
8 Wright State University
9 Xavier University
10 Marshall University
11Community Integrated Training and
Education
12Ohio Valley Goodwill Employment
and Training
13 Stepping Stones
14 Melodic Connections
15 Project SEARCH
Music Educators Rick Adams, Trista Emmons,
Don Barker, Chris Rotsching, Alice Bohn, and
Superintendent Dr. Mark Miles
For the second year in a row, the National Association of Music Merchants
(NAMM) has recognized the Indian Hill
Exempted Village School District as one of
the 2016 Best Communities for Music Education (BCME). The District is one of only
476 school districts nationwide recognized
for this distinction in 2016. In its 17th year,
this program recognizes the commitment of
school administrators, boards of education,
community leaders, teachers, and parents
who believe in music education and are
working to ensure that it is part of a complete education for all children.
The BCME program evaluates a variety
of factors including: budgetary commitment
to music; opportunities to learn music; the
presence of highly qualified, certified music teachers; adherence to state and national standards; types of musical experiences
offered; and opportunities for performance
and competition, among others. Congratulations to Indian Hill music teachers and
students on this achievement!
Sycamore Living­| June 2016
15