Voice of Miami Valley

Beck Announces Unanimous Passage of Military Child Custody Legislation

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:16:00 +0000

COLUMBUS—State Representative Peter Beck (R-Mason) today announced passage of House Bill 121 from the Ohio House of Representatives with a unanimous vote of 96-0. This legislation would ensure that an existing custody order for the child of a parent actively serving in the military cannot be altered solely because of that parent’s military service, keeping the welfare of the child as most pertinent to the decision.

House Bill 121 prohibits a court from finding that past, present or possible future active military service justifies the modification of an existing custody order. It also requires that a service member seeking a temporary parenting time order notifies the child’s other parent and applies to the court as soon as reasonably possible with the date that the active service starts.

“I am pleased to see this important piece of legislation pass with bipartisan support, because military members should not be penalized for their active military service at the expense of their children,” Rep. Beck said.

Under the legislation, the temporary custody order based on a parent’s active military service will be terminated within 10 days of notice that the active military service has ended. While serving, the court may grant a parent on active service a temporary order that allows for a relative or other person who has a substantial relationship with the child to take over that parent’s visitation rights.

House Bill 121 will now move to the Ohio Senate for further debate and consideration.

Beck Applauds Local High School Senior....

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Tue, 03 May 2011 02:02:00 +0000

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Beck Applauds Local High School Senior

COLUMBUS— Emma Higgins, from Carlisle High School, is the recipient of a $2,500 scholarship to attend Miami-Jacobs Career College in Criminal Justice, State Representative Peter Beck (R-Warren County) announced today.

State Representative Peter Beck nominated Emma for the Legislative Scholarship Program, sponsored by the Ohio Association of Career Colleges and Schools in cooperation with 41 participating colleges and the Ohio General Assembly.

“I am delighted that I am able to help Emma pursue the dream of a college education at Miami-Jacobs Career College,” Rep. Beck said. “Career colleges and schools help Ohioans obtain the skills they need to secure an occupation in this trying economy.”

Students attending career colleges and schools account for about one-third of all students majoring in health and computer sciences—projected to be among the fasted-growing jobs through 2016, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Mom Prom coming to The Miami Valley...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:28:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaThe Mom Prom was created inCanton, MI in 2006. It is a ladies night out for
charity in which women wear their old prom gowns, bridesmaids dresses,
wedding gowns, or thrift shopfinds. It is a real prom with a DJ, a tackiest
dress contest, and a game to crown the new queen. This is a wonderful,
hilarious night in which women can dance the night away, have fun with
friends, and help a worthy cause. We will have a raffle going on throughout
the night for multiple gifts, and a photographer on hand to capture the
wonderful memories.You DON'T have to be a mom to come just old enough to be
a mom. No kiddos :)

*Admission will be: $20.00 at the door and $15.00 in advance

Date & Time: May 27th, 2011 8-11pm

*Location:
Vineyard Community Church
4900 St. Rt. 123
Franklin, Ohio 45005

*Raffle Tickets: 4/$1.00 AND you get 1 FREE with admission, you can get 2
more FREE by bringing snacks or sweets to share.

*Photo CD's from the photographer will be available for order for Only $5.00
including pictures of the whole night!!

You may contact me personally to order tickets, or ask questions.
Cassie Hawkins
937-266-0142 (call or text)
Forgiven2God@Yahoo.com

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INVITE ALL THE LADIES YOU WANT!!!

We are donating all of our proceeds to the Auvil Family, Kevin is in need of
a lung transplant, and we would like to help as much as possible with care
and travel expenses as they have to travel back and forth to Pittsburg.

Looking for some cleaners in your area....

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

EcoMaids provides high quality cleaning services using products and supplies that are safe for you, your family, your pets and the planet. EcoMaids offers environmentally safe green cleaning for your home or business, and LEED-certified cleaning for your building. Our cleaning products are Non-toxic, Chemical-free, All-natural and Biodegradable. All-natural products clean and disinfect just as well if not better than chemical-based products, without introducing harmful toxins into your home and the environment.

Green Cleaning for Your Home

Whether you're looking for a one-time cleaning or a complete housekeeping solution, EcoMaids can accommodate virtually any schedule. We offer weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and other cleaning regimens. We also offer evening and weekend appointments for our clients' busiest schedules. EcoMaids can also accommodate any budget. We understand that affordability is a concern, especially these days. EcoMaids offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and strives for complete customer satisfaction.

We currently offer the following services:

Regular service
Deep-clean service
Fill-in service (kitchen and bathrooms)
Spring/seasonal cleaning
Move-in/move-out cleaning
Housekeeping services

Our complete residential Checklist can be seen at:

http://www.ecomaids.com/services/checklist.cfm

We can be contacted via email at Dayton@EcoMaids.biz, Ph# 937-310-2282 or our website www.ecomaids.com/dayton

Call us for special offers and discounts.

Beck Introduces Resolution Honoring Vietnam War Veterans...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:18:00 +0000

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COLUMBUS—State Representative Peter Beck (R-Mason) recently introduced House Concurrent Resolution 13, which honors and commemorates all Vietnam War-era veterans on the 55^th anniversary of the first casualty of the war. Specifically, HCR 13 honors members of the United States Armed Forces who served during the Vietnam War, the Ohioans who served and those who were wounded in the war.

“I served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War era, so this legislation is of particular interest and importance to me,” said Beck. “This legislation will forever honor and remind us that many of our fellow soldiers are still prisoners of war and missing in action.”

More than 8.7 million individuals served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War era. Of these, more than 58,000 U.S. service members—and more than 3,000 Ohioans—lost their lives in the Vietnam War. Some 300,000 more U.S. service members were wounded in the war.

Additionally, approximately 600 service members were held as prisoners of war, and efforts to recover those missing in action continue today.

HCR 13 has been assigned to the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee.

Gas Prices already $4.00...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:12:00 +0000

The average price in Southwest Ohio Tuesday was $3.88, down from a 2011 record of $3.89 on Monday, according to data from the Oil Price Information Service. The Northern Kentucky average was $3.92, which is down from the 2011 record recorded on Thursday.

Drivers in five states, including Indiana, as well as the District of Columbia are paying an average of $4 a gallon, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. The Ohio statewide average price Tuesday was $3.90, while the Kentucky average was $3.86.

Local prices this April have been the highest ever recorded for the month, fueled in part by the seasonal run-up in retail prices ahead of the summer driving season and the higher cost of crude oil.

Read the rest of the article from the Assoicated Press by clicking here...

KJV turns 400 years old...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:37:00 +0000

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Happy 400^th KJV

Whether you regularly attend church or not, chances are you have heard of the King James Version of the Bible. In fact the KJV Bible translation started in, and still dwells in controversy. Regardless of all of this it is still here and in fact turns 400 on May 2^nd of 2011.

Many centuries ago it was debated as to whether or not it was proper to allow the common man the capacity to read and understand Gods words. Yet, on May 2^nd 1611 the Church of England published a Bible written in the common tongue. Fortunately for us it was been revised over 100,000 times to give us what we read today.

We now have many different versions and translations of the Bible, and in a way we owe them all to the work of the KJV writers. To celebrate this special anniversary KJV has partnered with YouVersion to attempt a global reading of the entire KJV in only 400 seconds. That’s right 400 seconds, to find out how they intend to accomplish the reading, or if you would like more information go to http://www.youversion.com/kjv400.

As a pastor I prefer to read several different versions of the Bible in my studies, and although I am not a KJV only guy, I am thankful for what they accomplished. Thanks to them I can now read any Bible version I want on my computer, smartphone, or ereader, or for all the old schoolers I can actually read the real thing, you know with pages and stuff.

Joe Marinich

Welcome our new guest contributor...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:19:00 +0000

We would like TheVoiceofMiamiValley.com to welcome our new contributor Joe Marinich. Joe is not a stranger to the area. He currently is the Youth Pastor at Vineyard Church in Franklin and is a former Carlisle School Board member. Joe lives in Carlisle, grew up in Springboro, and ministers in Franklin. He is going to be a HUGE addition to our team. Joe will periodically post articles ranging from spiritual to topical. We are positive you will enjoy!! WELCOME JOE!!

Merge Wright Column...Texting...it's been around for centuries

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:46:00 +0000

ITexting….it’s been around for centuries

I started texting back in the last century. When I began I did it in cursive and it took me forever to make sure all the letters were perfect. I’d write three sentences and have to take a break, do a cherry Coke, a nickel bag of chips and a couple of penny candies. Cursive wasn’t the way to go. Texting was difficult in the old days. I finally found a used typewriter for $5.00 and was hyped that I’d be able to type my texting. What a break through. I stayed up nights learning the Qwerty keyboard and it wasn’t easy pushing those keys down about three inches to get the letter to hit the paper. Once my text was complete, I’d put it in an envelope, buy a 3 cent stamp and if it was going out of town buy an airmail stamp for an extra penny and write AIRMAIL on both sides of the envelope and put it in the big blue mailbox across the street. Sometimes I’d write FLY IT on the envelope instead (That was cooler). A few days later my text would be received and enjoyed by my father who lived in Rochester, New York. He’d sit down and text me back and about 3 or 4 days later I’d receive his text. He caught on quick and would write FLY IT on his too. Quite a bit of work went into texting back then. Like a lot of young kids I’d write/text short stories, funny stuff and goofy poems for school. Notes/texts in school were passed from one to another during class and in the hallways. They were the social communication method of the day. I remember a note in 5th grade that was handed to me in the hallway by some girl, it said, “Cynthia thinks your cool”. I’m still texting today as evidenced by this column. And yes I do text a lot on my cell phone when looking for quick answers and not wanting to get involved in a five minute phone conversation with how are you, how’s the family, how was your weekend, etc. Who would have ever guessed that phone texting would be an enormous hit. Not to mention all the texting on Face Book that happens 24/7. News today is instant. When the alarm goes off at 5 or 6 a.m. every morning I grab my smart phone off the night stand and read the Detroit Free Press, USA Today, check for text messages and email that came in overnight, get the temp and weather for the day and then proceed to the kitchen for green tea and the Dayton Daily news in print form. Hope to have an I-Pad in the near future to do it all including books, magazines, videos, newspapers and more. Some disagree but it’s the future, ask any youngster today. I haven’t bought a CD in years downloading all my music and backing it up on CD and external HD. With Time Warner’s Turbo I can download 12 songs in just a couple of minutes. If I subscribed to their Extreme program I could do it in a few seconds. Extreme will download a whole movie in less than 30 seconds. Do you remember in the 90’s when it took 3 or 4 minutes for a black and white picture to download? In church one Sunday I was reading the lesson for the day off a teleprompter but carrying a Kindle with the lesson on it in case the teleprompter failed. Texting and batteries are here to stay. LOL

Roosters Restaurant in the Springboro Point Shopping Center is supporting the Springboro Community Assistance Center (food bank) next Tuesday, April 26, from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m. Bring four canned goods and get $2 off your bill. There will be door prizes, give-a-ways, karaoke, dancing and all kinds of fun. Other items needed are cereals, cleaning supplies, TP, paper goods and gas cards. Wendy Ford, Director of the SCAC will be with us to answer any questions and let everyone know what they are doing for people in our community and how many families they’re helping which are way up during the current recession. I’ll be your emcee and provide the hits from yester year right through today. Come join us and support this great cause for our city. A special thank you to Bobbi Joe and the Rooster’s staff for making this special event happen. They care about our community.

Tomorrow is Good Friday many churches have come together to do a cross walk from the Presbyterian Church on N. Main St. to the United Church of Christ at the end of the historic district on S. Main St. You’re welcome to join us at 12 noon and make the walk with us. It’s only 1.3 miles and we’ll have police protection on the road during the walk. And don’t forget Easter Sunday please take your family to the church of your choice Sunday and worship our Risen Lord. It’s a joyous celebration with many churches offering Easter Egg hunts for the kids and brunch for everyone after the service. Happy Easter everyone.

Merge Wright’s email address is: mergewright@yahoo.com

REP. BECK RESCHEDULES SPRINGBORO TOWN HALL MEETING...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:29:00 +0000

Columbus—State Representative Peter Beck (R-Warren County) today announced that he will be hosting a town hall meeting on Saturday, May 7, 2011 from 4-5pm. This town hall meeting will replace the meeting that was originally scheduled on Saturday, April 23, 2011, which he had to reschedule.

The town hall meeting will be held in the community room at the City of Springboro Administrative Building, which is located at 320 West Central Avenue in Springboro.

The town hall meeting is a chance for the constituents of the 67^th House District to speak with their State Representative to discuss issues within the district and the upcoming budget process. “The town hall meeting will provide a valuable chance for my constituents to speak to me about their concerns and how I can best serve them in Columbus,” Rep. Beck said.

Beck Applauds Local Official Linda Oda...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:11:00 +0000

Beck Applauds Local Official Linda Oda

COLUMBUS—On Wednesday, April 27^th, Representative Beck (R-Warren County) will present Linda Oda, fiscal officer for Clearcreek Township in Warren County, with a commendation for earning the Ohio Township Association Leadership Academy designation. The Leadership Academy, which was created in 2003, helps to enhance leadership skills in Ohio’s township government and provide valuable tools that will aid the township.

To receive this award, many requirements—which include attending the National Association of Towns and Townships Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., participation in six elective courses, and attendance at the General Workshop—must be completed within a three-year span.

“Receiving the Ohio Township Association Leadership Academy designation is a great accomplishment, and I would like to applaud Ms. Oda for all the hard work she has put into earning this diploma,” stated Rep. Beck.

Ms. Oda is the first woman and fiscal officer in the county to graduate from the Ohio Township Leadership Academy. Representative Beck invites you to join him at the Clearcreek Township Trustee meeting, which will be held at 7593 Bunnell Hill Road in Springboro, on Wednesday, April 27 at 6:30pm to applaud the efforts of Ms. Oda.

Merge Wright Column...Aviation, it started right here...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:07:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaAviation, it started right here...

Planes, pilots, control towers have all been making the news the last few years. Airline pilots showing up for work under the influence of alcohol. Pilots that pass their destination by 150 miles because they’re asleep in the cockpit. Boeing 737’s becoming convertibles at 36,000 feet when part of the roof comes off and air traffic controllers asleep in the tower when incoming flight crews are asking for landing instructions. I know the last flight I was on they had a DJ working the cockpit compartment. I heard several flight attendants and a couple of guys doing the Cupid Shuffle when we were over New Jersey. I also noticed the plane rocking from side to side a little later when I heard the DJ mention, “Chickens on the dance floor...NOW”. Then there was an intense 4 minutes of YMCA, when I thought the plane was going to do a slow barrel roll. About an hour later all went quiet with soft background music...that’s when I thought I heard someone snoring. Guess the auto pilot had been engaged for the final 3 hours to the west coast. I felt safe again. Well what can we do to stop these wild parties in the mile high club and above. I’m thinking cockpit cameras so all passengers can enjoy the party or stop the foolishness when they’ve had too much. When the roof comes off we need to tell the DJ to cut the bass that’s probably causing those roof pop offs. Maybe an acoustical set with bongos and guitar would be a lot safer. And if your dancing in first class or coach maybe being tethered to the aircraft would prevent injuries when encountering strong winds or storms. Seat belts when sitting, tethered on the dance floor. I like that. And with the cockpit cameras we can keep an eye on the pilot and copilot to make sure they don’t doze off when our flight destination is approaching. Maybe a cow bell button on our screen remotes would be cool for the wake up gesture. Aviation it just keeps getting better and better. I got a flight next week with a live performance of Lady Gaga doing Poker Face...can’t wait.

Great news to report from the Minds In Motion school here in Springboro. Their Gala fund raiser held at Heatherwoode on March 19 raised over $50,000 towards building a community gymnasium and arts center on N. Main Street contiguous to the school. They’ll have timing, dates and more once plans are finalized. It was a terrific evening with about 250 people present. Silent auctions, an auction and fun opportunities in abundance kept everyone entertained all evening. The magnificent event was orchestrated by Tricia Fote, School Director and Gina Pangalangan, Minds In Motion, CEO.

A few events coming up that you’ll want to mark your calendars to attend:
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. fund raiser for Tamarack Swim Club at Campioni’s Pizza at 92 Edgebrook Drive. Come enjoy great pizza, subs and so much more. Ten percent of the daily take will be donated to the Tamarack Swim Club for their 2011 season. We joined in 1978 and still belong...best swim club in the area. Love It!
Tuesday, April 26, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Rooster’s Annual Customer Appreciation Party supporting SCAC the Springboro Community Assistance Center. Bring 4 can goods and get $2 off your bill, other items needed are non perishables, cereals, cleaning supplies, paper goods, gas cards. Wendy Ford, Director of the SCAC will be with us to tell us about the need in our community and what SCAC is doing right now. Great give a ways, dancing, karaoke and I’ll be the master of ceremonies and music maker with all the hits from yester year and today.
Thursday, May 12, 2011, Medals in the Making, Embracing Grace. Igniting Hope. At the Prodigy Training Center, 235 S. Pioneer Blvd. Springboro. Hear Gerry Faust, former head football coach at Notre Dame and Moeller High School. A passionate speaker on issues of faith, family and sports and the impact roles they can play on the lives of young people. Emcee: Marsha Bonhart from Channel 2 television in Dayton. Call Rhonda Croucher at 937-550-0051 for tickets now. Take a tour of the facility and enjoy a wonderful dinner provided by Heather’s Coffee and Café before hearing Marsha Bonhart and Gerry Faust. Tickets are limited call now to not be disappointed.

I leave you with the words of Mehmet Oz, MD: How we treat the weakest among us is how we will be judged.

Merge Wright’s email address is: mergewright@yahoo.com

We would like to welcome new contributing writers...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:13:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaThe Voice of Miami Vally and all of its sites would like to welcome Mr. Don Wright, Jeff Kirby, and also Mrs. Aimee Thomes Plesa (of Devour Dayton). These contributors will continue to help our sites add quality and well known content!! We appreciate their willingness to share unbelievable stories and articles that will inspire, educate, and entertain the residents of the cities we cover. Don will be sharing his "Merge Wright" columns with The Voice sites. Jeff will be sharing his stories and Aimee will be contributing an unbelievable amount of posts!!

Welcome to The Voice team and helping us continue to our goal to be the ONE STOP location for all things Springboro, Franklin, and Carlisle in their respective sites!!

Representative Beck Disheartened by NASA’s Shuttle Decision...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:29:00 +0000

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COLUMBUS—In response to the announcement that the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will not receive one of NASA’s four retired space shuttles, State Representative Peter Beck (R-Mason) today expressed his disappointment over the missed opportunity.

“Obtaining a retired NASA space shuttle would have brought revenue and tourism to the communities of southwest Ohio and helped to revive our region,” said Beck. “NASA and our space programs have captured a piece of history, a history that we would have been proud to keep alive had we been selected to receive a shuttle. I will continue to seek out additional opportunities such as this one that will put Ohio and our area on the map.”

The retired shuttles that are being sent to sites across the nation are the orbiters Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, as well as the glider Enterprise.

Reminder Beck to hold Town Hall Meetings...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:44:00 +0000

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COLUMBUS—State Representative Peter Beck (R-Warren County) today announced that he will be holding town hall meetings throughout the end of April in Deerfield Township, Springboro, and Carlisle. No appointment is necessary for these town hall meetings and everyone is encouraged to participate.

“The town hall meetings will provide a valuable chance for my constituents to speak to me about their concerns and how I can best serve them in Columbus,” Rep. Beck said.

It is an opportunity for the residents of the 67^th House District to speak with their state representative and discuss issues within the district and the current budget process.

Town hall meetings will be held at the following times and locations:

· Deerfield Township Town Hall Meeting: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 from 5pm- 6pm at 4900 Parkway Dr. Suite 180 in Mason.

· Springboro Town Hall Meeting: Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 4-5pm in the community room at the City of Springboro Administrative Building which is located at 320 West Central Avenue in Springboro

· Carlisle Town Hall Meeting: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 from 6:00pm- 7:00pm in the council room of the City of Carlisle Town Hall which is located at 760 W. Central Ave. in Carlisle.

Beck Applauds Success of the House’s First 100 Days, Recognizes Additional Work that Lies Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:12:00 +0000

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COLUMBUS—Tuesday, April 12^th marks the 100^th day that the House Republicans have presided over the Ohio House. Today, State Representative Peter Beck (R-Mason) applauded the accomplishments of the House thus far during the 129^th General Assembly, recognizing that still more work needs to be done.

“I want to applaud the work the Ohio House has done in the first 100 days,” stated Rep. Beck. “I am also pleased to see the passage of two of my own bills from the Ohio House, including House Bill 58, which brought tax relief to Ohioans and simplified the complicated tax code, and House Bill 92, which allows for the adoption of adults as well as adults who are transferring out of foster care. The Ohio House has put forth much hard work, but there is also much work to be done to bring economic prosperity to Ohio and address the concerns of all Ohioans.”

Under GOP control, the Ohio House has hit the ground running and introduced 200 bills during the first 100 days of this Legislature. As a caucus, Speaker Batchelder and House Republicans have expeditiously considered and passed legislation that will improve Ohio’s business climate, protect vital local services, preserve jobs and small businesses, restore accountability to elections and government spending, improve community safety, and reduce damaging mandates on school districts—with more pragmatic solutions continuously being drafted and introduced.

The creation of the agile economic development entity JobsOhio and the establishment of a regulatory reform program through the Common Sense Initiative illustrate the House Republicans’ commitment to creating jobs and assisting small business development. The House also introduced and passed House Bill 58, which was sponsored by Representative Beck, to offer tax relief to families and retain businesses that have received offers to relocate to other states.

The House Republicans have also passed the following bills, among others:

H.B. 2 to improve transparency by auditing certain state agencies
H.B. 20 to prohibit intimidation of victims of a crime
H.B. 21 to bring Teach For America to Ohio, improve schools and attract young, educated people to the state
H.B. 30 to repeal costly unfunded school mandates that were included in the Democrats’ “evidence-based” model
H.B. 36 to restore school calamity days from three days back to five days
H.B. 63 to amend judicial consent to an abortion and ensure that minors comprehend possible physical and emotional complications
H.B. 64 to add K2/Spice, a synthetic marijuana, to the list of controlled substances in Ohio
H.B. 66 to create a fraud-reporting system in an effort to save tax dollars and make state spending more accountable
H.B. 93 to crack down on “pill mills” that have led to rampant prescription drug abuse in Ohio
H.B. 114 is a fiscally responsible transportation budget that eliminates millions of dollars in fee increases and embraces consolidation of services
H.B. 159 to strengthen voter identification laws and ensure that elections are as fair and accurate as possible
S.B. 5 to retain middle-class jobs, reduce costs on local governments and help hold down local tax burdens through collective bargaining reform
S.B. 73 to amend liquor permitting for businesses that use liquor as an ingredient in food, which will lighten the costs on small businesses

Over the next 21 months, House Republicans will continue the work of the people of Ohio and pursue initiatives to create jobs, improve the business climate and address the many issues Ohioans face today.

Wow....DanSpeaksLouderThanWords.com....Every parent should see this...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:47:00 +0000

I was looking through our Facebook looking to see how many people have joined our Business Page. I was requested to add a Facebook Friend called DanSpeaksLouderThanWords. I thought to myself this must be a kid with a message. In fact, that it is exactly what it is. See the story and video below. Every parent, school administrator, teacher, and coach should read this and watch this.

Ben was a teenage boy who chose to take his own life. He suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and throughout his life learned many tools to mask it.

He was a boy who wanted to fit in and be loved and accepted by others, to "be normal". He was sensitive, intuitive, empathic, creative and a kinesthetic, visual learner. He had many gifts including a deep compassion for others.

He and his family experienced Ben's illness alone, only those closest to him saw, felt and connected to the devastation and challenges that this family suffered through. Very few resources and tools were accessible to Ben and his family to help and cope with the challenges they all faced as a result of Ben's illness.

Now in spirit, Ben has come through his mother to bring new hope for those he has left behind. It is his mission to speak through her and channel messages of love, support and new innovative solutions by thinking outside the box to provide help and support for the myriad of issues affecting our youth today.

Ben speaks is a resource site for teens and young adults to find the tools and information, safe social space to express feelings, discuss issues and find genuinely helpful support.

See Video here by clicking here....

The articles and posts on this site do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the management and owner of The Voice of Miami Valley. Letters and Guests are welcome to submit to The Voice and all other sites managed by The Voice of Miami Valley. All submissions must be published with signatures. No unsigned submissions will be published. Submissions should be emailed to owner@thevoiceofmiamivalley.com

Thank you for your readership!

Local schools should do away with teacher tenure...Part 1... By Rick Amburgey

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:31:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaLocal schools should do away with teacher tenure
By Rick Amburgey

There has been a lot of discussion recently about whether teacher associations should be involved in negotiations and whether teachers should be given tenure. As a teacher myself, I am naturally pretty passionate about some of these issues. I haven’t hit tenure yet, but I don’t consider it to be the job security safety net that some others do. Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned, but I don’t feel like I need tenure to remain in my current position. I operate on a much simpler principle: if I work hard and meet the needs of my students, I don’t have a thing to worry about.

I suppose there are some upsides to being a tenured teacher, but the cons far outweigh the pros. It is so difficult for a school district to get rid of a tenured teacher that is not effective. According to an article by Glenn Beck from 2007, getting rid of a tenured teacher is a lengthy and very expensive process, a process that often includes going to court and filing appeals. Beck cited a case in New York City where a teacher admitted to sending a student sexual e-mails and even then it took the school district six years and thousands of dollars to fire the teacher. Beck added that in New York it only takes three years for a teacher to get lifetime tenure. There is a review at the end of the three year period, but he cited that 99.9 percent of the teachers that make it through three years are approved for lifetime tenure.

The ones that are really hurt by incompetent teachers are the students. A student that is placed in the classroom of a passionate, enthusiastic and effective teacher will thrive and typically make large gains during a school year. William Sanders at the University of Tennessee has done some extensive studies regarding the impact of a single ineffective teacher on a student. His research showed that a student who has a single ineffective teacher can be set back as much as four years. Furthermore, Sanders research also concluded that a student that is unlucky enough to have an ineffective teacher for three years in a row may never fully recover.

This information tells us that the quality of our teachers will play a large role in the success a student may have throughout their lifetime. That a huge responsibility that is entrusted to school boards, school administrators and teachers.

Tenure should be eliminated immediately to force teachers to do their job or go home. There is no other profession I can think of that provides such a security blanket – and education shouldn’t either.

Imagine if a restaurant told its employees after they worked there for three consecutive years that they would be guaranteed a job for life. After that three year period, what would happen to their level of work? What would happen to their drive to do their best every single day? What would happen to their attitude? The same thing is happening in your neighborhood schools. Not every teacher spirals downward, but there are some. Knowing what we know about the effect an ineffective teacher has on a student, one ineffective teacher is one too many.

Rick Amburgey is a former newspaper editor. He currently teaches in western Kentucky and is assistant editor of Strum Magazine, based in Nashville, TN.

The articles and posts on this site do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the management and owner of The Voice of Miami Valley. Letters and Guests are welcome to submit to The Voice and all other sites managed by The Voice of Miami Valley. All submissions must be published with signatures. No unsigned submissions will be published. Submissions should be emailed to owner@thevoiceofmiamivalley.com

Thank you for your readership!

Tackling Fraud and Waste in State Government...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley, Ohio) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:40:00 +0000

Guest Column from Representative Peter Beck

Tackling Fraud and Waste in State Government

In Ohio’s present fiscal crunch, it is vital that state government be efficient, transparent and accountable. Taxpayers cannot afford to fund corrupt or wasteful public practices. As an anti-money laundering professional and a certified auditor, I understand how important it is to ensure that our government is spending money in an appropriate manner. With families all over Ohio struggling to make ends meet, it is paramount that we see a return on each tax dollar spent.

To address problems with waste and fraud in state government, the Ohio House of Representatives is actively introducing and voting on legislation to streamline our state’s financial operations. House Bill 66 will curb fraudulent fiscal practices in public offices by creating a fraud abuse reporting system. Through this system, public employees and residents will be able to anonymously report misuse of public funds. In addition, H.B. 66 will extend the whistle-blower protections, guarding against retaliatory layoffs, to state employees who issue a complaint using this new system.

Fraud reporting programs have proven to be successful, and Ohio could benefit immensely from the gains achieved from similar systems. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 50 percent of government fraud is uncovered through tips. Employees and residents will feel more at ease reporting fraud anonymously and therefore are more likely to come forward with instances of such violations. With H.B. 66, I am confident that we can eliminate a significant amount of misuse of tax dollars that currently goes undetected.

House Bill 2 is another piece of legislation that promotes government accountability. Recently signed into law by Governor Kasich, this bill requires the auditor of state to assess certain state agencies with biennial performance audits. H.B. 2 will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of government operations, while ensuring tax dollars are spent productively. This legislation will help to ameliorate the financial strain caused by Ohio’s spending problems. All Ohioans can benefit from a better organized, fiscally conscious state government.

As your state representative in the 67^th House District, I am concerned with how state spending practices affect you and your family. I will continue to support fiscally responsible legislation that offers solutions to Ohio’s wasteful spending habits. House Bills 2 and 66 will go a long way toward lessening waste and fraud in public offices and agencies.

During this General Assembly, we can make great strides in the effort to create a more transparent and effective state government. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any concerns you may have about our state spending practices. Together, we can increase government accountability and craft a more effective state government.

Looking for contributors, writers, and/or reporters....

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley, Ohio) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:27:00 +0000

The Voice of Miami Valley is looking for local residents who can contribute, share, write, and/or report for our local sites!! It can be of any topic important to the residents of each city we cover. It can cover sports, health, city news, business, industry, or whatever is important to our local residents.

Parents of those in school functions like sports, band, and academics you would be best suited to send information about each game or event!! It is the best way we can grow our site and build quality and solid content for our local sites!!

If you are at the local meetings and want to contribute an article about the meeting, you are our person!!

You do not have to have background in journalism, just a voice, like ours, that can contribute to the vision!!

Please email us TODAY for more details, owner@thevoiceofmiamivalley.com

Buehrer Announces Expansion of Safety Council Program...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley, Ohio) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:07:00 +0000

COLUMBUS – Stephen Buehrer, Administrator/CEO of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), has announced the continuation and expansion of the Safety Council Rebate Incentive Program, which allows employers to earn rebates on their workers’ compensation premiums for participating in their local safety council and reducing workplace injuries.

The incentive program, which was due to expire soon, allows participating employers to receive a 2 percent rebate for attending a specific number of safety council programs, and an additional 2 percent for demonstrating a reduction in the frequency and/or severity of workplace incidents. Under Buehrer’s proposal, the program will not only continue, but also will be expanded to allow group-rated employers to participate in safety councils and earn a 2 percent performance rebate for demonstrating improvements in workplace safety. This would be in addition to receiving their group rating discount.

“We know that those employers who are most active in taking control of their safety programs are the most successful in preventing claims and managing workers’ compensation costs,” Buehrer told 1,400 employers and workplace safety professionals attending yesterday’s general session of BWC’s 81st Annual Safety Congress & Expo. “I believe good safety programming ought to be good for all employers across the state.”
Buehrer noted the savings potential is significant, providing an additional opportunity to reduce overall premium costs for nearly 100,000 Ohio employers allowing them to direct those resources into business growth and job creation. He also stated that he will soon present the proposal to the BWC Board of Directors for their advice and consent.

BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene sponsors more than 80 safety councils across the state that are organized by local safety-minded groups to inform participants of new safety techniques, products and services, and provide a thorough knowledge of topics, including occupational safety and health, workers’ compensation and risk management education.

BWC is a non general-revenue fund state agency that provides workers’ compensation insurance for 230,000 Ohio employers and covers approximately two-thirds of Ohio’s workforce. With approximately $2.1 billion in annual premium and assessment income, BWC is the largest state-fund system in the United States and one of the top 10 underwriters of workers’ compensation insurance in the nation.

Visit ohiobwc.com for more information about the Safety Council Program. You can also see a list of all safety councils.

Adult Adoption Bill Passes from Ohio House...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley, Ohio) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:48:00 +0000

COLUMBUS— State Representatives Peter Beck (R-Mason) and Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek) have announced the passage of House Bill 92 from the Ohio House of Representatives. This legislation will allow individuals to adopt an adult child as long as the adult child gives consent to the adoption. Currently, individuals are unable to adopt their spouse’s children from a previous marriage simply because the children were age 18 or older at the time of marriage.

Under current law, an adult can only be adopted if he or she is totally and permanently disabled; is determined to be a mentally handicapped person as defined in current law; has established a child-foster caregiver or child-stepparent relationship with the petitioners for adoption as a minor and now consents to the adoption; and was, at the time of his or her 18^th birthday, in the permanent custody of a public children services agency or a private child placement agency and now consents to the adoption.

“I was inspired to draft House Bill 92 by Randy and Barb Franklin, a couple who live in my district and who wished to see a change in the law. I am proud to have been able to work with them, as well as Representative Beck on this legislation. Seeing their joy after the bill passed the House makes my job entirely worthwhile,” said Rep. Martin.

“I am pleased to see the passage of House Bill 92 from the Ohio House of Representatives because, as an adoptive father myself, I feel this is an important piece of legislation that will help strengthen Ohio’s families and will aid the needs of stepparents and stepchildren,” said Rep. Beck. “House Bill 92 will bridge the gap of Ohio’s adoption laws and allow the adoption of adults as well as adults who are transferring out of foster care.”

An amendment was added in committee by the Public Children Services, which would allow adoption of youth who are transferring out of foster care. This would establish “kinship caregiver” relationships and allow youth who are in the “planned permanent living arrangement” to be adopted if they turn eighteen while in this arrangement.

Reps. Martin and Beck jointly introduced this legislation on February 8^th with the hopes that House Bill 92 will align Ohio with 37 other states regarding this issue. The bill passed by a vote of 97-0 and will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.

Rep. Beck to hold town hall meeting...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley, Ohio) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:38:00 +0000

Columbus—State Representative Peter Beck (R-Warren County) today announced that he will be holding a town hall meeting on Saturday, April 2nd.

The town hall meeting will be held from 5-6 p.m. at the Franklin Fire Department, which is located at 45 East Fourth Street in Franklin. The town hall meeting will be held before the Franklin City Council Meeting, which will be held across the street in the Franklin Municipal Building. No appointment is necessary for the town hall meeting and everyone is encouraged to participate.

Adult Adoption Bill Passes from House Committee, Awaits Vote on House Floor...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley, Ohio) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 03:52:00 +0000

Image by OhioHouseGOP via Flickr

COLUMBUS—State Representatives Peter Beck (R-Mason) and Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek) have announced that the House Judiciary and Ethics Committee passed House Bill 92, which will allow individuals to adopt an adult child as long as the adult child gives consent to the adoption. Currently, individuals are unable to adopt their spouse’s children from a previous marriage simply because the children were age 18 or older at the time of marriage.

“As an adoptive father myself, this bill is important to me and will give families the opportunity to come together and aid the needs of both stepparents and stepchildren,” said Rep. Beck. “House Bill 92 would address this gap in Ohio law regarding adult adoptions and help to strengthen our families.”

“House Bill 92 is a piece of legislation that I have been working on for the past year with the Franklin family who live in my district,” said Rep. Martin. “They brought the issue to my attention, and to see the smiles on their faces after committee was one my proudest moments as a legislator. This bill will help unite families throughout Ohio, and I want to further thank Representative Beck for joint sponsoring the bill, as well as the committee members for helping with the process.”

Reps. Martin and Beck jointly introduced this legislation on February 8^th with the hopes that House Bill 92 will align Ohio with most states regarding this issue. It passed from committee with bipartisan support and now awaits a vote on the House floor.

Beck Announces Passage of Senate Bill 5 ...

noreply@blogger.com (The Voice of Miami Valley, Ohio) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:44:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Legislation benefits middle class, saves at-risk jobs, respects taxpayers

COLUMBUS—State Representative Peter Beck (R-Mason) has announced that after 13 hearings, more than 60 hours of testimony and more than 200 witnesses over a period of nearly two months, Senate Bill 5 today passed from the Ohio House of Representatives. This legislation restores fairness for Ohio’s taxpayers and helps prevent mass layoffs of dedicated public employees by giving local governments the flexibility to manage their own finances.

Senate Bill 5 wholly reinvents the relationship between public-sector unions, local governments and the taxpayers. With many local governments threatened by bankruptcy and unable to control their costs, many communities may suffer massive tax increases or widespread layoffs just to keep public services solvent. This legislation—which restores Ohioans’ influence over the government and its employees that they pay for—aims to save these vital jobs while also lowering the tax burden on the middle class.

“Senate Bill 5 not only provides transparency by allowing the public to have information in each step of the collective bargaining process, but it also is pro-taxpayer by being more efficient with taxpayer dollars for the state of Ohio,” said Rep. Beck. “This bill is necessary for the state of Ohio’s economic growth and ability to produce and save vital jobs.”

Among House modifications to S.B. 5 are provisions that allow collective bargaining for safety equipment, permit communications between bargaining parties, clarify that death benefit amounts for spouses are not affected by changes in the bill, and eliminate jail time as a possible penalty for striking.

The House version also removes the use of ticket quotas to determine performance-based pay for law enforcement officials, eliminates automatic union deductions without written consent, and prohibits “fair share” fee penalties as a requirement to be a non-union member within an organization. Additionally, under certain conditions, labor disputes may be settled by voters at the ballot, with last best offers of each bargaining party considered and resolved by Ohio’s taxpayers.

To specifically advance the quality of education in Ohio’s classrooms and reward teachers, S.B. 5 establishes standard state guidelines to determine educators’ compensation and other terms of employment. While 50 percent of educator evaluations must be based on student performance as developed by the Ohio Department of Education, local school boards have the authority to establish objective measures related to quality of instructional practice, communication and professionalism, parent/student satisfaction, and other relevant factors.

“This bill promotes better education for the state of Ohio by having performance evaluations to provide the most effective teachers for our youth and ensures fairness between the public and private sector workforce,” said Rep. Beck. “With the passage of Senate Bill 5, we are strengthening our local communities by granting them vital budget flexibility in these tough economic times that we face.”

As passed, S.B. 5 is expected to save local governments more than $1 billion while ensuring that public employees can still collectively bargain under a better system with negotiations, mediation and fairness.

S.B. 5 will now return to the Ohio Senate for a concurrence vote.