Pencilstorm Interviews: Lori Trent for School Board

There are four candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City School Board. Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters. Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our second candidate, Lori Trent, is featured below.

Lori O. Trent
https://www.trent4kids.com/

In 2018, the school conducted a safety audit and implemented the recommendations. Safety continues to be a top priority in our district. What additional measures would you advocate for to keep our students and staff safer?
Student well-being which is a part of the recently adopted strategic plan is a huge component. We need to work on building a community where every student (and staff member) feels like they belong. This happens by building bridges, not barriers, embracing differences not judging. Everyone has something to contribute in our community and we need to recognize everyone for their individual talents and gifts. Every student needs to feel valued, loved, and safe. We need to teach our students about school-life balance and create a system where this is possible. We need to have a community where students have trusted adults that they can interact with daily but especially with during times of high stress and emotional challenge. We need to better identify those students who need assistance and act accordingly. Everyone (including students, staff, administrators and parents) is responsible to ensure that we have safe schools by paying attention to and extending a helping hand to those who need it. Here are a couple of recent articles on school safety that are worth noting.

USA Today: The lax disciplinary policies that caused Parkland massacre may have spread to your school
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/09/09/parkland-school-shooting-discipline-andrew-pollack-column/2221300001/ 

Forbes: Why Schools Should End Active Shooter Drills Immediately
https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/  

What technology projects would you propose as a school board member to better prepare our students for the challenges of the near future?
We live in a digital world that is ever changing and constantly evolving. Technology is a tool that should be used to augment our learning and not replace it. With the rapid pace of our world, I hesitate to identify specific projects as they are only valid for 3-5 years and who knows what new innovations are around the corner.

However, I do think that each of our students should understand programming and coding and be able to work with and understand big data. This is a critical skill that must be developed in our students regardless of what industry they enter. That means being digitally literate with multiple applications by being able to find, evaluate and compose clear writing and communications through various digital platforms.

Equally important is developing these skills for teachers and administrators through professional development. Creating an opportunity for teachers and students to learn together and support one another in this process is desirable as it builds community. Creating a culture that adults and students work side-by-side helps them both acquire life skills and support a growth mindset and can instill a love for life-long learning.

How schools keep up with the technological age
https://academytoday.co.uk/Article/how-schools-keep-up-with-the-technological-age

Between higher property taxes and the cost of students participating in various school activities, the expense of having a student in the school system seems to be ever increasing and can be challenging for some in our community.  What are some ways to lower the cost of our children taking advantage of various activities Upper Arlington schools have to offer?
With the wealth of opportunities and programs that our district offers to students, from academics, extra curriculars and sports, there are costs are associated with each of those offerings. As with all businesses, one of the easiest ways to lower costs is to decrease spending and thereby decrease offerings. Knowing our community, I suspect this approach would receive mixed support and not be desirable or welcomed. 

Rather, I would propose focusing on building business/industry partnerships and seeking out grants and local, state and national funding sources. If we truly believe that it is our collective responsibility to nurture and develop our students, let’s create a funding mechanism that is mutually beneficial to all students and our community.  

Collectively pulling together as a community, we could also pool resources to help those in our community gain access to the means to make sure their students can participate in those activities. Recently initiated, there is currently a Student Life Review committee lead by Dr. Dan Ross comprised of community members and parents that is looking at school sponsored clubs, student clubs, boosters, etc. and their funding mechanisms.   

3 REASONS WHY BUSINESSES SHOULD PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS
https://edlanta.org/2017/11/3-reasons-businesses-partner-schools/

What’s the one thing our teachers need to help them be better educators?
With all of the demands placed on teachers such as testing, curriculum, individualized learning plans, state standards, etc. I think teachers need some time and space to think about learning and their students. Why did they decide to join the teaching profession? Has it changed from how they were taught? Is the world a different place than it was even a few years ago, let alone a decade or two? The most important question is how do I best provide my students with what they need to be successful in the future. It is estimated that 65% of kindergarteners today will have a job/career that does not exist today. So how can we best prepare those students? We need to instill a growth mind-set teaching problem solving skills, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking – all with a community focus. In Upper Arlington, we are very privileged to have such a wealth of teaching experience and we need to pair that experience with the needs of our current and future student population. I believe our teachers are ready and willing to help create an eco-system that encourages these human skills and better create work-life balance for our students by teachers modeling that behavior.

6 Simple Ways to Become a Better Teacher
https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/04/6-simple-ways-to-become-a-better-teacher-for-your-students/

Everyone at Pencilstorm is a musician. To that end, what would you do to support arts and music education at all of Upper Arlington’s schools?
Being an art teacher, this is an easy one for me. The arts are everywhere and should be integrated into everything we do – whether visual or performing. They give us life, laughter, appreciation, balance, peace and connectivity. The arts teach us many of the desired future-ready skills mentioned above like problem solving, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking as well as individuality. The arts teach us diversity, equity and inclusion. I believe the arts are the threads that create our tapestry of life. Everyone is an artist in one way or another. Unfortunately, many of our school experiences lead us to feel inadequate as our definition of art is far too narrow. 

I would encourage us to celebrate the arts as part of our regular school experience. Give students ways to express themselves in all of their classes. Let’s bring art and music into the classrooms and allow students to celebrate their own special gifts not just within a specific group such as band, choir, or art club, but fully integrated their talents as an integral part of school.  

Arts Integration in School: 10 Reasons Why It’s Important
https://www.senecaacademy.org/10-reasons-why-integrating-art-is-important-in-school/

Pencilstorm would like to thank Lori Trent for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Lori at her website: https://www.trent4kids.com/. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

NCP Preview: Browns vs Seahawks

All Browns fans must follow the NCP on Twitter @northcoastposse

Ravens win very good. Niners loss very bad. Which game is closer to the truth for the Browns?

The Ice Cube: Sadly, they are both the truth. This team can look as good as they did in the rout of Baltimore and as putrid as they did in that disaster on Monday night. I do think the mean is closer to the performance against the Ravens though. Keep in mind that the Browns had two new starting linebackers against the 49ers, and they got WORKED by Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. Plus, the 49ers got an interception at the goal line when fresh-off-suspension Antonio Callaway set the ball in the air like a volleyball player when the game was still 14-3. A TD there would have put the game on a different trajectory. Few other teams have a pass-rush as dominating as Nick Bosa and crew, too. Last week may have been an anomaly, hopefully, but it showed how the Browns are still capable of appearing Not Ready for Prime Time. The good news is that the schedule will get easier in the second half, but they still have to get through Seattle and New England first.

Big $- I believe the Baltimore game told us more about the Ravens and the AFC North, then it did about the Browns as a whole. The division is trash this year, which means that even if the Browns are closer to the team that travelled across the country for that whuppin’ last week, they may still have a chance to fly an AFC north banner in 2019.

Should fans be more concerned with the performance of Baker Mayfield or Freddie Kitchens?

The Ice Cube: Another great debate, but Freddie’s performance raises more concerns for me. Baker is still really young and is making some normal rookie-type mistakes. That is understandable. Freddie, though, still hasn’t reigned in the penalties and players often appear out of position or confused as to where to line up pre-snap. Part of that problem can be attributed to second-teamers filling in for injured starters, but the margin of error is very small and leadership needs to get this team running more smoothly.

Big $: Hello everybody, My name is Big $ and I am a Baker Mayfield apologist. Sophomore slumps are very common in a league in which film study and strategy are razor sharp. Adjustments come and go. Baker has still proven that he can put balls in spots reserved the elite signal callers in the NFL. That coupled with his tenacity will lead to him bouncing back. Freddie, on the other hand, is a different story. Its clear that opposing coaches are scheming circles around him and he appears lost. The most glaring concern I have arose when he threw OBJ back to return a punt late against SF. He had already pulled his starting QB, so I’m not real sure why exposing a top 3 team asset was even on the table at that point. Most grade school coaches would of steered clear of a stunt like that. As of now, I’m not sure Freddie finishes the season. His used car salesman bravado probably had more to do with his meteoric rise from RB coach on a Hue Jackson led 1-31 team to HC of a “perceived” Super Bowl contender. If things continue to head south, a mid season ouster may be necessary to send a message, specifically to Baker, who seems to see Freddie as more of a pal then authority figure. A coach with (winning) NFL experience (I’m looking at you Mike McCarthy) may right the ship.

What needs to go right this Sunday for the Browns to beat the Seahawks and is this a must win game?

The Ice Cube: The Seahawks D is not as good as it has been in recent years. It rates in the middle of the pack in terms of points and yards surrendered per game. But they are strong against the run. The Browns are going to have to move the ball through the air. One of Baker’s favorite targets, Hollywood Higgins, should be back on the field this week, which will help, but Baker has got to take what is available to him and stop trying to force the ball into tight coverage, or hold the ball too long when waiting for other options to open up. On defense, the Browns might get Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams back from injury, too, but there has to be better play from linebackers Mack Wilson and Adarius Taylor. The biggest disappoint this year had been the lack of production from Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon on the defensive line, who have combined for just 24 tackles and 1 sack. It is hard to believe they will turn things around against the extremely elusive Russell Wilson. But if the Browns can control the clock and keep the ball out of Wilson’s hands, the game should be at least fun to watch. Anything will be better than last week’s performance, which was like having a 4 hour dental appointment.

Pencilstorm Interviews: Nancy Drees for School Board

There are four candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City School Board. Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters. Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our first candidate, Nancy Drees, is featured below.

Nancy Drees
http://uadrees.com/

In 2018, the school conducted a safety audit and implemented the recommendations.  Safety continues to be a top priority in our district. What additional measures would you advocate for to keep our students and staff safer?
Safety of our students and staff has always been a top priority for our district. We are committed to continuously improve safety. Approved by the board in August, is our Strategic Plan for 2019-2022, it focuses on the well-being of our students and staff. We are fully committed to making our schools a safe learning environment where Upper Arlington students can thrive. 

To name a few recent improvements, we expanded the school resource officer program to include all Upper Arlington Schools through our partnership with the city of Upper Arlington and the Upper Arlington Police Division. We continuously review, update and coordinate our safety procedures with the City of Upper Arlington Police and Fire Division. This fall, we implemented a background check process for all contractors and a new visitor-management system that efficiently completes a background check for every visitor to our schools. We believe and raised awareness in the importance of “see something, say something”. 

Safety starts every board meeting and every board committee meeting – it has always been and will always be a top priority to continuously improve safety.   

What technology projects would you propose as a school board member to better prepare our students for the challenges of the near future?
Upper Arlington Schools was one of the first districts in Ohio to implement one-to -one technology for every student. I am very proud that my work on the board has placed iPads in the hands of every student from kindergarten to grade twelve. iPads have built in accessibility features that have been proven to provide students with enhanced features for personalized learning. Our teachers will be using iPads to help students integrate photography, video and drawing to all aspects of learning. iPads offer flexibility for anytime and anywhere learning. Not only will our students be prepared for the future, but our teachers will be better equipped with real-time data to improve every student’s achievement. Our teachers will also be able to develop learning apps that enhance our curriculum. The possibilities of learning with technology are endless and as a school board member I’m excited for our student’s future.  

Between higher property taxes and the cost of students participating in various school activities, the expense of having a student in the school system seems to be ever increasing and can be challenging for some in our community.  What are some ways to lower the cost of our children taking advantage of various activities Upper Arlington schools have to offer?
We are currently doing a full scale study of all co-curricular and extra curricular activities and the financial impact on our students. We want every student to be able to participate in any activity and cost should NOT be a deciding factor.

What’s the one thing our teachers need to help them be better educators?
I believe our whole learning focus in our Strategic Plan for 2019-2022 enhances our teachers to be better educators. Having a learning-centered culture and instructional framework improves our teachers. We are focusing on a shared understanding of what we believe and value. We want to give our teachers time to create, analyze, plan and develop. Our focus in the Strategic Plan is to create an school environment where professional learning is job-embedded, personalized and peer based. Better educators make better students!  

Everyone at Pencilstorm is a musician. To that end, what would you do to support arts and music education at all of Upper Arlington’s schools?
I am a big supporter of the fine arts and the performing arts at Upper Arlington Schools. We have one of the finest programs in Ohio where our students excel in their passions. I am proud of our accomplishments and will support our teachers in any way to continue our student’s success. 

Pencilstorm would like to thank Nancy Drees for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Nancy at her website: http://uadrees.com/. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Hey, I’m Spinning Records at Woodlands Tavern - by Colin Gawel

I so wanted to title this “I’m spinning vinyls at Woodlands” but didn’t have the guts to go through with it. Anyhoo, Woodland’s Tavern on 3rd Ave is starting a new series hosted by Floorwalkers frontman Jon Elliott and I’m joining him for the debut show on Tuesday, October 8th. 7-9pm. Free. 

The idea is pretty simple. A couple guys play a bunch of records and tell stories and hopefully a bunch of folks drink beer and sorta listen. Since I know some real record collectors, I don’t consider myself an actual record guy, but I suppose I probably have 200 or so scattered around my house and maybe once owned closer to 500? Or 700?

See, growing up in Worthington, OH, myself and the other Watershed guys started riding the COTA #2 bus down to the campus record stores at a young age to blow our paper route money on used records. It was a weekly ritual from about 6th grade until records got replaced by CDs. When people ask me why I got into writing songs and playing music, I give all the credit to the #2 bus and the campus record stores. 

We almost never paid full price for a record unless it was something brand new from Cheap Trick or The Kinks and we just had to have it NOW. But other than that, we would just comb the bins every Saturday weighing quality versus quantity. I’ve still got price tags on some of my records including an excellent condition Born to Run from Used Kids Records for….$1! And I got the double record The River for $2. Folks, that’s what I call value. Obviously these records were priced before Jerry DeCicca started working there. 

A couple other random memories off the top of my head:

Asking Ron House what Bob Dylan record I should buy, “Highway 61 would be good for someone like you.”

Purchasing Rush - Grace Under Pressure at Singing Dogs, stepping onto High Street and barfing. I had chicken pox and summer was just starting. Oof. Not cool when you are 12. But at least I had a new record.

Johnny Go showing me an Aerosmith album I HAD NEVER HEARD OF. That’s right, pre-internet it was possible to discover a record by one of your favorite bands that you never even knew existed. In this case it was Night in the Ruts. Oh Chiquita!

I bought Styx Cornerstone and never listened to it once.

I asked Captain what Jerry Lee Lewis record I should get. “If you like Jerry, they are all great, if you don’t like Jerry they all suck.” Turns out I like Jerry.

Eventually, Watershed moved down High Street to campus and combined most of our records. Instead of a bus before record shopping it became bars before shopping. The picture on the cover of this story captures that vibe. It is interesting to note that Biggie, Joe , Herb and I had somehow had five copies of Blue Oyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening. So someone bought it twice. It must have been really cheap because it’s really not very good. As records went out of style and we moved apart, we cherry-picked the stuff we wanted to hold on to. “Hands off that Billy Squier, asshole.” 

Anyway, I don’t quite have the cash flow to keep buying records every weekend but I still love hanging out in record stores and when I can justify it, buying a new record. My son asked for a record player for his 16th birthday so I’ll take that as a sign that it's time for me to pass the obsession to the next generation. - Colin G.

Colin Gawel founded Pencilstorm and wrote this while ignoring customers at Colin’s Coffee. He plays in the band Watershed and solo with The League Bowlers.

Pencilstorm Interview: Carolyn Casper for UA Council

There are five candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City Council.  Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters.  Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our last candidate, Carolyn Casper, is featured below.

View fullsize

Carolyn T. Casper
www.carolyncasperforua.com/

What’s your vision for a potential Community Recreation Center?
I have been involved with the discussion about a community center for some time. Even though the idea was rejected several times before, the need for a community center keeps resurfacing. I agree with many of our residents that our community needs a multigenerational center. To address this question, a feasibility study is being conducted by a Task Force formed by City Council composed of residents. I look forward to the report from this group. I do hope they see a way for us to have a center. If there is a center, it needs to have something for all residents. I imagine it will look like the centers in the surrounding communities but am very open to whatever results come from the study and then the work of the residents. I have learned there is a misunderstanding and some residents think of a community center as a workout facility. I see it as much more than that. There will be spaces to meet and interact with other residents, space for classes and events, areas for seniors and for small children. I personally look forward to having meeting space that one can book in advance. Perhaps a coffee shop, a year round pool, I am getting ahead of myself. I look forward to the report from the study and to supporting the decision. 

Upper Arlington has had a record amount of development this year and continues to have increasing development pressure. How do we modernize our city while controlling the traffic and maintaining the community feel that makes us special?
As a member of the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Board, I understand that the central Ohio area is growing rapidly and that Upper Arlington is positioned to benefit from this growth. It, the growth, within our city must be carefully planned and thought out. We currently let development happen without much planning. The patchwork quilt method it would appear is how it is currently done. With the expected influx of people, this could be a disaster. We need thoughtful redevelopment. There seems to be a rush to fill spaces without much thought.

Commercial development planning must address the needs of our community. We need a long term plan. In the case of the Lane Ave corridor, we have begun a study. The goal is to have a plan that will serve our city for years to come. There are several other areas in our city that need to have a plan developed as well. Traffic studies need to be completed for all development possibilities. Lane Avenue is very congested every weekday morning and afternoon. The traffic needs to flow smoothly. Mass transit would help relieve some of the congestion. Currently there is no Lane Ave bus to or from OSU. A city wide traffic study should be considered not just project by project. If we get the growth in population we are expecting, the congestion will increase if there is no planning.

The housing issue is another puzzle. The character of our neighborhoods must be maintained. The in-builds need to fit in not stand out. Our zoning laws are much too flexible and variances are granted more often than not. We are asking the wrong questions and we keep getting the wrong answers. The boxes are checked off but what we want doesn't happen. The destruction of our community continues. The River Ridge/ Kingsdale West Study was conducted with the input of many residents and one of their concerns was/is the practice of tearing down affordable homes and replacing them with homes that are priced higher than the average home in the area. In addition, often the new builds are not compatible with the rest of the homes in the neighborhood. These issues were raised but are being ignored. The demolition continues in the area. We depend on the lower priced homes for entry into the community and as places for empty nesters to retire. Those who helped build Upper Arlington should not have to leave the city because there is no available housing for them. There needs to be more design control in addition to what we already have if we are to maintain the character of our neighborhoods.. This takes planning.

When Compuserve was still headquartered in Upper Arlington, local income taxes from that commercial property represented approximately 35% of the City’s income tax revenue stream. Now that the Tree of Life court case is over, what should the city do to maximize that property and significantly boost our income?
The former Tree of Life location is another area that needs thoughtful development. It is the largest piece of land currently available in our city. With the right plan, it will be a great asset. There could be an office park with an anchor restaurant and some green space. The location is excellent because it is on a busy road between to 315 and Route 33 on the edge of the city. The right configuration could allow more of our residents to both live and work in our city. I look forward to discussing the many possibilities with our new city manager.

If there’s one thing you could fix within our parks and recreation, what would it be?
I would like to find a way to make all city sponsored activities in our public parks affordable to all residents. Community pools need to be available to all of the community. Currently, the price is prohibitive for many.

Remembering that Pencilstorm is typically a Rock N Roll blog, we’d like to end with a music question. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
I have attended many concerts but the best one so far was the Cher Concert in Columbus several years ago. I think it was supposed to be her last tour but that has changed. It may be my favorite because it brought back so many memories from long ago. I lived in Hollywood when she and Sonny were just starting out. She and he walked up and down Hollywood Blvd on a daily basis and no one paid much attention. Bell bottom pants and big vests. I have seen her since Hollywood Blvd. Once in London. To see her years later brought so many memories rushing back.

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Pencilstorm would like to thank Carolyn Casper for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Carolyn at her website: https://www.carolyncasperforua.com/. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Bp On The AL Division Round

Game Ones:

Tampa Bay/Tyler Glasnow (6-1 /1.78) at Houston/Justin Verlander (21-6/2.58)

Minnesota Twins/Jose Berrios (14-8/3.58) at New York/James Paxton (15-6/3.82)

Let me preface this by saying I really like this Rays team. What they’ve done after trimming their payroll by 16 million in the off-season is impressive. Tampa has a dynamic young line up, some nice starters, and a great bullpen. That said, they have no chance in this series.

I’ll lay these two facts on you and you need not know anything else. 1. Astros starters lead baseball in strikeouts. 2. The Astros have struck out fewer times than any other club. They do everything right. Unlike a lot of teams, they don’t sell out for dingers. They do however hit the ball hard, take their walks, and run well. If they launch a few bombs along the way that’s fine.

Verlander and Garrett Cole both give up home runs, but they don’t walk anyone. In game three they hit you with Zack Greinke and then back to Verlander again if they haven’t already swept you away.

I’ll take Houston in a three game sweep.

All season the Twins and Yankees traded spots in a record setting home runs season. In the end the Twins won that battle 307 to 306. I can hardly argue that this series won’t be a battle of the long ball.

Game one will go a long way to tell us who’s going to win this series. Paxton struggled for a good chunk of the season, but really got it all together down the stretch. Of concern for New York however is that Big Maple left his final start of the year at Texas after just an inning with what was called nerve irritation. This Twins line up is brutal on left handed pitchers. There’s power up and down the order, and in Yankee stadium we all know how that can go.

No secrets about the Bombers either. Again…. 307 to 306… . Berrios is a good pitcher, but he’s not a great pitcher. That holds true especially on the road. Berrios gives up enough fly ball contact for us to see real peril for him tonight.

Of all the series, this one could be nuts scoring wise. The Yanks are finally able to field the roster they envisioned. That said we don’t know how healthy Edwin Encanarcion and Giancarlo Stanton really are. Both benches have been good this year too. In the end this series will come down to two great bullpens and which one does the better job.

I’ll take the Yankees in five, but I don’t feel that confident. This one could go either way.