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Volume 56, No. 8
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CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
Second Time The Charm For Chester’s 2025 Budget
Young Seamstress’s 4-H Project Takes Her To State
By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com Geauga County Budget Commission voted unanimously to approve the Chester Township 2025 budget during a second hearing Aug. 26. The budget had initially failed in a 2-1 vote Aug. 19 when commission members questioned why the 2024 budget had a projected ending balance of more than $4.7 million. That was when Geauga County Treasurer and budget commission member Chris Hitchcock observed the fire, police and road funds were carrying large balances and county Prosecutor Jim Flaiz, who also sits on the budget commission, pressed the trustees to invest in their facilities. Budget commission member and county Auditor Chuck Walder urged trustees and the fiscal officer to set aside money being saved for projects or equipment in reserve funds where money can be earmarked for specific purposes. See Budget • Page 3
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Classifieds start on page 10
color Opening Day Takes Flight at Fair copies ROSE NEMUNAITIS/KMG
West Geauga Schools nabs top win against Kenston Schools. Pictured with their trophy are West Geauga’s Gavin Heffron, left, owner of winning bird Penny, and West Geauga Superintendent Richard Markwardt.
West G Reclaims Chicken Flying Trophy from Kenston By Rose Nemunaitis editor@karlovecmedia.com The Great Geauga County Fair’s opening day took flight Aug. 29 as fairgoers flocked to the annual Chicken Flying Contest at noon at the small grandstand. There was nothing small about
the friendly rivalry between Kenston and West Geauga school districts or the anticipation of the coveted trophy’s next nesting place. The contest marked the first for newly-hired Kenston Superintendent Bruce Willingham, who said prior to the contest he was
excited to defend Kenston’s title — the district won the trophy in 2023. “I think like (former Superintendent Steve Sayer’s) shared last year, it's always great to have a friendly rivalry with another Geauga County district,” Willingham See Chicken • Page 2
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West G to Implement New Reading Program By Allison Wilson wilson@karlovecmedia.com
West Geauga Schools will be switching from its current reading comprehension program to a new one, or perhaps, an old one depending on your age-group. The program aligns with the science of reading approach, said Assistant Superintendent Nancy Benincasa during the West Geauga Schools Board of Education meeting Aug. 19. Superintendent Richard Markwardt noted despite it being “new” to current staff, it is actually an old school method.
“I think this is an approach that, for those of us who are over 60, this is the way we learned, is the science of reading,” he said, listing methods such as sounding out letters and putting them together. “People who are in their 40s now, learned the whole language approach, which we’re not embracing anymore. So, it was really difficult for them to transition from that back to the way that some of us learned.” Benincasa began her presentation to the board with some background as to why the change is happening. “The science of reading is
something that has been identified by the (Ohio Department of Education) and recognized as what it is, which is the body of science which tells us that reading is not intuitive, we are not natural born readers,” she said. “Although a very small percentage naturally learn to read, the majority of readers need to have very explicit teaching to learn how to read.” The science of reading, she explained in an email Sept. 3, is a nod to the brain research identifying the need for explicit instruction in See Reading • Page 4
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ALLISON WILSON/KMG
Assistant Superintendent Nancy Benincasa explains the science of reading to the West Geauga Board of Education at their Aug. 19 meeting.
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