 Behind the Scenes: Local coffee-shop owner spills beans about musical grounds
by Jan 28, 2009“As an 11-year-old, Chris Pyle had, what he considered to be, terrible taste in music — but that changed the day he heard John Lennon.
“I had a next-door neighbor who brought over a tape right after John Lennon died,” he said. “He put it in and I have been a music junkie ever since.”
As owner of Donkey Coffee and Espresso and co-owner of 3 Elliott Studio, Pyle has now become that influence for many musicians and bands in Athens.
“I can’t say enough about how he has guided my musical interests,” said Sam Oches, who plays with Pyle in the Athens-based folk-rock band The Jarts. Oches met Pyle at church and eventually began playing and discussing music with him. Oches credits Pyle for exposing him to artists such as The Clash and The Police that he may have never heard.“Because I looked up to him, I pretty much forced myself to listen to it, and I eventually liked it,” Oches said.
A Virginia native, Pyle came to Ohio University on a swimming scholarship. Before graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor’s degree in telecommunications, he spent his four years of college immersed in the music scene.
When he opened Donkey in 2000, Pyle wanted the coffee shop to have a stage for live music. He wanted the atmosphere to have the energy of the Nirvana Unplugged special that aired on MTV in the mid-’90s and the intimacy of Nick Drake’s Pink Moon album.
“I grew up loving punk rock so it’s kind of weird that we have acoustic shows, but the atmosphere is something we take pride in,” he said. “We ask bands who normally play electric to come in because I think it challenges the band, but it also produces something that is different from the record.”
Pyle’s love for music doesn’t stop in the back room of Donkey. He co-owns 3 Elliott Studio with Josh Antonuccio. The duo has produced albums for dozens of bands across the country.
“I was still living in Michigan, and when he started the studio, he invited me to come and be a part of it,” Antonuccio said, adding that he is grateful for the opportunity that Pyle gave him to live and work in Athens.
Pyle, too, is thankful for the opportunity to pursue his careers in a unique place.
“I think what makes it unique is that it’s on the foothills of Appalachia, so you do have extreme poverty just two or three miles out, and a very different culture than what the university life has; and I think that when the two come together, it works really well as far as art and music are concerned,” he said.”
Committee continues dean searches after hiatus
by Jan 28, 2009“The search for a new Honors Tutorial College dean has resumed along with a search to replace the dean of the College of Health and Human Services after last month’s suspensions were lifted.
Executive Vice President and Provost Kathy Krendl suspended the searches while she held talks with Ohio University deans and directors about the possibility of combining or dividing colleges to cut back on administrative costs. Krendl announced the resumptions at a meeting Friday.
The discussions centered on where the university could eliminate administrative jobs.
Because of its small size and unique academic mission, the HTC is unlikely to be combined with another college, said Ann Fidler, interim associate provost for strategic initiatives. For these reasons, the provost decided to continue the dean search, she said.
Chairwoman of the search committee, Delysa Burnier, said she is happy the search will resume.
“It is an important dean position and an important college,” Burnier said.
The current interim dean of the HTC, Harold Molineu, plans to step down at the end of this year. Both searches will be internal.
Along with combining or dividing colleges, OU is considering merging or eliminating individual administrative and other non-academic jobs to combat budget reductions.
“Restructuring is something we have to do with a great deal of thought,” Fidler said, adding that she expects the discussions to continue into the next academic year.
Talks with Krendl revolved around the size and structure of the colleges within the university, including the College of Health and Human Services.
It is a large college and some faculty members have expressed an interest in interdisciplinary studies, Fidler said, emphasizing that the university is considering all possibilities.
Because the College of Health and Human Services may be combined with another college, the provost decided to replace retiring Dean Gary Neiman with an interim dean next year rather than a permanent dean, she said.
Director of Environmental Studies Michele Morrone, who attended Friday’s announcement, said she was not surprised by the provost’s decision.
“It seems financially prudent to go with an interim,” she said.
The college’s faculty will nominate an interim dean to be appointed for one year.”
Comprehensive review praises McDavis’ success, acknowledges campus dissent
by Jan 27, 2009“The Ohio University Board of Trustees praised President Roderick McDavis Friday after reviewing a report of his comprehensive evaluation.
The report acknowledged faculty and student dissent on campus, but “looking at (McDavis’) record of accomplishments suggests that criticism has not kept the president from exercising leadership.”
It concluded, regardless of the praise and criticism leveled at McDavis, “the most important task facing all members of the Ohio University community now is to move beyond these disagreements and focus on working together to sustain excellence in the face of daunting economic challenges.”
McDavis said he was “lifted” by the report, adding he is “ready to go to work.”
“We have got to bring our community together in a way that we have never come together before,” he said.
McDavis added he would commit more time talking to various groups within the university in the hopes of further uniting the campus.
The report cited “a stronger reputation for quality” and “improvements in already solid student retention figures” as evidence of McDavis’ success, along with fundraising success and increased diversity.
OU has dropped 18 ranks in U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings since McDavis took office in 2004. McDavis and board Chairman C. Daniel DeLawder said these rankings are only one part of what goes into measuring national prominence, citing improvement in ACT scores and national awards as positive indicators.
McDavis said OU leads the state and is in the top 15 in the nation for student and faculty awards.
OU’s retention rate has gone up 2 percent in the last year. Including this increase, OU’s retention rate is down 2 percent since McDavis became president in 2004.
McDavis said the comprehensive review focused on the progress OU had made, adding moving forward was most important.
“When you look at any one period of time, you have to look at what you’ve done most recently as the most recent indicator of where you’re headed,” McDavis said. “And the most recent indicators indicate to me that we’re moving forward.”
Announced in October, the evaluation was conducted by Dr. Terry MacTaggart, a senior fellow in the Association of Governing Boards and former chancellor of Maine’s public universities.
MacTaggart visited the Athens campus in November, interviewing about 85 members of the university community to gauge opinion regarding McDavis’ performance.
DeLawder said the report affirms the board’s decision to extend McDavis’ contract and grant him a raise this summer, adding even though the board wasn’t looking for assurances that it made the right decision, it was glad to have them.Last February, the trustees passed a policy requiring the board to conduct a comprehensive evaluation the year prior to the expiration of a president’s contract. The board later delayed this evaluation, citing lack of time.
In June, the board approved a contract extension for the president that raised his base salary by $85,000.Since its announcement, the evaluation had drawn scrutiny from faculty and students who have questioned its legitimacy.
Will Klatt, of the OU chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, said in an interview before the report’s release, the evaluation is a “neatly choreographed puppet show” and “is nothing less than the tokenization of the democratic process.”
“McDavis is not the problem. McDavis is a symptom of a much greater problem,” he said, adding OU faces problems in its own governance and “(the OU community) needs to make a choice about whether or not they think democracy is a value system that is important to a free society.””
Board must now approve constructions, renovations
by Jan 27, 2009“A new policy will help the university keep a tighter leash on its spending.
The Ohio University Board of Trustees passed a resolution on Friday that will require board approval for all capital construction or renovation projects with a total budget of $500,000 or more.
Under the new policy, the university must submit a description and budget for the project as well as suggestions about how to fund it.
It also allows the board to hire an outside consultant that will provide a second opinion about the budget and costs of the proposal.
The funding and budget plans approved by the board are binding, and any further increases to it must be approved by the board.
The resolution does not require board approval for “urgent repair or parts replacement.”
Bill Decatur, senior vice president for Finance and Administration, said this new policy will provide appropriate oversight of the university’s funding of capital projects.
Prior to this resolution, OU did not have a clear guideline regarding who had to approve project funding, Decatur said, adding that this new policy will bring the university in line with others in the state.
The board also approved $4.3 million in funding for three campus renovation projects scheduled for 2009.
Included in the projects are $900,000 in bathroom upgrades for The Convocation Center, $500,000 for new boilers in the south green and $2.9 million replacement roofs for several East and South green residence halls.
These renovations are part of a larger $7 million project by the Housing and Dining Auxiliary in fiscal year 2009.”
Photo Column: 01/26/09
by Jan 27, 2009“”
Leaving local task force not a deterrent to drug control
by Jan 27, 2009“The Athens County Sheriff’s Office has plans to reduce the drug usage in the area despite leaving a multi-county crimes task force.
The Major Crimes Task Force, started in April 2005, is law enforcement officers targeting drug and narcotic violations among other crimes, said Larry Mincks, the Washington County sheriff.
Washington and Morgan counties are the only members of the task force since early January when the counties decided to “refocus their man power” in places other than Athens County, Mincks said. He added Washington County needed its officers for homicides, attempted homicides and drug problems in their own area and couldn’t send its officers on the one-hour drive to Athens County.
“We are refocusing our attention right now and operating on an as-needed basis with Athens County,” Mincks said.
“The task force is gone and it has nothing to do with Athens County anymore and it has everything to do with economic times,” said Pat Kelly, Athens County sheriff. “We do have a drug problem in Athens County and we can’t say if there is an increase or decrease in drugs with the task force because it has everything to do with supply and demand.”
Athens County’s former sheriff, Vern Castle, entered into a mutual aid agreement with the Major Crimes Task Force when he saw there was a narcotics problem, Mincks said. More than 10 officers from Washington and Morgan counties assisted with drug and narcotics violations in Athens County over the last two years, Mincks added.
“I am very pleased with the task force, and it has been very successful,” Mincks said. “It is very important that agencies work together to share resources, and we are doing that and concentrating our efforts to see results.”
In 2008, the Major Crimes Task Force made arrests in all three counties with 70 cases involving opiates, 45 cases involving cocaine, one case involving methamphetamines, 22 cases involving marijuana, one case involving internet harm and 15 miscellaneous cases which dealt with homicides or other crimes, Mincks said.
Even though Athens is no longer in the task force, there are plans to control the drug problem through enforcement, prevention and education, Kelly said.
The sheriff’s department plans to go after drug dealers and meet with state and federal agencies about the drug problem. Meeting with community leaders about drug prevention and educating high school and middle school students can help prevent future drug problems, Kelly said.
sh232006@ohiou.edu”
Former sheriff trades campaigns for cattle
by Jan 26, 2009“After eight years at the head of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, Vern Castle is ready to retire to his Guysville farm and leave the budget crunching and campaigning to the younger folk.
“I’m glad to be out of there,” said Castle, 61.
The former sheriff could be found outside the Washington Street office, smoking a cigarette and chatting with those who passed him.
“He was one of the most accessible public figures in Athens,” said Dave Malawista, Athens police officer and former chief deputy.
Last month, Castle gave up the smoking habit so he could hike up the hill to his cattle.
Castle prided himself on the relations he built between Athens County law enforcement groups. He started a weekly meeting between departments when he took office in 2001.
“I trusted him and he was responsive to any inquiries I had,” said Chief Richard Mayer of the Athens Police Department. Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren, who has worked with Castle for most of his time at the prosecutor’s office, said the former sheriff focused on substance abuse, which is linked to at least 90 percent of the county’s crimes by Warren’s estimation.
Castle was a strong proponent of the Major Crimes Task Force, a coalition of 10 law enforcement and prosecutor’s offices in Athens, Morgan and Washington counties. Castle approached Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks about joining the task force in August 2006.
Between October 2007 and October 2008, the task force brought 72 cases to the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office involving opiate-, hallucinogen- or cocaine-related crimes, according to an Athens police news release. The task force discontinued its work with Athens County earlier this month, citing a lack of financial and human resources.
In Castle’s first year as sheriff, the office made 28 felony indictments compared to 160 indictments in 2007. Castle took the job seriously and any failure personally. Three homicide cases have been open since the early ’90s.
“I felt so responsible,” he said. “But you aren’t going to solve everything.”
The budget was another challenge for Castle, who made a $69,372 yearly salary, said Michelle Williams, who worked with Castle for six years as his administrative assistant.
“He was a stickler on the budget,” Williams said.
The budget for the sheriff’s office, about $1.76 million in 2008, is set by the Athens County Commissioners and adjusted, if needed, throughout the year.
Since 2004, commissioners have had to adjust the budget each year, ranging from $4,453 in 2005 to $62,363 in 2007, according to Athens County Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.
“We had our ups and downs, mostly related to gas and personnel,” said Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason said. “We always worked it out.”
Castle said he didn’t like to ask the commissioners for extra money, so he limited the number of high-tech tools, such as Tasers, used by the office.
“Deputies are like kids in a way,” he said. “They want all these shiny new toys.”
Castle started his law enforcement career as a jailer in February 1981. He was soon promoted to jail director of the Athens County jail, which preceded the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail, built in 1997.
He started work as a deputy in December 1982, working for the narcotics and later investigations divisions.
Castle first ran for the position of sheriff in 2000 against Republican David Redecker, beating the incumbent by more than 3,500 votes.
“I don’t think sheriff was anything I wanted to be,” Castle said, but he wanted to improve the image of the office. Campaigning didn’t come easy for Castle, who said he would rather face a criminal unarmed than ask someone for money.
“It’s the worst thing in the world,” he said. “I hated every bit of it.”
In 2004, Castle defeated Independent Pat Kelly and Republican Redecker by more than 9,000 votes each.
The tides turned in 2008, when Kelly defeated Castle by 1,167 for the Democrat nomination for sheriff. Kelly went on to beat Republican Stephen Kane in the November election.
“He was the past sheriff, and I respect the office of sheriff,” Kelly said.
Kelly said he was prepared to implement his own ideas for the office, such as computers for the deputies’ vehicles and a tough stance on drugs in the county.
“Castle, the (Major Crimes) task force are in the past,” Kelly said. “We aren’t living in the past, we’re looking forward.” Warren said he was interested in Kelly’s new methods. “It’s like switching from a left-handed pitcher to a right-handed pitcher,” he said. “It’s all good so far.”
As for Castle, he plans to volunteer with the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s a small agency with no money, no resources,” Castle said. “But it’s a honest, decent department.”
He’s also ready to return to his 40-acre farm and cattle. He plans to spend some time with his wife, eight children and his grandchildren.
“I’m gonna be a farmer,” he said. “That’s what I want to be.””
Diversity day: Chinese New Year celebration presents unique experience
by Jan 26, 2009“Although New Year’s celebrations ended weeks ago for most of us in Athens, for the almost 500 Chinese students at Ohio University, the party has only just begun. Yesterday marked the beginning of Chinese New Year, the year of the Ox.
Last year, the year of the Rat, was monumental for China. National tragedy struck in May when the 19th deadliest earthquake of all time devastated the Chinese province of Sichuan, killing more than 69,000 people. Three months later, China hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Despite these headline-dominating events of last summer, I feel that I know very little about China or Chinese culture. Therefore, when I entered Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Sunday evening for the Chinese New Year celebration sponsored by OU’s Chinese Student and Scholars Association, I was completely out of my element.
After passing through a group of children wearing traditional Chinese dresses, I entered a quickly filling auditorium. The front was already packed so I found a seat toward the middle and began to take in my surroundings. Large red paper lanterns cascaded from the ceilings, projecting a warm and inviting glow. Large red banners adorned with golden Chinese characters framed the stage. Soft traditional music played in the background. Greetings were shouted from across the room and conversations buzzed around my head; none of which I could understand. A quick glance around the room confirmed that there was not another American within rows of where I was sitting. I did not hear a word of English.
Through some research before the celebration I learned that the Chinese New Year is based on the tale of a monster named Nian who, according to legend, comes to towns in China on the first day of the year to destroy villages and eat livestock and even children. Yikes. The New Year celebrates the passing of Nian (literally translated as “year.”)
However, the celebration I witnessed was anything but scary; it was magnificent. The show began with a traditional lion dance which consisted of two large “lion” costumes that were each occupied by two dancers, thrashing their bodies to the beat of several drummers. I expected the next performance to be just as traditional as the lion dance, but instead was amused to see nine Chinese girls do a self-choreographed dance to the Pussycat Dolls and Justin Timberlake. A large sign illuminated behind them, proclaiming “Girl’s Power.” The rest of the celebration followed suit with traditional performances followed by student-created acts, reminiscent of a talent show.
I was surprised to see that although some of the introductions were done in English, most of the show was done in Mandarin Chinese. There were several times when the audience burst out laughing and I was left alone, desperate to know the joke. I felt as though I had been temporarily transported out of the U.S. However, I was happy to see a group that hadn’t been too deeply affected by the unwritten rule in the United States that if you want to live here, you must speak “American.” As the show continued, students sang, danced and read poetry as scenes of the Chinese countryside projected onto a screen behind them. Two hours quickly passed and it was time for the grand finale. Students, faculty and small children joined together on stage with linked hands to sing a famous Chinese pop song, “Super Star.” I couldn’t understand a word they said, but the sentiment on their faces needed little translation: pride. Christina Stanek is a senior studying Spanish education. Send her an e-mail at cs348305@ohiou.edu.”
State Highway Patrol to merge local posts
by Jan 26, 2009“Dispatchers from the Athens post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol will move to Jackson next month as part of an effort to consolidate six local posts.
The southeast Ohio posts seek to reduce overtime costs and better use limited staff through a merger, said Capt. Paul Pride of the Jackson post.
The computer-aided dispatch system requires training that many troopers have not completed, so when dispatchers request vacation time or become sick, calls are routed to other equally busy posts, Pride said.
The new system would provide more flexibility for dispatchers by dividing the 30 employees into three shifts. Eventually troopers plan to adjust the schedule to account for busier days, such as the weekends and holidays when more people are driving, Pride said.
“This is making it a lot easier for our folks to have time off,” Pride said, “so they can have a life and spend time with their family and children.”
The Athens post, which employs six dispatchers, fielded 18,036 calls last year, Sgt. Jeff Holbert said. Athens dispatchers will start work in Jackson on Feb. 20.
“I think it will help with their scheduling and their time off,” Holbert said. “We’ll just have some adjusting to do.”
Because of the move, the Athens post might not have a person at the station at all times. In these instances, residents can enter the post and talk to a dispatcher through a telephone. If necessary, dispatchers can send a trooper to the post, Pride said.
The six posts were divided into three groups to share computer-aided dispatch systems, Pride said. The Athens post is paired with Gallipolis because of their proximity. The Athens post will share Gallipolis’ computer-aided dispatch system, but the Athens one will remain operational if Jackson’s systems were to fail, Pride said.
The first group of posts to combine was six stations near Bucyrus in November 2007. The Bucyrus post alone reduced its overtime by 80 percent, said Davius Reichelderfer, dispatcher supervisor for the Bucyrus and Marion posts.
“The largest impact is reducing the number of troopers who are asked to stay on posts to answer phones,” Reichelderfer said.
Pride said he expects the merger to improve maintenance for technicians stationed in Jackson and allow each call to be addressed.
“We want to be more effective,” Pride said. “It will be a better communication product in the end.””
Your Turn: Lost property should not become stolen property
by Jan 26, 2009“Have you ever lost anything and had someone contact you letting you know they found your lost item?
Have you ever found an item (cell phone, wallet, etc.) that wasn't yours but tried to contact the rightful owner?
I've done the first thing countless times (I work at Alden and a bar — lost cell phones are a weekly occurrence), and if I cannot get a hold of the person, at the very least I'll turn the item into the police station. However, I'm probably going to stop.
Sunday, I lost my wallet uptown on my way to work. I figured it would turn up by now, but I've gotten no e-mails, phone calls, nothing at all. The wallet was brown with a Notre Dame logo on the outside and contained money, ID's, photos of family members, and other things (gift cards, business cards — the usual everyday items). Chances are if someone found it, they probably looked to see how much money was in it and took that first, then moved on to the ID to see if they or a friend of theirs could use it as a fake.
After taking the money, ID, and maybe the gift cards (or a vendacard for the library, in case it was a studious individual), what more does my wallet mean to you? Why wouldn't you turn it in (if it was in a bar, turn it into the bartenders; on the street, take it to the police station) and give me the chance of getting some of my things back? Replacing all that stuff is a hassle but it can be done, but getting back the pictures of my family or the business cards of friends/people I rarely see cannot.
I hope someone found it and still has it with the intention of getting a hold of me and returning it because that's what I would do. That's what a lot of people say they would do ... But would you?
I always feel like I'm doing a good thing when I call someone or e-mail them and tell them I've found their lost property. Who knows, maybe the person who found my wallet will lose something one day and have someone contact them. If that does happen, I hope they remember what they did to my stuff.
Mark Skirtich is a senior studying sports management.” | News Topics
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