News for the week of January 31, 2012 For complete articles and additional news reports, please see the Holland-Springfield Journal.
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Shh....No more train whistles at Holloway crossing
Although trains must still sound their horns at the McCord Road crossing, Holland residents no longer will hear horns blaring at Holloway Road. As of January 18, engineers were to stop sounding horns in the quiet zone, said Mayor Mike Yunker, adding that they still reserve the right to blow the horn if conditions warrant. The crossing went silent after the village completed required road construction and Norfolk Southern finished the installation of special hardware for the crossing.
Springfield girls, boys fall to Maumee By Jane Maiolo
Despite a furious fourth-quarter rally the Springfield girls basketball team was not able to overcome a 12-point deficit in the final eight minutes of play in dropping a 47-45 Northern Lakes League (NLL) decision at home to Maumee.
With the victory the Panthers improve to 4-8 on the year and 1-6 in conference action. The Blue Devils fall to 3-9 overall and 0-7 in the NLL.
Maumee got the jump on the Royal Blue and White as it opened a 12-8 first-quarter lead. Springfield then used a 14-12 run in the second period to cut the Panther advantage to two at 24-22 entering the locker room.
Maumee regrouped during the intermission, returning to the floor and outscoring the Lady Devils 14-4 in the third session to grab a 38-26 lead.
Trailing by 12, Springfield rediscovered its offensive game in the fourth stanza, outscoring the visitors 19-9. However, time ran out on the Blue Devils who ended the night just short of their first conference victory.
Natalie Yoder poured in a game high 15 points, including two 3-pointers, while Chelsea Haas (triple) finished with eight, Sydney Powhida (two treys) seven, and Tori Collins six.
Kayla Thompson (seven foul shots) and Elizabeth Theaker (three 3-pointers) each netted 13 in the triumph.
Springfield did win the battle from beyond the arc 6-4 but lost the war at the foul line 13-9.
School board approves 2012-13 school calendar By Jane Maiolo
At the January 25 meeting, the Springfield Board of Education approved the calendar for the 2012-13 school year.
The board selected a calendar schedule which more closely mimics that of other schools with a longer break over the Christmas holiday.
At a study session earlier this month, the board reviewed two options. The main difference between the two calendars is the winter break, explained Superintendent Kathryn Hott.
Option A offers the break through January 7 with school ending June 4. With option B, the students return on Thursday, January 3 and the school year concludes on May 31. Both breaks would begin at the close of the school day on Friday, December 21.
Mrs. Hott noted that most area school districts have chosen to go with the full two-week, winter break.
Board member Ken Musch recommended aligning the Springfield’s calendar with that of neighboring districts and the board concurred.
For the complete calendar details, visit the district Web site at www.springfieldlocalschools.net/index.php/
ourdistrict/
district-calendar.
Titans fall to Irish; set up four-way tie in TRAC By Kevin Cummings
Flip a coin, draw a card, maybe even pick a number between one and ten. Either way one views the Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) boys basketball race, one may as well get the quarter out of their pocket, put in on their thumb and flip it.
The league is simply up for grabs in its inaugural season. The proof lies in Central Catholic’s recent 60-47 victory over preseason favorite St. John’s. The win comes a week after the Irish beat then undefeated and seventh ranked Whitmer (50-40), which was predicted second in the league and which had already taken down St. John’s.
The loss drops the Titans into a four-way tie with Central Catholic, the Panthers, and Findlay–all of whom are 6-2 in the TRAC.
St. John’s edged the Irish in the opening quarter by a narrow 15-13 count. The Irish bolted out to a 9-2 lead as Deontae Cole drilled a three-pointer, Nate Harris, four foul shots, and a bucket by Keith Towbridge.
Junior standout Marc Loving (6’8”) then drained four of his first-half, 3-pointers to cap a 10-0 St. John’s run that gave it a 12-9 lead.
In the second period Central Catholic soared back with a 17-11 scoring advantage. The six point edge gave the hosts a 30-26 lead entering the locker room in front of 2,400 fans at the Sullivan Center.
Central Catholic’s Towbridge led the 14-3 charge with two 3-point plays which gave the Irish a 26-18 lead 4:16 before halftime.
The Blue and Gold got no closer than four the rest of the way.
Are you a leap year baby?
Are you a leap year baby? If so, The Journal would like to hear from you.
A leap year consists of 366 days instead of the common year which has 365 days year.
Leap years occur every four years on the Gregorian calendar and are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth’s revolution around the sun.
It takes Earth approximately 365.24 days to circle once around the Sun.
But the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year, so a day needs to be added every four years because of losing nearly six hours off the calendar annually.
And what about those people born on February 29? When do they celebrate their birthdays and how old they are in leap years?
Among the more famous people born on this date are Pope Paul III in 1468, singer Dinah Shore in 1916, Canadian hockey player Lyndon Byers in 1964 and actor Dennis Farina, 1944.
The Journal wants to hear from Holland/Springfield area leap year babies.
Send a photo with your age in leap years (Readers can do the math) along with details on when and how you celebrate your birthday on February 29 and during non leap years. Please include your name and a daytime phone number.
Casino nears completion
By Beth Church
Still predicting a spring opening, Penn National Gaming officials gave tours of the Hollywood Casino Toledo under construction last week to members of the media.
“The project has come to fruition very, very quickly,” said Richard St. Jean, casino general manager, who led the tours and answered questions along with Mike Galle, assistant general manager.
Mr. St. Jean praised the work of general contractor Rudolph Libbe–“they are timely, on schedule and on budget.”
Exterior construction of the 290,000-square-feet facility, which includes a parking garage that has 2,450 spaces, is almost fully complete, he said.
Interior work is about 85 percent complete, and a certificate of occupancy is expected in mid-March.
The 24-hour gaming facility on Miami Street, just west of I-75, will feature a 125,000-square-foot casino floor with 2,000 electronic gaming machines, plus 80 live poker tables, blackjack, roulette, craps and carnival style games.
There also will be four restaurants in the casino:
•Final Cut seafood and steakhouse, 130-seat fine dining with a 28-seat lounge overlooking the Maumee River;
•Epic Buffet with seating for 260;
•Skybox sports bar and grill, with seating for 173 and a 20-foot projection TV with a glass screen, visible from both sides;
•H Lounge, an 80-seat entertainment lounge with live acts seven nights per week, and
•Take 2 Grill for “grab and go” sandwiches, salads and desserts.
