New teachers

With the start of school in the Columbia School District next week, six new teachers got an early start to their teaching careers.
The school district is holding its New Teacher Induction at the District Administrative Center this week. A seventh new teacher, who was hired to teach sixth grade at Park Elementary School, was hired last Monday morning and joined the program during the week and be approved by the school board at its upcoming meeting.
The new teachers attending the induction were:
• Kelly Howells, first grade, Taylor Elementary.
• Rachel Hill, fifth grade, Park Elementary.
• Bob Peterson, mark, Columbia High School.
• Michael Rohrback, seventh grade math, Columbia High School.
• Sue Kelley, alternative education teacher.
• Scott Muenz, high school band director.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Diane Frey in introducing the new teachers said participating in the induction program is a state requirement.
“It’s required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education,” Dr. Frey said.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Barry Clippinger said there are still a couple of openings in the district.
“We just hired a sixth grade teacher because of a late resignation Monday morning,” he said.
While there aren’t a lot of new teachers in Columbia this year, Clippinger said that might not be the case next year.
“Next year, we may have a whole lot of new teachers,” Dr. Clippinger said.
The new teachers spent Monday meeting their mentor, experienced teachers, who will guide them through their first year at Columbia.
They also spent time meeting with the district’s administrative team to review expectations and other procedures. They were also given a tour of the district.
Tuesday, they participated in literacy and technology programs and Wednesday there were sessions on teaching the English language, classroom management and district intervention programs.
The week ends today with programs on parent involvement and learning focused schools. Tomorrow, the new teachers will meet with their mentor and hear presentations from the business office.

He's back!

With the shouts of “USA, USA, USA,” cheers and applause bristling through the night air, Columbia native Ben Zeamer and five of his United Army buddies, were welcomed home Friday night after spending the last 15 months in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province.
Zeamer and his Army buddies stepped off a Conestoga Tours bus Friday night around nine o’clock, after they were greeted at the Philadelphia International Airport after being greeted by more than 50 family members and friends. The surprise was arranged by Ben’s father and mother, Mark and Diane.
“It was very surprising,” Zeamer said after stepping off the bus.
Among those accompanying Zeamer back to Columbia were five members of the C Company, 2nd battalion, 503rd regiment, 173rd Army Airborne. They were among the survivors of a rough 15 months of battles with the Taliban.
“These are the guys I spent time with on the front line,” Zeamer said.
The 27-year-old from Columbia wears eight bracelets to remember those who didn’t survive.
Stationed in Vicenzo, Italy, the 503rd was deployed to the Kunar Province in May 2007 to establish a combat outpost. Over the next 15 months, the group had more than 105 battles with the Taliban. There were two big incidents with the enemy. One was on Nov. 9, 2007, American forces were approaching a native village when they were ambushed. Five members of Zeamer’s platoon were killed. Then in late July, a 30-man platoon was ordered to advance and establish a new outpost. They were attacked by more than 200 Taliban, with nine Americans killed and 15 wounded.
“It was pretty rough,” Zeamer said Friday.
After arriving back home for the first time in about two years, Zeamer and his buddies, were honored as a party and headed Saturday to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Bethesda, MD, to visit some of those wounded.
He plans to head back to Italy and possibly attend sniper school at Fort Benning in Georgia, but come home for the holidays. He does expect to go back to Afghanistan late next year.

The Columbia School Board will hold a public meeting on Sept. 4 to allow residents to review a feasibility study on planned renovations at the high school complex. Last week at its committee of the whole meeting, the school board got its first look at the study.
Three options were presented by the architectural firm of Reese, Lower, Patrick and Scott, which are the result of the study. The three options ranged from renovations to the construction of a new high school, with the price tag ranging anywhere from $13 million to $40 million for the construction of a new school.
Erin Hoffman, an architect for Reese, Lower, Patrick and Scott, reviewed the study for the board. The study was done after getting input from the board, administration, staff and faculty at the high school.
The study found that there was a lack of ADA requirements when it came to some of the bathrooms, water fountains and stairwells in the school; the classrooms were sub-standard size; there were seven teachers who did not have permanent classrooms and there was very little storage area.
The study also looked at curriculum issues and found the media center or library to be undersized, there was a lack of computer areas and there was no space for the school’s media production class. The administration area was also addressed, which found a lack of space and a shared conference room.
The study also found the lack of small group instruction areas, as well as a large group area.
There were also changes needed in the cafeteria and gym areas.
“There was needed space in the cafeteria because the serving areas weren’t meeting student needs,” Hoffman said.
In the gym area, there were concerns about the size of the lobby area and the locker rooms, as well as minimal bathroom areas.
“There was also the need to move the Middle School to a different area of the school,” she said.
Other areas addressed in the study were improvements to the lobby, the loading dock and the maintenance areas.
She said the study addressed the top needs after interviewing those involved. They ranged from a lack of storage, the need to increase technology and having a separate Middle School and High School.
Most of the work, Hoffman said would involve the inside of the building.
The first option reviewed by the board was making the current media center/library into the Middle School and adding classrooms in that area. There would be a large group instruction area added, the administrative wing would be reorganized, the art room and nurse’s suite moved. The gym area improvements would include changing the lobby area, additional locker space and adding 350 additional seats.
There would also be changes in the cafeteria and maintenance areas.
That option would cost between $13 and $18 million, depending on the scope of the work and other needs such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning.
Option two would include changes to the media center, the nurse’s area and adding a large group instruction area. It would also make the existing gym into the Middle School area and a new gym, that would seat 1,200 people built.
The cost of that option ranges from $17 to $23 million.
Option three, the worst case scenario, was the construction of a new school, which was all but ruled out.
Also reviewed were the various HVAC options and the various schedules needed to complete the project within 15 months.
If things so as planned according to the study, bids for the project could be awarded by April 2009 and construction started in June 2009 and be completed by the start of the 2010-11 school year.

Columbia scrimmage

The 2008 Columbia Crimson Tide football team ended its first week of two-a-day workouts with a scrimmage Saturday up on the hill with Ephrata.
Ephrata, a Section 2 team from the Lancaster-Lebanon League, played the Tide in football for the first time since 1983. The Mounts have a new coach, Jim Vieland, who was an assistant at Hempfield and takes over for longtime coach Ken Grove.
There were only two touchdowns in the scrimmage, one for each side. Columbia’s came on a run by Dakotah Lightfoot, while Ephrata scored on a pass.
Much of the first scrimmage was spent working with the second teams.
Columbia showed some good signs, but also showed they had some work to do. There were no serious injuries during the scrimmage, which is a good thing for the Tide, who is working with a roster of about 30 players.
The Crimson Tide closes its two-a-day workouts this week and will scrimmage at Hanover tomorrow night at 7 p.m. The Nighthawks, who haven’t given the Tide much of a challenge the last two years, also have a new coach.
Columbia then has a week to get ready for its season opener, on the hill, next Friday night, against cross-river rival Eastern, a team they have never lost to.

CBAA to canvass

The Columbia Boy’s Athletic Association will hold its fall town canvass on Saturday for its football and cheerleading programs.
The CBAA teams open their season next Saturday at Glatfelter Field at 12:30 p.m.

Don't drop sports

On and off over the past week, I’ve been watching the Olympics.
Michael Phelps chase for eight for great; the pursuit of gold by the US in basketball is expected and the start of the track and field competition is a blessing. Don’t forget the beach volleyball.
But as the Olympics finally wind down, there’s two things I can’t understand is why baseball and softball are being eliminated as Olympic sports and trampoline and badmitten remain.
Well, Tuesday morning, I got the answer as to why baseball and softball are no longer going to be Olympic sports.
Baseball-wise, the Olympics want “dream teams.” Apparently they want Major League baseball to shutdown for two weeks, or allow their stars to compete in the Olympics.
As a baseball fan, not sure if I like the idea of shutting down the season in the middle of pennant races. Knowing the “powers to be” in baseball,” it will probably happen.
Softball-wise, apparently, the reason is that no one can beat the United States. To me, that’s a poor excuse.
What’s next, not allowing the US to enter the swimming because Phelps won eight gold medals? Or, not allowing the US team of May and Walsh to compete in beach volleyball because no one can beat them?
I wasn’t sure if I liked the US having a “dream team” in men’s basketball. But after listening to reason that the other country were sending their pros, I bought into the idea.
Sometimes I wonder if those in power in the Olympics are just making rules because we are too powerful of a country.
And one thing, before I stop venting about the Olympics. Outside of having to get an atlas out to determine where some of the countries were located, I was taken back a little by the choice of who carried the American flag for the opening ceremonies. The track athlete wasn’t a native American. I heard all the reasons, etc. I don’t really care. We are the United States of America and an American should have carried the flag, not a transplant!
Yes, I am a proud American!

Odds and ends...

• Larry Bowa, the real Phillies’ manager returns home this weekend.
But I will still wear my Charlie Manuel t-shirt (50th birthday gift), perhaps with a sign on the back of it.
By the way, I think this is an important home stand for the Phillies and Charlie needs to manage every game like its the last game of the season.

Bowa returns

Sunday night is one of those dates I circled on my calendar even before I got sick.
It got double circled when I got sick as one of the three dates I wanted to be recovered by.
Why?
That’s because the Los Angeles Dodgers are coming to Philadelphia for the weekend.
I had that date circled long before the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez from Boston.
So, what’s the big deal?
Well, the “real” Phillies manager Larry Bowa will be patrolling the third base coaches box for the Dodgers. Thought he looked odd in Yankee pinstripes, well, he doesn’t bleed Dodger blue that well either.
This is his first trip back to Philadelphia since he got uncermonously dumped by the Phillies and replaced by Charlie Manuel.
I have maintained all long that is Bowa was managing the Phillies, they would have easily won the National League East last year and wold be well on their way to another title this year.
I for one, will be standing and cheering him when he takes the field Sunday night and when I watch the games Friday and Saturday (I know get a life), the old Bowa stories will be coming to life again.
The Dodgers series in the middle part of an important home stand for the Phillies. It opened earlier in the week with Washington and closes with those Mets.
Heck, by next week, the Phillies could be out of it.
They wouldn’t be if Bowa was in the dugout. He would provide the fire and leadership needed that would have gotten the team through this tough spot.
I recall writing a few weeks back that I was warming up to Charlie because his lack back style was working. Well, it’s not working right now, because this team needs a kick in the pants, which he can’t provide.
Some of this top players, like Rollins, Myers and Burrell have had public blowouts with “Uncle Chuck.”
This is the same guy, who has offered no real reason as to how to turn it around. If your are the manager, the buck stop with you.
Yes, I will wear by Charlie Manuel t-shirt (a 50th birthday gift), but I may put a taped line through it and wear a sign welcoming home the “real manager of the Phillies.”

Odds and ends...

• Got to two scrimmages over the weekend -- Ephrata at Columbia and Daniel Boone at Eastern.
Boone was the best of the four teams I saw.
• Saw where Eastern is tearing down their old high school.
The old school will become practice fields and parking.
Saw a lot of good games across the river, football and basketball, over the years.
• Was listening to a talk show discussion last week about what Olympic sports should be dropped, since after this time there will be no baseball or softball.
While I ask why, how can badmitten and trampoline be Olympic sports and baseball and softball not?