SunMay20

Mason among winners at district championship

Posted by rrichardson May 20th, 2012, 12:15 am Post a Comment

Kevin Goheen reports:

Amelia’s Jeff Glos had sat atop the city’s all-time shot put record list since May 8, 1975.

Western Brown senior Mack Tudor ended that 37-year run Friday night.

Tudor added the city shot put record to his growing resume when his third attempt of the Division I Mason district championship landed 62 feet, 6 inches away from the ring, bettering Glos’ record of 62-2.5. The win gives Tudor his first district shot put title to go along with the discus championship he won on Wednesday with a meet record throw of 185-5.

“It felt all right but it didn’t feel like a record-setting throw,” said Tudor. “It just felt like a normal throw to me and that’s why I thought I had a lot left. But I’m happy. This is what I came in to accomplish and I did it.”

The city records are compiled by the Southwest Ohio Track Cross Country Coaches Association and Tudor’s record was confirmed Friday.

The top four finishers in each event qualified for next week’s regional meet at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

The Mason girls won their 10th consecutive team title with 128.5 points. Walnut Hills was second with 92 points, followed closely by Princeton (89), Sycamore (83) and Withrow (80).

The Comets won four events over the two-day competition and qualified athletes in 11 events for the regional meet. Senior Monica Lake (1,600 and 3,200 relay) was a double winner for Mason.

Mason also won the boys’ competition; it was the fourth team title in the last five years for the Comets. Mason’s 136 points was comfortably ahead of Princeton (67) in second place and third-place Moeller (64).

The Comets won six events and will send athletes to Dayton in 13 of the 17 events. Senior Josh Dooley (long jump and 100) and junior Asad Maiden (high jump and 110 hurdles) were double winners.

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SatMay19

No. 3 Mason softball rallies to beat Fairfield

Posted by rrichardson May 19th, 2012, 11:32 pm Post a Comment

The Enquirer

Mason – ranked No. 3 in the Enquirer Division I softball coaches’ poll – scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and held off No. 5 Fairfield’s rally in the seventh to win a Division I district championship 4-3.

Fairfield answered with two runs in the top of the seventh, but with two outs and the tying run on third, Mason senior center fielder Sami Parave made an outstretched catch to end the game.

In the sixth inning the game was tied 1-1 when Mason junior outfielder Sammi Hayner started the Comets’ inning with a go-ahead RBI. Mason senior pitcher Sarah Browning threw a complete game with seven strikeouts and went 2-for-2 at the plate.

Mason, who lost 1-0 in the district finals last season to Glen Este, will face No.1-ranked Lebanon (28-1) in the regional semifinals Thursday at 5 p.m. at Northmont.

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Soak City water park expansion debuts at Kings Island

Posted by rrichardson May 19th, 2012, 4:06 pm Post a Comment

Kings Island’s new Soak City water park is making waves.

The Mason amusement park is holding a special VIP preview event this weekend for gold and platinum season passholders.  Soak City opens to the public on May 26.

“It’s fabulous,” said Heidi Cartzendafner of Morrow.  ”It’s like you’re at the beach but with no sand.”

The $10 million water park expansion doubles its size to 33 acres and features new amenities and attractions, including a new second wave pool, sand volleyball courts, three times more chairs and open grass for lounging.

The 650,000-gallon Tidal Wave Bay pool is among the most popular of the new attractions, said KI spokesman Don Helbig.

Helbig said the original wave pool is kind of a mild thrill experience with the waves being just a couple of feet tall. The new one has waves higher than 4 feet and is much more “aggressive,” he said.

Tubes will be allowed in the new wave pool. They’re not allowed in the original one.

The park’s lazy river is no longer so lazy. It’s now billed as an action river with new cascading rock wall waterfall features, turbulent water effects and other features. The river has a zero-depth entry which it didn’t have previously. The river is still the same size at more than 2,000 feet long. Swimmers ride in tubes.

Soak City has a new entrance where patrons can purchase tickets. Kings Island added new rentable cabanas with flat screen televisions and waiter service.

The water park features more than 50 water activities, including 30 water slides.  Many existing water rides and shops have gotten more vibrant coats of paint.

The expansion comes as the park celebrates its 40th anniversary season.  Kings Island does not charge extra admission for the water park. Guests can go back and forth between the water park and the amusement park.

“To a lot of our guests, it does feel like it’s a whole new experience,” said Helbig.  ”[Soak City] is off to a great start.”

Soak City hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  For more information, go to visitkingsisland.com.

Staff reporter Paul McKibben contributed

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FriMay18

Prasco Park a ‘values match’ for NCCAA World Series

Posted by rrichardson May 18th, 2012, 9:55 pm Post a Comment

Christian college teams from across the nation descended on Prasco Park this month in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Div. I and II Baseball National Championship World Series.

The Div. 1 championship game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Mason athletic facility. Oklahoma Wesleyan will look to defend its National Championship title against California Baptist University.

Toccoa Falls College beat out Florida Christian in the Div. II championship, held on May 12.

This is the fourth year for the NCCAA World Series at Prasco Park, which opened in 2008. The 550-seat stadium built to Major League specifications is on the corporate campus of Prasco Laboratories and is an initiative of the Arington Foundation, named for Prasco founder Thomas Arington.

Arington Executive Director Jeff Zurcher said the partnership is a matter of faith, in addition to providing a first-class baseball experience.

Arington’s mission is to positively affect the values of young people through Christian influence in sport, media and education — values which merge with the Christian intercollegiate athletic association, he said.

As part of their participation in the World Series, each team donates service hours at Matthew 25 Ministries, a Blue Ash-based charity.

The park maintains a code of conduct for guests, which prohibits profanity, alcohol and excessive displays of affection, and opens each game with a prayer.

“It’s a values match,” said Zurcher of the NCCAA. “We love God and we love people and we try to do that in a safe, pleasant experience. We’ve created a destination not only for baseball fans, but for families.”

In addition to hosting the NCCAA World Series, the park is the permanent home of the Cincinnati Spikes amateur baseball team. Select colleges, universities and youth programs also use the facility.

Admission is free and open to the community. In addition to the tournament are family-friendly games, activities, vendors and food in a festival-like atmosphere..

Prasco Park is at 6125 Commerce Court in Mason. For more information, go to www.prascopark.com.

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Mason Goddard School to hold car wash for cancer charity Saturday

Posted by rrichardson May 18th, 2012, 1:02 pm Post a Comment

The Goddard School in Mason will hold a fundraising car wash and bake sale from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday to benefit Relay for Life.

Relay for Life is an all-night walk to raise funds and awareness of cancer research with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.

The next Relay for Life event in Mason is set for June 9 at the Mason Municipal Center.

“We are all delighted to help in the fight for finding a cure for cancer ,” said franchise owner Kerra Spaeth.  “The teachers and children are anticipating a lot of fun and a great learning experience.”

The early childhood development center will also celebrate its Family Fun Day that day.  Science to Go will conduct science experiments and every child will receive a free take-home experiment.

The Goddard School is at 754 Reading Road and can be reached at 513-398-2777.  More information is online at www.goddardschool.com.

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Willys Jeep Reunion a draw for vintage Jeep fans

Posted by rrichardson May 18th, 2012, 11:05 am Post a Comment

Willys Jeep Reunion Dozens of vintage Jeeps from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s will be on display during the Midwest Willys Jeep Reunion,which runs today through Sunday at the Kings Island Resort and Conference Center.

The reunion is described as the “finest gathering of Willys and Jeep vehicles north of the Mason-Dixon.”

Also featured are parts vendors, vehicles for sale, tech demonstrations and seminars. Guest speakers include Ron Szymanski, a retired 35-year Jeep employee and former curator of the Jeep House Museum.

Admission and parking are free; $20 per vehicle to show. Tickets for Saturday evening’s banquet and guest speaker are $25 for adults and $14 for children ages 12 and under.

Kings Island Resort and Conference Center is at 5691 Kings Island Drive in Mason. For more information, call 513-423-8724.

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Former Warren Co. prosecutor suspended from law

Posted by rrichardson May 18th, 2012, 9:45 am Post a Comment
Joshua Engel

Joshua Engel / Provided photo

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

A former assistant Warren County prosecutor who became chief legal counsel for the Ohio Department of Public Safety was suspended from practicing law for six months Thursday for intercepting confidential e-mails involving federal and state investigations.

Joshua A. Engel had letters of support from police, well-known attorneys and even his former-boss-turned-appeals judge, Rachel Hutzel.

But a panel of Ohio Supreme Court judges thought Engel deserved more than the public reprimand he thought was enough.

“His distribution of confidential information about pending law-enforcement and ethics investigations to those who were not authorized to receive such information…worked to undermine public trust not only in the legal system, but in state government as a whole,” the judges wrote.

Engel, who left the Warren County prosecutor’s office after five years in 2007 to work for the state, was convicted in a plea agreement of three misdemeanor charges of disclosing confidential information from the Office of the Inspector General.

He received a 30-day suspended jail sentence and $750 fine in Franklin County for each of the three charges.

Engel was demoted and then fired from his job at the Ohio Department of Public Safety in late 2010 after an investigation concluded that an e-mail filter he had set up to find a “leak” from the department to a Columbus Dispatch reporter was intercepting confidential e-mails involving investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ohio Ethics Commission and the Office of the Ohio Inspector General.

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Summer-like weather ahead this weekend

Posted by rrichardson May 18th, 2012, 8:41 am Post a Comment

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

It doesn’t get any better than this: Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies, low humidity and a high temperatures near 80 degrees.

Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky will enjoy a nice stretch of weather this weekend with plenty of sun and highs in the mid-80s.

Humidity should remain low throughout the weekend, thanks to a high pressure system from the west, said meteorologist Ashley Novak with the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

The normal high temperature this time of year usually is around 74 degrees.

The next chance for rain will be early next week, late Monday night through Tuesday.

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ThuMay17

Mason names Pfander, Heim Athletes of the Week

Posted by rrichardson May 17th, 2012, 4:48 pm Post a Comment

Mason High School’s athletic office announced its athletes of the week.  This week’s honorees are volleyball and tennis standouts Drew Pfander and Colin Heim.

Drew Pfander

Drew Pfander / Provided photo

Coaches say Drew Pfander, a sophomore on the Mason boys volleyball team, has stepped up this year and has become a strong blocker and attacker for the Comets.  He has a strong passion for the game and has helped all his teammates be successful this season, according to school release.

Colin Heim

Colin Heim / Provided photo

Senior Colin Heim, a third-year varsity green tennis doubles player, has been a “huge contributor” to the team’s success, coaches say.  His record is 11 – 3 so far this season. Colin and his partner, Young-Jin Kang, won 2nd doubles championship for the GMC and both were named First Team for the GMC. Colin and his sectional partner, senior John Mostowy, took the 2nd seed in sectionals and will play in the districts on Thursday.

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Mason Community Center launching new teen health, wellness summer camps

Posted by rrichardson May 17th, 2012, 3:36 pm Post a Comment

The Mason Community Center is launching its first teen health and wellness camp this summer.

The one-week camp geared for teens ages 13-15 seeks to educate camp-goers on healthy exercise and wellness habits and includes many community center amenities, such as the fitness center, Edge climbing wall, gymnasiums, indoor and outdoor pools and local parks.

Two one-week sessions will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Camp sessions held the week of June 25 and the week of July 23.

Teens may attend either or both camps. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Cost is $30 for Mason Community Center premier members; $35 for basic members; $44 for non-member Mason residents and $53 for non-residents.

Register online (activity number 461803) at www.imaginemason.org or call 513-229-8555. Registrations are recommended at least one week before the camp session begins.

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