The Kenton Times

Times photo/Christina Hoy
Class of 2020
Espy Principal Mike Blechinger hands kindergartner Abby Friend along with her classmates their kindergarten diplomas Wednesday afternoon as they wind down their year and prepare to move on to first grade next year. The class of 2020 is the first kindergarten class at Espy in several years, making the graduation a special occasion for those at the school.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)

Co-valedictorians named at Ada High School
ADA - Ada High School will honor 65 graduates of the Class of 2008 at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 25 in the high school gymnasium.
At the Senior Honor Awards ceremony on May 14, it was announced that Joshua Rouch and Megan Sybert have earned the honor of co-valedictorian, while Hannah Lomax-Vogt was named salutatorian.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)

WEDNESDAY MAY 21, 2008

ERIC HOFFMAN
Ridgedale educator to lead Riverdale
Times news bureau
MOUNT BLANCHARD - It will be a change of three letters for Eric Hoffman.
The now Ridgedale Schools superintendent was approved Monday night as Riverdale's new superintendent at the regular school board meeting.
Hoffman was approved for a three-year contract with a base salary of $95,000. He will begin on Aug. 1 and have a 20-day consulting contract until then.
"I think it was a good fit. It's very similar to what I'm doing now," Hoffman said.
He said it was important to get the district voters support.
"I think you have to make all the stakeholders of the district feel that you're spending their money wisely," Hoffman said. "I think we have to look at everything. I think I have to do a lot of listening for the next six months to a year and I've got to keep the traditions going and the things that we're doing well and I'll some different things, just not a lot right off the bat."
Hoffman has been at Ridgedale the past five years and prior to that he was in Coldwater as a superintendent for three and a half years.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)

Times photo/Christina Hoy
Step back into history
Hardin Northern fourth grader Breanna Cook is dressed as Blue Jacket, a famous war chief of the Shawnee people, during her presentation at Tuesday evenings S.T.R.O.L.L. (Step back in time, recreating Ohio’s legendary lives) program. Blue Jacket was known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in Ohio. Students from the Hardin Northern, Ridgemont and Upper Scioto Valley schools’ gifted intervention program made drawers with different items that their person would have kept along with reading biographies and doing research for the project. The Hardin County Educational Service Center hosted the evening.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)

Hardin may be in line for flood aid
Hardin County is among six area counties which could share $3 million in state help to deal with flooding problems.
State Rep. Cliff Hite, R-Findlay, said lawmakers have written $3 million into the proposed two-year capital budget to help the counties in their battle against floods that have hit the area the past two years.
Hite told The (Findlay) Courier that the capital budget has to be approved by both the House and Senate, and go to Gov. Ted Strickland for final approval.
In addition the Hardin, the other counties included in the funding are Hancock, Allen, Putnam, Paulding and Wyandot.
Hite originally requested $300,00. But he joined forces with State Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, R-Napoleon, to seek the larger amount.
Hite said he will work to preserve the $3 million in the current budget as it works through the legislative process. His hope is to then get $3 million more for flood relief in each of the following two capital budgets.
Findlay has been among the worst-hit areas by flooding since December 2006. That city has experienced seven floods in 14 months, The Courier reported.
(Refer to page 1 of the Kenton Times)