Thursday, May 30th, 2019

Teachers, staffers pitch in to aid cleanup

By Tom Stankard
Photo by Dan Melograna/The Daily Standard

Jaden King, left, and Austin Kundtz on Wednesday afternoon help clean up the devastation on Fairground Road from the Memorial Day tornado.

CELINA - More than 50 teachers and staff members from Celina City Schools spent two planned professional development days on Tuesday and Wednesday alongside students picking up the debris left behind by Monday's tornado.
Staff members could go to school for the in-service days or go out and help the community.
"For as much as the community does for us, we wanted to take the opportunity to give back," superintendent Ken Schmiesing said. "It would have been tough for us to do the in-service day with our attention focused on the community."
Rain began to fall on Wednesday as they arrived at the Bruns Addition and Wheatland Acres, but that didn't stop them from helping as many residents as they could.
A large group helped carry ruined furniture and other items from Gary Mastin's home to the pile of debris on the sidewalk while others cleaned up the yard.
"I don't know of another group of people more community-minded than teachers," Mastin said.
Across the street, student council member Olivia Felver said the scale of the damage is intense as she helped member Solomon Hierholzer clean up shingles, insulation and other debris in Sara Walker's backyard.
"Two years ago, many businesses were hit by the tornado. When it hits homes, it puts it in a different perspective," she added.
Teacher Jackie Mertz was in the front yard helping Shawn Snider rake up and put more debris into trash bags.
"If this happened to me, I would want people to help me out, too," Mertz said.
Seeing them help clean up her yard made Walker smile and say "we wouldn't be able do this without them."
Celina head football coach Brennen Bader didn't have to do much asking to get his players to help the community.
"They knew what kind of situation the town was in," he said. "It didn't take us reaching out to them. Some of them had friends who were affected by the tornado and storms. They felt obliged to go out and do something to help out. We've seen a lot of that the last two days."
The home belonging to junior high wrestling coach Joey Braun was one of at least three Celina schools staff members' homes damaged by Monday night's EF3 tornado that impacted at least 40 houses. This inspired varsity wrestling head coach James Miracle to bring his team to help.
"Even if that wouldn't have happened, we would be out there," he said. "Our big thing is to give back. Obviously, we want to make better wrestlers, but honestly our first mission is to make better people. That was our thought process."
When something this devastating or tragic happens to the community, Bader said it's important to look for the positives.
"What you see is a verification that we live in a great community full of great people," he said. "Our student-athletes are a microcosm of all that. It's great to see people helping people in a time of great need. It makes you proud to live in a community like this."
Photo by Tom Stankard/The Daily Standard

Celina City Schools staff members help clean up a backyard on Wednesday in Celina's Wheatland Acres subdivision.

Photo by Dan Melograna/The Daily Standard

Colby Homan on Wednesday afternoon helps to remove debris from her family's Fairground Road house after it was damaged by the Memorial Day tornado.

Additional online story on this date
By WILLIAM KINCAID and LESLIE GARTRELL
newsroom@dailystandard.com
CELINA - Bella's Italian Grille and the Celina Rotary Club were among various entities again offering food to fuel ongoing efforts to clear out rubble flung about tornado-devastated properties in northwestern Celina. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Lawmakers view devastation from Memorial Day tornado
CELINA - Mayor Jeff Hazel on Wednesday morning ushered a trio of lawmakers on a tour of areas devastated by the tornado, shoring up support for potential federal assistance.
CELINA - Victims of the tornado are being warned to protect themselves and their properties from potential scammers seeking to take advantage of their tragedy.
Interest in house increases after Celina tornado leaves some homeless
ST. MARYS - A house built by Tri Star Career Compact students near the path of Monday's EF3 tornado was undamaged and is still set to go to auction next week, Tri Star Director Tim Buschur said at a St. Marys Rotary meeting.
Celina students use cooking skills to prepare banquet
CELINA - About 20 Celina High School students have been learning how to mince, chop and dice food they've grown in the classroom during their healthy and safe foods class.
State Track and Field Preview
Return of the MAC
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Those athletes aren't finished yet.
Minster's girls head into Columbus as defending Division III state champions.
Based on regional times, the Wildcats aren't predicted to repeat, according to numbers provided by Daily Standard correspondent Bruce Monnin.
ST. MARYS - The St. Marys Community Band will kick off its season with a special concert on June 13 at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, where astronaut Neil Armstrong attended church with his parents while he lived in St. Marys.