05-14-03: Fort Recovery school board employs newcomer as boys basketball coach

05-14-03: Fort Recovery school board employs newcomer as boys basketball coach

By JANIE SOUTHARD
The Daily Standard

    FORT RECOVERY - Port-land, Ind., native Brian Patch was hired as the new head coach for the boys basketball team at Tuesday night's board of education meeting, which was attended by about a dozen residents with questions about the hiring process.
    The residents wanted to know how the selection was made and wanted more information about Patch's background. They also wanted to know why candidate Chris Bihn, a Fort Recovery native and now the Celina junior varsity boys basketball coach, was not hired. Bihn also attended the meeting.
    "We had several good candidates and the committee determined (Patch) was the best," District Treasurer Dennis Ontrop said following the meeting.
    The selection is made by a committee of three school staff members - high school Principal Ed Snyder, Superintendent Pat Niekamp and athletic director Barb Sautbine - and Randy Diller, a community member appointed by the athletic boosters.
    This year Patch is an assistant varsity boys basketball coach at Lake Central High School, St. John, Ind., and teaches world geography, American geography and world affairs. He has been at Lake Central since 2000.
    Prior to that he coached freshmen and junior high basketball at Jay County High School and freshmen basketball at Wes-Del High School in Gaston, Ind.
    "Some people probably went home still unhappy (with the board's choice), but only one candidate could be chosen," Ontrop said.
    Board members approved purchase of the late Dorothy Bozarth's property for $60,000 to the east of the high school. There are no immediate plans for how the property will be used.
    "The property adjoins the school property. Even though we don't have concrete plans for it, this may be our only opportunity to acquire it for many years," Ontrop said.
    Dayton Power & Light, which held its April stockholders' meeting in the elementary school auditeria, donated $20,000 in support of the school system.
    "We knew they wanted to make a donation, but we thought we would be maybe $500 or $1,000. This was a complete and pleasant surprise," Ontrop said.
    Wal-Mart in Celina also made a donation of $500 to be used for landscaping in the district. And, a donation of $6,600 was received from the Fort Recovery Parent Teacher Organization for elementary and middle school programs.

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