Sad Day...

(If you are reading this blog for the first time, I REALLY want you to read what MELISSA (Fort) wrote. This is STILL her blog. I try to post things that SHE might post. Please go to the archives and read some of HER writing. It was a journal of her journey with breast cancer, but it was ALSO a forum for issues that she was passionate about.
Today, I am posting a letter that I wrote the other morning (Thursday, 3 a.m. to be exact), because I KNOW she would have posted something about this. Melissa LOVED Moraine Meadows - she LOVED Fairmont High School...she loved that I LOVED my job.

On Wednesday of this week, we had a staff meeting after school. When the Superintendent, Board President and a Board Member walked into the meeting, we KNEW it wasn't good. But we had NO IDEA how bad it was going to be. Basically, it went like this... "We have bad news. We are closing this building at the end of this year.".....SEVEN DAYS NOTICE. That's it.

So, needless to say, I haven't slept well...not at all the first night, and up at 3 a.m. the next and 4 a.m. this morning. So MANY things are going through my mind right now, and I am TIRED of not speaking up for what I think. I KNOW Melissa would speak up, and it's time I did too. So I wrote this letter, which I am hoping to read at a School Board Meeting. I'm pretty sure that NOTHING is going to change,
but if we don't speak up for what we TRULY believe in, then why believe in ANYTHING?

so here goes:

Mr. Trent, Board Members, Dr. Schoenlein,

I have been part of the Moraine Meadows family since 1991. In the past 20 years, I have seen the impact Moraine Meadows has had on thousands of families in the Moraine community.

Moraine Meadows was ALWAYS a huge financial asset to Kettering City Schools. For almost 45 years, our TINY building brought in MILLIONS of dollars to the Kettering City Schools through the GM Plant.

I find it interesting that Kettering City Schools so easily accepted the "windfall" of having our school in such a profitable location, and now, in light of a recent levy failure, they found it so easy to close a building in a community that literally kept taxes at a low, affordable rate for the entire City of Kettering for almost 50 years. A community that has ALREADY been devastated by the blow of losing the GM Plant, the Delphi Plant, Splash Moraine, and now possibly the Moraine Civic Center (not to mention 100's of jobs.)

Moraine Meadows is not "JUST A BUILDING" to the families that live in Moraine. It was the ONE place left in the community that families could count on.

-Do you realize that many of our families do not have reliable transportation (to be able to participate and get involved in the "new" school(s)and that a move of even 4 miles is going to be a hardship?

-Do you REALLY know the make-up of the children that attend Moraine Meadows? I KNOW you know the numbers. But sometimes it's NOT ABOUT numbers. What exactly is the "BOTTOM LINE"? Is it money? Is it the kids? I think the answer is obvious. But the answer SHOULD be THE KIDS.

In a district that is top heavy with administration and teachers with 30+ years, ONE retirement in each building along with the elimination of a few administrative positions would have saved the district FAR MORE than the $500,000 that you are saving by closing an ENTIRE school. This affects not only 150 students, but their families, the staff and their families and the entire Moraine community.
I would also like for you to enumerate the $500,000 we are saving. All but four of our staff have enough seniority to move into other positions. The four that won't include two aides and two new teachers (who are paid through Title funds).

Did you know that several of the staff members of Moraine Meadows take an educational trip every summer? We take this trip so we can share the information with our students (kind of a Professional Development trip!). Most of our students NEVER have these experiences. For most of them, WE have to build their background knowledge!

Did you know that one of our staff members was diagnosed with cancer in October? Our entire staff participated in the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati in May to raise money for a charity of her choice. Do you know what her choice was? To purchase books for the library for ALL of the students of Moraine Meadows!

I speak not only as part of the staff and FAMILY of Moraine Meadows, but as a CITIZEN of Kettering also. As you all know, both of my children attended and graduated from Kettering Schools. They both went on to graduate from college and have successful careers. We had always believed that Kettering had the best interest of the children at heart. We have been active in Kettering City Schools for over 25 years. Donny coaches football for Kettering, and I am the Librarian, Literacy Lab Coordinator, Intramurals Director and Volunteer Coordinator at Moraine Meadows.

Did you know that we have a Business Partnership with a Moraine business? The company is Lastar. Our son Nick was instrumental in bringing Moraine Meadows and Lastar together. In fact, the CEO is a Fairmont graduate, so he was very interested in forming this partnership and getting involved with the Moraine community! This year alone we had almost 20 volunteers from Lastar tutoring and mentoring our students (Nick was also one of the tutors). They also had a clothing drive for our families, and were in the planning stages of helping us financially in the future. Did you know THAT? I know Julie knew - and we appreciate Julie for all the years she tutored at Moraine Meadows.

Our family commitment to the Kettering Schools includes a scholarship in our daughter Melissa's honor for a graduating senior from Fairmont.

I know that closing Moraine Meadows has been "on the table" ever since the closing of the GM Plant. Which again, I find interesting. I reiterate that the money that came from the MORAINE GM PLANT supported the KETTERING COMMUNITY for almost 50 years, and now Moraine is in a crisis and Kettering isn't supporting THEIR community!

My issue today is the way all this happened. It would have been considerate to talk to our staff, maybe a month or so (even better, at the beginning of the year) and forewarned us. It would have been nice to have some input into making this transition as smooth as possible for our students AND families.

What you did was DROP A BOMBSHELL. ONE WEEK before school was out and DEVASTATED not only our students and staff, but the families and the entire Moraine community as well.

When my daughter was sick, I would have done (and DID) anything to save her. I feel the same way about these 150 students. But you never gave us a voice.

I have been grieving the loss of my daughter for a little over a year. BUT I have gotten out of bed EVERY SINGLE DAY and gone to work because I LOVE THESE KIDS.

Now I am grieving the loss of 150 kids.

Pam Fortener (and Jackie Geary, Josh Stucky, Rodney Carver, Sharon Tangeman, Bobbie Middleton)

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So there it is. I am debating as to whether I should send it to the Dayton Daily News, but there could be some repercussions from administration I'm afraid. As a staff member, we are not supposed to speak out. But I am also a CITIZEN of Kettering and I feel that I am entitled to my opinion. And it is obviously a passionate opinion.


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(all of these pictures were posted on the blog a couple of years ago - I just thought it was appropriate to RE-post them now...)

My second home for 20 years....



Her favorite book in elementary school (she was SO excited to find it in my library!)



Pictures from her favorite book



Fort on a visit to the Moraine Meadows library...resting before a treatment!

Bruised but still goin' strong...

I tried to call dad last night around 9:30 - he didn't answer, so I figured he went to bed early. Then I called him around 11:00 this morning, he didn't answer. I tend to worry in circumstances like this - so I called Donny at work and asked him to go check on him at lunchtime (Donny works about 5 minutes from dad's). Five minutes later, dad called. "I wasn't home last night. I went to the Polish Club.I took that thing off (the immobilizer) right after you left, and I'm not wearing it any more." Didn't even make it a day. HMMMMMMM.....I thought Fort was like ME,but I'm beginning to see that she was more like MY DAD. Stubborn and a VERY HIGH PAIN TOLERANCE! The pictures just don't do justice - you have to SEE them. But here they are anyway...

GRANDPA FALLS...HEAD FIRST....INTO TRASH CAN

My favorite picture of Melissa and my dad!

Ok. I had to lead with this one, because FORT would have lead with this one - LAUGHING. My dad (FORT'S grandpa that LOVED to party with her) was working in his yard yesterday. He was pushing one of those HUGE trash cans (you know - the RUMPKE kind...)and it got stuck on something. Well somehow, he tried to get it UNSTUCK, and it slipped - and SOMEHOW he fell HEAD FIRST into the trashcan. Of course NO ONE was around to help him, but he somehow managed to get out of the trash can, pick up the yard stuff and put it away THEN he called me. "Pam? I fell again. Can you bring me a bandaid?" He kind of explained what happened and it sounded a lot worse than he was leading on. So I went over with a first aid kit. Both wrists were swollen, his forehead was scratched, and both knees were skinned. Plus there was a pretty deep cut on one of his fingers. But he wouldn't let me take him to get "checked over".
"I'm fine" he said....Until this morning. He told me not to call too early, so I called around 10. Woke him up. And NOW he agreed to get checked. Took him to the new MVH South. Very nice. Got right in. Once he explained his fall, they determined what they need to do - CT SCAN (head), xrays of both wrists, xray of his big toe on his right foot (also swollen and bruised)and xrays of both knees.Everything came back negative. The doctor said "the good news is nothing is broken...and that's because you have the worst arthritis I've ever seen. All of your joints are fused together with arthritis - so you won't have any breaks in any of your joints!" Then dad said he thought something was in the cut on his finger. So the doctor started probing THAT which put a look (PAIN TIMES 10) on dad's face that I've never seen EVER on his face.
So the doc decided to numb it, which dad said was EVEN more painful - you know - the needle in the wound thing - and he found nothing. But he said "if anything is in there - it will work it's way out now..." Doctor was very concerned about his right knee, because he was having so much pain, and there is hardware in there from previous knee replacement. They were not getting a pulse in his foot - so they did a doplar - found the pulse then. Decided to immobilize the right leg. He didn't like that AT ALL. "This is a pain in the you know what...I don't need this..."
Then a walker. "I don't need THIS either. I look like an old geezer.." He was actually CARRYING the walker while he was walking. Wouldn't let me help him get in and out of the car... (I CAN DO IT MYSELF...wonder where FORT got it????) Finally got him home and settled in - he will be using the walker to get up from the couch, WILL NOT use it to walk...and will wear the immobilizer today. OH WELL. I tried....
Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me. I did take a picture with the camera on my phone - sent it to Nick and HOPING he can send it to my email so I can post it. Fort would be disappointed in me...I ALWAYS have her camera with me - but left it by the computer for the post today - not expecting to be at the HOSPITAL with dad all day!

It was a busy Saturday - before getting the call from dad - we had the boys from9a.m. to 3p.m. - jumped into the shower to get ready for the wedding we were going to-and when I got out - the phone rang. It was dad. Got to dad's around 4 - gave him his "temporary" first aide, got back home around 4:40, did my hair, got dressed and left @ 5 to make in time for the 5:30 wedding!
(That's ANOTHER thing Fort got from me - the ability to get ready in RECORD time.I get up every morning at 7, leave at 7:15, get to work at 7:30. No lie. She was just as fast as I am!)

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Max - 9 months - ALMOST walking (just like Drew!)



Of course Max is EVERY BIT as smart as Drew - SEE...he's reading at NINE MONTHS!



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CONGRATULATIONS Adam & Kristin!



Holly, the Matron of Honor gave the traditional toast to the bride and groom - but ended with the most beautiful reading - I had to share. It is SO TRUE. (before she read this - she asked Kristin and Adam to hold hands...)

"These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever. Thses are the hands that will work alongside yours as you build your future together. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes. These are the hands that will hold your children and these are the hands that will hold your family together as one. Lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch."

(After almost 34 years of marriage - this reading really made an impact on me.
I know the tender loving care of those hands - they have been there for me DAILY
for the last year especially. You never really appreciate what you have until
you lose something SO precious to you. Those hands have kept me going for the last
16 months. I WILL NEVER take those hands for granted, EVER AGAIN.)

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After the wedding, we stopped by the Red Carpet for the Yaya's for Tata's Fundraiser (previously known as Fort's Yaya's for Tata's - they're doing the 3 day walk in Atlanta again - October 2010)...this is me with Jen - she's on the team this year...

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today Melissa and JP are celebrating with my mom, Fort's Grandma - she would have been 78 today. Happy birthday Mom!

May is ANOTHER difficult month. Mother's Day is hard, my mom's birthday is in May and she passed away in May....BUT I noticed something the other day. My black-eyed susans are coming up and need to be thinned. It reminded me of a couple of years ago when Melissa & John first bought their house. I thought it would be nice to give them some perennials to plant around the house. Melissa did NOT have a green thumb, but I thought this would be something nice - she would only have to plant them once, and they would come up EVERY year. No work involved. When it came to working outside - well - she was much better PLAYING outside.
Anyway, I thinned the flowers, filled a bucket and sent her home with the instructions...plant them where you want them, and water them when you plant them. God will take care of the rest. Fast forward a year. In the spring, about this time, we were visiting Melissa & John. I asked her where she planted the flowers I gave her last year. Her response? "I threw them in the garden over there." THREW THEM IN THE GARDEN???? "Did you PLANT them? You know, dig a hole and put the roots in?" "NO. I THREW them in the garden." I guess she thought they were like those magic seeds and they would just grow. I laughed about that for a LONG time. I learned something from that experience...from then on, she got HANGING plants from me. All she had to do was water those - and she did a pretty good job of that!

While that kind of suggests that she didn't like work...it was totally the opposite. She had the BEST work ethic of anyone I know. She always gave 110% no matter what job she ever held...(some of you probably KNOW this story...)
Her first "real" job was at Stan the Donut Man. She was 16, playing volleyball, and worked whenever she didn't have practice or a game. The first couple of days, her boss had her working the counter. Selling donuts, working the register. She LOVED that. She was a people person - loved meeting new people, talking, laughing. But she soon found out that there was more to the job. After a couple of days, Kathy said "ok. Now you have to learn how to work in the back." Which was basically washing (SCRUBBING) the glaze off trays. It was going to be hard work. Slyvia, a co-worker told her she would need to use a "lot of elbow grease". WELL....the first day she worked in the back, she stuck her head out the door and asked Sylvia (in front of a lot of customers) "WHERE CAN I FIND THE ELBOW GREASE?"....
Needless to say, she NEVER heard the end of that one.
Her work ethic was not so good at home. Oh, she cleaned her room...about once every 3 months. She would spend HOURS cleaning. Then tell me to come and look. EVERY time she cleaned her room, she rearranged it...AND took things out...AND put them in NICK's room. She was SO proud of her work. Angie later told me that their freshman year at OU, Melissa would clean the room in the middle of the night - and of course rearrange the furniture-all while Angie was sleeping. It's what she loved to do. If she cleaned, she rearranged.
She was ALWAYS prompt. THAT started in kindergarten. When she was in middle or high school, I ran into her Kindergarten teacher. When I mentioned Melissa's name, her teacher said "OH, I remember Melissa. She knew how to tell time in Kindergarten. She would always let me know when it was time to go to lunch, go to art, go to music, go home...."
She was NOT a cook...and she got THAT trait honestly...from me. The one time she tried to cook (for John), she made a frozen pizza. The rack was in backward, and when she went to pull the pizza out, it fell BEHIND the rack upside down on the heating elements in the oven. She NEVER had to cook again. Another time, she was making tea. All she did was turn on the stove to heat the water. Unfortunately, John had just taken TWO pies out of the oven and they were cooling on the stove and she turned on the WRONG burners. She could burn food without even trying. (I am not saying ANYTHING she wouldn't have told you herself...she was very proud of the fact that she married a man who was a GREAT cook!)

and most of all, she was VERY INDEPENDENT. When she was in the hospital she updated the blog. Several times, she had the laptop ON HER LAP and was falling asleep. Sometimes she had a hard time just pulling up the blog, so I offered to help. Her response? "MOM. WHAT WAS THE THEME OF MY CHILDHOOD?" (I thought hmmmmmm....I should know this....) "I don't know, Melissa. WHAT was the theme of your childhood? "I CAN DO IT MYSELF". Nuff said. She did it herself. That was SO true - and it carried over to her adult life. First of all, the day she graduated from high school, she starting packing for college. All of her stuff sat by the front door the entire summer, ready to go. When we took her, we helped her carry all of her stuff to her room (I think it was on the third floor). I was so excited and started putting sheets on her bed, putting things away...she looked at me and said "you can go now. I can do this". So we didn't hang around too much longer, but I cried the entire way home. All I wanted to do was raise my kids to be independent, and here she was, INDEPENDENT, and I needed her to need ME. Eventually, she DID need me, but not until she was 30 years old. It was the day I was looking forward to, but not in the way I thought...

...and she ALWAYS made me laugh. Even at the end. She made us laugh so many times when she was in the hospital - once Melissa, John & I were watching tv. She was drifting off and heard the music from the show that was on. She said "JOHN. WHAT SHOW IS THIS?" He said "Uhh..Can't Buy Me Love" (one of her favorite movies. she said "OH MY GOD. My day just went from a 3 to a....a.....FIVE! She was SO happy - trying to watch it after after 4mg of dilaudid (her pain meds, which I just recently found out are 8X stronger than MORPHINE).

-She made her FRIENDS laugh too - Stacy sent me this one today:
The summer after we graduated from OU, I lived with Alisa for one
quarter because I had a few classes to finish. Fort came down to visit
us and we all decided to go to an afternoon matinee to catch a movie.
We decided since it was a girly-afternoon, we would chose a chick-flick:
"Autumn in New York." The movie was HORRIBLE. It was full of
predictable scenes, cheesy lines and a terrible plot. Needless to say,
we spent the entire time whispering snide comments to one another and
giggling throughout the "emotional" scenes. On the way home, we were
all bitching about the money we spent. Fort proclaims, "I've been seen
more chemistry in a porno flick." At that point, we all just lost it
and laughed the entire way home. To this day, that quotes remains one
of my favorite things that she's ever said!

-another night I was in my bed next to hers, and we heard a lot of moaning and screaming from the room next door. I told Melissa "maybe she's getting her blood pressure taken (an inside joke from the ER) her response was "or someone just turned 21!"

-She was getting her THIRD thorocentesis by the THIRD (different) doctor and she told him "I'm just an old pro-I'm testing all the doctors. I'm the best secret shopper there is!"

-We were watching Clean House - they were going through the house looking for things to put in a garage sale. They went outside and were looking at this beautiful HUGE bbq smoker grill. Melissa looks at John and yells "NO JOHN. We don't know where they live - we can't go buy it!"
She got a good laugh when a volunteer from Jamaica came in, saw me pretty relaxed on MY bed and said "you look pretty homely there!" (while THEY were laughing at me, he said "comfortable, I mean comfortable!")

she was a REALIST She LOVED the show INTERVENTION. She would call me and say - "mom, turn to this channel...you need to watch this". We'd call each other during commercials and discuss what was going on...The day after she went into ICU, Dr. Romer came in and told her it was time to stop fighting it. The next day, when we were alone, she asked me "was that a chemo intervention I had with Romer yesterday?" Then proceded to tell everyone she was "going to Hospice to complete her healing. She was amazing.

-when she was in Hospice, she would get a sponge bath. When a new aide came in and asked her if she wanted a bath, she said no. She said "I already HAVE a girlfriend..I'm not ready to break up with her yet..." (I guess that was the FIRST aide that gave her a sponge bath!)

She was a fighter. While she was in Hospice, the provost from her department at UC came to visit. When he walked in the door, she told him "I should be back to work in a couple of weeks!"

SHE WAS ALWAYS GRATEFUL...when the nurse brought platelets in before a transfusion, she asked the nurse "can you get the address of the person who donated their blood? I want to send them a thank-you." She might not always get thank-you's out right away - you might get a thank you a year later that just said "THANKS". (right Angie?) And she was SO thankful for everyone who visited, called...she got a little angry with me a couple of times for "making her friends leave"...SORRY if that was you. Guess the mom in me KNEW she needed her rest. She just couldn't say NO either. BUT SHE LOVED EVERY CARD, EVERY VISITOR, EVERY CALL.

and she was a LOVING DAUGHTER I am STILL finding cards that she sent me over the years. I saved everything (much to Donny's dismay...although he is thankful now)...ok, not EVERYTHING, but a lot of my kids stuff. and I am SO GLAD I DID. When I find things, it's like a gift from her. I found a card at work the other day that she sent me when she was at OU, and Donny was looking for something in the attic the other day and found a letter that she sent us when she was at Girl Scout Camp. It read:

Dear Mom, Dad, Nick, I am having a very good time here. There are horses, Cows and Dogs. We went to a lake. Right now I am going to sleep in a tent. and we got to feed the horses. I already got nick something. and I am going to get you & Dad something. my shoes kind of dirty. and I haven't spent any of my money yet. I miss you very, very, much.
Love: Melissa Fortener
P.S. If If it gets late I am very sorry
OH tomorrow I am going to try to water ski

We were SO blessed that she was a writer - she left us with so many memories - many that I'm sure are still waiting to be found.

I miss her EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

FORT

I know this isn't a typical post..for me OR Fort. But I also know a lot of you might never get a chance to visit her if you would like to. I think Fort would be ok with this. Most of you probably know that we had JP moved to be with his mom. I think she would be ok with that too. His marker is at the foot of her grave. I can visit BOTH of them at the same place. I like that. That is HER signature under her picture - I took it from one of her scrapbooks and had it scanned...at the bottom it says "Loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend".

I guess you probably all realize too that I have good days and not so good days. Yesterday I got home and had the nicest note from one of Melissa's roommates from OU.
She shared some of her favorite memories of Fort...and of COURSE I cried. But I could read about Melissa and listen to stories about her ALL DAY LONG. It was so nice.
Today I got home and had another pleasant surprise in the mail. Two weeks ago, I went to my first Compassionate Friends Meeting. I made a new friend who also lost her daughter, Erika. (we LOVE to hear our daughter's names!!!!) At the beginning of the meeting, she read a poem that pretty much said EXACTLY how I feel. Thought I'd share that with you too....

I Forgive...
by Debbie Ortega

I've heard advice for the bereaved that forgiveness
is an important part of "healing". I've worked hard at that
elusive forgiveness, and came to the realization today that I
am actually able to forgive quite a lot.

* I forgive myself for not forgiving the people that caused my
daughters death. Some things are just not "forgiveable", and she
would understand.

*I forgive others for sharing their "miracles" with me, not understanding
how cruelly this attacks my heart, as I wonder where my daughter's miracle was.

*I forgive others for not understanding me. I don't understand anything
either anymore, so I can't expect others to understand me either.

*I forgive myself for not being able to do all of the things I used to be
able to do. I don't function as well as I used to, and that's okay.

*I forgive others for continuing to live in that other world where I once lived
with my daughter. It's a good world, and I miss it a lot.

*I forgive myself for no longer fitting into that world and not always being
able to fake it. I am different now.

*I forgive others for avoiding me. They don't know what to say and, quite frankly,
that leaves me with nothing to say to them either.

*I forgive my daughter for leaving me. She loved life and she loved me.
I believe she loves me still.

This is probably not what people mean when they say we need to "forgive", but
it's the best I can do. It's enough that I can do anything at all, and maybe they
will forgive me as well.

(Debbie's 21 year old daughter, Angela, died in September 2007. In memory of her
daughter, Debbie is currently the editor of the TCF in Tracy, CA.)
*****
just a note...the ONLY part of the poem that doesn't fit me is the first one -
I KNOW no one caused my daughter's death...in fact, I can't thank her doctors enough for everything they did....
*****

Flying Pig - Kelts - Scholarship...Busy Weekend!

Flying Pig - Team Jackie
Principal Jonathan, Debbie, Pam, Sharon, Pam, Jackie

Moraine Meadows entered a team in the Flying Pig Marathon in honor of our friend and colleague Jackie. Some did the 5K on Saturday, the rest did the 1/2 on Sunday.
It was UGLY. Got up @ 4:30 a.m. to thunderstorms. When we (me Sharon Deb & Pam) found a parking spot, we waited because there was lightening...waiting for some kind of update that the race might be delayed - to no avail. Waiting in the car, trying to find a radio station with an update, the battery died-giving me the PERFECT excuse to wait out the lightening. I waited for AAA while my three teammates went to the starting line. By the time AAA arrived and put in a new battery, the lightening stopped (but not the rain) and I was ok to go. OK...I'm a wimp. I am VERY fearful of lightening. But I eventually met up with Sharon and basically did a relay. But I crossed the finish line. Don't feel good about not doing the complete 13.1, but I do 13.1 EVERY week. So I'm ok (although I KNOW Fort would have SUCKED IT UP and done it...and I know she was shaking her head calling me a wimp...but SOMEBODY had to wait for AAA and I was the perfect person to do that!)
SO. I didn't REALLY do the 1/2, but I contributed to the cause, and that's what it was all about this time.
LOVE YOU JACKIE!


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KELTS (Women) 15
Dayton 7
WAY TO GO KELTS!

There is only ONE thing better than spending time with Nick, Mere, Drew & Max....spending time with JMac and Fort's friends. This is our second family and we LOVE spending a Saturday with them! Unfortunately we missed HAPS this time because we were headed to Cincy to the Flying Pig Expo - had to pick up stuff for the race in the morning! WE LOVE YOU KELTS!

Penalty kick (right?)




Netti & Donny



Fort's friends (Kyra, Bea, Kelli, Netti) & Pam


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KELTS 25
UC - 0
(I think...somebody correct me if I'm wrong please...)

Hula is not just flexing his muscles for me...he's showing off the bite (on that bicep!)...those youngsters from UC still BITE!


JMac taking a break second half...






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Donny was SURE we were seeing a UFO flying over Cincy...fortunately it was only a really cool cloud...


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The first Melissa Fortener McLaughlin Scholarship(s) have been awarded. They will be presented on Tuesday to two very deserving applicants - more info to follow.