Dayton Daily News from Dayton, Ohio • 19

March 10, 1991 Dayton Pally Hawi 3. Rally CONTINUED FROMIB en others left as well. Soon after, Vietnam veterans were asked to stand as troops from I different wars were honored. They appeared to be the largest veteran I group present. The rally was planned to support the American troops in the Persian Oulf before President Bush announced a cease-fire Feb.

27. That turned it into a victory rally with happy faces and flags snapping in the wind. But Saturday's weather seemed 1 to be playing Saddam-like tricks. As the afternoon passed, so did a low-pressure trough that turned the sunshine down and the wind up. A spokesman at the National Weather Service at Dayton International Airport said the low-pres- sure system caused the wind to shift from the southwest to the northwest, provoking gusts up to 1 33 miles an hour.

As the sky grew leaden overhead, speeches grew shorter and the crowd grew thin. It started at perhaps 200 people and dropped to about 75 near the conclusion. It was still an upbeat day. "It's great to be an American, isn't it?" asked local civic leader Harley Coon, a prisoner of war dur- ing the Korean conflict. "We had Ood on our side, and a lot of good soldiers." Ohio Lt.

Oov. Michael DeWine, a Greene County native, said Desert Storm served "to remind ourselves what kind of people we are" when the faces of servicemen and worn- en could be seen on television ev-j ery night. "They all had the same attitude we UV competent, we are here to do a job and go home," DeWine said. He predicted that the nation's "re-energized attitude" would continue. "God bless America and God bless our servicemen who are on their way home," DeWine said.

Air Force Gen. Lou Curtis, another speaker, reminded the audi-. ence that much of the new military technology that was so deadly to the enemy and life-saving for coalition troops "flowed right out of School CONTINUED FROMIB board could hear from parents, was disappointed in the turnout but said the meetings were still fruitful. In seven hours of meetings over the weekend, the board heard from critics and admirers, from parents, teachers and administrators. They were asked why second-graders can't read, and told about one parent's daughter being "terrorized" in an elementary school.

Kearney said the district must And a way to teach children raised in single-parent families and inner-city children "abandoned by everyone else." She advocated getting away from teaching by dittos and handouts, and "teaching children to like themselves." Fairport Middle School teacher Earlene Kendrick said teachers have few alternatives when a student disrupts a class. Kendrick wants to see a highly structured alternative middle school that could straighten out troublesome students, build their self-esteem and self-control. "We (Fairport) have become the dumping ground for kids kicked out of other places," Kendrick said. "One or two of these students can completely turn your class around." Some parents wanted more time spent on the basics of reading and writing, saying failure in the early grades accounts for dropouts and retentions later. Elementary school parent Marsha Knaupf said the district made a mistake by putting magnets in grade schools because students don't need distractions from the basics.

Suzanne Weaver, a parent of two Dayton city school graduates, said schools are doing a lot of things right that they don't get credit for. But Weaver also said she spent time in first- and second-grade classes in which children could not read and no one was doing anything to help them. "These are the ones who make up our statistics," Weaver said. Many speakers said parents aren't doing enough to support their children. Several said the district has to consider more effective means of discipline, including a return to corporal punishment, which was abandoned several years ago.

Janie Starks, a district administrator, said teachers are overwhelmed with trying to deal with discipline problems, especially in the middle schools, where fighting occurs too frequently. Young men and women "fight to establish their identity so people will leave them alone." Sylvia Powell, parent of an Edison student, told how she had to bring her daughter to a hospital emergency room after she was scratched by another student. Her daughter was then suspended for fighting back, she said. Edison "is like a war zone," she added. Former board member Virginia McNeal said the board shows a critical lack of leadership.

Its image in the community is tarnished because of infighting and an unwillingness to be outspoken about problems, she said. "All you have to do is endure one of your own meetings and you'll see it's true," she said. I MU. GARLOWSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Air Force Sgt. Maurice Hart can only weep upon reunion with his daughter, Sharen, at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina fwr here was an American flag on JL top, and a second flag underneath with a yellow ribbon against a white background.

To look up and see those flags rippling against that clear blue sky. Oh; my, what a Max Meyers this area" of Beavercreek and nearby Wright-Patterson Air! Force Base. The two-hour rally included remarks by other elected officials and Beavercreek High School students, singers, instrumental music and three color guards from the VFW Post 8312 and Ladies Auxilia-1 ry, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 97, and the Air Force base. Most soldiers are not home yet but they were visible in photographs taped to two large cardboard hearts on a wall of the concession stand, one of which was centered with a color photograph of George and Barbara Bush. There were 56 names of Beaver-creek-related service personnel on the display.

Flag CONTINUED FROMIB get caught up in the spirit of all this. Anyway, I fiddled with those ropes until I got the flags loose. There was an American flag on top, and a second flag underneath with a yellow ribbon against a white background. To look up and see those flags rippling against that clear blue sky. Oh, my, what a feeling!" That feeling didn't disappear, even when the Meyers learned their son won't be arriving until later in the week.

"We've come too far to go back without what we came for," Meyers said. "That would be like eating the cone but not getting the ice cream." There's plenty of ice cream and apple pie in this military town. Everywhere are yellow ribbons, yellow balloons and "Welcome Home" signs. At a restaurant in the mall, someone announced over the loudspeaker each time a returning serviceman or woman came in for lunch. Riotous cheers and applause greeted each announcement.

A woman at Fort Bragg told the Meyers family last week that the they watched troops from the 40th Tactical Airlift Squadron returning home. Four hundred men and women of the 40th arrived Saturday in 16 planes at half-hour intervals. Elaine Ragsdale of Huber Heights thought surely her son, Brian Heitman, would be in Saturday. His buddy, Brian Markham of New York City, arrived Friday evening. "He said my Brian was on the airstrip at Dhahran when he left, and that he shouldn't be more than a few hours behind him," Ragsdale said.

She and her son's fiancee, Amy Bryan, formerly of Dayton now of Agoura Hill, arrived in Fayetteville by car late Friday. They joined other mothers, wives and sweethearts decorating an 82nd Airborne barracks recreation room Saturday. The room was abuzz with fussy toddlers and the chatter of the women as they compared notes and photographs of men in battle dress sitting on sandbanks. Ragsdale and Amy Bryan made posters for Heitman to add to dozens of posters with dozens of other names, but with similar messages, such as "welcome home" and, "I love you bigtime." A couple of guys came in. Some of the women recognized them as sergeants from "their" outfit.

Sgt. Joseph Davis of Tarheel, N.C., had flown in from Dhahran Friday evening. He had a stack of letters addressed to wives and gir-flrends. "I don't guess you know Brian. Heitman," Ragsdale said.

Davis lit up. "Heitman. Sure I do. Are you Heitman's mother? He said tell you he's fine and he'll be here soon." But not Saturday, and probably not today. Jeannie Lipps of Fayetteville is another 82nd Airborne wife.

"I call myself the mother hen," she said. "I try to look after the younger ones." Lipps said an educated guess on the arrival of Meyers' and Heitman's unit is Wednesday or Thursday. Ragsdale was let down, but undaunted. "I work for a church, the Zion Lutheran Curch in Tipp City," she said. "Surely, they'll do the Christian thing and let me have a few more days." 82nd Airborne would get back from the Persian Gulf this weekend.

So Meyers of Beavercreek, his wife Joyce, daughter Barb Bailey, her daughter Jennifer, 18 months, and Meyers' sister and brother-in-law, Ann and Dick Lefeld of Dayton, arrived in Fayetteville, N.C., at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. They came in a van and a truck the shiny black truck is Ray's, and they plan to leave it for him. Saturday afternoon, the Meyers got in some practice for the day he arrives at Pope Air Force Base, as U.S. feet wear Chinese shoes KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE Look closely at the new shoes you just bought chances are good they came from China.

China is now America's No. 1 shoemaker, supplying 193 million pairs to the U.S. market in the first nine months of 1990 up 88 per- cent from the same period in 1989. Philharmonic house 'Sneak Peek' today The Traxler Mansion, 42 Yale Ave. in the Dayton View Historic District, will be open from 1 to 5 p.m.

today for a "Sneak Peek" before its transformation by more than 40 interior and landscape designers. Cost: a nominal donation at the door. There also will be an "Architectural Review" open house at 3 p.m. Saturday Local architect Robert Reed will discuss the architectural style and detail of the mansion. Cost: $10 includes wine and cheese.

Reservations: phone 293-7191. The house will be reopened, completely redecorated, as Designers' Show House VII from April 28 through May 19. Tickets are for sale at First National Bank, various retail stores or by mail from the Dayton Philharmonic Women's Association, P.O. Box 423, Dayton, 45409. Tickets ordered in advance are $5 each.

At the door they will be $7 each. A stamped, self-addressed envelope should accompany mail orders. Training CONTINUED FROM IB sophomore at Wright State University. His complaint was one of only three filed against Trotwood police last year. Trotwood Sgt.

Jim McGreevy, who handles internal affairs complaints, said the officer probably didn't take the time to properly explain why he stopped Fields. As for the warning Fields said he was given, investigators "could not say the officer verbally abused them. It seemed to be the officer's attitude," McGreevy said. U.S. Census figures show that from 1980 to 1990, the percentage of black residents in Trotwood and Madison Twp.

combined jumped from 29 percent to 42 percent. Of the two, Trotwood saw the largest influx of black residents as the number of blacks there grew during the decade from 1,773 to 3,872. The city's total population grew 13 percent to 8,816 one of the largest percentage increases for municipalities in Montgomery County. Dr. K.

Major Lee III, who has lived in Trotwood for 15 years, said it's obvious the city needs black officers. "If the (population) trend is such, then in the future all the agencies in the boundary of Trotwood should be reflective of the population or problems will continue to crop up." While the training for city employees will not be focused exclusively on race sensitivity, Ratcliff said, race will be included because of Trotwood's changing demographics. "Even though we can't attract minority officers, we can make sure that the officers we do have are more sensitive to the community," he said. There are 24 full-time officers in Mansion CONTINUED FROMIB The Traxler house was finished in 1911 in the French "Chateau-esque" style popularized by High Society Architect Richard Morris Hunt (1SJ7-95) with his mansions for the Vahderbilts and other Gilded Age moguls on the East Coast. "The Dayton house comes second," said James Oda, executive director of the Piqua Historical Society.

"Ours was built in 1907." Oda did not have to be tempted very much to tease: "We're used to beating Dayton. We also had electricity first." How it happened that two aspiring families the Dayton Traxlers and the Piqua Fleshes ended up with the same house is a matter not entirely explained. The Piqua version, Oda said, is that "the architect asked the Fleshes if they would mind if he used a modified version of their plan, and they apparently said that would be all right. Off and on through the years, there's been some comment about it." Cecelia Rosenthal Traxler, 82-year-old widow of Louis Traxler enjoys the idea that there was some kind of one-upsmanship between her in-laws, owners of a downtown Dayton department store, and Piqua's Flesh family, founders of the Atlas Underwear Co. "My husband maintained that the Fleshes copied this house and they maintained that we copied theirs," Mrs.

Traxler said. "All I know is that the two houses are alike, and there is another one in Columbus, too." The Traxlers and Fleshes knew each other "very well," Mrs. Traxler said. "It was more of a friendly rivalry, I think." A rivalry can be expensive when submitted a no-confidence letter to township trustees listing 17 problems they found in the operation of the department. Also, Greene County Prosecutor William Schenck is investigating Madison Twp.

police Chief Lee Miller for using the police computer to do background checks on people for non-police business. Miller retired from the force last week. Police brass realize they have a problem. Acting Madison Twp. police Chief Tim Allen said in the last three years, the two black officers the township had left for other departments.

In February, he wrote a letter to the Dayton Urban League to ask help in finding qualified black applicants for auxiliary police openings. Black officers are needed, he said, because "sometimes when you go into a predominantly black area and you're a white officer, they may have a prejudice against white officers and you may not be able to calm a situation so no arrest is made." Yet some township residents say because Madison officers are all white, they sometimes rely on stereotypes about blacks. Ellen Amos, whose son used to drive a gold-plated 1989 Nissan, said her son was repeatedly stopped by township police who saw the customized car and thought he was dealing drugs. Amos of Madison Twp. said when she drove the car, she would be followed.

McGreevy said Trotwood used to have an officer who thought anybody driving a car with gold trim was involved in drugs. "We laughed at him," McGreevy said. "Not all people who have gold trim are in drugs, but most drug dealers have gold trim." ler spent at least $85,000 for his house in 1 9 1 0 dollars. In the late 1970s, a lawyer bought it at a tax auction for $34,000 and spent $150,000 rehabilitating it. "It's really a drop-dead house," said one Philharmonic admirer.

The ladies hope the outstanding style will attract large crowds to their tours and special events, Since 1979, the organization has raised $750,000 for the- orchestra with the six previous show houses. "It was and is a beautiful place," Mrs. Traxler said. Piqua historians turned up the name Harvey H. Hiestand as the architect of the Flesh (and Traxler, and Columbus) mansions.

Who was this Chateaux Charlie? He does not appear in a Survey of Dayton, Ohio Architectural Firms, 1890 to 1940, but the national archives, American Institute of Architects, lists him in 1921 1 at 584 E. Broad Columbus. Hiestand moved to Columbus in 1915, AIA archivist Tony Wrenn says, after working in the office of Frank M. Andrews of Dayton and New York City for 12 years. He died in 1945, location not given.

The archive also says Hiestand was a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago. John W. Smith, archivist there, says Hiestand received a two-year certificate in June 1893. Architects did not face today's difficult state exam and licensing until after World War II. They frequently were master builders first, then architects.

Smith said the Art Institute of Chicago held its classes in conjunction with the Armour Institute, which later became the Illinois Institute of Technology. Hiestand's hometown and other background are missing. Mark Fields Trotwood. Madison Twp. has 18 full-time officers.

Virginia Hofmann, a Madison Twp. trustee, said she has heard of isolated incidents in which black people complain about treatment from white Madison Twp. officers. She said officers may need some type of race-sensitivity training and the department definitely needs minority officers. In the past, several residents and the Dayton chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have asked why there are no black Madison Twp.

officers. "I think it's a valid question for people to ask, that's why it's going to be a question I will be asking as we get through this (current police) review process," she said. In January, Madison police officers it involves 117 windows and doors, at least 22 rooms, a tall hipped roof, soaring chimneys, finely cut sandstone quoins, iron ornamentation and thick imported roof tiles. Joan Enouen, one of the Dayton Philharmonic Women researchers, said they believe Trax.