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MIDDLETOWN — After a career as a journalist and journalism instructor, Fred Sennet has decided to try his hand at writing novels.
"When you're in journalism, you write short, so every time I tried to tackle a novel, I couldn't do it," he said.
But in his retirement and with a little time on his hands, Sennet drew upon his experiences to create the character of Stu Churchill, a former journalist turned college instructor who gets caught up in a murder.
"About 25 years ago, I was teaching a class in journalism in Oxford that was mostly home economic students, something they had to take for a requirement," he said. "One of the students I had was murdered. Her boyfriend was a football player and was accused of it. I took a little of that information and wrote the novel."
It's not the same story, he said, but just a starting point. He didn't even remember the student's name when he started, and in going back through his records all he could glean about her was that she got a B in his class.
When he finished the story, the characters had taken on a life of their own, not only Stu Churchill, but also a female attorney, Lisa Howard, so he kept writing, and the first published volume, "Assignment Murder," includes three short novels, "Murder on the Campus," "Murder in the Newsroom" and "Murder in the Capitol."
He's also completed two more and is finishing up a sixth, so a second trilogy will be forthcoming.
"I didn't write these with the expectation of hitting the New York Times Best Seller List," he said, "but just because I wanted to."
"Assignment Murder" is available for purchase at Amazon.com, and copies can be checked out of the Middletown Public Library and Lane Public Libraries.
In addition to teaching at all three Miami University campuses, Sennet worked for The Middletown Journal from 1960-72 in a variety of positions, at the Hamilton JournalNews from 1988-93 as education reporter and business editor. He also was the owner/publisher of the Fairfield Echo, 1979-80, and the Fairfield Times, 1989-90.
Since leaving journalism, Sennet has dabbled in politics, serving on Middletown's city commission and as mayor, and making an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Congress in 1990.
Richard O. Jones is a feature writer for The Journal-News in Hamilton. His story appeared in both The Journal-News and The Middletown Journal on March 1, 2009)
Assignment Murder may be ordered directly through MiddletownNow at the discounted price of $14.50. Send a check to Fred Sennet at 27 Aberdeen Drive, Middletown, OH 45042. Allow two weeks for delivery.)
Maria Rossi Kelly hits the heights with National Guard
Hard work makes her first female brigade commander
Maria Rossi Kelly, daughter of John and Ceil Rossi of Middletown, was sworn in as the first woman to command an Ohio National Guard Brigade in January of 2010.
The Middletown High School graduate, who transferred from Fenwick High School to participate in the MHS theater program, downplays the high honor, however, in favor of pointing out that her rise through the ranks was based on merit and not on her being a woman.
“She would rather be recognized for the achievement,” said her dad, John Rossi, himself a former officer in the U.S. Army. His son, Dominick, a Fenwick High grad, is currently serving in the Army where he holds the rank of Colonel and has served nearly 25 years.
Lt. Col. Kelly joined the U.S. Army where she served for three years in Germany. After discharge she enrolled at Ohio University where she was a member of the Ohio National Guard and the R.O.T.C.
After graduating cum laude, she was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves and earned her Airborne Wings at Ft. Benning, Ga. She then worked as a fulltime Army recruiter at Ohio State University and part time as news editor for Channel 4 in Columbus.
She left OSU to become a fulltime mother to her two children, Sara and Dave Jr., enrolling at Ohio State to earn a masters degree in education where she served the National Guard as a recruiter.
After that, Maria was assigned to Iraq with her National Guard unit for two tours of duty. Her husband, David, also a lieutenant colonel in the Guard, took care of the children while Maria was in Iraq. Recently he was assigned to Iraq and his tour will end this summer.
Her experience includes a plans officer with the 371st Corps Support Groups and base commander for two forward operating bases. She has also served as public affairs office, and Officer Candidate School instructor, detachment commander, battalion operations and training officer and battalion executive officer.
“Diversity is one of this organization’s top priorities and is an issue we’ve been committed to promoting for many years,” said Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, Ohio adjutant general, who also has connections with Middletown, where his mother still resides.
“She may be the first,” Wayt said, “but there are many powerful, intelligent women advancing in our ranks.”
Colonel Maria Rossi was sworn in to her new rank June 3 in Springfield. Her mother, Ceil, and father, John, attended the ceremony.
It’s difficult when you find your hero has feet of clay.
That was especially true for those who were avid supporters of Donald E. (Buz) Lukens during those early years of his political life. After all, the image that he wanted to project was of a clean cut All-American boy, who someday just might be President of the United States.
A Harveysburg native, he was a tireless campaigner and with the help of his friends and supporters won a seat in the U.S. Congress in 1966, representing the Eighth District, which included Butler County.
The true believers knew that someday he would be President, with stops along the way as Ohio Governor. Buz couldn’t be stopped, they thought. None, however, anticipated that his image was just that—an image—and behind it he was a mere mortal.
My beat as a reporter for The Middletown Journal was covering politics and part of that beat was reporting on Lukens. He seemed to be everything advertised: a clean cut All-American boy, with a bright future. He endeared himself to me by being accessible. A call to his Washington office got an immediate personal response. He made sure that reporter Sennet was included in his district activities.
Ronald Reagan took a shine to Buz as did Barry Goldwater. When Reagan came to Middletown for a fundraiser, I was the only reporter who tagged along with the two campaigners. Reagan, of course, was the ultimate campaigner, smooth and seemingly accessible. Buz certainly learned from him.
Tagging along with Buz and the onetime Hollywood star was a treat, of course. We ended up our journey at the Holiday Inn in Fairfield where Reagan ordered a dry martini. “For medicinal purposes,” Reagan told me. He just had one, of course, and that apparently cured him of any road fatigue.
But back to Buz. He was in a hurry to get to The White House and nothing was going to stop him. After two terms in Congress beginning in 1966, he decided to run for Ohio Governor. That, of course, would be the real stepping stone to the U.S. Presidency, if he could capture the seat. Buz, however, had to switch horses when he lost the primary for governor. He then settled for an appointment to the Ohio Senate and later ran again for Congress and won a seat.
Buz fell from grace when he had a sexual encounter with an under aged girl whose mother didn’t like the idea. He offered mom a job to keep quiet but she decided she would rather see him punished instead and broke the story. He also was convicted of accepting a bribe from two Ohio businessmen. That was the end of his political career.
Once the center of attention wherever he went, he lost his supporters and was shunned by many. The last time I saw him was at Capozzi’s Restaurant in Middletown were he sat alone eating dinner. We had a long chat but didn’t talk politics. He was suffering from cancer of the mouth, the beginning of a long bout with the disease.
He moved to Texas and last month died at 79 in a nursing home there.
I often said that pound for pound he was the best political campaigner the area has ever seen. I still believe that. Unfortunately, as William Shakespeare wrote:
The evil men do lives after them, the good is often interred with their bones
“Hello, General. How’s the weather in Afghanistan?”
“A bit hot, Mr. President.”
“And how is the family?”
“Haven’t gotten to see them since you asked me to visit you at The White House. How’s the First Lady?”
“A bit upset at you since you rolled over me in Rolling Stone.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, sir. Did you like the article?”
“If you had been talking about George W. Bush, I might have liked it.”
“The reporter didn’t mention what I said about Mr. Bush.”
“And what did you say about Mr. Bush, General?”
“He is a nincompoop.”
“A bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“A bit, sir, but it’s the truth.”
“Let’s get back to me, General. “I didn’t like what you said about me in the article, nor what you said about my staff, as well as my e-mail directives on the Afghanistan Campaign.”
“Your e-mails haven’t been reaching me, sir. I blame it on my secretary.”
“How long have you been in the military, General?”
“Thirty-eight years, sir.”
“Some say you have been ignoring directives all that time.”
“Not all the time, sir. When I was directing the Black Ops operation, we managed to track down 140 bad guys.”
“I understand they were all assassinated.”
“Not all of them, sir. Just the ones who deserved it.”
“How many would that be?”
“About 139, sir.”
“I also heard about your West Point record. Seems you had trouble following orders even then.”
“I got a bad rap on that one, Mr. President.”
“The reports I have on my desk, say differently. They say you almost flunked out because of your insubordination.”
“I believe my intentions were always misunderstood. I was just trying to change the way West Point operated.”
“Let’s get back to that Rolling Stone story, General. You and your staff members used some harsh language when talking about me and The White House staff.”
“Just Army talk, sir. I’m sorry you took offense.”
“The First Lady didn’t like it either. Nor my two daughters.”
“Sir, your young daughters shouldn’t be reading Rolling Stone.”
“I asked my staff to redact the article for them to read.”
“I really am sorry that the First Lady and your daughters didn’t like the story, sir.”
“Well, you understand that as President I am commander in chief of military forces don’t you?”
“I missed the class at West Point on the day that was discussed.”
“You know what the penalty for insubordination is, don’t you?
“I missed that class, too.”
“According to the report from the then commandant, you seemed to have missed the entire four years of classes.”
“That’s not true, sir. Well, maybe most of them. But I never missed an Army-Navy football game.”
“I’ll try to be as kind as possible when I announce your resignation and retirement, General. But that was the one class I didn’t miss on how to conduct the Presidency. The manual pointed out that insubordination by a military officer is subject to a firing squad. That will be all, soldier. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
Middletown has had some famous names attached to streets and buildings but renaming the South End’s Community Center for former City Councilman Robert (Sonny) Hill may have more meaning that anything citizens have done lately.
Sonny Hill was one of those rarities for the city. Sure, there have been others who cared just as much for the community—he cared deeply for the Second Ward, of course—but he worked for the city as well.
During the re-dedication of the center on Aug. 10 his wife, Pat, Middletown Mayor Larry Mulligan, and the Humanitarian Award winner (named for Sonny Hill)—Maurice Maxwell, executive director of Family Service in Middletown all recounted what Hill had done for many people and Middletown in his 12 years service as a member of City Council.
It was my privilege to have served with Sonny for four of those 12 years as a member of Council—then called City Commission—and my fondest memories are those that included he and his wife, Pat and my wife, Dana. In those days we traveled to Washington, D.C. for an annual conference and it’s those kinds of intimate trips that bonded our friendship.
My wife, Dana, and I were there for the dedication ceremony and I got to take a bow as a past council member. No one asked me to recount some memorable moments I shared with Sonny. There was one that may have more to do with him outside the council chamber than inside.
I was scheduled to drive Sonny and the Rev. Michael Bailey to a non-governmental meeting and I stopped to pick up Rev. Bailey—also a good friend—who lives on the south end of Curtis Street. Anyone who has driven that short stretch of Curtis knows there is a stop sign in the middle of the street. It was raining and I hit that sign and blew out a tire.
I managed to get to the curb in front of Michael’s home and then rang his doorbell. The only vehicle he had available was an old van that had been donated to his church. Unfortunately, the windshield wipers didn’t work.
We stopped to pick up Sonny who sat in the rear seat of the van. Our meeting was in Hamilton and Michael had to squint between the raindrops to get us there. It was a somewhat harrowing drive but I felt confident that the angels were on our side. Partway there, I turned to look at Sonny, who I thought had folded his hands.
“We’ve got some added help,” I told Michael. “Sonny’s back there praying.”
It was then that I knew Sonny had a direct pipeline to Heaven, where I’m sure just as his wife, Pat, said, he was looking down on us during the ceremony.
(Photo of Pat Hill and Mayor Larry Mulligan by Middletown Journal Photographer Gary Stetzer)
