nerosleuth
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At the Grandview Heights public library, I recently looked at the Grandview Heights Tri Village News weekly newspaper from 1971 on microfilm.
A few weeks prior to Mikes abduction, an article in the Tri Village News from June 8, 1971 announced that a female tennis pro and instructor from the Columbus Indoor Tennis Club had been hired to serve as the citys official tennis pro for Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff tennis buffs for that summer.
A week after the abduction, an article in the Tri Village News from July 6, 1971 mentioned the communitys concern about Mikes disappearance. The article didnt go into details about Mikes disappearance but noted his familys connections with the community.
The article mentioned that Mikes father was a well known tennis pro and that Mikes mother was a member of the Grandview Heights School Board. It also mentioned that the father of Mikes mother was a realtor who sold real estate in Grandview Heights and that the cousin of Mikes mother was a member of the Grandview Heights City Council.
An article in the Tri Village News on July 20, 1971 mentioned that 800 people had attended a memorial service for Michael Dean Klitch that was held during the previous week at a local church. The article mentioned that Mike was interested and active in tennis, baseball, and basketball. The newspaper also published a letter to the editor that the Klitch Family wrote thanking the community for their help and kindness during their ordeal.
Mikes disappearance also caused public alarm and controversy in Grandview Heights.
In a letter to the editor published in the Tri Village News on July 20, 1971, a concerned resident of Grandview Heights requested that the Grandview Heights City Council and Mayor put in effect an emergency measure to immediately have constant Male supervision at all tennis courts in Grandview Heights.
The concerned resident noted that since daily supervision was already available at the city swimming pool, there shouldnt be any difference in having daily supervision at the city tennis courts.
In a letter to the editor published in the Tri Village News on July 27, 1971, the Mayor of Grandview Heights advised the citizens of Grandview Heights that all city parks and tennis courts were constantly patrolled at all hours by the city Police Department.
The Mayor claimed that the city had a young man working six days a week from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. in each of the city parks and also believed that due to family reunions and large gatherings with many adults at the city parks and tennis courts on Sundays, it wasnt necessary for the city to have coverage on Sundays.
The Mayor also claimed that there was an adult male with a radio equipped car working from 1:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M in the city parks and that the Recreation Commission also had a male supervisor seven days a week during each evening from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. at the city tennis courts.
The Mayor also believed that the supervision and protection that was provided at the city parks and tennis courts was more than adequate.
In a letter to the editor published in the Tri Village News on August 10, 1971, another concerned Grandview Heights resident questioned the Mayors belief that the supervision and protection provided at city parks and tennis courts was more than adequate.
The concerned resident wondered where the supervision was at a tennis court on the evening of July 29, 1971 after an incident involving a group of obnoxious boys and girls.
The concerned resident complained of unruly youths shouting profanities, throwing lighted firecrackers, and riding bicycles through the middle of the tennis court for almost an hour with no attempt from anyone at supervision.
The concerned resident also feared that if such behavior was allowed to continue, the city parks and tennis courts would not be fit for decent children and adults.
I also want to point out that the incident on July 29, 1971 that the concerned resident wrote about in the Tri Village News occurred at a different tennis court and it was not at the tennis court where Mike was last seen playing tennis on the afternoon of June 28, 1971.
A few weeks prior to Mikes abduction, an article in the Tri Village News from June 8, 1971 announced that a female tennis pro and instructor from the Columbus Indoor Tennis Club had been hired to serve as the citys official tennis pro for Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff tennis buffs for that summer.
A week after the abduction, an article in the Tri Village News from July 6, 1971 mentioned the communitys concern about Mikes disappearance. The article didnt go into details about Mikes disappearance but noted his familys connections with the community.
The article mentioned that Mikes father was a well known tennis pro and that Mikes mother was a member of the Grandview Heights School Board. It also mentioned that the father of Mikes mother was a realtor who sold real estate in Grandview Heights and that the cousin of Mikes mother was a member of the Grandview Heights City Council.
An article in the Tri Village News on July 20, 1971 mentioned that 800 people had attended a memorial service for Michael Dean Klitch that was held during the previous week at a local church. The article mentioned that Mike was interested and active in tennis, baseball, and basketball. The newspaper also published a letter to the editor that the Klitch Family wrote thanking the community for their help and kindness during their ordeal.
Mikes disappearance also caused public alarm and controversy in Grandview Heights.
In a letter to the editor published in the Tri Village News on July 20, 1971, a concerned resident of Grandview Heights requested that the Grandview Heights City Council and Mayor put in effect an emergency measure to immediately have constant Male supervision at all tennis courts in Grandview Heights.
The concerned resident noted that since daily supervision was already available at the city swimming pool, there shouldnt be any difference in having daily supervision at the city tennis courts.
In a letter to the editor published in the Tri Village News on July 27, 1971, the Mayor of Grandview Heights advised the citizens of Grandview Heights that all city parks and tennis courts were constantly patrolled at all hours by the city Police Department.
The Mayor claimed that the city had a young man working six days a week from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. in each of the city parks and also believed that due to family reunions and large gatherings with many adults at the city parks and tennis courts on Sundays, it wasnt necessary for the city to have coverage on Sundays.
The Mayor also claimed that there was an adult male with a radio equipped car working from 1:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M in the city parks and that the Recreation Commission also had a male supervisor seven days a week during each evening from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. at the city tennis courts.
The Mayor also believed that the supervision and protection that was provided at the city parks and tennis courts was more than adequate.
In a letter to the editor published in the Tri Village News on August 10, 1971, another concerned Grandview Heights resident questioned the Mayors belief that the supervision and protection provided at city parks and tennis courts was more than adequate.
The concerned resident wondered where the supervision was at a tennis court on the evening of July 29, 1971 after an incident involving a group of obnoxious boys and girls.
The concerned resident complained of unruly youths shouting profanities, throwing lighted firecrackers, and riding bicycles through the middle of the tennis court for almost an hour with no attempt from anyone at supervision.
The concerned resident also feared that if such behavior was allowed to continue, the city parks and tennis courts would not be fit for decent children and adults.
I also want to point out that the incident on July 29, 1971 that the concerned resident wrote about in the Tri Village News occurred at a different tennis court and it was not at the tennis court where Mike was last seen playing tennis on the afternoon of June 28, 1971.