Welcome to the Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the top stories from today’s Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed.

This week, that includes an interview with departing Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor Neal Gittleman on his transformative time at DPO’s helm; and the touching story of a Catholic priest inspired to balance his love of animals and concern about child hunger.

Do you have a news tip or an issue you think our reporters should look into? Contact me at [email protected], or you can use our anonymous tipline.

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Maestro of Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra for 30 years retires

The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra is a true gem to our community.

My family sees The Nutcracker most years, my wife and I loved the collaboration they did with The Last Waltz a few years back, and we usually take in a couple shows a year. My son even has one of those little conductor bears.

The man who made the DPO what it is today is retiring this month. So he sat down with our reporter Meredith Moss for a retrospective of his decades at the podium. You can read Meredith’s full Q&A covering a variety of topics here.

• Retirement: Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor Neal Gittleman celebrates his 70th birthday this month and officially retires June 30.

• But first: Gittleman isn’t slowing down. He’ll conduct a Stained Glass concert at New Season Ministry in Huber Heights on Monday, lead a Masterwork series concert at the Schuster Center on Friday and Saturday and an outdoor Father’s Day concert at Carillon Park on June 15.

• Proudest work: Meredith asked Gittleman what work he’s most proud of. He said: “I think the things I’m proudest of are 19 years of the Stained Glass Series performances in area churches and all the streaming and hybrid performances we did during the COVID shutdown and aftermath.”

• ‘The perfect baton’: Gittleman has a baton-maker named Harman Hermele. “I sent him a baton I used and said, ‘I’d love something like this, but different…,’ and over several weeks Harman sent me several prototypes until one was perfect. That’s what I’ve used ever since.”

• Biggest challenge: “The biggest challenge in the arts is always the same: funding and budgets. Everything we do is expensive and all three DPAA Artistic Directors are always trying to squeeze the maximum beauty and excitement we can out of the budgets we have to work with. We always have to make compromises and sometimes those compromise entail painful decisions.”

• Perspective: Meredith invited a few of Gittleman’s friends and colleagues to share reflections about this important milestone in his life. You can read their perspectives here.

• Not goodbye: You might yet see Gittleman around town. “Lisa and I are staying,” he said. “We’ve lived in many places over the years, but now we think of Dayton as home.”

Using the power of pets to help needy causes around the globe

This week Tom Archdeacon brings you the story about a local Catholic priest who started a charity that urges pet owners to help alleviate child hunger. Go here to read the full story in Arch’s signature storytelling style.

• How it started: Father Satish Joseph traces his love of animals to receiving a gift of a pet cow when he was a boy growing up in Jabalpur, India.

• A calling: Inspired by his mother’s love and a painting of the Virgin Mary, Satish became a priest and ended up at the University of Dayton.

• Tutu: While here, he fell in love with a Maltese pup he named Tutu. He doted on her, feeding her salmon, duck and beef and paying a visiting groomer.

• A revelation: With all the money and focus he put into Tutu, was his new pet eclipsing his commitment to his other pet causes, especially child hunger? He became more concerned when, after a bit of research, he discovered Americans spent $61 billion a year — today that figure is $147 billion — on their pets.

• A purpose: With then help of the Dayton Foundation — specifically Joe Baldasare, the chief development officer and longtime vice president of development — he launched MercyPets. Here in Dayton and around the world, the organization aims to address childhood hunger and family stability.

• Hatemongers: Satish has faced obstacles, including racism and detractors. But tries to overcome it with grace: “I must think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus.”

• How to help: Read Arch’s full story for more on Satish’s journey, and how to help support MercyPets.