buildingcincinnati

From the 1/23/07 DDN: Wright State unveils $6.2 million addition at its school of medicine By Anthony Gottschlich Staff Writer Tuesday, January 23, 2007 FAIRBORN The new digs at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine are so impressive, "It almost makes me want to go back to medical school," Wright State President Kim Goldenberg said Monday. "Notice the word 'almost,' " Goldenberg said to a chuckling audience at the official unveiling of an 18,000-square-foot addition to White Hall, formerly known as the Fred A. White Health Center... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/23/ddn012307medschool.html

Also, there is no support from the CPD for Councilman Cecil Thomas's idea of body armor for Citizens on Patrol (COPs). Thomas introduced a motion in the Law & Public Safety Committee on February 23. Patrol officers think that body armor might give COPs a false sense of security and they might take more risks, thereby putting themselves in danger. CPD also cites other police departments and their reasons for not providing body armor to their COPs. The reasons are the same as above. COPs who don't feel safe confronting a situation are encouraged not to patrol. The cost of body armor for one person is about $560. There are 800 COPs. That would cost nearly half a million dollars, which just doesn't make budgetary sense.

From UC News, 4/4/07: UC Experts Set to Help City Fight Rising Homicide Problem Experts from UC's Division of Criminal Justice will hold two of the four key leadership positions in CIRV the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence a new program approved by City Council that takes methodologies proven successful in other cities and applies them to Cincinnati's dynamic. Date: 4/4/2007 By: Carey Hoffman Phone: (513) 556-1825 A new project led by experts from UCs Division of Criminal Justice will assist police, community members and social service providers in reducing homicides in Cincinnati. Associate Professor Robin Engel and Professor John Eck both from UCs criminal justice faculty and the UC Policing Institute are working with Dr. Victor Garcia, the director of Trauma Services at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, and Professor David Kennedy from John Jay College of Criminal Justice to implement the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV). http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=5580

From the 4/5/07 Tri-County Press: Company wants to develop Evendale office condominiums BY ERIC BRADLEY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER EVENDALE - A developer wants to build office condominiums at 3000 Glendale-Milford Road. Village Council is expected to hear Developer Al Neyer Inc.'s request Thursday, April 12, to change the rules governing land uses in order to build four 9,000-square-foot medical office condominiums, said Jack Cameron, assistant to the mayor. The property is located behind the former Jewish Hospital building near Gold Star Chili and Burger King, he said. The request will heard at the Evendale Village Council meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in the Evendale Municipal Building, 10500 Reading Road. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070405/NEWS01/704050379/ From Northeast Suburban Life, 4/5/07: Financial planners to break ground in Sharonville SHARONVILLE - Patricia A. Heimbuch, CFP & Associates and Sonya R. Saskin, CFP & Associates, both individual owners of Ameriprise Financial Service franchises, will break ground on their new 5,400-square-foot building at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 19, in downtown historic Sharonville. An informal reception for attendees will immediately follow at the Blue Goose Sports Café located across the street. Heimbuch will own the building at 11145 Reading Road with her husband, Randy. Designed by Sabo Design Associates and constructed by Horton Homes Inc., the building will compliment a small urban renewal project already underway in the area. "We believe that the downtown area in Sharonville is poised to experience a great renewal," said Heimbuch, whose family heritage is in Sharonville with her grandparents, Marge and Bill Powers, having lived on Oak Street for more than 50 years. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070405/NEWS06/704050395/ Campbell County's jail expansion almost complete Kentucky Post, 4/4/07 Workers are putting the finishing touches on an expansion at the Campbell County jail that officials say will more than double its size and make it easier for deputies to watch over inmates. Structural work on the $9 million expansion at the Campbell County Detention Center on Central Avenue is already complete, said Campbell County Jailer Greg Buckler. Buckler said crews are now completing work on the interior, including assembling 256 beds for the new direct supervision facility. The addition should be ready for use by June 1, Buckler said. Coupled with the 124 beds in the restricted custody center - another dormitory-style structure adjacent to the jail that opened about three years ago and houses nonviolent inmates serving one to five-year sentences - the project will swell the capacity of the detention center from 139 to 549 beds in less than five years. CTL commits to new facility in Forest Park Cincinnati.com, 4/3/07 A company that tests a variety of industrial materials broke ground March 21 for a new facility in the Carillon Business Park adjacent to The Union Central Life Insurance Company. Cincinnati Testing Laboratories, Inc. (CTL) and its parent company, Oakley-based Metcut Research Inc., will invest nearly $4 million to build and equip a 43,000-square-foot facility on seven acres. The operation is expected to employ 50 people. Unit Building Services will oversee the design and construction of the new facility. Completion is scheduled for fall, 2007. “We are quite pleased to keep the CTL operation in Forest Park and even more pleased to build its new home in Carillon Business Park,” said Metcut President and CEO John P. Kahles. “Union Central and The City of Forest Park teamed together to create an attractive package that works for our company." Founded in 1946, CTL is an independent testing facility that specializes in the machining, conditioning, and testing of composites, plastics, elastomers and ceramics as well as high-performance metals. The lab moved to its current location at 417 Northland Blvd. in 1970 and in 1998 became a wholly owned subsidiary of Metcut. Board selects project architects Middletown Journal, 4/4/07 Board members voted unanimously Tuesday night to negotiate a contract with architects Cole Russell + Fanning Howey to design its new primary school. Madison Local Schools completed the first part of its master facilities plan — the high school — under the Ohio School Facilities Commission's Expedited Local Partnership Program, which allows districts to begin portions of their project early. Now, the district is working on a new primary building and the second phase, the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program. Madison's part of the CFAP is 43 percent of the cost of the total kindergarten to 12-grade project and the state will fund 57 percent, said Superintendent Chris Cline. Because the district participated in the ELPP, the local share is almost entirely paid and the second project would not push the district back to the ballot, said Cline. The district may be notified in July of a funding commitment, he said. 17 acres donated for school Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/4/07 The widow and son of a Covington lawyer want to honor him by naming a school after him. Glenna Bridges and Greg Bridges have given 17 acres in unincorporated Kenton County to Kenton County Schools. Though nothing is definite, the district says the land is "well-suited" for an elementary school. In exchange for the donation, the district will name the school after G. Wayne Bridges, a lawyer for 40 years before his death in September 2000. The land is off Hogreffe Road, just east of the Kenton County and Boone County line, south of Ky. 536 and north of Maher Road. "Knowing the growth in that area, if we were to pinpoint on a map where we will need our next elementary school, that's the spot," schools Superintendent Tim Hanner said. Historic chapel plans for future Indian Hill Journal, 4/2/07 Armstrong Chapel is determining what, if any, renovations or additions are needed to update the church into the 21st century. According to Armstrong Building and Facilities Committee chairman Galen Mills, those who attend the church are being asked to provide input into what they think the church is missing. He said the needs assessment process began about two weeks ago, and suggestions will be collected until the end of April. Mills said ideas include cosmetic improvements to the building's interior, refurbishing or replacing the church's pipe organ, updating the facility's commercial kitchen and adjusting the choir's stage for more effective delivery of performances. "I'm sure after we collect all the information, we'll have a more comprehensive look," he said. The building has received only minor changes in its 50 years, and a similar study was done in the late-1980s. Kenwood resident Bob Edwards, who's attended the church for 43 years, is one of the few people still with the church during this second possible improvement phase. He said that study produced cosmetic renovations and the church was made handicap-accessible. Edwards added those changes are probably rather minor in comparison to what could be on the horizon for Armstrong.

From the 2/23/07 Oxford Press: Township land use plan in the works By Joe Giordano Staff Writer Friday, February 23, 2007 The Oxford Twp. Trustees took the first step in developing a new comprehensive land use plan during Monday's meeting. Trustee Larry Frimerman presented a preliminary outline detailing a possible direction for the plan. Discussion between trustees and residents primarily centered on the composition of the committee in charge of crafting the plan. During his presentation, Frimerman said the committee, made up of township residents, could number anywhere from nine to 11 individuals. He added the group should comprise a variety of people from different backgrounds. Chairman Jim McDonough echoed Frimerman's comments. "We just want a well-rounded group of people," McDonough said. "Maybe have someone from the farming community. We want input from several different people." Frimerman said he hoped the committee would work with other groups in Oxford and in Butler County to add insight to their discussions. In contrast to the township's current land use plan, which consists only of a map, Frimerman, as well as residents, wants the committee to create a supporting report to accompany any land use map to provide detailed explanations. According to Frimerman's preliminary outline, the committee would make recommendations to the trustees followed by a series of public forums to discuss the plan. Once the recommendations are approved by the trustees, the plan would go to the county for approval. The outline set October 2008, as an ideal completion date. The trustees scheduled a work session for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 at the Township Building, 925 Collins Run Road, to further discuss the formation of a committee. http://www.oxfordpress.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/02/21/op022307trustees.html From the 2/23/07 Hamilton JournalNews: Development causing more wildlife sightings By Matt Cunningham Staff Writer Friday, February 23, 2007 Randy Webber no longer runs in Liberty Twp.'s Wetlands park. "I can't bring myself to run back down there," said the Liberty Twp. resident. Though he has been an avid runner for the past five years, nothing in his experience prepared him for the morning in November when a large coyote stepped out of the woods and sat down on the trail several yards ahead of him. "It didn't spook for what seemed like an hour," he said. "I yelled and screamed and whistled; he did nothing — just stood there." The coyote, which Webber estimated was the size of a full-grown German Shepherd, finally moved when he reached for a stick to throw. "At that point, I just ran as fast as I could out of there," he said. Webber is not alone. A growing number of residents of West Chester and Liberty townships are reporting bold coyotes and curious deer in their suburban neighborhoods, and some wildlife experts say the area's rapid development could actually encourage these animals to move closer to humans. "You'd be amazed at the number of coyotes in the area," said Brett Beatty, assistant wildlife manager for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources district office in Xenia. As open fields are turned into landscaped back yards, Beatty said the combination of ornamental trees, shrubs, trash cans on curbs and pet food left on back porches creates an ideal 'edge habitat' that simulates the borders of dense forests. This attracts omnivorous mammals such as skunks and raccoons, herbivores such as groundhogs and deer, and the animals that prey on them, such as coyotes. "There's plenty of food for them, there's good cover and no one bothers them," Beatty said. "We get a lot of wildlife in our yard," said West Chester Twp. resident Maria Lambert. She said skunks, raccoons and deer are common sights in her neighborhood, and that coyote sightings are rare but not all that uncommon. "It's kind of cool that you're just minutes from Union Centre and you have this wildlife in your yard," she said. Like Lambert, many area residents enjoy these wildlife encounters. But living in increasingly close proximity with these animals can have unexpected consequences. Nature's cost Liberty Twp. resident Dave Kern owns Kern Nursery, which grows ornamental shrubs and trees. He has owned the nursery since the late 1960s, and has seen the explosion of local deer populations firsthand. "Thirty years ago," he said, "if someone saw a deer, phones would be ringing." Kern faces a unique vulnerability to these seemingly harmless herbivores. The young trees, low fields bordered by woods and the creek that runs through his property provide easy access for the secretive animals. During mating season, whitetail bucks rub their antlers against small trees and shrubs to mark their territory. Kern said this permanently scars the trees, ruining their value. "One year, when we were in full swing, it was $10,000 worth of damage," he said. To stave off the destruction, Kern and other nursery owners place plastic guards on the more valuable trees, an expensive, labor-intensive process he said is not always effective. "Even with that, (the deer) will take it off," he said. When those measures are not enough, the Ohio Division of Natural Resources grants nursery owners special deer harvest permits, which allow them to hunt on their property during an extended season. "Almost every nursery I know of around here has one of the permits," said Kern. "At least in part you feel like you're doing something about it." For nonfarming residents of West Chester and Liberty, deer in the garden may be little more than a nuisance. However, there may be something much wilder lurking in the bushes. The big cats Delhi resident Bill Reichling owns R&R Animal Trackers. He has tracked a variety of species over the past 50 years, but has spent the last 17 years focusing on one elusive species in southwest Ohio: cougar. "I've been hissed at, screamed at — close stuff," he said. With the help of a group of highly trained volunteers, he has investigated big cat sightings in Kentucky, Cincinnati and even Pisgah, where in 1997 his team cast a paw print that was later identified as that of a cougar. More recently, Reichling's team identified cougar tracks in Centerville and investigated a deer killed by a cougar in Delhi. Because cougars are known to cover large distances, Reichling said it's entirely possible these elusive felines pass through the West Chester area much more frequently than residents might expect. "Once you have one," he said, "you will have another ... The geography that brought one of them will bring others of the species here." So, should West Chester Twp. residents start investing in cat-proof fences? No, suggested Reichling. He noted that area residents have probably been coexisting with these reclusive, nocturnal cats for much longer than they might expect. "They can lie down in whatever habitat they're in, and if you don't literally step on them, they don't move," he said. Like the deer that frequent our yards and the coyotes that occasionally pierce the night with shrill, bone-chilling howls, the big cats are only a small part of an environment that is adapting to us as fast as we are expanding into it. Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5077 or [email protected]. http://www.journal-news.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/02/22/hjn022307wildlife.html From the 3/3/07 Enquirer: Cincinnati Enquirer: Lakota keeping twin schools identical (3/3/07) Cincinnati Enquirer: It all started with a log cabin schoolhouse (3/3/07) Pulse-Journal: Wyandot, Endeavor names for new Lakota elementaries (2/27/07) Hamilton JournalNews: Schools to reconfigure, hire new administrators (2/15/07) Pulse-Journal: Donated land future site of school (2/15/07) Pulse-Journal: Lakota plan impacts high school administration (2/13/07) Lakota at 50: From 34 to 1,000 Tiny school system becomes one of the biggest, best BY MICHAEL D. CLARK | [email protected] Back in Loretta Snyder's day, the biggest trick to getting to school in the fledgling Lakota school system was deciding whether it was safe to sneak across a neighbor's farm pasture. "If the bulls were out in the pasture, we could not take a short cut through the field because the bulls were so dangerous that we might end up dead," she recalls. Then again, Snyder, now 65, graduated in 1960. Today's students have to watch out for much faster beasts - Dodge Rams, Ford Mustangs, Chevy Impalas, and the occasional pricey Jaguars that prowl the roadways of the ever-more-suburban landscapes of West Chester and Liberty townships. Hand-in-hand with Butler County's population explosion, the Lakota schools have morphed from a small, heavily rural district to the second-biggest public school system in Greater Cincinnati and the seventh-biggest in all of Ohio. More than 17,900 students attend Lakota schools - a far cry from the tiny district that was forged 50 years ago by the merging of the even smaller Liberty and Union school districts. In 1957, the year of the merger, Union Township School graduated 34 seniors. This year, Lakota East and West will award more than 1,000 diplomas. For graduates, teachers, coaches and administrators, the transformation has been head-spinning. Nancy Betz, 59, recounts her 1961 freshmen year at Lakota High School "sitting in my classroom looking out the window at corn fields and cows grazing." SO MUCH CHANGE Even in 1973, the school system was still largely defined by its farming past. Stu Eversole, veteran coach and long-time Lakota athletic director, recalls early years when he barely had enough boys to field a football team. "I can remember when there were more cows than people at practice," Eversole says. But in recent years, the cows have rapidly disappeared in a district where growing subdivisions yield about 500 new students a year. Today, many families will gather at Lakota East High School for Lakotafest, where current students will showcase their skills as a way to kick off the district's celebration of its 50th anniversary. So much has changed since 1957, alumni say. It wasn't until 1970 that the district actually adopted the Lakota name, an American Indian term for "friends." (It had been called simply the Liberty-Union School District.) It wasn't until 2000 that Union Township officially changed its name to West Chester Township. In 1957, a handful of buses transported students to a single school building. Now more than 187 buses - the fifth-largest fleet in Ohio - run routes to 19 schools. In 1957, the district's annual budget was about $300,000. This year, it was about $127 million. High school sweethearts Ester and Ernie DeBord - 1961 Lakota High School grads - grew up and continue to live in the district. "I can't believe all the changes in the last 50 years," says Ester, who works as a receptionist in Lakota's central office. "It's like night and day," says her husband, Ernie, whose multi-sport high school career earned him the honor of becoming the first inductee into the Lakota Sports Hall of Fame. Ester worries that Lakota's rich history may be lost on the thousands of new families who've moved into the school system. Nearly 60,000 people live in West Chester Township; another 30,000 live in Liberty Township. "The community is so transient now with so many new people moving in. But they keep coming here because they know the schools are excellent," Ester says. FROM STUDENT TO OFFICER During Lakota's first half-century, few have seen the schools and surrounding communities quite like 62-year-old Liberty native John Hunkler. The 1962 Lakota grad spent 21 years after high school as a local volunteer firefighter. He recently finished a 24-year career as a West Chester police officer. Like so many of Lakota's early students, Hunkler grew up on a farm. The Future Farmers of America was one of the largest school clubs, he recalls. Lakota schools no longer have FFA clubs. "Lakota used to be known for its farm boys because our school had cows right across Tylersville Road," he said. Now the former high school serves as the district's Freshman School. As a policeman, Hunkler spent years revisiting the Lakota schools, working with students as part of school-safety programs. He remembers when Lakota male teachers wore ties and jackets and female instructors sported long dresses. Blue jeans, gym shoes, gum-chewing, facial hair and failing to wear socks all were violations of school code. Mike Taylor, the district superintendent and a graduate of Lakota's class of 1971, recalls "being pulled into the office by an assistant principal and being handed a razor to shave right then and there because your sideburns were not allowed to go past your ear lobes." Taylor, who is only the sixth Lakota superintendent in 50 years, reacted with shock in 1966 when his parents informed him the family was moving from Sharonville, in Hamilton County, to Pisgah in Butler County. "Lakota was the sticks and it was definitely a farm school," recalls the 53-year-old Taylor. Since then, Lakota has become widely acclaimed for its high academic achievements - including five consecutive years of "excellent" state ratings. Lakota is the largest district in Ohio to achieve an "excellent" rating. Business executives, political leaders, educators, artists and professional sports figures are among the Lakota alumni. As the district has grown, it also has become more of a contender in prep sports. The district's history includes several team and individual state championships. One of the early successes came from the Lakota girls' volleyball team, which won the 1960 Butler County championship the year after the first Lakota High School opened in 1959. Loretta Snyder was on that team. "I had a good serve," she says. She recalls how the tiny community rallied around the team. "But things were very different back then. You have to remember that we only had 60 kids in our class and everybody knew everybody," she says. LAKOTA'S FOUNDING FATHER And everybody knew D. Russel Lee. The vocational education teacher in 1944 became superintendent of the tiny Union Township School, which graduated a total of 775 students from its creation in 1919 through 1959. Lakota East and West graduate more in a single year. But Lee had a vision. Where others saw miles and miles of rural emptiness, he saw potential. Jon Weidlich, spokesman for Lakota schools, described Lee as "Lakota's George Washington." In the 1950s, Lee tirelessly lobbied adjacent school systems in Pisgah, Port Union and Liberty Township to consolidate into one centralized school system in Union Township. "More than anyone else, he invented Lakota," explains his son, David, who graduated from Lakota in 1966 and is now dean of the Potter College of Arts and Letters at Western Kentucky University. "He felt that smaller school systems could not meet the same standards as larger ones at the time." Lee, who served as Lakota superintendent until 1964 and then as Butler County school superintendent until 1978, died in 2001. He also helped create the Butler Tech career center - one of the largest public career schools in Ohio. Its campus includes the D. Russel Lee School. "In the 1950s, people laughed at his projections about how big Lakota would get, but if anything, he underestimated the growth," his son says. Says Scott Ebright, spokesman for the Ohio School Boards Association: "The students in Lakota schools have excelled in the classroom in spite of tremendous growth. It is a testament to the board of education and staff that nurtured that academic achievement while struggling with challenges that come with such large growth." Once almost exclusively white, Lakota's diversity has grown in recent years. The district is trying to hire more foreign-language translators because its students speak more than two dozen different languages. African-American enrollment has more than doubled in the last decade, now surpassing more than 7 percent of the student body. Asian students make up more than 4 percent; Hispanics more than 2 percent. STILL GROWING Even now, West Chester and Liberty townships have plenty of room for more houses. So there's no end coming soon for Lakota's remarkable expansion. The district just named two new elementary schools that open next year. It is planning a second freshman school. And to accommodate the rapid growth, the district recently tackled the complex - and somewhat contentious - task of changing the grades served by many of its elementary-school buildings and redrawing their attendance zones. The changes will affect more than 12,000 students next school year, yet elicited complaints from just a handful of parents. It all adds up to a proud and successful legacy for the Lakota schools, and a high degree of optimism for the future. Ron Brown, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Cincinnati's Milacron Inc., was a 1971 graduate and classmate of Superintendent Taylor. "It's nice to see that Lakota, for its size, is still earning an excellent rating," Brown says. THEN AND NOW In the 50 years since the Lakota district was created, the Butler County school system has grown into one of the largest - and most academically successful - in Ohio. A look at 1957 compared to 2007 for Lakota Schools: Then: 1,696 students. Now: 17,800. Then: One school building. Now: 19 (with three more under construction; two opening in August). Then: Annual budget of about $300,000. Now: More than $127 million. Then: 34 senior graduates. Now: About 1,000 graduates from Lakota West and East combined. Then: No state academic rating existed. Now: Five consecutive years of earning Ohio's top rating of "excellent." NOTABLE LAKOTA GRADUATES DeAnn Heline - a 1983 graduate - has gone on to success in Hollywood, having written words for actors that include Neil Patrick Harris, John Goodman and Candice Bergen. Heline, 42, studied two years at Indiana University before transferring to New York University, where she earned a fine arts degree in film and television. She teamed up with IU college buddy Eileen Heisler and the duo's break came two years later in 1990 when they sold two scripts for "Doogie Howser, M.D." From there, they joined the writing staff for "Roseanne," then "Murphy Brown" for two years and the "Ellen" sitcom. Now based in Los Angeles, Heline and Heisler are still writing and producing. Ron Brown - a 1971 graduate - is president and chief operating officer of Cincinnati-based Milacron Inc. Brown was senior class president and went on to the University of Cincinnati. In 1978, Brown graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law. In 1999, he was chosen to head Milacron, an engineering and manufacturing company that employs about 3,500 worldwide. Ken Lewis - a 1988 graduate - is a Grammy-winning, top recording label mixer/engineer/producer/musician. Lewis' credits include six Grammys, 42 Gold and Platinum albums and singles, 22 No. 1 albums and singles, and 14 other Grammy nominations. Lewis has performed on several Gold, Platinum, Grammy-winning, and No. 1 records. He also has produced rock, indie rock records and hip-hop records. Brooke Wyckoff - a 1997 graduate - is a former Lakota basketball star now playing for the WNBA's Chicago Sky. She is preparing for the upcoming season by playing in Gran Canaria, Spain. The three-sport star for Lakota had a record-setting basketball career at Florida State University. She was drafted in 2001 by the WNBA's Orlando Miracle. Wyckoff still holds Lakota records for rebounding, steals, assists and shot blocking. Troy Evans - a 1996 graduate - is a former Lakota football and basketball star who has played the past five seasons for the NFL's Houston Texans. He also played one season for the St. Louis Rams. Evans played college ball at the University of Cincinnati, where he was named to the All Conference USA second team as a senior. He still holds Lakota records in both basketball and football. - Sue Kiesewetter contributed. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070303/NEWS0102/703030404/-1/rss

From ThisWeek Big walnut, 3/11/07: Galena's first major subdivision winds down Sunday, March 11, 2007 By MARK MAJOR ThisWeek Staff Writer The subdivision credited with jump-starting development in Galena is expected to complete its last home before the end of the summer. Maronda Homes recently requested building permits for the last of 51 lots in its Heathermere subdivision on Walnut Street. According to Galena Mayor Tom Hopper, Heathermere was the first significant subdivision in Galena, beginning a round of development including Maronda Homes' Walnut Creek subdivision on Joe Walker Road and Trinity Homes' Estates at Blackhawk. "That's a huge change in the number of houses," Hopper said. "That will effectively double the population of Galena. The population was 305 in the 2000 census. When those subdivisions are finished, we'll be up to 600." According to Dave LaValle, recent estimates produced by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission put Galena's population at 456. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/031107/Sunbury/News/031107-News-318535.html

From ThisWeek Olentangy, 3/1/07: Powell might share tax with Liberty Thursday, March 1, 2007 By KELLEY YOUMAN , TRUXALL ThisWeek Staff Writer An agreement that would allow an income tax to be collected in a small section of Liberty Township is nearing a vote, Liberty Township Trustee Chairman Curt Sybert The area's first joint economic development district (JEDD) agreement is near completion and is expected to be voted on by trustees and Powell City Council soon, Sybert said. Trustees will hear a presentation on the JEDD plan at their March 5 meeting. The district would contain a 22-office condominium development planned in an undeveloped area near the Wedgewood commerce area along Sawmill Parkway, Sybert said. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/030107/Powell/News/030107-News-312419.html

From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 4/5/07: ThisWeek Pickerington: Trustees approve regional growth plan (3/29/07) ThisWeek Pickerington: Five-way growth agreement adopted by Pickerington Council (3/22/07) Pickerington Times-Sun: Area governments plan meeting about JEDDs (3/21/07) Columbus Dispatch: Violet Township offers tax-sharing (3/12/07) ThisWeek Pickerington: JEDD would include several entities (3/8/07) Pickerington Times-Sun: Violet, Lancaster, Winchester agree to explore JEDDs (2/28/07) Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Communities join to share developments (2/24/07) Council hears first reading of JEDD memorandum Thursday, April 5, 2007 By ROBERT PASCHEN, [email protected] ThisWeek Staff Writer Canal Winchester Village Council heard the first reading Monday of a resolution to enter into a memorandum of understanding to create Joint Economic Development Districts with Lancaster, Pickerington and Violet Township. Two more readings of the memorandum of understanding are scheduled before council votes on the measure. Pickerington, Lancaster and Violet Township have approved the memorandum of understanding. Bloom Township may enter into the agreement as well. Mayor Jeff Miller said the memorandum, "doesn't bind us to" JEDDs. "It says we're interested," he said. "How we divvy up money and responsibilities and services needs to be worked out." Miller told the finance committee that Canal Winchester's 2-percent income tax is the highest among nearby municipalities and thus would be the tax rate used on any future JEDDs. Pickerington's income tax is 1 percent and Lancaster's is 1.75 percent. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/040507/CanalWinchester/News/040507-News-329751.html

From the 3/15/07 News Sun: Southland will get a major facelift Thursday, March 15, 2007 By Jaime Anton The News Sun MIDDLEBURG HTS. Southland Shopping Center will soon be getting a facelift. Giant Eagle and Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts will both open new stores there and the entire shopping center will undergo a complete redevelopment, including new paving, lighting and landscaping by the center's co-owner New Plan one of the nation's largest real estate companies, based in New York... For more information about New Plan, visit www.newplan.com. http://www.cleveland.com/sun/newssun/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1173980314228750.xml&coll=3 From the 3/13/07 Lorain Morning Journal: Golf club owner wants to rezone, plans to build house SCOT ALLYN, Morning Journal Writer 03/13/2007 VERMILION TOWNSHIP -- Hundreds of homes could be built on a local golf course in the next 10 to 15 years, if the property owner is granted new zoning. Walt Jalowiec, owner of Willow Creek Golf Club and Driving Range, 15905 E. Darrow Road, Vermilion Township, wants permission to build about 50 single-family homes, about 60 triplexes and up to 200 condominiums in wooded areas around his 18-hole golf course. The township zoning commission will hold a public hearing March 20 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the zoning issue in the Vermilion Township Building, 1907 SR 60... [email protected] http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18071293&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6 From the 3/13/07 Ashtabula Star Beacon: Conneaut ready to help I-90 housing project MARK TODD Star Beacon CONNEAUT - - Developers anxious to transform property near Conneaut's freeway interchange into a residential neighborhood are poised to put their plans on the fast track... http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_072130844 Firefighters roughing it waiting for new station Solon Herald Sun, 3/25/07 Dusty Rhoads drove a Model T fire truck packed with a dozen water buckets when he rambled out to battle blazes as the city's first firefighter. Landmark panel still considering clocktower Aurora Advocate, 3/21/07 Members of the city's landmark commission will have another month to think about whether they want to see a clocktower or something else erected at the City Center "point.".. Aurora Advocate: Clock tower eyed in Aurora (3/5/07) Aurora Advocate: Clocktower proposed at city's 'point' (2/21/07) Group needs help with skate park cash Sun Herald, 3/15/07 In spite of two years of hard work, members of the Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation have only been able to raise about $40,000 of the estimated $250,000-$275,000 needed to build the proposed skate and bike park in front of Bayway Cabin... Development plan is eyed for packing plant News Sun, 3/15/07 A sliver of city-owned property near the Bagley Road underpass and the 3-acre site of the former vegetable packing plant has turned out to be a useful bargaining tool for redevelopment... Two businesses plan to expand Sun Courier, 3/8/07 Two companies at the city's southern tip are moving to, or expanding into, new buildings to help their business grow. One of those businesses provides Ohio with specialty coffees, the other offers powder coatings to the automotive industry. As part of the new construction, both will add jobs...

^ Oh, oops....I didn't know that was you! Good luck with it.

Jimmy Skinner...have you checked out the following blog? I ran across it when they linked to my blog. I thought it might be of interest to you: http://cityparents.blogspot.com/index.html

From the 4/5/07 (UA) Buchtelite: After four months, students react to ban Opinions differ on allowing smoking in bars By: Stuart Phillips Posted: 4/5/07 There was a time not too long ago when a bar was a bar. People acknowledged that it was a place of genuine, good-hearted decadence. However, for some reason, people want to turn them into havens of health. In November, voters passed a ban restricting smoking from both restaurants and bars and it went into effect in December. This action directly took away the liberty a bar owner had to decide if smoking would be allowed in his or her establishments. "I think it should be up to the individual establishment to decide whether or not to allow smoking, unless it is a taxpayer funded venue," University of Akron student Andrew Miller said. "However, the law is in place and should be followed unless it can be shown to be unfair or wrong." Read more: www.buchtelite.com/media/storage/paper1203/news/2007/04/05/ArtsLife/After.Four.Months.Students.React.To.Ban-2823610.shtml]http://media.www.buchtelite.com/media/storage/paper1203/news/2007/04/05/ArtsLife/After.Four.Months.Students.React.To.Ban-2823610.shtml From the 4/5/07 (OSU) Lantern: OSU airs idea of smoke-free campus Mark Silverman Issue date: 4/5/07 Section: Campus Ohio State is flirting with the idea of a new policy that would prohibit smoking anywhere on campus. The Office of Human Resources sent a memo to university officials asking them to explore two options: prohibiting smoking anywhere on university property or continuing its current practice that bans smoking within 25 feet of doors, windows and air intakes. Read more: www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/04/05/Campus/Osu-Airs.Idea.Of.SmokeFree.Campus-2825550.shtml]http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/04/05/Campus/Osu-Airs.Idea.Of.SmokeFree.Campus-2825550.shtml

From the AP, 4/5/07: Union workers returning to Middletown mill First 250 people who had been locked out by AK Steel back on the job; no problems yet with replacement workers. By Terry Kinney Associated Press Thursday, April 05, 2007 MIDDLETOWN — Production and maintenance workers who were locked out of AK Steel's Middletown Works for more than a year are returning to the mill in a smooth and trouble-free transition, union and company officials said Wednesday. "The only problem I really have is we've had people who were union people that crossed our line or retirees that have gone back in there and worked while we were locked out, and I don't really want to shake any of their hands," Jeff Blevins, a Machinists union member and an 18-year mill employee, said Wednesday. "I was trying to protect their benefits, and they were making money keeping me out." Read more: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/04/04/ddn040507aksteel.html

From the 4/5/07 Jackson County Times-Journal: Governor visits Westview Elementary Thursday, April 5, 2007 LISA TACKETT Times-Journal Writer Westview Elementary students had a very special guest this week when the Governor of the state paid them a visit. Governor Ted Strickland visited various classrooms talking with the children, shook hands with them as they exited the building to catch their buses, and concluded his visit with an overview of his education initiatives. Strickland made his presentation to the Jackson Board of Education members, Jackson City School Superintendent Steve Anderson, Jackson City Schools Treasurer Ernie Strawser, numerous teachers and other guests. Strickland appeared to be very impressed with the building itself, calling it a “gorgeous facility,” and said that the staff and school should make the students feel safe, secure, nurtured and cared for. “That is the basic thing to expect from a school,” he indicated. Principal Debbie Biggs explained to Strickland that even though Jackson is improving, the district still lacks many of the necessary resources, such as books for the library, to which Strickland replied, “That is the problem with the inequity of the funds as they are based on property taxes.” “We need to adequately fund and reform our schools,” he stated. According to his proposed budget, the Jackson area schools would see a funding increase over the next couple of years. MORE: http://www.timesjournal.com/local.asp?Story=1

From the 4/5/07 Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune: Pigeon, peeling paint peppers courthouse project By Zachary Petit, [email protected] Engineering firm representatives studying ways to totally or partially raze the county courthouse continued their work Wednesday inside the 1884 building packed with a clashing mix of ornate features and strewn debris. Past the caution tape and into the closed building, MKC Associates Vice President James Schmidt provided an update on the job the Seneca County commissioners officially contracted Monday. http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/articles.asp?articleID=7456

From the 3/26/07 Hilltop Press: Mill Road housing project up in the air BY ROB DOWDY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER FOREST PARK - It's been two years and the final portion of Mill Road Station remains untouched. There has been no work on Phase III of the proposed 158-lot subdivision remains even though the site plan was approved by the city February 2005. Community Development Director Chris Anderson said Mill Road Station was proposed 10 years ago as a three-phase development. Phase I and II have 98 lots. Phase III would have 60 lots on 36 acres east of Mill Road and north of Kemper Road. The price range for proposed homes in Phase III would be between $275,000 and $400,000. Anderson said Ryan Homes has three years from the time of council approval to move forward with the project. "It appears to me that Ryan is not pursuing this project," he said. However, Tim Kling, general manager with Ryan Homes, said the project is at a standstill as Ryan waits for the developers on the project - Jim Wessel and John Zinn - to option the land to them so they can build. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS01/703260434/1093/Local From the 4/5/07 Tri-County Press: Springdale retirement community to replace older housing BY ANDREA REEVES | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER SPRINGDALE - New two- and three-story upscale retirement housing will soon replace 30 older cottages in the Maple Knoll Village retirement community. Officials from LifeSphere, the company that owns Maple Knoll Village, plan to demolish the cottages that were built in the 1970s and replace them with a group of larger independent-living housing buildings fronting Springfield Pike. LifeSphere Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Ken Huff told Springdale City Council April 4 that the cottages are "simply not desirable anymore." With living quarters of just 830 square feet it's hard for a couple to live there, he said. The new units will range in price from $180,000 for a smaller unit to $300,000 for a three-bedroom unit. Maple Knoll Village currently has 179 cottages, 89 apartments, 60 assisted living apartments and a 184-bed nursing home. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070405/NEWS01/704050346/ Muhlhauser Barn reconstruction coming soon Hamilton JournalNews, 4/1/07 After six years of debates, delays and redesigns, it appears the Muhlhauser Barn will be reconstructed. According to West Chester Twp. officials, excavation for the 150-year-old barn's foundation is scheduled to begin within the next two weeks. Weather and the processing of construction permits will determine when work will start, said township spokeswoman Barb Wilson. Resurrection of the historic barn will cost $1.6 million, taken from the 747 Tax Increment Financing fund. The barn has been stored in pieces at Beckett Park since 2001, when Ohio Casualty donated it to the township. The Muhlhauser family paid $40,000 to have it moved from its original location in Fairfield to Beckett Park. Original plans for the barn, which included turning it into a senior center, were scaled back over the past five years amid debates over funding and the best use for the structure. The barn will overlook a pond and walking path already under construction at Beckett Park on Union Centre Boulevard. Plans include construction of the barn with a rest room facility and stairs leading up to a mezzanine and down to a lower level. It will have a rear deck, and a kitchen will be included for small catered events. The facilities could be expanded to include a fireplace and a walk-out basement. Skate park breaks ground Loveland Herald, 4/2/07 Local skaters will flock to Lever Park starting in May. Their prayers have been answered. City officials hosted the groundbreaking of the city's first skate park March 27. Loveland City Council has planned for this project since 2003. Skaters pressed city officials to build a skate park because they had no place to do it legally. "The closest one is Miami Meadows," skater Bill Neal, 19, said of a Miami Township skate park. "We've been driving ... and I live right down the street." Covington baseball fields dedicated Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/31/07 The city of Covington will dedicate six youth baseball fields that have been renovated as part of the Reds Community Fund's field renovation initiative. The dedication ceremony will take place at Bill Cappel Sports Complex at 9:30 a.m. today. Representatives from the Reds Community Fund, Covington Parks and Recreation and Mayor Butch Callery will be there. After the dedication, Kenton County Knothole District 28 will host a baseball tournament with about 100 teams and 1,400 players from the region. The tournament will run through April 22. The Reds Community Fund has provided support to nine field renovation projects in Northern Kentucky. Covington sites include the five fields at the Cappel complex plus one at Meinken Field. Newport locations include two fields at Ralph Mussman Sports Complex and one at Riddleview Park. By the end of this year, the fund will have spent about $1 million to help renovate 140 fields. New Richmond looking to sell fields Community Journal Clermont, 3/29/07 The New Richmond village council is looking to sell the largest commercial land in the village, land that, for the past 40 years, has held four baseball fields used by area children for baseball and football. The plan has generated an emotional response from citizens, led by the New Richmond Knothole Baseball Association members. Association members presented a statement at council's March 27 meeting, rejecting a council statement that the fields "were no longer needed for public purposes." Reading from the statement, knothole president Aaron Humphries called the fields "a community treasure" and urged council to form a committee of interested parties to "investigate a solution to this problem." Council member Nick Wolf said the fields were a valuable property, worth about $40,000 per acre, not including taxes on any development. He said without development on the property, council would look into placing a levy on this November's ballot. While Mayor Terry Durrette said the village does not need the funds, Wolf said the village is in a "questionable financial situation." Mount Healthy ridding city of condemned properties Hilltop Press, 3/27/07 Bulldozers may be revving up for a return visit - this time to tear down a condemned property on Harrison Avenue. Last month, city officials made good their promise to raze a Werner Avenue house, much to the delight of neighbors. "It had been empty for at least five years and was an eyesore," said Dennis Custer, Stevens Avenue. "We are all very happy to see it gone." Next on the list is a house at 7820 Harrison Avenue. Safety/Service Director Bill Kocher said he's given the Maryland owner until May 15 to make the mandated improvements. Kocher said the property is in an estate and he has been working with the family for several years. The owner was granted the May extension following an appeal to the city's planning commission.

Both of the properties to the south are just commercial outlots. I wouldn't expect to see anything better redeveloped there other than auto-oriented commercial stuff like the gas station, or a restaurant or a small office. This property is on the main street of Bellevue with pretty quick interstate access and is a good two blocks from the walkable Bellevue business district. The gas station and the other building rather new anyway. They're not going anywhere. http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qhhnqz7yshf2&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=9142289&encType=1

ODOD press release, 4/4/07: FISHER ANNOUNCES ALTERNATIVE FUEL GRANTS $595,000 Awarded to Alternative Fuel Retailers and Biodiesel Blending Facilities FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 4, 2007 Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher announced today the initial grant awards from the Alternative Fuel Transportation Grant Program in the amount of $595,000 to 12 alternative fuel retailers and two biodiesel blending facilities. The Alternative Fuel Transportation Grant Program was established by the House Bill 245, sponsored by Representative Reinhard (R-82), for the purpose of improving air quality through grants to businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools systems, or local governments for the purchase and installation of alternative fuel refueling, blending or distribution facilities, and terminals. "These grants are designed to assist in the commercialization of alternative fuels, helping farmers, retailers and consumers by addressing both the supply and demand barriers often associated with emerging industries," said Lt. Governor Fisher who also serves as the Director of the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD). "The strategic placement of these new ethanol refueling and biodiesel blending locations will increase the availability of alternative fuels throughout Ohio and serve as a catalyst for future retail and wholesale growth." The 12 alternative fuel retailers receiving awards include nine Speedway stations located in Columbus, Fairborn, Kettering, Wadsworth, Garfield Heights, Springfield, Mt. Healthy and Macedonia with each receiving $20,000 in grant assistance. Additional grants were awarded to the Francis Group's Sunoco Station, located in Parma, which was awarded $15,000; Glockner Oil, located in Portsmouth, which received a $20,000 grant; and Village Farm, located in Sylvania receiving $20,000. Circleville Oil, located in Circleville and American Ag Fuels, located in Dayton each received $180,000 in grant assistance for enhancements to their biodiesel blending facilities. Alternative fuel proposals were reviewed on a competitive basis by the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Energy Efficiency. ODOD will issue a new Notice of Funds mid April 2007 that will focus on available incentives designed to encourage more retail alternative fuel locations in Ohio. Guidelines and application forms will be posted online at http://www.odod.state.oh.us/cdd/oee/transportation.htm. The Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) works with individuals, communities, non-profit organizations, businesses large and small, industry, and other government agencies to achieve its vision of a robust economy supported by multiple energy sources, energy efficiency, and advanced technology with added value for the quality of life for all Ohioans. http://www.odod.state.oh.us/newsroom/releases/1731.asp

From the 3/27/07 DDN: Kroger offers gasoline and ethanol blend By Kristin McAllister Staff Writer Tuesday, March 27, 2007 SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Kroger at 2728 E. Main St. is now offering E-85 fuel. A total of eight Kroger gas stations in Dayton and Cincinnati now offer the blend of gasoline and ethanol fuel alternative. Because of an increase in the amount of vehicles capable of using E-85, Kroger is currently offering E85 at its Brandt Pike store in Huber Heights. In the spring, the ethanol-based fuel will be available at the West Market Street store in Troy. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-9338 or [email protected]. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/03/27/ddn032707krogergasweb.html

Monroe School sold at auction Sandusky Register, 3/21/07 The former Monroe Elementary School will become a community center of sorts, if all goes according to plan. The bidding for the property at Tuesday's auction started at $50,000 and ended with the highest bid of $136,000 by Kim Yahn, who bid on behalf of Porter Richards. Richards, president of The Sanctuary and senior pastor at the Sandusky Church of God, said he hopes to turn the site into a community center. Richards said he would like the building to become a place where everyone can go, from young people to senior citizens. He would like to have computer and other educational classes for children to attend and activities for senior citizens, so they have somewhere to go while their families are at work during the day.

From the 3/3/07 Kentucky Post: Ethanol starts in the slow lane Post staff report The availability of an ethanol-based fuel for cars is growing in the area, but sales are still slow and the price is still high. The fuel is called E85; it's 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. It just became available for the first time in Northern Kentucky at a Kroger store in the Latonia neighborhood of Covington. More at: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070303/NEWS02/703030334

Residents offer input on Shannon Street project Van Wert Times Bulletin, 3/20/07 There were plenty of opinions, and that was just what the city administration was looking for. It was standing room only in council chambers Monday evening as Tony Schroeder of Choice One Engineering did more listening than talking about the project. Shannon Street residents took turns voicing their fears, concerns and objections about the project. Mayor Don Farmer told the crowd at the outset, "There are no alternatives or solutions to be presented. This is simply a fact-finding meeting to find out what the residents of S. Shannon St. view as being important in the improvement of the street." Farmer and Schroeder both assured the group that there are no plans for the city to buy property to tear down buildings. In fact, they asserted that most of the work can be done within the current right-of-way. The residents commented on a wide range of issues. One obvious problem in reconstructing the highway will be dealing with the s-curve just south of Main Street. The intersections call for special consideration since many of the streets which intersect with Shannon do so at an odd angle. That is especially true of the intersection with Ervin Rd., which is one of the busiest in the city.

Grove board picks 35-acre site for school Putnam Voice, 3/17/07 When voters decide on May 8 about whether to fund a new school, they’ll know they’re deciding on a single-story building on 35 acres of land adjacent to the Columbus Grove school’s athletic fields. The Columbus Grove School Board picked the site just outside the village limits at a special meeting Friday. The board picked that plan over a second that would have put a three-story school on a tight space next to the current school. The 35-acre site comes with fewer unknowns that could drive up costs and an expected price tag that’s about $900,000 less than the three-story option, district Superintendent Bob Jennell said. The district can build a new pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade facility if voters pass a combination 7.72 mill property tax and a 0.25 percent income tax to raise its portion of the $27.4 million project.

From the 1/30/07 Miami Student: Ethanol brings alternative energy source to area Sarah Foster, Staff Writer Issue date: 1/30/07 Section: Community While high gas prices and America's dependence on foreign oil are major topics of discussion at the national level, drivers in Butler County will be able to experience alternative sources of energy locally with the availability of ethanol, or E-85. Ethanol is a grain alcohol that is produced when distilled from fermented corn grain. Corn is the key ingredient because it is the most plentiful and economically available. The ethanol-based fuel, called E-85, is becoming available at local gas stations around Butler County. According to the Greater Ohio Ethanol Web site, E-85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. It burns cleaner than regular fuels and is a renewable domestic energy source. More at: www.miamistudent.net/media/storage/paper776/news/2007/01/30/Community/Ethanol.Brings.Alternative.Energy.Source.To.Area-2684883.shtml]http://media.www.miamistudent.net/media/storage/paper776/news/2007/01/30/Community/Ethanol.Brings.Alternative.Energy.Source.To.Area-2684883.shtml

From the 1/25/07 Blade: Area auto dealers report mixed reactions to E85 cars By JULIE M. McKINNON BLADE BUSINESS WRITER Increasing the use of E85 and other fuels to help meet President Bush's goal of slashing U.S. gasoline consumption will depend largely on availability and price - with a dose of conviction, some local auto dealers say. More Genoa Chevrolet customers are asking about E85 and the vehicles that can use it, such as Chevrolet Silverado pickups and Chevrolet Impala sedans with certain engines. More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/BUSINESS01/701250339/-1/BUSINESS