Village Celebrates the Good Scare �Rst Get Feedback from the Public About Springs Recently Discontinued After 50 Whether the Village Should Give up Control Years
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VACATION? Donate your copy of the News. 767-7373. An INDEPENDENT JOURNAL of NEWS and OPINION YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS SI NCE 1880 YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO T HURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011 VO LUME 132, NUMBER 42 PRICE: $1.50 Upgrade for water plant? By Lauren Heaton the Village should examine more closely whether the cost of upgrading the treat- A water supply feasibility study Village ment plant would indeed reduce the cur- Council members considered at their rent cost of water consumption. Hemp�ing meeting Monday, Oct. 17, recommended also suggested that the costs of upgrading that the Village complete a major upgrade now are knowable, and now is a good time of its water treatment plant. Village con- to borrow money. Council member Karen sultant engineer John Eastman presented Wintrow stated her interest in maintaining seven scenarios with cost comparisons for local control of both the electric and water Council to consider to address the water supply systems, and that both were worth plant. The meeting was discussion only, paying for. and the subject will be revisited at future During citizen comments, Paul Aben- meetings. droth cautioned Council of the danger that The Village water treatment plant located privatization could cause if the supplier off Jacoby Road is in need of signi�cant suddenly decided to sell to an even larger maintenance and upgrades in order to corporation, thereby turning control of the bring it into compliance with current Ohio local water supply over to an anonymous Environmental Protection Agency stan- conglomerate with interests beyond the dards. The plant was built in 1964, with one village. major upgrade in 1999, and is not designed “That scares me — I know of cities that to remove manganese from the water, a have died because the rates increased and process now required. In addition, accord- no one could afford to live there anymore,” ing to the report from Eastman’s �rm, LJB Abendroth said during the meeting. Inc., the outdated controls and the backup Villager Joan Edwards also suggested generator will likely need to be replaced in that Council study the aquifers and the the near future. water-related health of the communities The water feasibility study considered that would potentially supply the village’s seven options, including maintaining the water. Chris Roberts also advised Council current plant, upgrading the plant, replac- to consider the potential threat that hydrau- ing the plant, contracting water service lic fracturing in the area could pose to the from the cities of Xenia or Spring�eld or water supply. Having control of our own PHOTO BY SUZANNE EHALT from Greene County, or contracting with a water supply system in that case would be private company to design, build and oper- crucial to ensuring village water was safe As if black birds were pecking at our downtown garden, scarecrows — 35 at last count — have been popping up over the ate a local water plant for a fee. Considering by our own standards, she said. last two weeks, looming over visitors and villagers coming to town to see the latest creations. Ye Olde Trail Tavern owner Cathy the construction costs and the bene�ts of The analysis of other water supply Christian came up with the idea last year, and this year she teamed up with downtown business supporters Bob Swaney and maintaining control of the water supply, options varied greatly. Replacing the exist- Mindy Harney to make it happen. Ohio Silver owner Marcia Wallgren was caught gluing gems on her Silver Queen’s shoes Eastman recommended that upgrading the ing plant is virtually cost-prohibitive, but Tuesday. See page 8, and visit ysnews.com to see more of the creative creatures. existing system for a 20-year life would be contracting water delivery has drawbacks most effective and would cost an estimated too, including annual costs that could vary $318,500 per year to operate, lowering the between $146,000 (if the Village owned half What, are you yellow? cost per 1,000 gallons from the current of the water main) and $327,000 (if the sup- $4.20 to about $3.66, with the potential to plier owned the whole main). Water quality pass the savings on to consumers. varies as well. Water from Xenia is hard Before going further, Council should and contains �uoride, a chemical Yellow Village celebrates the good scare �rst get feedback from the public about Springs recently discontinued after 50 whether the Village should give up control years. Spring�eld’s water is un�uoridated By Megan Bachman more people coming to town,” Swaney of its water supply, Council President Judith said. TERRIFYING EVENTS Hemp�ing said during the meeting. Then CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 The scarecrows lining village streets In that spirit, a new group of downtown portend a dark time ahead. This Hal- shop owners called Merchants Unite! loween season, the zombie apocalypse SATURDAY, OCT. 22 has formed. Anyone is invited to partici- arrives, with hundreds of the undead • 5–10 p.m., Third Annual Zombie pate in their monthly meetings, held the soon to be roaming our streets in search Walk, 100 Corry Street, donations �rst Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. at Issue 2 to stem workers rights for brains; a monster’s ball will bring out • All night starting at 9:30 p.m., Horror the Yellow Springs Senior Center. frightening creatures to dance in the Marathon V, Little Art Theatre, $20 By Lauren Heaton • Favors performance-based pay over Zombies to swarm town automatic salary and step increases street; a slate of horror �lms will terrify SATURDAY, OCT. 29 all night long; and children will beg for For the third year in a row, zombies Earlier this year, Governor Kasich and • Limits employer contributions toward candy while bon�res rise high into the • 2:30–10 p.m., Creepy Carnival, will take over downtown. The undead will the Ohio legislature passed Senate Bill 5, health care bene�ts to 85 percent chilly air. King’s Yard, free come alive on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 5 to which reduces the bargaining rights of • Requires employees to pay 8–10 per- Yelloween is coming, and the town is • 6–8 p.m., Beggar’s Night and village 10 p.m., with the walk beginning at 7:30 Ohio’s 360,000 public employees. The bill’s cent of their retirement pensions set to both attract tourists and to repulse bonfires p.m. Though on the prowl for �esh, the unpopularity led public sector advocates • Removes consideration of seniority and them. The more than 35 scarecrows • 8:30–10:30 p.m., A Monster’s Ball, zombies are also generous and the funds over the summer to gather more than length of service, by itself, from decisions perched above downtown is the �rst sign Corry Street, free raised from suggested donations, raf�es enough signatures to turn the measure regarding a reduction in work force that this year’s festivities will be darker • 10 p.m., “Thrill The World” perfor- and activities will go to Home, Inc. and a into a referendum, which will be listed as • Expands the list of subjects that are but also more creative and prolific, mance, John Bryan Center, free local family in need. Issue 2 on the Nov. 8 ballot. Voting yes for inappropriate for collective bargaining and thanks to some demented local organiz- The zombie walk is the brainchild of Issue 2 will ratify SB 5 and stem the bar- permits public employers to not bargain on ers. tourists who don’t typically shop in villager Tobi Dawson, who thought it gaining power of workers including public any subject...even if it affects wages, hours, “It’s only appropriate for Yellow Springs Yellow Springs into the stores. would be fun to stage the zombie apoca- school teachers, public works employees and terms and conditions of employment to have a big Halloween,” said organizer “I love the idea of people being out lypse in a small town (walks are typically and public hospital staff around the state. Eighty-three of the workers in Yellow Mindy Harney this week. “It’s a town that of their cars and walking around down- held in cities). The response has been Voting no will send SB 5 to the scrap heap. Springs who would be affected by this isn’t scared to dress up, that loves to be town,” Harney said. “It exposes our awe- incredible, with an estimated 300 to 400 Yellow Springs High School teacher measure serve the Yellow Springs school playful, creative and imaginative. Those some stores.” people showing up last year. Shawn Jackson, for one, has been ada- district. Most are teachers and some are are the things I think of when I think of The scarecrows sit on 10-foot poles “It’s gory and it’s zombies, but people mantly opposed to both SB 5 and hence staff and administrators. While currently, Halloween.” where American �ags �y on the Fourth bring their kids,” Dawson said. “It’s Issue 2 since the beginning, he said during all district employees already pay for 15 Behind the �rst scarecrow project are of July. Harney and Swaney worked not about blood and guts.” The event is an interview this week. percent of their healthcare bene�ts and 10 Harney and Bob Swaney, the same team with the Village to more than double the family-friendly, organizers said. Last year “SB 5 takes the voice of the teachers percent of their retirement bene�ts, the law that brought the Cirque Carnivals to number of �ag pole holes downtown so baby zombies were pushed in strollers out of the equation and lets the state make prohibits both the YSEA and the OAPSE, Dayton Street.