December 23, 2004

EDITORIAL

A remarkable year

The year 2004 has been a strange one, highlighted with emotional events and inspiring accomplishments. While many good things have happened during the last 12 months, Yellow Springs also has had its share of uncertainty and tragedy.

Last week’s discovery that villager Timothy Harris had been murdered in his home was the latest in a string of troubling events to have occurred in 2004. This is also the third tragic death in the village. In February, the body of Tim Lopez, who disappeared as a senior at Yellow Springs High School two years ago, was found in the backyard of the home of a classmate, Michael Rittenhouse. Mr. Rittenhouse has been indicted for murder and is awaiting trial. Then in April, another tragedy struck when Arla Smith, a 17-year-old senior at YSHS, died in a car accident.

The Yellow Springs school district and the staff at YSHS reacted admiringly and sensitively to these events, showing that they have the skills and leadership to handle crises with compassion. Staffers provided their students with the room to grieve and the support they needed to understand that they are not alone. Students at YSHS seemed to appreciate the way the high school handled these events.

Yellow Springs also saw disturbing images in April when the Ku Klux Klan marched on downtown sidewalks, as hundreds of people angrily protested the Klansmen’s presence here. A few months later, downtown was again disrupted when a car drove out of control on Xenia Avenue, striking numerous vehicles and injuring three people. The response to all these events by Yellow Springs police, Miami Township Fire-Rescue and other police and fire departments proved, once again, that the village is lucky to have such dedicated volunteers and staff who worked to keep us safe.

Many villagers immersed themselves this fall in a passionate presidential election, spending considerable time, energy and money trying to get their preferred candidate elected. Though many were disappointed and frustrated with the loss of Democratic Senator John Kerry — as well as the passage of Issue 1, the anti-gay ballot measure — political activists should be proud of their efforts this year.

The year 2004 was a time for significant progress on an important community effort: the building of a commerce park, the Center for Business and Education. Community Resources, the group spearheading this project, cleared a major hurdle when it purchased land from Vernay Laboratories for the park. Yellow Springers then successfully lobbied Antioch to allow Antioch University McGregor to relocate its campus to the park, giving the facility a major tenant and providing space for McGregor to expand its programs. Also on campus, Antioch College spent the year on plans to overhaul the curriculum, increase student enrollment and invest millions of dollars in building and facility upgrades. The changes, coordinated by the Renewal Commission, could lead to significant improvements at the college, and, possibly, could create a better Antioch.

Thanks to the Yellow Springs Men’s Group, community leaders also got together in the spring to discuss economic issues and devise plans to increase the population and strengthen the community’s identity as a village that values education. Plans to increase both the population and business community have sparked an important debate in town about growth, the economy, government finances and green space preservation.

Of course, many other important and interesting happenings took place in 2004, led by the schools, businesses, institutions and volunteer-run organizations. Indeed, each year, thousands of meetings, events, concerts, art shows and sporting events are held here. The breadth of activity is inspiring and help to create a sense of community.

While controversies, political turmoil and tragedies often get the big headlines, it is the people and organizations that make Yellow Springs the place that it is. It is nice to be reminded that for all the squabbles in town and conflict dominating the world, Yellow Springs remains a fascinating and caring community.

—Robert Mihalek