March 10, 2005

Planning coming together for ’05 Community Forum

By Diane Chiddister

Organizers of this month’s second annual Yellow Springs Community Forum, “Where Do We Go from Here?,” believe that the time is right for villagers to gather together to consider future directions for Yellow Springs.

“It seems to be a ripe period in Yellow Springs to get involved, the energy in the air, the number of meetings,” said Don Hollister, acting president of the Chamber of Commerce, which this year is one of the forum’s sponsors. “This is the time to speak your piece.”

The forum will take place Saturday, March 26, from 8:20 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the Wright State student union. The deadline to reserve a spot in the forum is Friday, March 11. Interested persons may RSVP by calling the Chamber of Commerce office at 767-2686.

In addition to the Chamber, the meeting is sponsored by the Yellow Springs Men’s Group and Community Resources, and will be facilitated by Wright State’s Center for Urban and Public Affairs. Saul Young and Richard Lapedes are the event’s cochairs. Financial support has been provided by the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, the Antioch Company Charitable Foundation and the YSI Foundation.

Unlike last year’s forum, which was sponsored by the Men’s Group and limited to 70 invited representatives of Yellow Springs organizations, the 2005 event is open to anyone who wishes to attend, said organizers, who encourage interested persons to take part.

“If you have some thoughts you wish to express, you will be heard,” said Bill Alexander, the president of the Men’s Group.

Another change from last year’s forum is the addition of a discussion group on smart growth, which reflects the recent local debate on how much Yellow Springs should grow and in what ways, Lapedes said.

“There was the concern of a large group of citizens that those focusing on economic development are not being mindful of the village’s longstanding commitment to environmental management,” he said.

To try to incorporate those concerns into the forum, Lapedes said, organizers asked leaders of Villagers Addressing Land Issues and Development, or VALID, to take part in the event.

After a welcome on March 26, the forum begins with a review of last year’s events, including a video summary of the 2004 forum, a report by Sharen Neuhardt on Community Round Table activities, a report by Dan Young on Community Resources activities and reports by Tony Arnett, the Village Council president, on green space and buildable land surveys and on the results of the 2004 Council surveys.

Next, participants will divide up into six discussion groups, which include groups on the village’s economic base, housing, education, taxes and public revenues, government services and smart growth. Following lunch, participants will review recommendations from the discussion groups.

In the afternoon participants will hear a panel discussion on “Policy Perspectives of the Forum’s Vision,” which will feature two members each from Council, the Miami Township trustees and the Yellow Springs Board of Education. In the event’s final activity, three new members will be chosen for the Community Round Table.

According to Lapedes, so far 88 people who were invited are planning to attend the forum, representing a range of local organizations, including businesses, churches and nonprofit groups.

Organizers have requested that half of those representing groups be people who attended last year’s forum and half be new faces, according to Lapedes, who said they wish to ensure that the forum benefits both from continuity and from fresh perspectives.

According to Lapedes, as of this week eight community members who were not specifically representing organizations have called to register.

While organizers hope that the forum provides villagers an opportunity to address pressing issues for Yellow Springs, they know that a one-day event won’t have a significant impact unless people continue to invest their energies throughout the year.

“The biggest thing,” Hollister said, “is the follow through.”