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December 27, 2007
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December 27, 2007 |
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2008: The Year in Review
Among the lead stories locally in 2007: Antioch University announced that Antioch College would close in 2008. Villagers debated annexation and buying into a coal-burning electric power plant for 50 years. A proposal for a Yellow Springs arts center became a vision of Yellow Springs as an arts center. In brief: Antioch closing The college had to be closed, university officials said, because it lacked the enrollment and the resources to succeed. The general plan was to reopen the college in 2012 with a new curriculum and “state-of-the-art facilities.” The announcement came just two weeks before the annual college alumni reunion. About 600 alumni attended, many with the intention of seeing the decision reversed. By the time the reunion ended, the alumni had raised over $420,000 and vowed to raise enough to keep the college open. By late August, the alumni had raised $8 million. The Yellow Springs community responded as well, forming committees, holding town meetings, raising money and urging Village Council to become active in keeping the college open. In late August, the university board made its “irreversible” decision provisional, saying it would give alumni until late October to come up with a plan and the money to keep the college open. They came up with that plan, and on Nov. 2 the university board lifted the suspension — as long as the alumni delivered, on time, money that had been pledged. Several major donors, however, were willing to contribute only if the college became self-governing and they balked at the Nov. 2 agreement’s vague language on governance. A new group, called the Antioch College Continuation Corporation (ACCC) and formed of alumni, former university trustees, major donors and college emeriti, began negotiations with the university board and administration in early December with the goals of college independence and stability. A meeting was set for Feb. 21–23, 2008, when the university board will decide whether to transfer the college to the ACCC. Annexation A development plan, which had originally included a mix of commercial and residential uses, called for over 200 housing units, including multi- and single-family units. A group of villagers calling itself Grow Smart was planning to file for a public referendum if Village Council approved the annexation. The proposed annexation had stirred villagers’ concerns over the previous months, and sparked three well-attended public forums along with many letters to the News. Coal plants After the previous Council had failed to pass an emergency measure to approve it because it received only three favorable votes when four were needed, on Dec. 3 the newly-seated Council turned down, 3–2, a 45-year electricity contract with the Prairie State coal-fired plant under construction in Illinois.
Arts center With a grant from the Morgan Family Foundation, the arts center committee embarked on Phase II of its planning process: getting input from experts on ways to improve and sustain existing arts organizations and facilities such as the Little Art Theatre, the Antioch College Theater and South Gym Dance Studio and Bryan Community Center. November election Council news Council adopted 11 “goals” for the year, grouping them under three broad categories: Community Planning, Economic Development and Financial Responsibility. Council appointed Kingsley Perry to the Board of Zoning Appeals in January, Don Wallis to the Human Relations Commission and Steve Conn to the Environmental Commission in May, and Brian Chase to the Cable Advisory Board and Doug Bailey to the Environmental Commission in December. On Jan. 24, the Village signed a partnering agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a $400,000 infrastructure grant for the Center for Business and Education at Dayton Street and East Enon Road. Village Manager Eric Swansen recommended returning to a policy of billing property owners for repairs to public sidewalks. In June, the Human Relations Commission held an open house to educate the public about the poor condition of many village sidewalks and ways to address the problem. In December, Swansen said the Village had completed a sidewalk survey and will contact affected property owners over the winter, asking whether they or the Village should make repairs. Repairs will begin in the spring, he said. In June, Council appointed an electrical system task force to assess the Village’s current system and identify measures to reduce consumption. The group is to help Council decide whether to build a $3.5 million electric substation recommended by a consultant and Swansen. In October, the task force reported that a substation is not currently needed, since the Village contracts with DP&L to provide up to 18 megawatts of electricity, nearly twice the peak need of 9.1 megawatts. The group planned to present recommendations to reduce use by about 10 percent. Also in June, Council passed a resolution to allow local electricity customers to choose to pay their utility bills, at a slightly higher price, into a program that uses renewable energy sources. After several discussions on the matter, Council put “on hold” any decision to replenish the green space fund for the purpose of securing property easements to complete the long-envisioned (since 1945) plan for a greenbelt around Yellow Springs. The Yellow Springs Alliance, comprised of members from Community Resources, the Chamber of Commerce and the Community Information Project, proposed to Council on Oct. 1 that it be given control over $250,000 in village economic development funds for the next three years. Following the November election and the seating of the new Council, Judy Hempfling was elected Council president and Karen Wintrow vice president. In November, Council approved a five-year $20,000 loan to Peach’s Grill for expansion. At its Dec. 3 meeting, Council and community members suggested goals for 2008, including more meaningful community participation in Council business, an energy policy promoting voluntary conservation, building up the green space fund, a development plan focused on village strengths such as arts and education, and zoning that allows creative housing options. Council planned to finalize 2008 goals in January. Plan board news In February, Village Planning Commission approved a proposal by Home, Inc. to create rental units and office space at 1127 Xenia Avenue. But in March, the Board of Zoning Appeals denied a request for a variance from the 12,000-square-foot lot size requirement for a multifamily dwelling unit in a Residence B district. In October, Planning Commission approved revised plans for Village Station, a proposed residential and commercial development on Dayton and Railroad streets downtown. The new plan called for five structures on the 1.5-acre property. Friends Care Community in November presented a plan for senior apartments on the former Barr property at Xenia Avenue and Limestone Street. The plan includes demolition of the existing house to make way for a three-story, 30-unit apartment building and, potentially, a two-story senior center. The Morgan Family Foundation had donated the 1.6-acre property to Friends Care in March. Township news Chief Colin Altman reported to the trustees in February that the Fire-Rescue department had made 1,058 runs in 2006, a 4 percent increase over 2005. On April 16, the trustees committed $58,900 for an easement acquisition on the Stockwell farm on Fairfield Road through a federal grant program, in partnership with the Tecumseh Land Trust. In November, following a new appraisal of the property, they committed an additional $17,150. In June, Miami Township Fire-Rescue issued a partial ban on open burning because of dry weather conditions. On Sept. 15, Miami Township Fire-Rescue held a community party to celebrate its 100 years of service. On Sept. 15, trustees approved a proposal to bill insurance companies for emergency medical services ambulance runs. Several times during the year, the trustees discussed the fate of the partially destroyed dam on the Little Miami River above the newly-restored Grinnell Mill. A decision whether to rebuild the dam, in some fashion, had not been made by year’s end. Downtown news Deborah Wallis was named artistic director at Wavelength Beauty Wellness Centre. The Village Artisans Gallery began a year-long 25th anniversary celebration in January. Massage therapists Amy Thobaben-Spurr and Keri Speck opened an office at 108 Dayton Street. Yoga Springs Studio celebrated its third anniversary. After 12 years of operation, the WEB coffeehouse ended in March. It was halted abruptly after officials at the First Presbyterian Church, which lent space to the coffeehouse for about a decade, learned that the WEB had no insurance and was not covered by the church’s policy. Downtown merchants celebrated spring with a “Garden Party” evening of special displays and events in April. Sherryl Kostic, of “would you, could you” in a Frame, organized the event. LaserLinc, a local design and manufacturing company, moved its operation from South Walnut Street in Yellow Springs to Fairborn on May 1 because its officers found no suitable space for expansion here. Toxic Beauty, a rock and roll gallery, opened on the second floor of 220 Xenia Avenue on June 1. Three new shops opened in King’s Yard, See Spot Run, Village Greenery and the Tie-Dye Gift Shop. Priscilla Moore of Mr. Fub’s Party was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. The 25th Annual Book Fair was held on Mills Lawn on Aug. 4, sponsored by Dark Star Books and Comics. And the 25th annual Art on the Lawn fine arts and craft show, sponsored by Village Artisans, was held on Aug. 11. Super-Fly Comics & Games opened on Dayton Street in August. Some downtown businesses held a Bulldog Football Team Day on Aug. 31 to raise money to replace the high school team’s jerseys. Creative Explorations, a retreat center for women, opened at 253 Xenia Avenue, above Global Gallery. Living Green, a new store on Xenia Avenue, had its grand opening on Nov. 17–18. Other local news: Wastewater treatment Levy passes New officers Thistle Creek Founders Award Overeaters Anonymous Unitarians celebrate Film award Officer shoots dog Tennis courts Newspaper awards Land trust success Skatepark upgrade Davenport retires ‘Bomb scare’ Fast miler Antioch Publishing for sale Street repairs
Emmy winners Interim pastor McGregor moves The new building, which boasts state-of-the-art technology, was the product of a multi-year town/gown collaboration between McGregor and Community Resources, which had purchased the land on which it stands with a revolving economic development loan from the Village. The building was funded by a combination of state performance bonds and donations. Tree survey FCC administrator resigns Peak oil New pastor Apartment fire House fire Jet noise Art news Christian Berg released a retrospective album, “A Man Is A Tree,” in January. It included piano solos by Mary Fahrenbruck. Storytellers Jonatha and Harold Wright performed with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 3 at the Kuss Auditorium in Springfield. The Shirley/Jones Gallery featured “Approximate Measure: Improvisation in African-American Quilts” in February and early March. A jazz ensemble headed by cellist Karen Patterson played with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert entitled “Boundless Harmony” at the Dayton Schuster Center on Feb. 17. Steen Pedersen was a featured artist at the Interface Creative Group’s Rotating Gallery in Springfield in February Will Davis presented his solo performance, Will Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, at the Antioch Theater in March. The annual Valerie Blackwell-Truitt Community Dance Concert was presented in the Antioch South Gym on March 16 and 17. The annual Student Art Exhibition was on display at Bryan Community Center during the month of April. The fourth annual Spring Artist Studio Tour was held on April 28, hosted by 11 local artists. The fall tour, hosted by 12 artists, was held Oct. 20–21. The Yellow Springs Community Chorus performed the Brahms “Requiem” on May 6 in Kelly Hall at Antioch College, featuring soloists Jennifer Gilchrist and Mark Spencer. On Dec. 9, the chorus gave a holiday concert at First Presbyterian Church, featuring harpist May Dicken. The Little Art Theatre hosted the Sundog Film Festival on May 19. “Slumberland,” a film by Nathan Moore, Andy Sontag and Sonny Thomas, won the best experimental film award. Horatio’s Hamlet, a film featuring the puppets of villager Jim Rose, was shown at the Little Art on June 2. The Community Band gave free concerts in King’s Yard on June 8, in Kelly Hall on Oct. 22 and in Mills Lawn School on Dec. 2. The Yellow Springs Brass played a benefit concert for Darfur at St. Paul Catholic Church on June 9. The John Bryan Community Pottery held a summer arts camp for kids 6–12 June 11–21. The Spring Art Stroll on June 15 included a ribbon-cutting for a new ceramic tile bench at Xenia Avenue and Corry Street and a walk sponsored by Village Walkers of Path-n-Glen. The 43rd Summer Strings and Band Program was held in June and July, culminating with a Grand Finale Concert in King’s Yard on July 19. Dick and Billie Eastman were honored as elders of the Yellow Springs folk dancing community at an international folk dance event in the Antioch south gym on June 22. Jay Williams was the organizer. Central Chapel AME Church presented a one-act play, “The Church Fight,” on June 23. YS Kids Playhouse had two productions in the summer: $ense and $ensibility, created and directed by John Fleming, and Around the World in 80 Days, adapted by Tony Dallas. “Power Plays,” an evening of one-act plays by local playwrights, was performed in the Antioch Experimental Theater on June 22 and 24. The plays were written by Holly Hudson, who organized the event, Rubin Battino, Alex Byrnes, Dan Davis, Jerry Holt and Kay Reimers. Elizabeth Strout gave the keynote address at the 2007 Antioch Writers’ Workshop on July 7. The Speed of Light, a film by Ed Radtke, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. It showed as a benefit for and at the Little Art Theatre Oct. 27–29. The 10th annual AACW Blues and Jazz Fest was held Sept. 5–9. Sacred Fire, a play by villager Kay Reimers, premiered in the Antioch Area Theatre in October. The Dayton Mandolin Orchestra played at the First Presbyterian Church on Oct. 21. Author Raymond Ruka and illustrator Libby Rudolf gave a reading and signing of their book, The Family Tree of the Rainbow, at Epic Books on Oct. 19. In the fall, painter Jason Morgan completed a mural featuring local people and YSI employees on the wall of YSI’s building at the south end of the village. The Yellow Springs Christmas Players presented two medieval Christmas plays at the First Presbyterian Church Dec. 14–15. The plays have been performed every year or two since 1962. School news Mollie Greenberg won the 2007 Mills Lawn School Spelling Bee. Eight YSHS students — Erik Bean, Brandon Carver-Halley, Katy McEvoy, Abeo Miller, Erin Silvert-Noftle, Andy Sontag, Sonny Thomas and Liz Zaff—were recognized for outstanding media art in both the 2007 Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Exhibition and the Ohio Digital Arts Festival. Two of Silvert-Noftle’s digital images were also selected, from among 3,000 submissions statewide, for the 2007 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition. YSHS senior Whitney Finster, a bassoonist, performed with the Ohio State University 26th Annual High School Honor Band, the Ohio Music Education Association’s All-State Orchestra and, as a soloist, the Springfield Youth Symphony. The second annual faculty/student/alumni band concert was held at Yellow Springs High School on Feb. 22. In preparation for the springs prom, the YSHS junior class sponsored ballroom dance lessons open to the community. Ashanta’ Robinson received first-team honors in girls basketball in the Metro Buckeye Conference. Carly Bailey was second team. Bailey shared the MBC Coaches Award with Lasena Badger, a Miami Valley School student from Yellow Springs. Named to the sportsmanship team was Kristen Foster. The team finished second in the conference. Kilan Brown was named to the MBC boys basketball first team. Yellow Springs High School sponsored a February forum to discuss teenage drug and alcohol use. Principal John Gudgel said a spate of calls about teenage drinking at local parties prompted him to plan the forum.
Mills Lawn School presented the musical Alladin Jr., at the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center at Central State University March 3 and 4. More than 280 students participated. Alex Beer won first place in the McKinney School eighth grade Science Fair for his project “Are There Dangerous Amounts of Lead in Our Soil?” Antioch School students performed Peter and the Wolf in Bryan Community Center in March and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at the Antioch Theater in May. Also in March, YSHS teacher Kevin O’Brien was named Midwest District High School Physical Educator of the Year by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. YSHS senior Andrew Sontag won a silver award for his short film “Focus” at the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in New York City in March. YSHS presented the musical Guys and Dolls in the Mills Lawn auditorium in April and the play Lost in Yonkers in November. YSHS senior Niquelle Orr was named first runner up in the Ohio Miss Cheerleader of America selection in Columbus on April 22.
On April 24, the Yellow Springs school board hired Norman Glismann, principal of Bryan High School in Bryan, Ohio, as superintendent, effective Aug. 1. He replaced Tony Armocida, who retired after 10 years. Glismann actually began work in July, when Armocida took accumulated vacation time. Eduardo Gillifa and Niquelle Orr were crowned king and queen of the 2007 YSHS prom. For their YSHS senior project, Carly Bailey and Niquelle Orr hosted a “Building the Bridge” community forum on May 7 to discuss how youth and adults relate to each other in Yellow Springs. The Antioch School honored retiring teacher Kit Crawford’s 25-year tenure on May 12. Alex Visbal was named valedictorian and Carly Bailey salutatorian for the YSHS Class of 2007. The second annual Spring Music and Art Fest was held at Mills Lawn School on May 23. Mills Lawn third-grade teacher Suzanne Hardin retired at the end of the school year after a 30-year career. Five McKinney Middle School students — eighth-graders Elizabeth Gonder, Kelly Miller and Louisa Rich and seventh-graders Zyna Bakari and Lydia Jewett — qualified for the state Power of the Pen competition. Bakari won honorable mention for her poem “Memories.” Inducted into the YSHS National Honor Society were Kyle Buchwalder, Peter Keahey, Zac Katz-Stein, Max Buchwalder, Meg Hild, Miriam Barcus, Rosa Dixon, Whitney Finster, Megan Kaplan, Drew Stratton, Jesse Rothman, Nathan Moore and Olivia Dixon.
Sam Borchers won the Division III titles in the 1600- and 800-meter runs at the state high school track meet, setting the record in the later, and set a new 4x800 relay record with teammates Andy Peters, Evan Firestone and Alexis Onfroy-Curley. YSHS placed third overall in the state meet. The Antioch School began a major renovation project in June after raising $370,000 to fund it. The Ohio Psychological Association awarded Jeremiah Shaw, a student at Nightingale Montessori, first place in the grade eight behavioral science competition at the Ohio State Science Day. The Yellow Springs public schools received an “excellent” ranking, the highest possible, for student results on the state achievement tests. YSHS and McKinney School planned an “interdisciplinary study of water from the global to local arenas” as the 2007–08 school year opened. Grants from Community Foundation, Endowment for Education and YSI Foundation help fund the project. Six foreign exchange students — Clara Lang-Ezeckiel, Stephanie Broelingen, Julika Rug, Emanuela DiBenedetto, Francesco Amighetti and Sirigan Singkeaw—were attending YSHS as the new school year began. At YSHS, Lara Donnelly was named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, Peter Keahey an Outstanding National Achievement Participant, and Megan Kaplon and Rosa Dixon National Merit Commended Students. Donnelly also received an Achievement Award in Writing from the National Council of Teachers of English. Summer McKee and Jonathan Haller were named YSHS 2007 Homecoming Queen and King. School board member Richard Lapedes announced at a Sept. 13 meeting that he had privately commissioned an arts management consultant to investigate locating an arts magnet program at YSHS. The YSHS boys soccer team lost to Springfield Catholic Central, 1–0, in the Division III regional finals on Nov. 3. The Bulldogs finished with a 17–3–1 record.
News at Antioch The Dance Department presented a performance and workshop by Japanese Butoh artist Kayo Mikami in February. The Spring Dance Concert in April featured choreography by guest artists Teena Custer and Kelsa Reiger, associate professor of dance Jill Becker and students Rachel Haines and Beth Goodney and music by villager Ken Simon. The Fall Dance Concert, Nov. 30–Dec 1, featured choreography by Becker, Reiger, Goodney, guest artist Colleen Leonardi and students Adam Rose and Erin Turner and West African dance and drumming under the direction of Suzan Bradford and Abdou Kounta. In March, Antioch College cut 10 staff and administrative positions, among them Dean of Students Jimmy Williams and Executive Vice President Rick Jurasek. The Apple Hill chamber music group performed in Kelly Hall in March, with local soprano Jennifer Gilchrist participating. The Antioch Area Theatre presented “Postmodern Pinter,” a performance of plays, poems and speeches by Nobel Prize laureate Harold Pinter, directed by Louise Smith and John Fleming, in late March and early April and A Streetcar Named Desire Nov. 7–10, directed by Fleming. The Grand Induction Ceremony for the Coretta Scott King Center for Cultural and Intellectual Freedom was held on March 27. The King Center and community government co-hosted the 2007 Hip-Hop Convergence and Academic Conference on March 31. Assistant Professor of History Julie Gallagher gave the 45th annual Faculty Lecture, “An Education for Praxis: Antioch Confronts the Challenges of a New Century,” on April 4. Violinist Aaron Dozeman and cellist Wesley Harrison, seniors at Miami University, performed their senior recital in Kelly Hall on April 15. “Eyes Wide Open — Ohio: the High Cost of War,” created by the American Friends Service Committee in response to the war in Iraq, was exhibited on campus in April along with events coordinated by the Coretta Scott King Center. For Earth Day weekend, April 21–22, Glen Helen sponsored birding and wild flower hikes, a potluck, a garlic mustard pull, a program for kids and a raptor release. Antioch College held its 155th Commencement on April 28. Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia was the keynote speaker. Alumni awards at the annual college reunion were presented to Ruth Anderson Lawson, Horace Mann Award; Dave Goodwin, J.D. Dawson Award; Nikki Will Stein, Arthur Morgan Award; and Carol Louise Greenwald, Rebecca Rice Award. Bill Pardue, chairman and CEO of Qbase, was the keynote speaker at the Antioch University McGregor Commencement at the Schuster Center in Dayton on June 24.
Antioch University McGregor Campus West opened at the beginning of September at the corner of Dayton Street and East Enon Road. Antioch University McGregor received a Diversity Award from Minority Access, Inc., at the National Role Models Conference in Virginia on Sept. 14. “Collaborations,” an exhibit of photographs by professor of photography Dennie Eagleson and present and past Antioch students, opened on Sept. 20. Antioch College celebrated Founders Day on Oct. 5, in commemoration of Horace’s Mann’s 1853 inauguration, with speeches, a carnival, a cabaret, student films and videos, and a parade through downtown. Births Deaths
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