Local Archived News   6/04                                              Subscribe Now                                            
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U-Co: 30 years of quality work

Dotson's Garage didn't stay a small operation for long

Richwood Village Council selects new member
Deputies have tense moments
Ostrander announces plans for Fourth of July festivities
Potato gun explodes, area man killed
Study touts economic impact of Honda
Richwood Bank to expand
Council votes to override veto
Hospital to buy automated payroll system
Case against Kyte to go to grand jury
Council may decide to override move with vote tonight
Grand marshal named for parade
City tax deal may hurt MR/DD
Other areas have home density rules
Heflin family's been serving up good food for 57 years
Mother gets five years
Kaffenbarger admits being superintendent and principal will be a heavy
load
Milford Center Council deals with sign, tree trimming issues
Traditions drive flag etiquette
Former Jerome Twp. attorney accused
Fairbanks Elementary needs new roof
Townships stockpiling money
Playground  program announced
City plans for added growth
Local girl is governor at Girls State
Discussion will focus  on fire station location
Richwood gears up for Springenfest
Printing business has branches
in Plain City and Marysville
Festival planned in Unionville Center
Council discusses flooding issues
Past city promises resurface
Local man flies in tribute to Reagan
A local perspective on the  events
Bob Wentz reflects on school, Scouts and war
Honda payroll tops $1.1 billion in Ohio
Activities set for Fourth  of July
United Way backs shelter programs
Tired of layoffs, Chaffin went out on his own
Jerome trustees follow own paths
Theft from PTO nets one-year sentence
Four receive minor injuries fighting fire
City ready  to regulate political signs
Fire department seeks assistance from residents
Sick day swapping discussed
Driver leads deputies on pursuit
North Union announces valedictorians, salutatorian
Memories of war
Local veterans share their feelings on trip to WWII Memorial dedication
N.L. moves ahead with wastewater improvements
Sam Jackson's grew from garage operation
Marysville graduation is this  weekend

U-Co: 30 years of quality work
By CINDY BRAKE
At age 82, Gladys Connolly has no plans to retire from her job at U-Co
Industries.
In fact, she isn't sure what she would do with her days if she didn't
come to the sheltered workshop for the mentally retarded and
developmentally disabled at 835 E. Fifth St.
One of the shelter's longest employees, Linda Smith shows a mile-wide
grin when she tells about her father, Leland, helping to make U-Co a
reality 30 years ago.
"I hate to miss work," Smith said.
U-Co Industries is celebrating its 30th anniversary today with a picnic
lunch.
The sheltered workshop actually began when voters approved a 1-mill levy
in 1974 to provide a "complete program for retarded persons in Union
County." Prior to the levy's passage, mentally retarded adults had no
further programs after attending The School of Opportunity unless their
parents could afford it.
"If their parents can afford it, and are able to get them into Goodwill
Industries or State School - they can be trained there to hold jobs. For
others there is nothing to do," states a history and outline of the
School of Opportunity.
Sheltered workshops provide work under close supervision.
U-Co was first housed with the School of Opportunity, but moved to its
current location in 1976. A major renovation was completed in 1980.
On Tuesday afternoon the workshop was humming with activity as an
assembly line of 14 workers collated owner manual kits for Honda. In
another corner, three employees were spooning fertilizer into sample
bags for The Scotts Company. Connolly was counting and bagging parts.
Terri O'Connell, adult services director, said the program currently
employs approximately 55 individuals ranging in age from 18 to 80 years
with a variety of physical and cognitive abilities. Job methods are
tailored to each person's ability and each is paid on productivity.
"We're a highly valued supplier to Honda and must meet their on-time,
done-right standards," O'Connell said.
In addition to providing a service to local industry, U-Co offers a
quality of life to the employees, O'Connell said. She adds that U-Co
works really hard to make sure people leave here every day happy.
"Work is an important piece of adult identity," O'Connell said. "A job
gives rhythm and routine to life, affiliation, friends, productivity and
something to talk about."
U-Co also provides respite for employees and their families, she adds.
Linda Smith and Carol Sharp confirm O'Connell's comments.
Smith said she enjoys making her own money so she can help her mother or
save for a special purchase.
"I love it here," Sharp said.
As for the future, O'Connell said U-Co hopes to continue providing
services while developing business. The seven-member U-Co board is also
looking into purchasing a new facility, according to information
submitted to the Union County Commissioners.
U-Co board members are Jack Groat, Bill Franke, Dorothy Liggett-Pelanda,
Jim Jobe, Mike Goddard, Walt Henderson and Wils VanDam.


Dotson's Garage didn't stay a small operation for long
A lot has changed in the automotive industry since a small one-man
automotive shop opened 40 years ago in Magnetic Springs.
Today Dotson's Garage is a full-scale operation, with the help of a
loyal customer base.
Owner Edsel Dotson said the business opened in a small wood frame
building just north of a schoolhouse in Magnetic Springs on September
15, 1964. At first he worked alone and with the help of his wife,
Pattsy, who chose parts and kept the books straight while raising their
two children.
Within a year, Dotson said, a helper was hired to keep up with the
growing work load. Part-time help was added along with a second
full-time employee.
"In the mid-1970s we were experiencing growing pains and a new facility
was planned," he said.
In July 1978 Dotson's Garage relocated to its present 6,200-square-foot
building at 23161 Route 37 at the intersection where it meets Route 347.
Services cover most auto and light truck repairs, except for body and
glass work.
Today Dotson's Garage has eight employees. All technicians are ASE
certified and three employees have earned their master technician
status.
"Auto repair has changed tremendously in the past 40 years," Dotson
said. "We would never have dreamed that computers would have much impact
on automotive operation, diagnostics and business management for our
day-to-day operation."
To keep up with the changing times, he said, training is very important
as well as attending classes several hours each year.
"We have been blessed with a very large customer base and thank everyone
for that," Dotson said. "We look forward to the challenge of the future
and are trying to prepare ourselves for it."
He said most of the everyday service management is now handled by his
son Kevin, who has worked in the business full-time for the past 22
years.

Richwood Village Council selects new member
By CHAD WILLIAMSON
When Richwood Council needed to fill one of its seats, it looked to a
lifelong resident.
After a special meeting last week, the council choose Scott Jerew from
the interested candidates. Jerew was sworn in by village solicitor Rick
Rodger early in Monday's village council meeting.
Jerew, 41, was born and raised in Richwood. He currently operates G&H
Threads, a sporting goods store on North Fulton Street.
Married with two children, Jerew said he is interested in making sure
the village continues to grow and improve. Jerew said his special
interest lies in preserving the history of the village for future
generations. He said his interest doesn't lie with historical buildings,
like the Richwood Village Hall, but rather with items like historical
photos and documents.
Jerew said he feels that preserving such items for future generations is
very important.
Council voted down a petition request from a resident on Beatty Avenue.
Residents Michael and Patty Hamilton had petitioned the village and
Union County Commissioners for inclusion into the village. Apparently,
the 2.14 acre piece of land already receives city water and sewer but
pays a higher, out-of-village rate for the services.
Rodger told council that he thought the time to protest the annexation
would have been prior to its approval by the commissioners on April 19.
Council and mayor Bill Nibert said they were unaware that the issue was
being heard by the commissioners.
Council members did not openly express their concerns with annexing the
property although a few questions were raised about the ability to force
the property owner to conform to village zoning regulations.
Nibert noted that there is a small business operating on the property
and those employees would be subject to the village income tax if the
annexation were approved.
Council voted down the issue, with Arlene Blue, Jerew and George
Showalter voting against the measure and Jim Ford and Wade McCalf voting
to approve it.
In other business, council:
. Approved a $6,225 transfer from the general fund to the building fund
to pay for the windows of the village hall.
. Again discussed their disgust at a recent hike in fees from the
Regional Income Tax Agency.
. Learned that a case involving a former police officer is being
appealed with the bureau of workers compensation.
. Approved a $2 per hour raise for Jim Thompson while he fulfills the
duties of acting village administrator.
. Learned from Showalter that it may cost $500 to remove a potentially
hazardous tree from the village park.
. Discussed the high water level at the village lake and noted that it
could be another week before certain sections of the lake are opened to
the public.
. Heard from local builder Jeff Wills on a subdivision he is building.
Wills wanted council to sign off on his final plat for the homes but
council opted to wait until it received confirmation from the engineers
that some problems were remedied.
. Discussed a sinkhole that is developing on Route 47.

Deputies have tense moments
From J-T staff reports:
Early this morning a domestic violence call in Raymond almost turned
violent before law enforcement were able to control a man threatening to
shoot an officer.
Today at approximately 1:11 a.m. Union County Sheriff's deputies were
dispatched to 26173 Storms Road in Raymond for a domestic dispute.
The call ended in the arrest of Larry A. Wright, 31, for domestic
violence, aggravated menacing and resisting arrest.
At the scene, deputies discovered Wright had been fighting with his
24-year-old wife. Police reports state that there were four children in
the home ranging in age from 10 months to 11 years.
His wife voluntarily agreed to leave the residence with two of the four
children and Wright was to remain at the residence with the two
remaining children.
Around 2:53 a.m. deputies were still at the residence investigating the
offense when sheriff's deputies reported that Wright became angry and
threatened to shoot a deputy.
"Because of Mr. Wright's threats and combative nature he was immediately
sprayed with pepper mace and ordered to the ground but did not comply,"
the sheriff's department press release states.
The deputy was also affected by the pepper mace and had difficulty
seeing Wright, who then fled back into his home while the deputy
pursued.
Reports state that once Wright was inside the residence, he barricaded
himself and two children in a corner of the home and refused to
acknowledge the demands of the deputy to surrender.
At this point backup officers from the Marysville Police Department and
the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrived on the scene and assisted in
taking Wright into custody without further incident.
Wright was transported to the Tri-County Jail in Mechanicsburg after he
was arrested.
His wife was not harmed in the altercation, however, it was reported
Wright's hand was slightly injured but he refused medical transport.


Ostrander announces plans for Fourth of July festivities
Ostrander's Fourth of July celebration will start with Little League
ball games all day Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. Firemen will serve ice
cream, cake and pie at noon and Pope's food stand will be on the grounds
all day and evening. Fireworks are scheduled for 10 p.m. The Ostrander
July 4 Committee will operate a food booth Saturday and Monday.
The parade will step off at 10 a.m. Monday. Chicken barbecue will be
served at 11:45 a.m., firemen will again serve their desserts at noon
and Pope's stand will be on the grounds. Girls softball games will begin
at 1 p.m., as well as the kiddie tractor pull, and the firemen's water
ball will start at 3 p.m. A tractor square dance will be held at 7 p.m.
A home run derby, throwing contest and coaches ball game will also be
held.

Potato gun explodes, area man killed
From J-T staff reports:
An evening of fun turned deadly after a metal pipe gun exploded in
Champaign County, killing a Union County man and injuring several
others.
Kyle R. Thompson, 21, of Broadway was reportedly killed instantly from
shards of metal that flew from a homemade gun. The device was reportedly
being used to launch potatoes.
According to Brent Emmons, chief deputy of the Champaign County
Sheriff's Office, investigators hope to know more later today about what
happened Saturday night just before 11 p.m. at 5923 Cable Road in Cable.

He said investigations show that a group of friends and relatives had
gathered at the home and had been using gun powder to shoot potatoes out
of a metal pipe.
Also injured in the incident was Thompson's brother-in-law, Judd Coffey,
31, who lived at the residence where the incident occurred. He is
currently listed in critical but stable condition at Miami Valley
Hospital in Dayton. At the same hospital, Marysville resident Jason D.
Anderson, 22, of 23485 Route 4 is listed in fair condition.
Neighbor Robert H. Kiser, 48, of Cable was also injured and is listed in
good condition at Riverside Hospital in Columbus.
Emmons said more people may have been at the scene at the time but it is
unknown who they were or if they had been injured as well.
Deputies will try to determine how Thompson was killed. What they do
know is that the metal pipe exploded, sending metal pieces flying
through the air. It may have been caused by excessive gun powder or
possibly a potato jamming inside the barrel.
He said there was not enough of the metal pipe left after the explosion
to determine its length or how much gun powder had been used.
Champaign County officials hope the incident will serve as a warning for
the hazards of using gunpowder and fireworks in the coming Fourth of
July holiday.
Thompson reportedly worked at Lawnscapes Inc. in Marysville doing lawn
care and landscaping and enjoyed the outdoors.
His graveside memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at
the Broadway Cemetery. The Ingram Funeral Home is in charge of
arrangements.
A full obituary for Thompson can be found on page two.


Study touts economic impact of Honda
From J-T staff reports:
Honda of America Mfg. Inc. appears to be spreading its wealth to all of
central Ohio including Union County, according to a report officially
released by the company today.
A comprehensive study paid for by Honda and conducted by a Columbus firm
shows the positive economic effects Honda has had on Ohio over the past
25 years. The Marysville Journal-Tribune was asked by Honda not to
release the information until today.
"Honda has grown into a major economic engine for Ohio," said Howard B.
Fleeter, the study's principal author.
The vast majority of Honda associates live in a 15-county area.
Marysville ranks third in number of associates paying municipal income
taxes, as well as dollars generated. Ranking first and second are
Columbus and Dublin. The only other Union County village listed on the
chart of 53 is Richwood at 33rd.
According to the report, Honda employs 871 associates who pay $601,993
in income tax to Marysville. There are 1,187 associates who pay $1.8
million to Columbus and 291 associates who pay $869,878 to Dublin.
The chart shows 76 associates pay $25,881 in municipal income taxes to
the village of Richwood.
The greatest number of municipalities benefiting from Honda associate
income taxes are located in Franklin County. Union County lists two.
Counties ranked in order of municipalities receiving income taxes are:
Franklin (9), Logan (6), Shelby (5), Auglaize (5), Champaign (4), Hardin
(3), Miami (3), Mercer (3), Montgomery (3), Madison (2), Delaware (2),
Allen (2), Union (2), Clark (1), Darke (1) and Marion (1).
As compared to other counties, Union County places second in a summary
of corporate and volunteer giving since 1980 and third in school
district income taxes paid by Honda associates.
Franklin County received 32.1 percent or nearly $10 million from
corporate and foundation contributions, while Union County received $2.6
million; Logan, $1.5 million; and Shelby, $1.4 million. Madison received
the smallest amount, $983. The summary shows that $30.4 million has been
given from corporate and volunteer giving from 1980 to 2004.
When it comes to school district income taxes paid by Honda associates,
West Liberty in Champaign County realizes the greatest amount of
rewards, $264,468. North Union in Union County ranks third with $222,503
and Fairbanks ranks seventh with $96,717. A total of 43 school districts
are listed. Marysville schools do not collect dollars from an income
tax.
While Union, Logan and Shelby counties host Honda's Ohio manufacturing
operations, the suppliers for these operations are located throughout
the state, the report states. The largest concentration of suppliers
occurs in Franklin County (19). Other major metropolitan counties of the
state with multiple suppliers are: Cuyahoga (10), Montgomery (9),
Hamilton (4), Lucas (4) and Summit (4). Honda 154 in-state suppliers
account for more than 40,000 jobs.
The economic benefits, however, haven't come without some cost to state
taxpayers. The study lists $91.3 million in taxpayer incentives from
1977 to 1994.
The report shows $26.9 million in direct government incentives to Honda
- $22 million in inducement grants and $2.9 million in job training
assistance from the state; $2 million from the city of Marysville for
sewer and water expansion to match a $6 million federal grant; and a
small portion for highway upgrades near Honda facilities. All these
incentives were provided from 1977 to 1988 during the construction of
the Marysville Motorcycle Plant, the Marysville and East Liberty
Automobile Plants, the Anna Engine Plant and related expansions to each
of these facilities.
In addition, $64.4 million in state highway funding from 1987 to 1994
widened U.S. 33 between Marysville and Bellefontaine. The study notes
that this expansion has been clearly advantageous to many Honda
associates in their daily commute and to the company and its suppliers
in the transportation of products and production materials. It also
states that this project would not have occurred for many years had it
not been for the presence of Honda in the area.
Honda's investment, according to the report, is $6.1 billion in Ohio
operations from 1979 to 2003.
Honda's U.S. manufacturing operations began on Sept. 10, 1979, when its
first motorcycle rolled off the line at the Marysville Motorcycle Plant
where 64 associates worked. Auto production began in 1982 at the
Marysville Auto Plant.

Richwood Bank to expand
By CINDY BRAKE
Walls will be tumbling down soon along Franklin Street in Richwood.
The Richwood Banking Company has purchased three buildings near their
main office and plan to clear them away beginning July 1 for additional
parking.
President Nancy K. Hoffman said the project enables the bank to meet
four goals.
The bank will now be freestanding, have more parking, add a drive-up ATM
and provide easier access to the drive-through.
The project began earlier this year after safety concerns arose with the
neighboring upstairs rental hall and then had a snowball effect.
After deciding to purchase the building at 20 Franklin St. to alleviate
the upstairs health concerns, the bank officials discovered that there
was a common wall with 18 Franklin St. Thus, the bank's officials
decided to purchase the second building and with one building left
between them and the alley, the owner of  the Beckley Building said he
was interested in selling.
Village officials have been asked to change the alley between Blagrove
and Ottawa streets to one-way heading east. In exchange, the bank has
agreed to maintain the alley.
The Richwood Banking Company was organized in 1867 and was then called
The Bank of Richwood. Over the years it has undergone numerous
expansions along Franklin Street and the addition of branches in Plain
City, Marysville and LaRue.
In 1907 the bank moved to the current location of 28 N. Franklin St. and
operated out of one building. During the depression there were three
banks in Richwood. Richwood Banking Company withstood the financial
pressures and was the only one to remain open.
In 1938, the bank took is second building and in 1958 the third building
on Franklin and a building on Blagrove were remodeled to be included in
the bank operations.
A drive-through was added in 1976 and the fourth building from Franklin
Street was added. A major remodeling project in 1995 added an elevator
and second story to all the buildings in the banking operations.
The Plain City branch was added in 1977 and the Marysville branch was
opened in 1997. The LaRue branch was established in 1998.
In addition to the parking lot upgrades planned to be completed by Oct.
1, the bank has purchased another nearby building housing the Griffith
Carpet Shop, Hoffman said She said the additional 7,500 square feet will
be used for bookkeeping and storage.

Council votes to override veto
By RYAN HORNS
Marysville City Council unanimously voted to override mayor Tom Kruse's
veto during Thursday's regular meeting.
Kruse had vetoed a resolution sponsored by councilman David Burke and
John Gore to revise the guidelines for political signs. The April 1
resolution proposed that the planning commission review the current sign
ordinance and was passed by a unanimous council vote.
"The current ordinance has been deemed unconstitutional," council member
David Burke explained.
Overriding the mayor's veto were Nevin Taylor, Ed Pleasant, John
Marshall, Dan Fogt, Gore and Burke. Mark Reams was absent. A two-thirds
vote is required to override a veto.
Council's Thursday vote now means that the city planning commission has
60 days to review the section and offer a recommendation. The
recommendation will return to council in the form of an ordinance.
It appears that Marysville's economic slump is over, with four new
development projects on the table.
Union County Economic Development Director Eric Phillips told Marysville
City Council during Thursday's regular meeting that four new projects
are expected to bring in much-needed revenue for the city.
Phillips said the Univenture business development will bring 90 new jobs
to Marysville, along with $4 million in expected pay roll, while the
Goodyear development will bring in 20 new jobs and retain 233 jobs with
$700,000 in payroll. The Sumitumo research and development facility will
create 35 new engineering jobs in Marysville and a $1 million investment
in a new building.
Phillips said Coleman's Crossing is moving forward and is estimated to
bring in 500 new jobs and 175 retained jobs to Marysville, along with
$13.5 million in payroll and $40 million invested in the city.
Plans for selling off one city property have been put on hold, while the
disposition of another property should be resolved by Sept. 9.
Council voted to table the sale of the Scotts Circle city-owned property
indefinitely. Scotts Circle resident Don Howard thanked council members
for their concern over the issue on behalf of his neighborhood.
"This motion is dead," council president Nevin Taylor said.
Council voted to table the sale of city-owned property at Raymond Road
and West Fifth Street until the Sept. 9 council meeting. The desire is
to resolve the issue at that time. Council member John Gore commented
that the land was "probably the most valuable"  among those up for
possible sale but he does not want to spend another year discussing it.
A portion of the night was spent addressing last minute concerns raised
by the Union County MR/DD about the proposed Coleman's Crossing
development.
"The figures were not fully correct in how they were projected,"
economic development director Eric Phillips said.
The city planning commission approved the final plat for the development
June 7 and the last few issues are now being resolved before
construction can begin.
Phillips explained that without the proposed TIF for the development,
Coleman's Crossing would never happen. If this were the case, no one
would benefit from the economic value and tax dollars it could bring
into the city. This includes hundreds of new jobs with payroll going
back into the city economy, as well as new restaurants and new
businesses.
"No one is losing anything in this," Phillips said.
He explained that the MR/DD would not be losing money from the 30-year
TIF because Coleman's Crossing would only create new money. He added
that the proposed tax benefits would happen over time, not overnight. It
could take 10 to 12 years to generate tax revenue for the city, county
and school system.
Phillips also explained that TIFs are not new and that cities such as
Dublin have 16 active TIFs in effect. The city of Columbus used the same
process with developers for the Easton Town Center.

Hospital to buy automated payroll system
From J-T staff reports:
The Board of Trustees of Memorial Hospital approved the purchase of an
automated payroll system at a cost of $8,300 at Thursday's regular
meeting.
According to chief financial officer, the projected return on investment
will be realized in less than 12 months and is based on the reduction of
employee tracking and recording of time, manual input by the payroll
administrator and supervisor review.
Ehlers said the new system will eliminate manual input errors and will
result in recovery of lost time, such as long lunches and tardiness. It
will also give staff the ability to monitor vacation and sick balances
at each clock and track overtime by employees on a daily basis. The
system also includes an internal scheduler for departments.
The board also approved network hardware for connectivity to The Gables
at Green Pastures; approved matching funds for Memorial Meals through
the United Way and the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging Title IIIC;
adopted revisions to the medical ethics statement and the Do Not
Resuscitate-Arrest policy; and discussed creating a strategic plan for
the hospital.
The board adjourned into executive session to discuss imminent court
action and a trade secret of a count hospital. No action was taken.


Case against Kyte to go to grand jury
From J-T staff reports:
Criminal complaints against Columbus attorney Susan J. Kyte, who worked
for Jerome Township and a local political action committee, have been
referred to the Franklin County Prosecutor.
According to printed reports, the Ohio Elections Commission voted 5-1
Thursday against taking action against the 47-year-old Kyte for
election-law violations.
Kyte served as treasurer of the campaigns of state Treasurer Joseph T.
Deters and three state legislators. Approximately $160,000 is allegedly
missing from campaign funds which she was involved with as far back as
1998. She allegedly wrote checks to herself and failed to itemize
campaign contributions in various finance reports, mostly from political
action committees.
Franklin County grand jury subpoenas were being issued earlier this week
after a related complaint filed by Secretary of State J. Kenneth
Blackwell. His complaint was sent to the elections commission, county
prosecutor and Supreme Court disciplinary counsel.
Kyte's attorney said she faces jail time if convicted and that she is
cooperating.
Kyte represented the Jerome Township Board of Trustees in 2002 and prior
to that was involved in writing several referendums for the Committee
for the Preservation of Rural Living, a local political action
committee.

Council may decide to override move with vote tonight
From J-T staff reports:
Marysville City Council will have to decide whether or not to pursue
regulating political signs, after Mayor Tom Kruse vetoed the issue last
week.
The veto was a move that does not happen often in Marysville politics
but Kruse said his intent was not to make it a big deal.
"I think we have enough regulations on the books," Kruse explained. "I
think it's an infringement on people's first amendment rights and
freedom of speech."
He said it would take six out of seven council members to override his
veto during tonight's council meeting. Council unanimously passed the
legislation at the June 10 meeting after a council special committee
debated the issue and honed the sign guidelines to be as fair as
possible.
The desire to restrict public signs reportedly became an issue after
residents complained about the number that went up around the city
during the last election.
Kruse said it was not a monumental issue for the city but he wonders
what the next step would be. Limiting freedom of speech opens the door
to regulating other basic rights.
The legislation council passed states:
Political or election signs concerning public issues, political issues,
candidates for office or similar matters shall be no greater than 32
square feet in size, shall not be illuminated in any manner, shall not
be affixed to any public utility or pole, tree, or natural object, nor
be located within a public right-of-way, nor create a safety or
visibility hazard. Permission to post such signs must be obtained from
the owner(s) of the property on which the signs are being placed. Any
signs or posters concerning issues or candidates for election, which
meet the aforementioned restrictions, shall be removed no later than
seven days after such election.
If council overrides the mayor's veto tonight, the legislation would go
into effect.

Grand marshal named for parade
From J-T staff reports:
Sgt. Jason P. Heard of Marysville will be the July 4 parade grand
marshal.
The parade lineup is at 12:30 p.m. at the Courthouse Annex along west
Sixth Street where the Kids Decorated Bike Contest will be held at 1
p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded. The 2 p.m. parade will travel through
downtown Marysville, ending at the middle school. Activities continue at
9:45 p.m. with a flag retreat ceremony at the fairgrounds grandstand and
10 p.m. fireworks. Admission is free to the fairgrounds.
Heard served a seven-month tour in Iraq. He was deployed in February
2003 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom when his youngest son was 5 days
old. Most of his missions were conducted in and around A Nasariya in
southern Iraq. They included convoy security, humanitarian aide,
construction, demolition and explosives.
He received the Army Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, two
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, National Defense Service
Medals, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device and the Army Service
Ribbon.
Since joining the United States Army Reserve in 1994 while a student at
Morehead State University in eastern Kentucky, Heard has traveled the
United States, including three trips to the National Training Center at
Fort Irwin, Calif.
He is a combat engineer with the 478th Engineer Battalion in Ashland,
Ky.
Heard graduated from Marysville High School in 1992 and is married to
Teri. Their family includes three sons, Hunter, Walker and Lincoln.

City tax deal may hurt MR/DD
By CINDY BRAKE
A tax incentive by the city of Marysville will cost the Union County
Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities $2.3 million.

During Monday's regular board meeting, superintendent Jerry Buerger
explained that a tax incentive financing policy by the city of
Marysville created an area where the real estate taxes are used to pay
off the infrastructure improvements at the 130-acre business development
called Coleman's Crossing.
"The plan and development will benefit the city of Marysville tax base
and the Marysville Schools, however, other agencies struggling to
operate with property tax revenues will not reap any increase in
property taxes for 30 years from this development," Buerger said. "Based
on the estimated tax value of $40 million for the property, it is
estimated that the county-wide tax levies will lose over $154,500 per
year. These include county general inside milleage, county health
department, MR/DD levy, Mental Health levy and 911, plus other levies
for the schools, JVS, township and corporation."
Buerger said the Marysville Exempted Village School District will begin
receiving approximately $400,000 a year in 2006 because of the deal,
while MR/DD stands to lose $77,659 a year for 30 years.
The board acted on several personnel matters Monday, including the
second year of a three-year contract with Buerger.
The superintendent's salary will remain the same for the coming year
with an additional week of vacation. Buerger receives a gross salary of
$94,510 and receives 280 hours of paid vacation. He can carry forward a
maximum of 480 hours of accrued unused vacation into a new program year
and cash in up to 240 hours of accrued but unused vacation leave each
program year. Buerger's regular hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for 260 days.

Annual resignations were accepted for supplemental contracts and none
will be filled for the coming year because of budget restraints.
Resignations were accepted for Special Olympics Local Coordinator Deanna
Burson; Special Olympics Local Coordinator Assistants Elizabeth Bowman
and Julien Johnson; Volunteer Coordinator Richard Morris; Parent Action
Committee Coordinator Nicole L. Reed; Teacher Mentor Martha Rockwell;
and Newsletter Editor Robert Bromley. Bromley also resigned as a program
specialist because he is moving out of state.
Transportation fees for adult enrollees who have been employed for more
than 30 days were increased by 50 cents per trip. This is the first rate
change since 1996.
Fees for non-handicapped enrollees at the Harold Lewis Center were
adjusted for the coming year and will be $90 per month for the 11-month
program. Costs include programming, transportation and supplies. Last
year the fee had been $87 per child per month for the morning classes
and $99 for the afternoon program which included breakfast/lunch.
"We are not able to put a price tag on the benefits of having 'typical'
children enrolled in the classrooms as peer models and the future impact
the 'typical' children's experiences will have on society's acceptance
of persons with disabilities," Buerger said.
In other business, the board:
. Adopted the Harold Lewis Center Early Intervention Parent Handbook and
Early Preschool Parent Handbook.
. Established milk prices at 30 cents per carton.
. Recognized Special Olympic Athletes Angie Coburn, Kelvin Jones, Jill
Swearingen, Doris Trudeau and Chris Waters and coaches.
. Transferred grant funds of $3,000 from the Elks to a special donations
fund and $450 from a preschool grant to contract services.
. Authorized Buerger to enter into a contractual agreement with the
Delaware Housing Board of Delaware for the management and maintenance of
properties owned by the Union County Housing Board. The authorization is
pending approval by the Union County Prosecutor.
. Endorsed the Marysville Exempted Village Schools 6.56-mill, five-year
replacement levy on the Aug. 3 ballot.
. Amended policies for placement principles and annual reassessment of
waiting list.
. Congratulated staff for the Harold Lewis graduation.
. Recessed into executive session for approximately 40 minutes to
discuss personnel matters.
. Was invited to the U-CO Industries 30th anniversary celebration at
noon June 30. Lunch and tours are available.
. Heard a presentation by a consumer and his family about how the
program has helped them.
Present at the meeting were board members Dr. Helen Ahlborn, John Anson,
Bruce Davis and Beth Ayers.

Other areas have home density rules
By CINDY BRAKE
Darby Township isn't the first township in Ohio after all to consider a
20-acre minimum lot size.
One township in Shelby County has had a 20-acre minimum lot rule in
place since the mid 1990s and 10 townships in Hancock County have each
come up with their own unique density rules to slow down residential
growth.
"There are positives and negatives," said Polly Sandhu, Hancock County's
Washington Township zoning official, about her township's 35-acre rule
that has been on the books for decades.
"No new people, no industry to generate taxes. Status quo," Sandhu said
about the community which boasts large farms that have been in families
three to four generations.
Sandhu said her Washington Township averages one request a year for a
single family residence and the one application last year was denied. It
is now in the Hancock County Court of Common Pleas on administrative
appeal and this is not the first time the township's zoning has been
taken to court.
 Few variances are filed, she added, because most are denied. One
family, Sandhu said, literally tore down one house so they could build a
new house.
On the other extreme are seven townships in the same county that have no
zoning. Sandhu lives in one of those townships and believes that those
townships are avoiding zoning because of all the headaches Washington
has dealt with.
Shelby County Regional Planning Commission executive director Gary
Bensman said the same can be said about 13 townships in his county that
have seen what Washington Township in Shelby County has gone through.
"They remember what Washington went through," Bensman said in explaining
that other townships have "considered" the 20-acre rule, but chosen not
to put it on the books. He then mentions that, for whatever reason, the
trustees who voted for the 20-acre rule are no longer in office.
Bensman admits that the rule has slowed residential growth.
"They've been successful, but the key is a board of appeals that
recognizes true farm ground and grants variances for nonfarmable space,"
Bensman said.
Judy Scrimshaw with the Hancock County Regional Planning Commission in
Findlay said the majority of townships with zoning in her county manage
residential growth with density rules rather than acreage limitations.
Nine townships each have a two-acre minimum lot requirement with
frontage requirements ranging from 200 to 350 feet, plus their own
unique twists.
People living in Amanda and Van Buren townships can build a home on one
lot for every 20 acres in the original parcel as of a certain date,
while land owners in Cass Township live with the one-quarter of
one-quarter section rule. Scrimshaw explains that the one-quarter rule
is that a house can be built only if there are currently no houses
within that one-quarter of one-quarter section or basically every 40
acres. Delaware Township says no to mobile homes and Eagle Township says
houses on the same side of the road must be 1,320 feet apart.
Jackson Township allows one lot for every 35 acres in the original
parcel as of Nov. 21, 2001, and existing dwellings count against the
maximum number permitted. So if a farmhouse sits on a parcel of land
less than 70 acres, forget any ideas about building a new house unless
the old house comes down. The same holds true for land owners in Marion
and Portage townships.
Liberty Township, on the other hand, doesn't count existing dwellings
occupied by the owner against the maximum number permitted. It allows
one lot per every 20 acres in the original parcel as of Feb. 22, 1999.
Officials in Union County's Darby Township are talking about creating a
new zoning classification called A-1 that would change minimum lot
splits to 20 acres with an easement option for smaller lots. At a May
meeting, a roomful of primarily agricultural property owners voiced
concern that the plan lacked sense and showed favoritism with "selected
red lining." Small lot owners, however, appear to favor the limits.
The Darby Township Board of Zoning will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. with the
Union County Engineer to discuss and possibly voteon zoning changes.

Heflin family's been serving up good food for 57 years
Heflin Caterers will celebrate 57 years in business this year.
Third-generation owner and manager Roy Heflin is at the helm of the
business started by his grandfather, J.B. Heflin Sr., when he bought the
Airport Restaurant in Plain City in 1947.
Roy's parents, J.B. Heflin Jr. and Patricia (Lombard) Hefflin,
spearheaded the move from restaurant to catering. In November 1959 the
family began operations of the cafeteria at O.M. Scotts Chemical Plant,
a duty it performed for 18 years.
Pat's homemade cakes and cookies brought word of mouth advertisement and
catering jobs that continue today.
Over the years the business grew successfully and in May 1975 it
expanded to a commercial kitchen added to the family's home on Route 736
where the catering business continues to be located to this day.
All the Heflin children have worked in the business. as well as most of
the grandchildren. Today, Roy's father continues his expertise in the
kitchen along with his sister, Teresa Russell, and niece, Yolanda
Russell.
Heflin Caterers continue to use only the freshest ingredients in all
their homemade menu items. The business can accommodate the catering
needs from the most casual to the most elegant affairs.
Heflin Caterers is located at 9334 Route 736 in Plain City and can be
reached at (614) 873-4234 or (888) 613-1811. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
daily.

Mother gets five years
Judge says Detlor has shown no real remorse, only a desire to avoid
repercussions
By RYAN HORNS
Union County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Parrott said it is hard to
imagine why a Milford Center woman placed her deceased newborn baby son
in a trash bag and tossed it over a railroad trestle into some weeds.
Parrott then handed out a five-year prison sentence to Amy L. Detlor,
20. The decision brought an end to a case that has been going on for
just under a year.
Members of Detlor's family were in tears as their daughter was taken off
to custody by sheriff's deputies. While leaving the courtroom they also
voiced their disappointment over the lack of mercy shown for their
daughter.
"Be strong, Amy," her father called out to her.
Assistant Union County prosecuting Attorney John Heinkel asked the court
to sentence Detlor for a total of six years for the three charges she
was convicted of last month. All but one of those years was allowed.
Parrott ordered Detlor to serve five years for the third-degree felony
reckless homicide charge; 12 months for the fifth-degree felony gross
abuse of a corpse charge and six months for the misdemeanor child
endangering charge. However, he decided to make the three separate
sentences serve concurrent with one another. A consecutive sentence
would have resulted in six years and six months.
"I just . I'm sorry," Detlor said through tears. "I know the decisions I
made were wrong . I hurt the ones closest to me."
Detlor's attorney, Donald Jillisky, asked Parrott to consider her
circumstances.
"Amy Detlor has always been a good girl, a good daughter and a good
granddaughter," he said. She is a girl who used naive and immature
thinking that resulted in the death of her child, he said.
"Her judgment was just dead wrong but not her character," he said.
Jillisky explained that her treatment of the corpse was the result of
"naive, fuzzy thinking, shock and the loss of blood."
He said that if Parrott had any doubts at all he should give the benefit
of those doubts to Detlor. He asked for compassion and mercy for her.
"Give this young woman an opportunity to prove herself to the court and
the community," he said.
Heinkel did not mince words when he declared Detlor a menace to society.

"A prison sentence is imperative," he said. "There is no way to make
restitution in the death of a baby."
He said Detlor showed her newborn son the "ultimate indignity" when she
placed the boy in a trash bag and threw him off the trestle. She has
taken no responsibility for her actions and should be considered a
threat to society and her future children.
Jillisky responded by saying that the prosecution was only after
revenge.
Parrott explained that he would not show very much mercy to Detlor.
"I have seen no genuine remorse," he said. "She has taken no ownership
of her actions."
He even took issue with her previously clean criminal record.
"The problem with all of this is that you present yourself as free from
unlawful activity," he said. "You know I know this is not the case."
He said several incidents showed that Detlor had been involved in drug
use starting at the age of 16. At the age of 18 she had admitted to
using drugs every weekend.
The lack of a criminal record, he said, was because she had not been
"found out."
There were also inconsistencies in her story, Parrott said. This told
him that she was saying only what she needed in order to avoid a
conviction. Whether or not she told her boyfriend about the child or
whether she had known she was pregnant or not before giving birth into a
toilet at her grandmother's home in Columbus were also never clear.
Parrott said what bothered him was that with many hospitals available in
Franklin County, she chose to drive all the way to Plain City to stop
for orange juice and two orders of hash browns at McDonalds.
"I don't understand that at all," he said.
The fact that she called for medical crews only after her own life was
in danger, he said, showed him that she was interested only in her own
well-being instead of the child's.
"Basically what you have done is dispose of the child like a piece of
trash," he said.

Dual job title to save Triad $68,000

Kaffenbarger admits being superintendent and principal will be a heavy
load
By CORINNE BIX
On Monday evening Triad School board approved the salaries for Dr. Dan
Kaffenbarger as district superintendent and as high school principal.
Serious budget cuts caused by the failed income tax levy in March led
the district to the decision to have the new superintendent carry on his
duties as high school principal for the next school year.
Kaffenbarger will receive an annual salary of $94,000 for his role as
district superintendent and a stipend of $18,000 for his role as high
school principal. Both of these salaries will take effect beginning Aug.
1. Between June 28 and July 31, Kaffenbarger will receive $380 a day for
any days worked as district superintendent.
Last year, superintendent Dr. Steve Johnson received an annual salary of
$98,000 and Dr. Kaffenbarger received an annual salary of $82,000.
Kaffenbarger employment in both capacities will save the district
$68,000.
In April, Kaffenbarger commented on the immense responsibility of both
jobs, given that each is a full-time position.
"It will be a difficult year on me personally I think just because of
the scope of both jobs," Kaffenbarger said.
The board passed a resolution of intent requesting certification of
alternative tax rates. This is the first step in a two-step process to
place a .5 percent income levy tax on the November ballot. This will be
the same levy that failed in March.
Kaffenbarger brought up to board a possible increase in lunch prices for
Triad students beginning in September. When compared with five
surrounding school districts, Triad lunch prices came in as the lowest
at around 20 cents less per lunch.
The next regular board meeting will be on July 19 at 7 p.m. The levy
committee will meet July 20.
In other business, the board:
 . Approved the resignation of Barbara McDaniel as middle school teacher
and JoAnne Aburto as high school Spanish teacher.
 . Approved the district CCIP as presented in the elementary principal's
report.
 . Approved a certified contract for Roxie Nauman for the 2004-2005
school year.
 . Approved the following personnel in the listed positions: Rich
Kraemer, academic quiz bowl advisor and high school NHS advisor; Ken
Ford, freshman class advisor; Kyle Huffman, sophomore class advisor,
assistant director of plays and Mock Trial advisor; Alicia Daugherty,
junior class advisor and newspaper advisor; Jacqueline Henson, Ecology
Club advisor; Chris Maxhimer, assistant music director; John Sharritts,
instrumental and pep band music director; Amanda Alexander, high school
student council; and Amy Hibbs, high school yearbook advisor.
 . Approved the following personnel as PAC representatives for the
2004-2005 school year: Nancy Instine, Bruce Schlabach, Bill McDaniel,
Doug Kitchen, Amy Hibbs, Nancy House, Kyle Huffman and Jack Detling
 . Approved the special education access FY05 grant in the amount of
$30,0000.
 . Approved middle school faculty and student handbooks for the
2004-2005 school year.
  . Approved a contract for Linda Stallsmith for consultant services
performed paid from Title V FY04 grant.
 . Approved OSBA Workers Compensation group rating program
administration fees of $1,472.00 for FY05 (same as FY04).
 . Accepted an award/donation for third place prize for Will Nichol's
class, a commercial video award in the amount of $500 from the American
Lung Association
 . Accepted a donation from the Richard Rex Ponn Trust Fund in the
amount of $350.


Milford Center Council deals with sign, tree trimming issues
By CINDY BRAKE
Milford Center's village council met Monday for routine business.
Council voted to purchase six signs that will inform residents of boil
alerts. The signs cost $321 and will be provided by Celebrity Hats and
T-shirts.
In other business, village administrator Keith Watson said new water
meters should be installed and operating by late September and he
distributed an estimate for trimming trees in the village tree lawn.
Council suggested he obtain a second bid before they make a decision.
The $32,410 bid proposed removal of certain trees identified by a
forester, as well as trimming of other trees along all the village
streets. Watson suggested that council consider doing the project in
sections as the money becomes available.
Watson said he met with Marysville city employees about lift station
improvements.
Councilmen Chris Buerger and Robert Mitchell again raised a concern
about the city of Marysville violating a sewer maintenance agreement and
believed that problem needed to be worked out first before any future
projects are undertaken.
Council unanimously agreed that if the Kessler property is not mowed by
the weekend, then zoning inspector LeRoy Holt should have the property
mowed and the bill sent to the property owner.
A representative of the sheriff's department distributed a month service
recap and noted that he was concerned that in May the village's public
safety officer had written only one citation and there had been no
friendly warnings.
Council questioned the ratio of service calls. While the village pays 50
percent of the officer's salary, the fewest number of calls were listed
for Milford Center. The stats showed seven calls for service in Milford
Center; nine in Union Township; and 37 in Darby Township.
A spokesman from the Sugar Ridge neighborhood asked council about
drainage problems and what could be done. Council said they have met
with the developer. Solicitor John Eufinger said the problem could be
considered a classic nuisance and legal action could be taken on the
part of the village if the problem persists. Consulting engineer Gary
Silcott volunteered to review the development's regulations.
Councilman Jeff Parren asked about the extent of the problem.
Administrator Watson speculated the remedy would cost between $60,000
and $70,000.
Present at Monday's meeting were councilman Buerger, Mitchell, Parren,
Josh Combs, Ron Payne and Russell Clark; mayor Cheryl DeMatteo; utility
clerk/village clerk Kathy McCoy; zoning inspector Holt; solicitor
Eufinger; and administrator Watson.

Traditions drive flag etiquette
By JOEY SECREST
Journal-Tribune Intern
The June 5 death of former United States President Ronald Reagan
resulted in an order from President George W. Bush for the flag to be
flown at half-staff for 30 days.
The term half-staff means the position of the flag when it is one-half
the distance between the top and bottom of the staff.
"The flag is half-staff out of the respect for the deceased and on
Memorial Day out of the respect for comrades," said Rolly Rausch,
commander of American Legion Post 79.
Rausch added that the flag being flown at half-staff shows respect for
the memory of the deceased and that flag etiquette manuals instruct it.
According to flag etiquette manuals and websites, the flag should be
flown at half-staff for 30 days following the death of the president or
former president; 10 days following the day of death of the vice
president, the chief justice or retired chief justice of the United
States or the speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of
death until interment of a former vice president or the governor of a
state, territory or possession; and on the day of death and the
following day for a member of Congress.
The only people who can give orders for the flag to be flown at
half-staff are the president and the governor of a state.
The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak
and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again
raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.
The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at
the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states or
localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from
staffs.
When flags of states, cities, localities or pennants of societies are
flown on the same halyard with the U.S. flag, the U.S. flag should
always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs,
the U.S. flag should be hoisted first and lowered last. No other flag or
pennant should be above the U.S. flag or be placed to the flag's right.
When the U.S. flag is displayed with another flag, it should be on its
own right, or the observer's left, with its staff in front of that of
the other flag.
It is custom for the U.S. flag to be displayed from only sunrise to
sunset on buildings and stationary staffs in the open. When patriotic
effect is desired, the flag may be displayed for 24 hours a day if it is
properly illuminated during the hours of darkness. The flag should not
be displayed on days when the weather is inclement unless an all-weather
flag is displayed.
For more information regarding flag etiquette, contact the Union County
Veterans Service Commission Office at 642-5586 or go to
www.americanflags.org.

Former Jerome Twp. attorney accused
Columbus attorney Susan J. Kyte, who once worked for Jerome Township and
a local political action committee, is facing several criminal
complaints and is accused of hiding money.
According to printed reports, more than $150,000 is allegedly missing
from three political campaign funds which Kyte was involved.
Complaints forwarded last week to the Secretary of State stated allege
that Kyte prepared false campaign statements and concealed contributions
as committee treasurer for former state Rep. Amy Salerno of Columbus,
state Rep. Linda Reidelbach of Columbus and state Sen. Robert A. Gardner
of Madison. A separate complaint was filed in February against Kyte,
accusing her of misrepresenting an expenditure in Joseph T. Deters' 1998
campaign for treasurer.
An elections commission hearing is set for Thursday on all the
complaints.
Kyte, 47, of Columbus could face fines of up to $1,000 per incident and
retroactive daily fines of $100 on various election-law violations.
The latest complaints allege Kyte wrote more than $151,000 worth of
checks to herself for newspaper subscriptions, telephone bills and
association memberships, complaints state. She also failed to itemize
more than $62,000 in campaign contributions in various finance reports
from 2000 - mostly from political action committees, according to the
complaints.
Kyte represented Jerome Township's Board of Trustees in 2002 and prior
to that was involved in writing several referendums that overturned
zoning decisions in Jerome Township

Fairbanks Elementary needs new roof
By JUDY BOEHLER
The Fairbanks Board of Education heard at Thursday night's meeting that
the roof of the elementary school must be replaced as soon as possible.
Superintendent Jim Craycraft told the board that a representative from
W.P. Hickman Systems Inc., the contractor that has overseen roofing at
the building, inspected the roof Thursday and said it is in danger of
blowing off. Craycraft said the roof was installed as a 10-year roof but
has been in place 20 years.
The Hickman representative sent for workers to place pavers on the roof
to keep it from literally blowing off. The parapets at the top of the
building act as a funnel for straight-line winds, creating a suction for
100 miles an hour, Craycraft said. He added that a repair or patch job
cannot be done.
The board passed a motion of urgent necessity, authorizing the
superintendent to approve the work. Hickman Systems will get three
quotes from roofers and present them to Craycraft and the representative
said it will run the cost for a five-year roof will be between $40,000
and $70,000.
Craycraft also informed the board that teacher Renee Matusik has been
selected to participate in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. She
will spend the next school year in Mexico and the teacher she replaces
will teach at Fairbanks.
Craycraft also told the board that Nevin Taylor has been named the Ohio
Association for Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year. He
will receive the award at the ACTE conference opening session July 28.
In other business, the board approved:
 . Participation in the OSBA Risk Management and Worker's Compensation
Group II Rating program.
 . A contract with the Metropolitan Educational Council from July 1,
2004, to July 1, 2005.
 . Student handbooks for the 2004-05 school year.
 . Lunch prices for the 2004-05 school year at $2 for elementary; $2.25
for middle school; $2.50 for adults; and 35 cents for milk.
 . A list of fees for the 2004-05 school year.
 . A list of textbooks for the 2004-05 school year.
 . A tax-deferred payroll deduction plan.
 . Purchase of a 71-passenger bus from Center City Inc. for $56,989.
 . A contract with the Delaware/Union ESC for special education services
in the amount of $135,927.41 for the 2004-05 school year.
 . Summer band camp at Ohio Wesleyan University from Aug. 1-6.
 . The Central Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center as
provider of special education services to the school district from July
1, 2004, through June 30, 2005.
 . A policy allowing children of full-time employees to attend the
Fairbanks schools tuition free.
 . An Emergency Operations Plan.
 . A list of textbooks.
In personnel matters, the board:
. Approved Kara Pinkerton to teach the summer proficiency intervention
program.
. Approved athletic contracts for Carleton Cotner, athletic director;
John Moore, assistant athletic director; Allison Boerger, eighth grade
volleyball; Rhonda Justice, high school cheerleading advisor; Joe
Patterson, assistant high school football; Nevin Taylor, girls golf; Dan
Stillings, volunteer girls golf; BJ Queen, assistant high school
football; and Lisa Piever, seventh grade volleyball.
 . Approved supplemental contracts for Debbie Hegenderfer, district lead
mentor; Marion Boggs, mentor for Matthew Humphrey; Angela Vertucci,
assistant marching band director; Ed Rebmann, junior class advisor/prom
director; Sandy Bunsold, yearbook advisor; Mitzi Noland, Drama Club and
Art Club advisor; Nevin Taylor, National Honor Society advisor and
senior class advisor; Karen Saffle, high school Student Council advisor
and Mock Trial advisor; Marion Boggs, sophomore advisor; Larry Morris,
intramural advisor; Eric Stauffer, Julie Meyer, Shannon Runyon and John
Williams, volunteer assistant band directors; Lisa Keller, high school
Science Club advisor; and Dale Bymaster, maintenance supervisor.



Townships stockpiling money
Budget commission tells officials not to collect more than they need
By CINDY BRAKE
"If you don't need it, don't collect it."
That is what the Union County Budget Commission is telling several
townships that appear to be stockpiling funds.
The three-member budget commission that includes Union County Auditor
Mary Snider, prosecutor Alison Boggs and treasurer Tami Lowe met with
Jerome Township officials this week and plan to meet next week with
officials representing the villages of Milford Center and Magnetic
Springs and the townships of Millcreek, Dover, Union, Washington, Darby
and York.
General funds in some townships have more than doubled since 2000, with
no plans for the additional money. Snider recommends that public
entities have an average of six to seven months of expenses in reserve.
Jerome Township has the largest dollar increase of any township in the
county.
In 2000 Jerome Township had $478,814.52 in their general fund balance.
By 2004 that number had grown by $314,934 to $820,748.
Not only has the general fund been growing every year since 2000, but so
have the funds for roads and bridges and motor vehicles. The 2004 fund
balance for road and bridges is $440,418, compared to the 2000 balance
of $202,477. The motor vehicle fund increased from $27,714 to $52,054.
"It appears they are taking in more than they need," said Snider.
If that is the problem, then the budget commission has the authority to
adjust inside millage rates and lower the amount of taxes received by
the township. That is the warning Jerome Township received this week and
other townships can expect to hear.
Snider explains that it is not unusual for public entities to stockpile
funds for specific projects, such as road improvements and equipment,
but the money should be placed in a capital fund, not the general fund.
This is good news to Jerome Township's officials, who are creating a
wish list of items they believe the township needs.
"It's high time ... to spend the money in that kitty ...." said Jerome
Township Trustee Freeman May during a regular township meeting
Wednesday.
He thinks the township needs to invest in a new truck, backhoe, mower or
salt barn.
Trustee Sharon Sue Wolfe agrees with May's ideas and has a few of her
own. She would like to see an addition to the township building that
includes an additional meeting room and storage, as well as more land
for a cemetery.
Clerk Robert L. Caldwell, in a memo to the trustees, estimates that the
township has between $630,000 and $787,000 to spend.
He encouraged the trustees to develop a list of potential projects. In
addition to those mentioned above, his list includes fire equipment,
road projects, blacktopping the township hall parking lot, park
improvements, cemetery improvements, monument restoration and
preservation, office furniture and an addition to the garage.
Jerome's problem isn't unique, Snider said. The story is the same for
Millcreek, Dover, Union and York townships, while there are other issues
with Darby Township, Milford Center and Magnetic Springs.
Millcreek
Millcreek's general fund has jumped by $254,936 from 2000 to 2004. In
2000 the township had $298,531. The 2004 total is $553,467. The gas tax
has increased every year, except this year, for a net gain of $18,975.
The motor vehicle fund has increased every year and now totals $5,600
more than the 2000 total.
Dover
Dover's general fund has jumped by $224,746 from 2000 to 2004. In 2000,
the township had $136,489. The 2004 total is $361,235. The township has
no road and bridge fund and saw a decrease of $71,796 in the gas tax
fund over the same period of time, while the motor vehicle fund
increased by $7,139.
Union
Union's general fund numbers were dangerously low in 2000 but have
increased significantly, Snider said.
In 2000 the township's general fund balance was $46,348 and it has
increased by $34,793 to $81,141 this year.
On the flip side, the road and bridges fund has decreased by $61,707,
the gas tax fund by $42,734 and the motor vehicle fund by $8,079.
York
Snider said she began reviewing all budgets after York officials said
they did not have enough money to participate in the public safety
officer program.
Budget figures reveal that York's general fund balance has increased
every year from 2000 through 2003. In 2000 the township's general fund
was $287,279 and in 2004 it is $454,578.
Other funds, however, have decreased. The road and bridges fund dropped
from $8,179 to $7,708; the gas tax fund decreased from $46,917 to
$15,321; and the motor vehicle fund has decreased from $9,650 to $3,930.

Darby
Snider explains that Darby's situation is a bit different from other
townships that have seen significant increased in recent years. Darby,
on the other hand, has posted large balances consistently.
In 2000, Darby had $311,029; 2001, $269,841; 2002, $368,118; 2003,
$367,321; and 2004, $428,454.
Snider said it appears that Darby officials have "sat on too much too
long."
Magnetic Springs
Milford Center
Snider said the commission would like to meet the new clerks in the
villages of Magnetic Springs and Milford Center.
Another concern for the budget commission with Magnetic Spring is the
fact that no information has been submitted for the past two years.

Playground  program announced
The city's Summer Playground program is up and running and will continue
Monday through Friday through Aug. 8.
This year there are two new faces and a new schedule. Playground
supervisors are Katie Pastor and Leslie Buckley, recent MHS graduates
who will attend college to study elementary education and child
psychology, respectively.
The program will be held at Mill Valley Park from 9 a.m. to noon and at
Eljer Park from 1 to 4 p.m. Both parks have public restrooms and
drinking water.
The city of Marysville parks and Recreation Department's Playground
program is designed for neighborhood children to participate in
organized activities with their friends. It is not a babysitting
service.
The program is open to children in grades one through six and the
children may come and go as they please. Signs have been installed at
each park which will indicate if the program is open that day or closed
due to weather.
Questions may be directed to Steve Conley, superintendent of parks and
recreation at 642-0116.
The program is free except for a small charge for crafts on Fridays

City plans for added growth
By RYAN HORNS
"We have a lot of opportunity facing us and without a doubt a lot of
challenges," Union County Chamber of Commerce President Rick Shortell
said.
He was part of a discussion held Wednesday night during which Ohio State
University Extension Community Development instructor Don Lacy met with
representatives of Marysville city administration, city council and
chamber of commerce on the topic of "Strategic Planning: City of
Marysville. Building a Focused Community."
Lacy said strategic planning is simply "a process for positioning an
organization or community to achieve the kind of future its members
desire."
It was the second meeting Lacy had held, the first being on June 9.
By next month city officials hope to report where they would like to
begin on planning the future of Marysville's growth. The plan now is to
set up a highly-organized infrastructure of committees to put goals into
place.
Based on discussions held at the June 9 meeting, Lacy outlined 20 topics
for the city to pursue. Those include economic development,
wastewater/water and utilities, streets, regional cooperation, land use,
public education, public safety, citizen participation in community
planning, downtown revitalization, housing, community recreational
facilities, environmental resources, telecommunications and getting city
business on-line for public viewing. The goal is to work with and
effectively communicate a shared vision to regional, state and federal
officials, as well as leaders in the county, community and city.
City council member Dan Fogt said most of the issues already are being
addressed by the city but he admitted that they could improve on getting
citizens involved.
Lacy said that in order to accomplish the goals of addressing all the
areas at once, they will need many committees and sub-committees made up
of citizens representing a variety of views, genders, races and economic
sections. It could take up to 160 people more than 10 months to
periodically meet on topics. It is important to include citizens because
many city officials are already swamped with meetings.
"There are a lot of willing people out there who are willing to do a
good job," Lacy said.
To choose those people, he said, the city may want to have a group of
three individuals made up of city administration and council members to
choose leaders to help organize the other committees.
Gore asked how people who are trustworthy and honest and not politically
motivated can be chosen. He said the Citizen Needs Committee he formed
last year was not very successful.
Some 30 citizen volunteers, he said, soon dwindled down to fewer than 10
and their results were used as a political platform to attack the city
and its future planning needs.
Lacy said the process is like selecting employees and should be treated
that way. They should be looking for "good for nothing" people. He
explained the phrase as people who are good at their jobs, but do not
ask for a lot in return.
"I'm favor of doing this," Fogt said. He suggested putting the
organizational discussion on the June 24 city council agenda.
But mayor Tom Kruse said they first need to outline their goals before
bringing it to council.
"We need to know what we're going to discuss before we discuss it," he
said.
Gore said they can work within a sub-group through the Union County
Chamber of Commerce to decide about how they will initiate the plans
Lacy laid out and what their next step is going to be.
They will be ready to discuss their strategic planning goals by the July
22 council meeting.

Local girl is governor at Girls State
Kristina Short, a senior at Fairbanks High School, was elected governor
of Buckeye Girls State. She is the daughter of Alfred and Annie Short of
Marysville.
The 58th annual American Legion Auxiliary session is being held this
week on the campus of Ashland University. Short was elected in the
primary and general elections held Wednesday for city, county and state
officials.
Buckeye Girls State is held each year to acquaint young women with the
operation of governments at all levels. Two girls who have completed
their junior years in participating high schools are selected and
sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary in their area.
Girls State delegates will report on their experiences to the American
Legion Auxiliaries which sponsored them after they return from the
session.

Discussion will focus  on fire station location
From J-T staff reports:
Marysville city administrators are hoping to bring a long-standing issue
back to the table, now that actions have begun on more pressing problems
such as wastewater woes, building a reservoir and street repairs.
The location of the Marysville Fire Department has been a problem for
years. In a city divided in two by railroad tracks, the potential for
interrupted emergency runs is still present.
City Administrator Kathy House said that starting this month the intent
is to bring that discussion back to the forefront.
House said the proposal to relocate or build a satellite department on
the other side of the tracks has been discussed for years but had been
set aside for issues the public deemed more important.
"We want to get the dialogue started again," House said.
She said two meetings coming up will touch on the subject.
On Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Marysville City Council's Public Safety
Committee will discuss the fire department relocation, among other
agenda items. They will meet in council chambers at 125 E. Sixth St.
City council's Public Works Committee will meet Monday at 7 p.m. in
council chambers and part of the agenda is to discuss the future of a
city-owned property at Raymond Road and Fifth Street. It is this
location that House said the city is eyeing for either a possible fire
department relocation or satellite building. The land is also being
considered for a cemetery expansion area. These topics will be addressed
during the meeting.
House stressed that nothing will be acted upon during these meetings.
Instead, the city will bring back the information and proposals
previously discussed for moving the department, along with any new plans
in the works.

Richwood gears up for Springenfest
From J-T staff reports:
This weekend will find the streets of Richwood filled to capacity for
the village's annual Springenfest.
The Octoberfest-style gathering will begin Friday night on the downtown
streets of Richwood and continue Saturday.
The annual Sun Run will be held Friday with registration from 5:30-6:30
p.m. The 5K road race is open to men and women of all ages. Awards will
be given in all categories. There will also be a Sun Walk at the same
time for men, women and children.
Beginning at 5 p.m. Friday visitors will be able to enjoy a full slate
of menu items including brats, hot dogs, hamburgers, pork tenderloin,
chicken sandwiches, fries, fried bologna and the ever-popular creme
puffs. A beer garden will also be set up.
For the younger generation a moonwalk, miniature golf and other games
will be set up on the streets. There will also be family bingo games in
operation.
Friday night's musical entertainment will be J.R. Hunter & Crossfire.
With playoffs being held Thursday and Friday, the finals of the
three-one-three basketball competition will be held Saturday afternoon.
All during the week supporters will be able to take a shot at qualifying
for the Hole In One Shootout finals on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at
the corner of Route 4 and Hoskins Road. If a golfer can sink a hole in
one in the finals it would be worth $250,000 to be split between the
golfer and the North Union Athletic Complex organization which organizes
Springenfest.
The grand auction will be held from 5-7 p.m. with auctioneer Johnny
Regula. Items and services from merchants and citizens will be auctioned
off to the highest bidder.
A raffle for three gas grills will also be held.
Saturday night's entertainment will be area band Noonan.

Printing business has branches
in Plain City and Marysville
Bindery & Specialties, an affiliate of Pressworks, is located in Plain
City. The printing facility specializes in printing, binding, direct
mail and storage.
Dick Izzard started the company in 1982 after managing OSU's printing
facility for more than 20 years and his family has been an important
part of the organization. His wife Betty is retired, but used to be in
charge of the bindery department and now helps out in the office when
needed. His daughter Tami works in the accounting department and his
sons Doug and Mark serve as vice presidents with numerous accounts of
their own.
The business began out of an old church in Plain City and has since
added on five times to total 50,000 square feet. The company has grown
to employ 90 people.
In 1994, the company opened a branch in Marysville called The Copy
Source which is managed by Mark's wife, Joni.
Pressworks has added a new Komori six-color press to add to the
company's sheet-fed production in hopes of reducing turn-around time by
concurrent printing and coating. Pressworks printed products are
primarily for customers in Ohio, however, they do some business in other
parts of the United States.

Festival planned in Unionville Center
The Charles W. Fairbanks Family Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 6
p.m. Saturday on The Green in Unionville Center.
Inspired by the Bicentennial celebration held there last year, the event
will provide entertainment, displays and food.
Music will be provided by DJ Scott Wilson, Charlie Tatman, Justin Wilcox
and bands Amber and Claibourne and a judged karaoke competition.
Children can play games, get their faces painted and see The Smoke House
from the Pleasant Valley Fire Department.
Crafters will be on hand, the Division of Wildlife and Ohio Wildlife
Center will have displays and several items will be raffled. Dash
plaques and trophies will be awarded in a classic car show.
The Unionville Center United Methodist Church will sponsor a hog roast,
brats will be sold, Diana Johns' food wagon will be set up and Leon's
homemade ice cream will be available.
The public is invited to attend.


Council discusses flooding issues
By CHAD WILLIAMSON
Although recent rains have swamped many backyards in the village,
Richwood Council heard Monday from two property owners who live with
flooding nearly year round.
Craig Scott, 117 Blagrove St., and Jeremy Hayward, 142 Ottawa St., told
council that they have had enough of the standing water in their back
yards.
"I've been on this for four years," Scott said.
The two landowners said water constantly stands in their yards, making
it difficult to mow the grass and providing a breeding ground for
mosquitoes.
Scott said there are drainage tiles in the area to carry away storm
water but the tiles are apparently plugged up. He said he has spent his
own money to put in additional drainage tile with little success.
Scott said another problem adding to the flooding is an old railroad bed
which lies in the area. Hayward said the grass in the area is very tall
and impedes water from draining. Scott said the area needs to be cleaned
out and trenched.
Acting village administrator Jim Thompson said the ownership of the
railroad bed must be identified so the owner could be advised to keep it
clear.
Thompson also noted that the reason behind flooding in the area of
Beatty Avenue has been identified. He said tiles on each side of the
street were checked and found to be packed with mud. He said village
crews would be working to eliminate the blockages.
Council also discussed the resignation of village administrator Ron
Polen on June 7. Polen, hired in March of 2002, cited personal reasons
for the resignation.
Mayor Bill Nibert said the village needs to set criteria for candidates
to fill the position. It was noted that the village sewer plant is a
Class III facility and the candidate would require appropriate
certification.
Council member George Showalter said the candidate should live within a
20-minute drive time to the village. Thompson said he would work to
solicit some candidates for the position.
Nibert also noted there is a possibility that the village could contract
with an engineering firm to provide a certified sewer plant operator.
In other business, council:
. Village solicitor Rick Rodger said the village needs to set up a
committee to go over proposed subdivision regulations.
. Learned that the window installation project at the town hall is
complete and the new door for the facility will be installed in the next
two weeks.
. Discussed removing a cottonwood tree from the park which was struck by
lightning last year.
. Discussed village projects with Ed Bischoff of Bischoff and
Associates.
. Decided to interview the three candidates for the vacated village
council seat Monday at 7 p.m. The seat was created by the resignation of
Mike Dew.
. Discussed an increase in fees from the Regional Income Tax Authority.
The company wants to charge the village $15,000 for its service this
year, while the village budgeted $5,000. Council discussed other options
for collection of the village income tax.
. Held an executive session to discuss personnel.

Past city promises resurface
By CINDY BRAKE
Unkept promises came back to haunt Marysville City Council during
Thursday's regular meeting.
Mayor Tom Kruse wanted to right two wrongs by the past administration
concerning employee salaries and Route 38 resident Myron Gallogly
reminded council of an annexation resolution passed more than 10 years
ago that stated that the city "will provide" sewer services upon
annexation.
"When is council going to live up to the resolution they made?" Gallogly
asked. "I'd like to have sewer services."
Gallogly said the city solicited him and made an offer for his signature
on an annexation petition.
"A promise was made and not delivered on."
The city of Marysville nearly doubled in the early 1990s with the
annexation of more than 1,500 acres that increased the tax base by
taking in key businesses along Industrial Parkway and obtained necessary
signatures by including an area along Route 38 that included the
primarily residential areas of Timber Trails and Boerger Road. The
annexation was opposed by township officials, The Scotts Company,
Goodyear and BMY - all located on Industrial Parkway - and even tested
in court. Annexation petitions, at that time, needed signatures of 35
percent of landowners in the proposed area, so the Timber Trail and
Route 38 residents provided those needed.
Kruse, who was mayor at the time, said annexation promises were made and
kept to run sewer and water services to Timber Trails and Industrial
Parkway, but that it is not financially feasible to run sewer to every
house in the area. He added that the legislation neither stated how or
when services would be provided.
"I can't make it right at this point," Kruse said. "I was not the one
who talked to him ... If someone else misled him I apologize."
Kruse had something else to say in 1988 about the city annexing more
ground.
In a 1988 article in the Marysville Journal-Tribune, Kruse said,
"Residents of the annexation area will benefit by receiving city sewer
lines and other services."
Thursday night, Kruse said the city is not in the position to run sewer
lines until development makes it financially feasible.
Two developments to be located near Gallogly's property, however, are at
a lower elevation and a pump station would be required.
"That elevation has not changed since the resolution was passed,"
Gallogly said. "I don't want to get involved in a lawsuit."
Council vice president John Gore said a list was prepared several months
ago of all properties annexed since 1978 which have not received
services and the former city administrator had been asked to prepare a
long-range plan. The list, apparently, was lost in the administration
change and current director of administration Kathy House was unaware of
it.
After Gallogly left and just prior to the meeting's adjournment, Kruse
brought the issue up again. Councilman Mark Reams began commenting on
the fact that services "are available," although it is not financially
feasible for the city or Gallogly to run the connection. Gore then cut
Reams short, saying he did not think it was fair to discuss the matter
with Gallogly absent.
The problem of unkept promises involves the salaries of public service
director Tracie Davies and superintendent of the water division Terry
Anderson.
Kruse explained that Davies' salary is $2,500 less than what was agreed
upon when she was hired. She also is making less than her subordinates.
Kruse said Anderson's salary also needs to be adjusted. He said
Andeson's salary was frozen until the wastewater superintendent's salary
equaled his. With the hiring of a new wastewater superintendent,
Anderson is making $300 less.
Describing the situations as an "abuse," Kruse said the remedies would
cost the city less than $2,000 this year to generate good will.
Gore disagreed with Kruse's position, saying numerous times that it was
a "philosophical difference."
Gore said he was opposed to giving Anderson a mid-year raise and told
Kruse he could have amended the public service director's salary in
February. He also questioned making the water and wastewater
superintendent salaries equal because the two individuals hold different
licenses.
Kruse countered that he recalled during budget discussions that the
previous administration's budget would be approved with council agreeing
to make periodic changes when the current administration disagreed with
the previous decisions.
Reams confirmed Kruse's statement and Gore later acknowledged that he
remembered such a position.
Councilman David Burke said the adjustments would provide intangible
benefits, especially for two employees who will be key staff as the city
begins investing "tens of millions of dollars."
Gore told Burke that he had one vote, just as he did. A vote is expected
at the next meeting.
Councilman John Marshall raised a citizen's concern about speed limits
on Route 31. Reams said council has visited this topic and the speed
limit in this area is set by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Councilman Dan Fogt encouraged more stringent building code inspections.
Of special concern was illegal storm water connections in new
construction. Solicitor John Eufinger said he is sure there are criminal
sanctions available.
In other business, council:
. Learned that the final plat was approved for Coleman's Crossing.
. Learned that Kruse has been working on a pilot project where
infrastructure costs on residential development would be recovered.
. Learned that bids for street improvements will be opened June 26.

Local man flies in tribute to Reagan
From J-T staff reports:
At sunset today a former Marysville boy who dreamed of becoming a jet
pilot will be part of naval air services to lay America's 40th president
to rest.
Naval Lt. Andrew Mickley will be the navigator for the lead plane over
the final resting place for President Reagan.
"Right place at the right time. I'm going to be the flight lead in the
Missing Man Flyby for President Reagan's burial in Simi Valley, Calif.,
on Friday at 6:10 p.m. (PST). Wow. What an honor to be able to salute
President Reagan in this way," Mickley wrote in an e-mail to his
parents, Carol and Richard, Wednesday.
She said her son, who is a 1990 MHS graduate, had no idea that he was in
line for the honor until he walked into his office Wednesday night and
was told the news. The F/A18 he will be flying is the biggest and best
plane of the Navy, said Mrs. Mickley, and as navigator, her son is
primarily the weapons system officer. She said he attended Top Gun
School in 2002 and is the top instructor in his squadron.
Mrs. Mickley recalled a time when her son as a middle-school boy would
lie on a grassy hill at their Catalpa Place home and dream of becoming a
jet pilot. He eventually went on to major in history at Miami University
before joining the Navy in 1994.
He served in the Afghanistan, flying an F14 off the USS Carl Vinson.

A local perspective on the  events
Editor's note: Local resident Scott Underwood and his daughter traveled
to Washington, D.C. to attend the funeral procession of Ronald Reagan.
He shares his thoughts on the event.
Sometimes witnessing history requires traveling a distance. For my
daughter, Mallory, and me, the journey to our nation's capital to
witness the state funeral procession of our 40th president will be
unforgettable.
We were among thousands along Constitution Avenue. While waiting, I
estimated 9,000 people lining both sides of the street in front of the
Department of Justice, between Ninth and 10th avenues. The route was to
be 20 blocks or so.
Our early arrival for a spot on the curb allowed us a front row
spectator's view. While waiting for the procession to start, we chatted
with many travelers, especially from Ohio. I noticed how noisy the crowd
was in anticipation of what they were about to see. Just as we did, most
came to witness ritual and ceremony and bid farewell because we were
given the opportunity by the Reagan family.
We were positioned close to the lead motorcycles of the procession
parked in the middle of the avenue with the hot, bright sun shimmering
off the dozen white and silver Harley-Davidsons. The rumbling of their
engines signaled the start of parade movement. Mallory and I looked at
each other, just to see if we both were okay in the heat. We both drew
tears as the chilling drum cadence approached.
The drummers were the percussion rank of the United States Army Band,
the first band contingent, led by their drum major and  adorned with all
the regalia fitting for the occasion. The polish and precision of the
musicians, coupled with the steady dirge tempo of their march selection,
evoked more emotion than I could handle. My body was dehydrated but my
eyes swelled with tears.
The musicianship was powerful and the marching intentional. Without
hesitation of any kind, it seemed each band member appeared to be honed
to precede the casket caisson of President Ronald Reagan.
Each of the three military bands had nine files, dotted by the rear rank
of smartly polished sousaphones, both gold and silver. The bands were
placed among numerous military marching units, from U.S. Military
Academy Cadets to units of all the branches of the armed forces.
I noticed that hardly a hat was on a spectator's head and it seemed all
hearts were so focused that silence was the understood backdrop for the
clicking of heels and eventual clopping of hoofs.
With the marching and military band units off ahead in the distance, the
solitary sound of horseshoes to the pavement was paralyzing. My throat
tensed and my heart beat with great honor to be one of many.
The black motorcade, all with windows closed, carrying the clergy and
pallbearers preceded the caisson.
The familiar flag-draped coffin warranted nothing but a hand to the
chest and a quiet pause. In this moment, I was so grateful for the gifts
of sight and hearing and just as grateful to God and country. We waved
to Mrs. Reagan as her limo silently moved along.
I tried to stimulate my brain with as much information as I could to
remember this beautiful event. But within seconds, the cortege passed
by, the end now ahead and Mallory and I were strangely left standing in
the quiet, just as all the others did. Well after the pass-by, we all
stood in respect, not yet ready to leave the spot we secured for a few
hours. F-15s rumbled overhead.
Mallory and I came and saw what we journeyed for and we left feeling the
worth of it all.


Bob Wentz reflects on school, Scouts and war
By CORINNE BIX
Bob Wentz has spent each phase of his life giving his best to his
family, community and career as a father, Boy Scout leader and World War
II supporter.
He has been actively involved with the Boy Scouts of American for more
than 70 years. Wentz was born in Salem, Ohio, in 1916 and first became
involved as a Scout when he was 12 years old. Wentz explained that the
Boy Scouts were first organized six years before he was born so he has
had the opportunity to see them grow over the past century.
In 1934, Wentz graduated from high school and headed off to Wittenberg
College.
"I only went for one year but the Depression caught up with me," Wentz
said.
He returned home and decided to help make his education happen despite
the financial woes facing so many. Along with 10 to 15 fellow students,
he start the Salem Trade School. Salem, which was rich in industry,
provided invaluable resources. The young people approached employees
from area industries, asking them to teach two nights a week.
By 1938, Wentz had graduated from trade school with a degree in
engineering. That same year he married his high school sweetheart,
Kathryn.
Today, the original trade school campus now serves as a branch of Kent
State University.
Wentz began working in Salem for Eljer Industries, a plumbingware
company, which relocated to Marysville in 1948. During World War II,
Eljer stopped making faucets and assisted in the war effort by producing
bombs that were dropped from planes over Germany.
"The reason we got the job is because we had the large furnaces which
were used for putting the enamel on sinks and bathtubs and could reach
1,700 degrees." Wentz said.
In 1944, Eljer switched from making bombs to making Caterpillar tractor
casting parts which were used in the South Seas during the war.
"We continued to help with the war effort," he said. Wentz said he was
glad that he had the opportunity to help serve his country.
Wentz worked as a chief product design engineer for Eljer for a total of
38 years which included a 10-year stint in Pittsburgh. He retired from
the company in 1978 and chose to return to Marysville for his retirement
years.
It was 1940 when Wentz first began working as a Scout leader. This same
year his son was born. He said the birth of Tom was the impetus for
returning to the Scouts.
As Wentz served as a Scout leader, he gained more experience with the
organization and began to help train and organize fellow adult
volunteers. In the 1950s Wentz had the opportunity to become involved
with international Scouting which brought scouts together from all over
the world once every three years.
Over the years, Wentz's scouting accolades are many. He received the
prestigious Silver Beaver award in 1953 along with the district award of
merit in 1985. In the mid-nineties he was named the official honoree at
the annual council Eagle Scout banquet.
"Since 1980, I have helped over 50 scouts attain the rank of Eagle
Scout," Wentz said.
Wentz explained that he helps the young men as they prepare their final
projects, which include a summary, report and review.
In 2001, Wentz was nominated to the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. In
addition to his work with Scouts, he has been a lifetime member of the
Lions Club, the Masonic Lodge and the First Presbyterian Church of
Marysville.
Wentz lives on eighth street and has two children and four
grandchildren. He continues to pursue an active lifestyle and turns 88
today.

Honda payroll tops $1.1 billion in Ohio
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Honda's annual payroll in Ohio has topped $1.1
billion, the head of Honda of America said Tuesday.
Koki Hirashima, the company's president and CEO, told the Dayton Area
Chamber of Commerce that the payroll is generated by the nearly 16,000
Ohioans employed by Honda.
Honda spokesman Ed Miller said Honda believes the payroll figure is the
highest it has ever been, given the stability of the company's
employment and worker increases in pay over the years.
Hirashima said an additional 20,000 supplier-industry jobs are tied to
the manufacture of parts for Honda. Of the $12.6 billion Honda pays U.S.
suppliers each year, more than $7 billion goes to Ohio suppliers and
into the state's economy, he said.
Miller said Honda decided to compile the figures because the company has
been operating in Ohio for 25 years and is often asked to quantify how
much it has grown.
"We've just gone and taken a look back on our impact on Ohio," Miller
said. "We feel we need to have some good data for our operations."
Honda has invested more than $6 billion for plants and equipment in Ohio
in the past 25 years, Hirashima said.
Honda became the first Japanese automaker to start producing vehicles in
the United States when it opened a motorcycle plant in Marysville in
central Ohio. It now produces vehicles at plants in Marysville and East
Liberty and engines in Anna.
On other topics, Hirashima said:
- Honda has successfully completed initial flight tests of HondaJet, an
experimental business jet designed to give superior fuel performance and
a lot of cabin space. Honda announced its entry into the aviation
business in February, saying it would work with General Electric Co. to
make jet engines.
- Honda plans to expand its presence in China. The company expects to
open its third auto assembly plant in China by the end of the year. The
company has said it expects its production in China to grow to 320,000
vehicles this year, eclipsing the 120,000 it produced last year.
---
On the Net:
Honda of America: http://www.honda.com

Activities set for Fourth  of July
From J-T staff reports:
Fireworks are free this year in Marysville.
American Legion Post 79 will again host a July 4 parade and fireworks in
Marysville with free entry to the Union County Fairgrounds where more
than $6,000 in fireworks will be set off beginning at 10 p.m. after a
9:45 p.m. Flag Retreat Ceremony. In the past there was an admission fee
to the fairgrounds.
Post Commander Rolly Rausch said donations are being accepted to help
defer the cost and can be made to P.O. Box 408, Marysville, Ohio 43040.
Parade lineup begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Union County Office Building
parking lot. The kid's bicycle decorating contest judging will be held
in the parking lot at 1 p.m. with monetary awards to the top three
places and recognition for all participants.
The parade begins at 2 p.m. and will travel north on Main Street to the
fairgrounds.

United Way backs shelter programs
Since the beginning of time, there have been an unfortunate few who do
not have the basic necessity of a roof over their heads. Even in 2004 in
Union County, there are those without a home or who are on the brink of
eviction.
In recognition of the continuing need for assistance to those in a
housing crisis, the United Way of Union County Board of Trustees
recently awarded a pair of grants, extending its relationship with the
Marion Shelter Program by writing a $4,984 check and granting $10,000 in
emergency funding to the Salvation Army's Housing Assistance Program.
Marion Shelter Program: The United Way of Union County entered into a
relationship last year with the Marion Shelter Program, the nearest
homeless shelter. Last year, about 10 Union County residents took
shelter there and the same number of people are on pace to utilize their
services again this year. The United Way Board of Trustees recently
approved a new grant for $4,984 to the Marion Shelter Program to cover
the cost of housing Union County residents during 2004.
The Marion Shelter Program is not a typical homeless shelter. Situated
in a residential neighborhood, it looks like any other home on the
street. It's not a warehouse with cots, but a home with rooms, beds, a
kitchen and a living room. There are requirements that residents stay no
more than 90 days, look for work daily and save money to get them back
into their own permanent housing.
While Union County does not have people begging on street corners or
sleeping under bridges, thereare those who spend nights in their cars,
area parks or barns.
"A lot of Americans are a couple of paychecks away from being homeless,"
he said.
Homeless residents are sometimes leery about crossing the county line to
another community for help. Lovett understands the fears they have of
leaving their hometown and concerns about the inconvenience of being 30
miles away.
"I would suggest that they come here and check the facility out," Lovett
said. "It's not the Holiday Inn but it's nice."
He said that if they have a job but need money for gas, that's not a
problem. The shelter gives $30 a week to people who are employed to live
on and if they need extra money for gas, they will get it.
Anyone interested in using the shelter may go to the 365 E. Fairground
St. location. More information on the Marion Shelter Program can be
obtained by calling (740) 387-4550.
The Salvation Army: The United Way Board of Trustees awarded $10,000 in
emergency funding to the Army's Union County Homeless Prevention
Program. The Salvation Army became the United Way's 24th member agency
in April but funding will not kick in until 2005. This grant will fund
program expenses in 2004.
The Salvation Army's program offers rent and utility assistance to those
on the verge of losing their housing. A case manager works with clients
to connect them with other resources, such as employment services or
child care assistance, and serves as an advocate with a landlord to help
them maintain their housing.

Tired of layoffs, Chaffin went out on his own
Chaffin and Sons Moving Company has been a tradition in Marysville for
18 years.
The business, located at 23643 Patrick Brush Run Road, offers household
and office furniture moving as well as pianos.
Their motto, "No job is too big or small," has gone a long way.
The Chaffins credit many years of success to their honest, reliable and
professional service to customers. Their equipment is new and up to date
and the employees take extra care to accommodate the elderly or
handicapped.
The company was founded in 1986 by Kirk Chaffin. He had previously been
employed as an inspector at a factory and was delivering for Spain's
Appliances in Marysville on the side. After getting laid off from
several factories, he came home one day and told his wife, "I'm starting
my own business so I'll never be laid off again."
He began moving homes and offices as a part-time business and it boomed
over the years into a full-time occupation, bringing in many repeat
customers.
The company name was chosen to include the Chaffin's two sons, Andrew
and Kenny. Andrew helped with the business until he became sick and died
in 1994. The name remains the same, in his memory.
Kenny, a teacher and coach at Marysville High School, continues to help
on the side. The business also has a dozen or so other employees who
help out as needed.
Previously located at 706 E. Fourth St., Chaffin and Sons moved to
Patrick Brush Run Road in August 2001 in order to have more room for the
growing number of trucks and trailers.
Every time a new vehicle is purchased, it is painted to create a
traveling billboard. Word of mouth has been another source of
advertisement as customers have passed the name on to others.

Jerome trustees follow own paths
By CINDY BRAKE
Personal agendas ruled the night at Monday's regular meeting of the
Jerome Township Board of Trustees.
Trustee Sharon Sue Wolfe opened the meeting by declaring a minute of
silence to remember President Ronald Reagan who died over the weekend.
Trustee Freeman May, who decided the township should contract their own
road repairs this year instead of using the county as has been done in
the past, presented a bid for $14,215 to crack seal roads. May was
unsure when the work would begin or be completed. He said the bid from
Strawser Inc. of Columbus was less than a $37,000 bid from American
Pavement. He added that the Strawser bid did not include as many roads.
Trustee Ron Rhodes said he wants to see records of who rents the
township building and what days it has been rented. Clerk Robert
Caldwell said he only has a record of receipts. Wolfe, who schedules the
building, said those documents requested by Rhodes and another citizen
are not public records and not available. When asked for her reasoning,
Wolfe provided none. Rhodes then made a formal request to Caldwell for
the records and requested an audit of the records.
Wolfe raised the question of leaf removal and mosquito fogging in
densely-treed subdivisions. The trustees decided that if the services
could not be provided to all residents, the township should not get
involved.
Jerome Township Fire Chief Scott Skeldon said Kimberly Woods is the
biggest problem with people burning leaves.
"It's a concern of mine," Skeldon said, adding that any removal is good.

Rhodes suggested that individual property owners should bag their own
leaves.
Wolfe and May, in turn, likened fogging to leaf removal. Rhodes
disagreed, pointing out that leaves are not as much of a health risk as
mosquitoes. Wolfe and May noted that Rhodes paid $468 of his own money
last year to fog five neighborhoods when the other two board members
refused to use township funds. May suggested that Rhodes can pay for the
fogging again this year and Wolfe commented that Rhodes wasn't up for
re-election.
May then raised a concern about ball teams parking at the township
building lot when the building has been rented. Wolfe said she would
contact the ball team coordinator.
Rhodes suggested canceling Wednesday meetings, noting that May had made
a similar motion at a Wednesday meeting. Wolfe, who suggested the
additional meetings, said she was not in favor of the motion and
wouldn't second it. She offered no reason for continuing the brief
Wednesday meetings which have few members of the public present and
where little action is taken. Pointing to a pending house bill, Rhodes
raised another concern about the township clerk not attending the
Wednesday meetings and questioned whether the minutes are valid.
In other business:
. The Jerome Alumni Association asked for written permission to remove
photographs that line the township hall.
. The board approved purchasing three uniforms for maintenance staff.
. Carol Marshall of Marysville was appointed zoning inspector. Her
compensation will remain the same as the previous inspector who resigned
in May. She will receive $14,000 a year for 20 hours a week and have the
use of a township vehicle.
. Resident Barbara Long said she was denied the right to speak at a
Board of Zoning meeting. She is concerned that the zoning board is not
allowing sidewalks in developments and is recommending narrower streets
with no curbs. Her concern is for the safety of children. Wolfe said
this was not something for the trustees to discuss. Rhodes said it was a
valid concern. May favors the narrower curbless streets because they are
easier to remove snow from.

Theft from PTO nets one-year sentence
By RYAN HORNS
An emotional Lori E. Showalter apologized to the court and to members of
the East Elementary PTO Monday morning during her sentencing hearing.
She admitted to stealing more than $13,000 meant for children's
activities as a former member of the parent organization.
Showalter, 28, of 228 Vine St. will spend the next 12 months at the Ohio
Reformatory for Women in Marysville for her crimes. To the members and
families associated with the PTO organization, her sentencing brings
closure to an incident they hope will not tarnish the image of their
volunteer organization.
Marysville Exempted Village School District Superintendent Larry
Zimmerman said the theft was a shock to the school system. He said the
PTO will build and recover over time but trust has been violated.
Union County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Parrott said her kind of
behavior would not be tolerated in Union County.
The PTO is an organization in which volunteers get together and help
raise money for class parties, activities and educational trips for
children.
Zimmerman said this morning that prison time will send a message to
anyone with similar plans. But all the school district and the PTO were
interested in was getting back the money that was stolen.
"Full restitution," he said. "That's what we wanted and to have that
hard-earned money returned."
To date, Showalter has paid back $2,000 and has since placed her home up
for sale to pay the rest.
Showalter was treasurer of the East Elementary organization from October
2001 to August 2003. During that time she stole a reported $13,083 from
their funds. Marysville police detectives said she may have stolen the
money after a recent divorce left her in a financial hole.
Showalter was charged with the crime March 24 and originally pleaded not
guilty. She changed her plea to guilty on May 5.
Her defense attorney, Michael Streng of Marysville, reported that she
faced up to 18 months in prison for the fourth-degree felony charge. He
said he had no comment on the outcome of the sentencing. He added that
Showalter may apply for parole in 30 days.
Showalter was convicted of a fourth-degree felony grand theft charge. By
the time of the sentencing hearing, she owed $17,008 in restitution to
the East Elementary PTO.
Brenda Reedy, Kathy Lyons, Tina Murdock and Gail Jenkins, members of the
PTO, were present in court while the verdict was read.
Union County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Heinkel read a
statement by the members to the court to express their views on her
sentencing. Essentially the letter reiterated that the real victim in
the case is the children of East Elementary.
Standing in court Monday, Showalter was reportedly emotional as she made
her statement to Parrott.
"I just want the PTO to understand I'm sorry," Showalter said through
tears. "If I could change it - but I can't. All I can do is make
whatever I can right and that I've had to put my house up for sale in
order to make restitution."
Heinkel reported that Showalter initially owed around $13,000 but the
$4,000 cost of an audit of PTO funds was added. Showalter was also
ordered to pay a $1,000 fine to the court.

Four receive minor injuries fighting fire
By RYAN HORNS
It took a total of 100 firefighters from fire departments spanning five
different counties to douse the blaze that erupted at the Clark Wood
Recycling Inc. Monday morning.
When Liberty Township fire chief Lloyd Segner responded to the initial
report of a fire at 27567 Route 31 in Somersville he marked it as a
working fire even before arriving at the scene. Smoke from the blaze was
visible for miles.
The fire started at 9:30 a.m. and was contained just after 10:30 a.m.,
he said. Fire crews stayed at the scene until after 4 p.m. cleaning up.
"The whole building was a loss," Lt. Tim Merrick of the Liberty Township
Fire Department said. "We had every firefighter in Union County out
there."
When he arrived at the scene, Segner said, he heard an explosion and he
believes it may have been one of the large tractor trailer tires from a
vehicle on fire.
Segner said the sight was impressive as 18  fire departments fought the
blaze with aid from members of the Union County Emergency Management
Agency and the state fire marshall's office. Mutual aid was provided by
departments from Union, Logan, Hardin, Marion and Delaware counties who
brought in 35 pieces of fire equipment.
Weather conditions were not kind to the firefighters, Segner said.
Periodic explosions and high flames made for a dangerous environment but
no one was seriously harmed.
Merrick said four firefighters were injured from heat exhaustion and
most were treated on the scene. Segner said one firefighter was
transported by medics to Memorial Hospital of Union County.
The Red Cross of Union County was on hand to provide canteen services to
the firefighters.
Merrick said the flames reached so high that the top of a nearby
high-tension power tower was engulfed.
Segner said plastic siding melted on a house on the south side of the
property and another house had had minor heat damage.
He said power for neighboring homes had to be shut down for several
hours and Union Rural Electric was on and had power restored to
residents after the department had the scene contained.
He reported the cause of the fire is still unknown at this time and as
of this morning, no estimates were available on the cost of damages.
Merrick said the building was made out of metal so it is hard to tell
what can be saved at this time.
Clark Wood Recycling Inc. owners said they plan to rebuild.

City ready  to regulate political signs
By RYAN HORNS
Some people think political signs are like mosquitoes in the summer,
just another part of a season you have to get used to.
After several meetings and tabled attempts at passing the legislation
concerning political signs, Marysville City Council will vote Thursday
on the final version.
If the resolution passes, city law director Tim Aslaner said that the
issue will then be referred back to the planning commission and come
back to council again.
Marysville's Public Affairs Committee members, in charge of re-writing
the planning and zoning code for the signs, have been trying to balance
free speech rights with the concerns of residents tired of placards all
over the roads. The problem was that the city would have to show that
the objects are a safety hazard.
Aslaner said the problem with putting limits on the signs is that they
are protected by the United State Constitution under freedom of speech.
He said in order to restrict them a city has to clearly define why
political signs are having a negative impact and how it expresses the
public interest. As a result, the committee has outlined political signs
as a safety and litter problem for Marysville.
The new zoning rules restrict the size of signs to be no greater than 32
square feet; forbid any lighting on the signs; state they cannot be
affixed to any public utility pole, tree or natural object; nor can they
be located in the public right of way and possibly creating a safety or
visibility hazard.
Permission to post the signs must be obtained from the property owners
of land where signs are to be placed. In addition, any signs or posters
concerning issues or candidates for election will be removed no later
than seven days after the election.
"Political signs placed on private property that do not meet these
restrictions shall cause the zoning inspector to notify, in writing or
by phone, the property owner, candidate or authorized agent therefor, to
alter or remove such signs within 48-hours following initial contact,"
the resolution states.
After that the signs will be removed by the zoning inspector and stored
at the Public Service Center on Maple Street for a minimum of 72 hours
and then will be destroyed.
What this all means, public affairs committee and council member David
Burke said, is that signs can be posted on private property away from
the road as long as the homeowners approve.
Council vice president John Gore said they checked with sign codes in a
number of surroundings cities and came up with the resolution.
At the May 27 council meeting, attorney Dennis Schulze said he still
sees flaws in the legislation.
"I'm really concerned," he said. "By singling out political signs you
are leaving yourself open."
What is written on a sign should not be legislated, he said, because of
freedom of speech. By the same thought process, residents should be
asked to take down the "No Railyard" signs, which can also be considered
political signs.
With no election to get rid of them, he said, the railyard signs would
never have to be taken down.
"I really think (the legislation) needs some work," Schulze said. He
added that he does not plan to challenge the signage codes but sooner or
later someone will - and they will win.
Burke explained to Schulze that the legislation is not limited to
political signs. He said it determines only where the signs can be
placed - namely, on private property instead of the public right-of-way
along roads.
"After three meetings and numerous law and community input," Gore said,
"This is about the best we can come up with."
"It's certainly better than the other one," Schulze conceded.


Fire department seeks assistance from residents
The Marysville Fire Department is asking residents to help them out by
clearing weeds and tall grass from around fire hydrants in the city.
With hydrants hidden, finding a water hook-up can be difficult during an
emergency, especially at night. There are about 1,000 hydrants within
city limits.
Chief Gary Johnson said city work crews are behind because of the rains
and firefighters have been attempting to clear city-owned hydrants
between fire runs, but, Johnson said, many hydrants are located on
private property and can be cleared only by the homeowners. He asks that
residents check their properties for hidden hydrants and clear them of
growth.
The following areas need to be checked for overgrowth:
. County Home Road
. Route 38 between the city and Route 736
. Industrial Parkway between the railroad tracks and Scottslawn Road
. Clymer and Suntra Way
. Route 31 and Route 4
. Raymond Road

Sick day swapping discussed
By RYAN HORNS
After two months off, with a newly revised meeting schedule, members of
the Tri-County Correction Commission addressed the issue of sick leave
donation.
Tri-County Regional Jail Director Dan Bratka said three staff members
asked him whether they could donate sick leave to help two employees.
One employee, for example, is undergoing hip replacement surgery and is
expected to be out for six weeks. He said the problem is that the jail
currently has no policy toward employees donating sick leave. It is an
issue that many businesses are having to deal with.
"We tried that in Union County," Union County Sheriff Rocky Nelson said.
"We were advised against it. I think that it just opens up a can of
worms."
Union County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Tom Morgan said that
there are pitfalls in terms of people donating their time before
retiring or to a specific person until they are off for months. The
practice can be misused.
Commissioner Dave Dhume said that in Madison County the issue is
currently in flux. Prior county commissioners had an easygoing policy
toward it.
"We kind of looked at the reasons and then tried to limit the amount
they could donate," he explained.
But the current commissioners, he said, have not come to a decision yet
as to how they will treat the issue. They attempted to address it during
past budget discussions but ultimately decided to pass the budget
without a policy.
Union County Commissioner Gary Lee reported encountering no problems
with staff abusing the policy.
"I guess it depends on how flexible you want to be as the director,"
Dhume told Bratka.
"From my standpoint," Bratka said. "I prefer not to have to deal with
it. For an airtight policy, it would require a lot of work."
"Everyone in favor of the concept, or the ones who have tried it, have
said it was extremely structured," Morgan agreed.
Morgan added that in some cases employees should be banking those sick
days in case something happens to them. Instead they may be using them
as vacation days.
Commissioners then voted against creating the policy, meaning
commissioners will not allow the practice of sick leave donation for
jail employees at this time.
Another topic discussed by commissioners had to do with getting a
electronic fingerprinting machine for the jail. The machine would allow
the fingerprints to stored in a computer as an electronic file. Jail
employees have been in need of a device to fingerprint criminals
entering into the jail instead of borrowing machines from other areas.
Money for the purchase was appropriated into the 2004 budget.
Bratka reported that he has received a bid from one company that would
fit the their needs. The cost for a machine would be $30,416 with
another $2,215 for maintenance. Bratka asked for authorization for the
purchase.
Nelson and Morgan, however, reported that they may be able to acquire a
grant to purchase the finger printing machine.
Morgan explained that the federal government has $4.5 million available
through regional grants. Franklin County had been called about it and
they in turn asked Union County to join on the application. The main
concern is showing the federal government that the machine would benefit
information-sharing capabilities within the region.
He said they have nine days to write the grant and apply, then would
find out in July if they will receive the money.
Nelson said having the Tri-County Jail as part of the grant request
would benefit everyone.
"It would look a whole lot better," he said.
Based on the prospect of saving the jail more than $30,000, members
decided to wait on purchasing a finger printing machine until their next
meeting on Aug. 3. By then they should have heard if they won the grant.

Driver leads deputies on pursuit
From J-T staff reports:
A motorcycle chase led sheriff's deputies through a high-speed obstacle
course of roads Wednesday before the driver finally gave up.
Union County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Richard P. Smith, 48, of Plain
City for excessive speed, reckless operation and failing to comply with
the lawful order or signal of a police officer.
At around 11:12 a.m. a deputy checked the speed of a motorcycle headed
southbound on Route 4 at 98 mph with a radar unit. The deputy attempted
to stop the motorcycle but the driver sped up and a pursuit began.
The chase led authorities north of Irwin and then into Champaign County
on Route 4. The suspect reportedly reached speeds in excess of 100 mph
as he traveled roads leading into small towns. Deputies checked off
numerous hazards to public safety. At one point the motorcycle driver
went through a school zone in Mechanicsburg at high speeds, crossed the
center line on numerous occasions, risking a head-on collision, and at
one point drove by the Tri-County Jail.
The chase then went north through the village of Mutual and into the
village of Woodstock. At that time a Champaign County sheriff's deputy
flagged the driver down near the stoplight in Woodstock and the driver
voluntarily stopped. After 14 minutes of avoiding police, Smith was
arrested at around 11:30 a.m. without further incident.
Authorities from Champaign County, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and
Union County participated in the chase.
It is unknown if Smith was wanted by police for past criminal activity
or why he fled.

North Union announces valedictorians, salutatorian
From J-T staff reports:
The North Union class of 2004 will graduate Friday during ceremonies
beginning at 7 p.m. in the athletic complex. In the case of rain,
graduation will be held in the gymnasium.
Jennifer Lynn Sheets and Lauren Brandt Wiley are co-valedictorians of
the class and Julie May Tonkin-Lentz is salutatorian.
Sheets, the daughter of Chuck and Sherryl Sheets, played volleyball and
basketball during her high school career. She was named to second team
MOAC in basketball for two years. Among the awards she received are
Dispatch Scholar Athlete, MOAC Scholar Athlete, BOE Award of Merit,
Marysville Elks $1,000 Scholarship, honor diploma, four-year Student
Council Award and McElheny Book Award for 12th grade government.
Sheets also received a National Student Athlete Award, the
Burnside-/Imbody/Fish Scholarship for $4,000, a Board of Regents
Certificate of Achievement, Silver medals in Spanish II and college prep
English IV, a bronze medal in governments and a perfect attendance
certificate. She will attend the University of Toledo.
Wiley, the daughter of Joe and Sally Wiley, earned a 4.0 GPA over four
years, played varsity softball for four years and played on the North
Union basketball team that traveled to San Diego for tournament play.
Wiley received the Zonta Outstanding Young Woman Award, Award of Merit,
MOAC Scholar Athlete, Marysville Elks $1,000 Scholarship, Wendy's High
School Heisman Award, honor diploma, a four-year Student Council Award
and the McElheny Book Award for 12th grade English.
She also received a National Student Athlete Award, Burnside/Imbody/Fish
Scholarship for $4,000, Craig Cooley Scholarship for $500, Board of
Regents Certificate of Achievement, a $150 Outstanding Career Passport
Award, Ohio University Valedictorian Award of $1,000 per year, a gold
medal in computer applications, current issues, government and college
prep English IV and bronze medal in advanced biology. She will attend
Ohio University to study government and health.
Tonkin-Lentz, daughter of Charles Tonkin and Patricia Lentz, took part
in show choir, In-The-Know and the drama program, was chosen to
represent North Union at the 2003 Buckeye Girls State and served as Hugh
O'Brian Youth Leadership representative. The awards she received include
BOE Award of Merit, honor diploma, McElheny Book Award for 12th-grade
advanced biology, Burnside/Imbody/Fish Scholarship for $3,000, Board of
Regents Scholarship for $2,300 and Elks Student of the Year.
She also received an Ohio Wesleyan University Faculty Scholarship of
$14,000 per year, a gold medal in advanced biology and Spanish III and a
bronze medal in college prep English IV. She will attend Ohio Wesleyan
University to study psychology.

Memories of war
Local veterans share their feelings on trip to WWII Memorial dedication
By CINDY BRAKE
A trip to Washington, D.C., last week brought back a lot of memories to
several Union County veterans of World War II and their families.
They were part of the tens of thousands of soldiers, sailors and heroes
of the home front who gathered at the National Mall for a dedication of
a monument honoring World War II veterans.
"It brought back a lot of memories," said Clarence Henson, who served in
France, Belgium and Germany as a technician 4th class with the Army Corp
of Engineers from 1945 to 1946. Henson of Marysville joined the Army
when he was 18 years old and spent most of his time building inflatable
pontoon bridges over rivers like the Rhine. He later re-enlisted and
served in Guadalcanal with a surveying battalion where he remembers
seeing the removal of hundreds of wooden boxes carrying fallen soldiers
being brought back to the United States.
For Henson, the most moving part of the weekend trip was visiting
Arlington National Cemetery and seeing "all those markers."
He said one of the most surprising parts of the trip was seeing "young
kids hugging veterans" and thanking them for what they had done. "I
didn't expect that."
Those moments also meant a lot to Arlene Shaffer, the widow of veteran
John M. Shaffer who earned a Purple Heart while serving on the aircraft
carrier USS Enterprise, the most decorated ship in World War II.
"He would have been so proud," Mrs. Shaffer of Marysville said about her
husband, who died June 21, 2003.
She said he enlisted when he was 18 years old and was a 1st class seaman
serving from 1942 to 1945 in the Pacific Theatre. She said his ship was
hit by a kamikaze pilot near Okinawa and he was blown off the ship from
his 40 mm gun mount under the deck. With 3,000 men on the ship, she
said, no one realized he was missing. Fortunately, the people on the
last ship in his convoy, a destroyer, heard him whistling and screaming
and picked him up. All he had on was his left sock, a life preserver and
the whistle, she said. She said he suffered from concussion headaches
for the rest of his life.
Mrs. Shaffer, as well as others who were part of the Union County group,
said they were grateful that they stopped at the memorial two days
before the actual dedication. She said it felt as "if everything
stopped, like the veterans were there."
The day of the dedication the local group was not able to get near the
monument because of the "sheer mass of people," said Margia Renner, who
joined her husband, Norman. Mr. Renner of Irwin served as an aviation
machinist 3rd class with the Naval Air Force. While Renner never left
the  United States, he was part of a pilotless aircraft unit in the
Mojave Desert which was involved in the infancy of guided missiles and
bomb research.
"I am forever grateful that President Harry Truman had the intestinal
fortitude to drop those bombs on Japan. I know it took a lot of their
lives but it saved many more times that number, both of their people and
our people," Mr. Renner said. He was 22 years old when he joined the
service.
The Washington trip brought back memories of men he knew who sacrificed
their lives in the war. They included his brother-in-law, Roy Turner,
who died in the Battle of the Bulge, as well as classmates.
"We as a country waited too long," he said, to honor these men who
guaranteed the freedom we enjoy today.
Prisoner of War Raymond S. Veley of Watkins described the monument as
"beautiful - something to experience, something to honor the whole
country."
For Veley, the most moving part of the trip was a visit to the Holocaust
Museum.
"Being a prisoner made me realize that everything is not given to you.
You have to be patient," he said. Admitting that he saw a lot of
terrible things during his service, Veley said, the worst part was never
knowing from day to day what would happen.
He was 19 years old when he joined the Army 88th Division, 350th
Infantry, as a private 1st class. He traded his bugle from basic
training for a machine gun when he was sent to the front line in Italy.
He and 12 other machine gunners were captured after three months on the
front line and loaded into a box car "like animals" for a three-day and
three-night journey to a German prisoner of war camp. After getting only
one slice of bread and one cup of water during those three days, he
said, "I knew I had lost something - my freedom."
During those seven months in the POW camp, Veley said he worked every
day except Sunday. Meals were mostly "rotten cabbage soup with stones.
You had to be careful what you chewed," he said. He lost 35 pounds and
was hospitalized for three months after his release because he wouldn't
eat.
The prisoners filled in bomb craters, rebuilt buildings and cleaned up
rubble. He chuckles while remembering how the prisoners would tie string
at the bottom of their pants and while peeling potatoes for German
officers they would smuggle potatoes out. He also remembers seeing one
prisoner shot to death when he got too close to the fence.
Ray Chappelear of Milford Center said he was "just a worker" when he
joined the 8th Air Force as a private first class. While in England from
1943 to 1946 he installed two-inch bullet-proof glass and armor plate to
B17s.
Chappelear said he wouldn't have missed the trip to Washington.
"My prayers were answered," he said.
The idea for the Washington trip began in October when funeral director
Derric Brown suggested that Union County's funeral directors continue
their support of veterans by assisting financially. In 2000, Brown said,
area funeral directors conducted a registry of remembrance. Supporting
the trip were Mannasmith Funeral Homes, Ingram Funeral Home and
Underwood Funeral Home of Marysville and Stofcheck Funeral Home and
Ballinger Funeral Home of Richwood.
Brown said  a total of 25 veterans and their families participated in
the trip, coming from Watkins, Milford Center, Marysville, Irwin, South
Vienna, West Liberty, Russells Point, St. Paris, Bellefontaine and
Springfield.

N.L. moves ahead with wastewater improvements
By CORINNE BIX
North Lewisburg Village Council continued to make strides on Tuesday
evening toward the renovation of the village's wastewater treatment
plant.
In April, the board authorized village engineer Gary Silcott to continue
move forward on an MBR or Membrane BioReactor system to renovate the
village's current system. The MBR system uses a new membrane technology
which was developed in Japan. The highly cost-effective system will work
with the village's existing tanks and provide for a more compact
operation.
Silcott told the board there are two methods for processing sludge out
of the plant. The first is the way the village is now disposing of
sludge, by liquefying it and dumping it on land.
This method will become more difficult as EPA restrictions become
tighter and farmers are less likely to take the sludge. The village
could opt to eventually purchase between 80 and 100 acres to be used as
a dumping site, however, Silcott said, the high cost would far outweigh
any benefits.
The second option and the one preferred by Silcott is the creation of
sludge-cake which can be deposited in any landfill. This would require
the village to install a sludge press.
The board authorized Silcott to move forward on the sludge-cake process
which when combined with the MBR thickening system will reduce the
village's solid waste by 2.5 percent.
"I think the MBR came along at the right time and it's going to be a
great asset for you guys," Silcott said, "Given that the village wanted
to use the existing tanks, it was a perfect fit."
Silcott also presented the board with information on obtaining an aerial
photo and topographical survey of the village and surrounding areas. The
board authorized Henderson Aerial with the lowest quote of $1,460 to
provide the photo and survey.
The imaging created will provide the village with data to assist in more
accurately identifying the area flood plains and with continued
development of the village park.
Silcott finished by sharing with the board a preliminary sketch of the
future village fire station.
In other business:
 . Council heard second reading of ordinance #230, title only, on a
lodging tax and Ordinance #205A, adding gambling, awards, wagering,
lotteries, prizes to municipal income tax.
 . The building committee agreed to finalize ceiling style and type to
be used for the renovation of the municipal building's community room.
 . Council greed to proceed legally with the removal of a condemned home
at 133 Audas St.
 . Council received an invitation to attend an MBR presentation in
Vinton County on June 8.
 . Council Heard the May report from officer Kemp of the Champaign
County Sheriff's department. Activities included 10 traffic citations,
six warnings issued for traffic violations, 10 incident reports, 17
assistance given to citizens, nine arrests made, six civil and criminal
papers served, 31 follow-up investigations completed, three instances of
juvenile contact and two auto accidents.


Sam Jackson's grew from garage operation
Since 1981 Sam Jackson's Auto Body Repairs has been serving the Union
County area.
Since he was very young, owner Sam Jackson has been interested in fixing
and painting vehicles. After high school he worked in numerous body
shops in Marysville, Columbus, Marion and even California.
Jackson married Teresa Ogden in 1978 and they decided to start their own
business in a small garage behind their house. From there, the start-up
business began to take off, Jackson said, and he hired two men to help
him
By 1989 the business had grown so much that a 6,000-square-foot shop was
built and that is the existing shop in Raymond. In 1995 a
4,000-square-foot addition which houses the paint department was added.
In 2001 Jackson had another 4,800-square-foot building erected to house
the frame, detailing and dent shop.
The growth of the business led the family to purchase Marysville Auto
Body and open Jackson's Collision Services on Northwest Parkway. The
Jackson family has 21 employees.
The Jacksons have two sons. Benjamin graduated from Marysville High
School in 1997 and Jarad graduated in 2000. They are a very big part of
the stores and are working in the shop and learning the business end of
auto repairs so they can carry on the family business.
In 2003 Ben married Melissa Robb from the Buckeye Lake area and she is
also a part of the business now, working part-time in the office.
Customers can stop by any time Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m. for free estimate on repair jobs or call Sam Jackson's Auto Body
Repairs at 246-5822 for Honda or Acura repairs or Jackson's Collision
Services at 642-4686 for all other makes and models.
"We attribute our success to a very loyal clientele and our very skilled
and dedicated employees," Jackson said. "We also attribute our growth
and success to the growth of our community and the good working
relationship with Honda."

Marysville graduation is this  weekend
Marysville Stadium will be the site of the 125th commencement exercise
for Marysville High School to be held June 6 at 2:30 p.m. Stadium
seating is available to the public at no charge.
Parking will be directed by the Marysville Police Department.
Handicapparking will be available for properly marked vehicles.
In the event of inclement weather, the event will take place in the high
school gymnasium. Due to limited seating, a ticket will be required for
admittance to the ceremony.
Five tickets will be given to each graduate to distribute to friends and
families. New this year will be a live feed of the ceremony in the
auditorium for those not holding a ticket. The seating capacity in the
auditorium is 700. Parking near the building will be restricted to
graduates, family members displaying a parking pass, high school staff
members, and handicap vehicles.  The general public will park in the
lots near the baseball/softball fields and stadium.
Questions may be directed toassistant principal Matt Chrispin at
642-0010.