Annual Christmas Breakfast with Santa - Dec. 5

Breakfast with Santa
YS United Methodist Church
December 5th from 9AM to 11:30AM
Pictures with Santa
Take home crafts for the kids
Pancake and sausage breakfast
(Children - free Adults - $5)
Call for information 767-7560

Roger Reynolds

Bench to Nowhere: From the YS X-Files

A Cool Town Toon

Reading a book on Kindle

Channel 7 was off the air starting at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday and came back on just a short while ago this morning. There was something scheduled last night that I wanted to see. When I learned from their Website of the unprecedented extent of their broadcast failure, I shut off the tube in disgust and turned back to my laptop.

Just the other day, I had downloaded free Kindle for PC software from Amazon.com. But I wasn't sure I would ever use it. A Kindle is an electronic device that enables you to download books wirelessly and read them on a screen. They are about the size of a book. I was reading a real book and was thoroughly engrossed in it. I thought I might experiment with Kindle when I had the time. Since hand held Kindles cost somewhere between $250 and $400, depending on the model, I thought this might be an inexpensive way to try out the concept.

My book finished and my show off the air, I suddenly had the time to play with my new software. I found that I was able to download samples of books from Amazon for free. After reading a few pages on the computer version of Kindle, I decided to download Cormack McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. I had seen the movie and read all his other books. It seemed a likely candidate.

As of this morning, I am halfway into the book, or so I think, and the technology is working for me, with certain pros and cons.

I miss holding a book. Book lovers like to fondle their treasures. I am no different. When you download a book into the Kindle, you get an icon that represents the book's cover. The more books you download, the more icons you collect. They sit there on a virtual bookshelf. But where is it? Try and find where it resides on your hard drive. They seem to have hidden it. If you have a book you like, when you finish it you might want to lend it to a friend. Ahem... No matter how good the friend, I doubt that I am going to lend them my laptop for a few days, or more. Some of my friends already have a problem returning books, videos, and CDs that I have lent them.

One of the things I do when I start a book is turn to the last page and check the page number. This way, I can measure my progress as I read a long. I like to know how many pages I have left until I am done. There are no page numbers on my Kindle book. In fact, the pages are foreshortened so they fit the screen. That is a good thing. Instead of scrolling down and then trying to find your place again, you just page down and the new material appears. But you have no idea where you are in the book, unless you go to the table of contents to check your progress, and that might not be an accurate indicator.

What am I going to do when I finish the book? Erase it? Not likely; I paid ten bucks for it.

What if my hard drive crashes, or I get a new computer? Can I take my collection of books with me?

There are a lot of unanswered questions, but I am just getting started. As with every new piece of software, I will eventually have to explore the options in the tool menu.

One advantage I can see right away, however, is that if you ever feel like reading a book when the library is closed and there is nothing on hand, you have access to a whole world of books, any one of which can be downloaded in a matter of seconds for about $10.

I would like to hear from others about their experiences with Kindle, either the computer version or the hand held model. Let's compare notes. Maybe I will learn something.

Upcoming Events

Hometown Holiday: A Sentimental Journey
Benefit for 1st Presbyterian Church
Various local artists to perform
The Emporium
December 5, 7-9 pm

Holiday Concert
Yellow Springs Band and Chorus
1st Presbyterian Church
December 13, 7:30 pm

Medieval Mystery Plays
1st Presbyterian Church
December 18 & 19, 8 pm
Free, donations appreciated

YS Kid's Playhouse
The New Bremen Town Musicians
The Glen Helen Building
December 17-19, Thu & Fri 7:30p Sat 2 & 7:30p

3rd Friday Fling
December 18

For information on these events and more visit the Chamber of Commerce website at www.yellowspringsohio.org.

The Backyard Flock: Protecting your chickens in winter

On Molting in Winter

“Heaven have mercy on us all - Presbyterians and Pagans alike –
for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and
sadly need mending.” – Herman Melville – Moby Dick

I sit by the fire at night and wonder
about my friends in the coop.
Rocky, the barred rock, is on the molt
and Pee Wee, the little red hen,
is showing signs.

Will the flock huddle
and warm them despite
pecking order protocol?
I suspect they will,
for they are neither Republicans
nor Democrats,
Presbyterians nor Pagans.

***

As winter approached in the first year of my first flock, I began to worry how my chickens would survive. I didn’t have a clue. “What do others do?” I wondered. I had built a secure coop, with double-paned windows and vents that close, but still, it didn’t seem sufficient. It was just uninsulated plywood construction – kind of like a cabin in the woods, but with no stove.

I asked a farmer who had a flock of 100 that he raised for eggs. “You don’t have to do anything special,” he advised. “Just keep them out of drafts.” Another piece of good advice is to be sure there are no metal objects for them to roost on. A chicken cannot sense temperature with its feet. If they roost on a metal pole or rod, they are liable to get frostbite.

Chickens have hot bodies. Get a bunch of them in one fairly secure coop and they will warm the joint with body heat and chicken breath. On all but the coldest mornings, when I go out to bring them food and water, the water in their drinker won’t be frozen, or will just have a skim of ice on the surface. There are times, however, when I will find the drinker frozen solid. They remain unfazed. But I always bring them a fresh drinker filled with hot water. All they want is to go out.

The younger ones are especially adept at keeping warm. Last night, when I went to lock them up in temperatures that were hovering around the freezing mark, nine of my youngest were snuggled together on the roost in a coop designed for six. They barely fit. It is a sight that never fails to get a smile out of me. In the other almost identical coop, my four oldest birds stubbornly roosted apart from one another.

Sometimes I think I spoil my girls. I know people who have chickens that sleep in open coops year round. The only care they take is to keep them safe from predators. Somehow the chickens manage to survive. When it snows, I keep mine locked in the coop until there are bare patches where they can walk. Sometimes, I spread straw on the ground in chicken land so they can get from the door of the coop to the dry spots. If you keep them cooped up too long, they will get on each other’s nerves.

Last winter, I had a barred-rock get sick in some of the coldest weather of the year. I eventually brought her in the house in a big cardboard box, but she didn’t make it through the night. I’m still kicking myself for not having brought her in sooner. What I noticed about her when she took ill was that her comb had lost its color. That is something I will look for in all my chickens this winter. At the first sign of illness, they are coming to live with us - or in the garage, if my wife strenuously objects.

WYSO co-sponsoring foreclosure prevention campaign

WYSO is co-sponsoring a foreclosure prevention campaign called “No One Ever Told Me That” that launched the week of Nov. 16 and is both on air and online, according to the Dayton Daily News. The project includes public service announcements, news reports and a Web site which is a clearinghouse of trusted area resources.

This from the WYSO Website: WYSO and ThinkTV have partnered, once again, to bring trusted community resources together with the people who need them in the Miami Valley. “No One Ever Told Me That” is an innovative information vehicle utilizing radio, television and the web to address some of the most important issues you are facing today:

• Should I buy a home or is renting better for me right now?
• What is on my credit report and what can I do about it?
• What is happening with credit cards and the new rules regarding them?
• Where should I start with financial planning and budgeting?

More information is available here.

Dayton Daily News: Campaign tackles home foreclosure

Sunday's cyclocross event in John Bryan gets coverage

According to the Dayton Daily News, about 300 competitors are expected Sunday for the 2009 Buckingham Financial Ohio State Cyclocross Championships at John Bryan State Park.

Dayton Daily News: ‘Steeplechase of Cycling’ event set for Yellow Springs

YSKP Holiday Show - The Bremen Town Musicians

Click on image to enlarge.

For YSKP's matinee performance on Sat, Dec 19 at 2pm, YSKP is offering a "Drop and Shop" option for families. From 2-4pm children will be entertained by attending the show and activities giving parents an opportunity to shop alone or just take a break! $10 per child. Register for Drop and Shop by email to kim@yskp.org.

Yellow Springs Short Film Festival accepting entries from local filmmakers

The Little Art Theatre will host the Yellow Springs Short Film Festival on Sunday, February 21, 2010 (program to be repeated on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

The festival will include short films that showcase the best of local filmmaking talent, from students to professionals to everyone in between. The festival will also include a works-in-progress segment, and audience choice awards for the most popular films.

We are now accepting submissions of short films for the festival--finished films or works in progress. The early deadline for entry is Friday, January 8, 2010 and the regular deadline is Friday, January 22, 2010. The entry fee is $5 for the early deadline and $10 for the regular deadline; entry date will be determined by postmark.

To be considered for entry, the majority of each film needs to have been shot in one of the following counties: Greene, Montgomery, Clark, Madison, Fayette, Clinton, or Warren. (Exceptions may be made if a filmmaker from one of those counties shot their film elsewhere.) Films should be no longer than 15 minutes in length. (We will allow for a 1 or 2 minute leeway to suit the filmmaker’s vision.)

To submit a short film, go to http://www.littleart.com/site.php/shortsfest which contains the entry form and other submission guidelines. You can also join the festival’s Facebook page for more information and updates: http://www.facebook.com/ysshortfilmfest

For more information, please contact:
Vanessa Query, Festival Director
Little Art Theatre
247 Xenia Ave
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
(937) 767-7671
vanessaquery@gmail.com

NPR covers Miami Valley Pottery wood firing

Earlier this month, Nayson McIlhargey and as many as 40 of his friends and neighbors spent 36 hours firing the plates, bowls, cups, pitchers and vases he makes twice a year at his pottery outside Yellow Springs, Ohio, NPR reports.

NPR: Potter's wood-fired kiln sparks friendships

Happy T-Day from WYSO

From all of us at WYSO... We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Do all your holiday shopping online through iGive and a portion of the purchase price will go to support WYSO! What could be better than shopping for gifts & giving a gift to WYSO too! iGive is a shopping portal to thousands of online stores...so get started right now by clicking on the link below! Start Shopping now! and, you can always shop through the Amazon link on our website, too. Thank you & Happy Turkey Day! Jacki Mayer WYSO Public Radio

Deborah Benning, Clerk of Council - Nov. 24, 2009

I have the incredibly sad news that Deborah Benning passed away last night. She had been gravely ill for the past few weeks after being in and out of the hospital for much of the summer. Deborah will be missed by those of us on Council who depended upon her knowledge of the Village, understanding of everything to do with Village governance, her frequent jokes and great laughter. The community has lost a life-time resident who served this community for years, first as an elected official and then as the Clerk of Council. There will be a memorial service for Deborah at the Bryan Center on Saturday, December 5 at a time to be announced. Please keep her partner Ronnie and his daughter Ashanta and the rest of her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Karen Wintrow

Home for the Holidays

November 27th
- Madagascar kiln opening sale, Miami Valley Pottery; 10a - 5p,
145 E. Hyde Rd.

- Old Man River Band, Ye Olde Trail Tavern; 4p.
Black Friday Deals on Tavern merchandise & gift certificates.
Spin & Win Contest.

November 28th
- Holiday Open House, No Common Scents; 10a - 6p, 1525 Xenia Ave.


WREATH AUCTION
Stop in at Friends Care Community and check out the beautiful holiday wreaths donated by area businesses and vendors. Wreaths will be available for silent auction through December 17th for bids. All proceeds will assist in providing the Resident's Christmas Party.

Holiday Fest Penguin in snow
December 5th

Annual United Methodist Church Santa Breakfast, 9-11:30a
( No cost for children, $5 donation per adult)
202 S. Winter St.


John Bryan Community Pottery Holiday Sale, Sat. & Sun., 11a-5p
100 Dayton St.


Holiday Art to Buy Sale, 11a-8p
The Art Space at 108 Dayton St.

Photos with Santa, 1-4p
Art Happens, located in the King's Yard Shops

D.J. Clean Gene, 1-5p
Ye Olde Trail Tavern, 228 Xenia Ave.

Residents Holiday Bazaar, 9a-2p
Friends Assisted Living, 170 E. Herman

Madagascar Kiln Opening Sale, Sat. & Sun., 10a-5p
Miami Valley Pottery, 145 E. Hyde Rd.

YSHS School Forrest, Cut Your Own Trees, Sat. & Sun.
The Pine Forrest lot off Bryan Park Rd.

Art in the Atrium, Fran LaSalle Art Quilts & Geno Luketic Ceramics
Opening Reception; December 6, 4-6p
The Glen Helen Building, 405 Corry St.

Bench to Nowhere: Feel the love

A Cool Town Toon

Holiday Fest PR from the Chamber

Holiday Fest
December 5, 2009, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Shopping, dining and entertainment downtown and various locations around Yellow Springs

Yellow Springs gets into the holiday spirit on December 5 as they celebrate their Holiday Fest featuring day long activities downtown for the whole family.

Festivities kick off at 9:00 when the kids can join Santa for breakfast at the Yellow Springs United Methodist Church at 202 S. Winter St. In addition to enjoying a pancake breakfast, children can enjoy take away crafts and a picture with Santa. There is no cost for children but a suggested donation of $5per adult for breakfast and the event ends at 11:30.

Santa can then be found at 1:00 at King’s Yard on Xenia Ave. where he will be strolling through the Marketplace greeting children along the way. In additional to complimentary pictures with Santa, professional photographs will be available from Art Happens at a nominal charge. Santa can be found in King’s Yard until 4 pm.

The highlight of the event is of course the unique, one-of-a-kind gifts in over 60 shops, boutiques and galleries in Yellow Springs. And when you’ve grown weary, rest your feet as you sit in one of 15 restaurants and enjoy great food in a relaxing and festive atmosphere.

Be sure to look for the opportunities to sign up for the Holiday Gift Basket full of wonderful gifts from local merchants including gift certificates from Ohio Silver, The Winds, Current Cuisine; a total value of over $300.

For those who want to give the gift of art for the holidays, there are three opportunities to purchase affordable work from local artists. First, Art to Buy will be hosted at The Art Space at 108 Dayton St. from 11 am to 8 pm, featuring a variety of art forms. Hand-crafted pottery will be available at the John Bryan Community Pottery Open House in the Pot Shop behind the Village offices at 100 Dayton St . The Open House is Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Finally, Miami Valley Pottery is hosting their Madagascar Kiln Opening Sale from10 am-5 pm; on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The beautiful studio is located at 145 E. Hyde Rd. 1 mile south of Yellow Springs.

The Yellow Springs High School School Forest invites you to the Pine Forest on Bryan Park Road where you can enjoy an authentic holiday experience as you search for the perfect tree and then warm yourself at the campfire. For a slightly less rugged way to cut your own tree, stop by Young’s Tree Farm 1 mile north of Yellow Springs.

So for a truly special holiday experience, come to Yellow Springs for their Holiday Fest on December 5 or anytime during the holiday season. For more information, please contact the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce at 937-767-2686 or visit www.yellowspringsohio.org.

In memory of Carolion

Video by Susan Gartner

Harry's simple turkey recipe

(Based on Thanksgiving 2008)

12 lb. Turkey at 325 degs. for 3.5 hours

Wash turkey, clean cavity with salt. Stuff cavity with apples and onions. Add a cup of water to bottom of roasting pan. Use a pan that will keep the turkey raised.

Baste with mixture of melted butter, basil, and white wine, then cover turkey with aluminum foil for first 2 hours. Brown for last 1 ½ hours.

Baste every 20 mins. Use fresh mixture for first hour, then continue to baste with drippings from pan. Add water if needed.

Basting Mixture: Melt ¼ lb of butter and add dried basil flakes and a couple dashes of dry white wine.

Substitute freely. Adjust cooking times for size of turkey approximately 20 min. per lb.

The rest:

• Dice giblets, brown in butter and add to two jars of Heinz turkey gravy. Stir in drippings from pan and simmer for a few minutes.
• Stove Top Turkey Dressing (follow directions on box)
• Instant mashed potatoes (ditto)
• Wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and place on rack with turkey for last 1 ½ hours.
• Get someone else to make the green beans.

Community Thanksgiving at Presbyterian Church

The Sixth Annual Community Thanksgiving will be held in Westminster Hall at the first First Presbyterian Church on Thanksgiving Day from 2–4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Yellow Springs Interspiritual Council. All villagers are invited. Turkey and sides will be served. Admission is free.

Presbyterians to put on show Dec. 5

Yellow Springs vet at Honor Flight celebration

Theodore Jackson of Yellow Springs, who took an Honor Flight to the WWII Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC this year, told the Springfield News-Sun he was grateful and honored to have been able to take the trip. According to Jackson, he served in the Philippines and England.

Springfield News-Sun: Honor Flight open house recognizes vets

Guide to Holiday in the Village

As part of the YS Chamber of Commerce's Marketing Plan, they have rolled our their first ever online shopping guide. Developed for the Chamber by local designers Bing Design, it mimics the high quality, glossy magazines found in the Thanksgiving Day newspapers. The Guide features the Chamber's marketing partners and includes maps and a list of holiday events. Check out this beautiful e-magazine here or look for it on the Chamber Website.

Only four days left in the Home, Inc. survey

Yellow Springs Home, Inc. is seeking your input to help design a development that fits community needs at Rabbit Run Farm. Between Nov. 13 and November 25 a brief online survey will be available to complete. If you have any questions, please contact Emily Seibel, Program Manager, at (937)767-2790, by email or on the web. Thank you.

Nature Arts and Crafts Show continues today

(Chamber photo)

The Nature Arts and Crafts Show at the Glen Helen Building continues in its second day today, Sunday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Related post: Glen Helen Nature Arts and Crafts Show

The Backyard Flock: The numbers game

Depending on the size of your family and the size of your lot, the ideal number of chickens to have in a backyard flock is about six. There are so many variables that go into this number that it probably shouldn’t even be mentioned. But six is the number that has always worked for us. Right now we have 13.

If you have six chickens that are in the productive stage of their life (six months to four years) you will be getting on average about four eggs a day. This will vary according to the seasons as they need about 12 hours of light to produce an egg. In summer, with six chickens and a family of four, you will be amazed at how fast the eggs pile up. You will have plenty to give away. But in winter, unless you leave a light on in the coop to make up for the lack of daylight, there will be days when you might be tempted to pick up a dozen eggs at the supermarket. Other factors that affect their egg-laying capacity are molting, broodiness and age.

Chickens usually molt every year. When they are making new feathers, their bodies use all the calcium they have stored up that would otherwise go into egg production. In Ohio, domestic chickens usually molt in late fall. Aside from the lack of eggs, a naked chicken is not a pretty sight. But, I will save that topic for another article.

When a chicken goes broody, all she wants to do is sit on a clutch of eggs. They can be hers or the eggs of other chickens; they can be fertilized or not. It makes no difference. Once she gets the urge to be a mother, she goes into a trance like state, stops laying, and sits on a pile of eggs for a couple weeks, thinking they are going to hatch. Fortunately, this usually only happens with certain breeds of chickens. I will also save this topic for another column.

Chickens are at their egg-laying peak from about six months, when they first start to lay, to about two years of age. In peak light, they will lay almost an egg-a-day during this age span. After that they will lay less and less until they reach the age of about six or seven years, when they will hardly lay at all. My best layers were my Barred Plymouth Rock and my Rhode Island Red. They never went broody, molted for only short periods of time, and produced regularly for about five years. Rocky, my Barred Rock, died of illness last winter at the age of five. Up until that time she had been a fairly regular producer, giving me two or three eggs a week near the end of her life. Pee Wee, my red hen, at almost six was giving me like production up until a few weeks ago when she molted. The molting is over, but she hasn’t started laying again. She deserves a rest.

This past May, we bought six new chicks at a hatchery, three Barred Rocks and three Araucanas. We did everything by the book in raising them. At six months, like clockwork, they started laying. It seems like the day they started, the rest of the flock (seven older chickens) quit. Was it psychological, or was it just a combination of the factors I mentioned above? With chickens, you can never discount the psychological factor. But, several of them are molting. In any event, we have all the eggs we can use right now, including green eggs that the Araucanas lay. But the days are getting shorter and I do not have an electric line out to their coop.

As you can see, if it’s eggs you want, you will have to introduce some youngsters into the flock every couple years. Following that pattern, if you are averse to serving up one of your pets for dinner and you are adept at keeping them safe from predators, your flock will inevitably grow. Hence the number 13.

Best Hometown Celebration

The editor of Ohio Magazine presents Mayor Dave Foubert with the Best Hometown award.

Singers warmed up the crowd to kick off the celebration.

More photos of the Best Hometown celebration and Friday Fling here.

Best Hometown Celebration Tonight

The celebration starts at 5:30 p.m. tonight in the alley next to the Senior Center. See our own Mellow Yellow Dance, hear Yellow Springs songs and why locals think that Yellow Springs is the best hometown. Editors from Ohio Magazine will be in attendance to present the award and sell copies of the magazine. Tonight is also a Friday Fling with free carriage rides and late shopping.

Business After Hours last night at the Emporium

The YS Chamber of Commerce has the lowest dues around and offers great benefits to members. You might want to consider attending one of these bimonthly Chamber events. Almost everyone in attendance won a door prize!

Related post: Business After Hours tonight at the Emporium

Business After Hours tonight at the Emporium

This from the Chamber:

Just a reminder about the Business After Hours tonight where we’ll be talking about Chamber benefits with the experts on insurance and work er’s comp. Please come to learn more about these benefits and encourage non-members to come hoping that they’ll be interested in joining. It is at the Emporium from 5:30-7:30 with wine, treats from Current and door prizes.

Don’t forget the Best Hometown Celebration tomorrow night next to the Senior Center that starts at 5:30. See our own Mellow Yellow Dance, hear Yellow Springs songs and why locals think that Yellow Springs is the best hometown. The folks from Ohio Magazine will be here to give us our award and sell copies of the magazine. Then after enjoy a Friday Fling with free carriage rides and late shopping.

WYSO Thanksgiving

Special WYSO programs for Thanksgiving & Other stuff Program Schedule for Thanksgiving Day 10:00 - 11:00 - Niki Dakota's Thanksgiving Excursions 11:00 - 1:00 - Turkey Confidential - Live call in show from The Splendid Table answering all your Turkey Day questions and more. 1:00 - 3:00 - If I Were You 3:00 - 4:00 - WYSO Weekend Special - The Best of Local stories from WYSO Weekend and more, hosted by WYSO's Jerry Kenney. 4-6:30 All Things Considered 6:30-7:00 - Marketplace 7:00 - 8:00 - PRI's The World 8:00 - 10:00 - If I Were You 10:00 - 11:00 - WYSO Weekend Special - The Best of Local stories from WYSO Weekend and more, hosted by WYSO's Jerry Kenney. 11:00 - Midnight - Hearing Voices WYSO and ThinkTV have partnered, once again, to bring trusted community resources together with the people who need them in the Miami Valley. "No One Ever Told Me That" is an innovative information vehicle utilizing radio, television and the web to address some of the most important issues you are facing today: Should I buy a home or is renting better for me right now? What is on my credit report and what can I do about it? What is happening with credit cards and the new rules regarding them? Where should I start with financial planning and budgeting? For more info, Click Here Did you know that you can shop & make money for WYSO at the same time? You can shop at thousands of stores online & WYSO will receive a percentage of every purchase. Click here to start shopping! You can also use the Amazon search box on our website & WYSO will get a percentage of every purchase. WYSO is partnering with The Foodbank to collect non-perishable food items to help feed those in need in the Miami Valley. This will run from December 1st through January 31st. You can drop of your donations at WYSO 800 Livermore St Yellow Springs or we'll be announcing drop-off locations shortly.

Carolion - Nov. 18, 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

Carolion died peacefully at around 8:00 yesterday (wed) morning. She was able to stay in the house to the end. Her children, Ben, Jessie and I (Corrie) were at the bedside as well as Paul and Carol (my dad and stepmom). Our brother Max was en route from England when she passed.

Her condition was in a fairly steep decline starting last saturday. We were able to reorganize the house, with the help of hospice volunteers, to allow her more privacy and quiet to go more deeply inward. Last week I suggested that we send an update to her mailing list. She wanted to express to you her "great gratitude for the cards", which we received by twos and threes all but a couple of the days I've been here. She also wanted to share that she was "delighted in the changes" that she saw in her caretakers-my brother Ben, myself, and Tiger, as well as the army of devoted friends and neighbors that provided respite each week.

I am especially grateful and humbled by the time and devotion shown by Lee Ferguson, Selwa Whitesell, Rubin Battino, Bet Stewart, Alan Staiger, Patti Dallas, and Jonatha Wright, among others, who scheduled time week after week to allow Tiger and me the time and peace of mind that have made our journey possible. Hospice, too, has been an incredible organization to be a part of. Yellow Springs local nurses Liz Porter and Maureen Dawn have shown unyielding compassion and strength to our family.

A memorial service is planned for Friday, November 27th at 2 pm at the Glen Helen Building in Yellow Springs.

Best,
Corrie

Xenia man celebrates 100th B-day - has ties to YS

First I was tipped off by his granddaughter on her Facebook page, then I saw it on Channel 7 last night, and this morning it was reported in the Xenia Gazette: Hargis Hicks of Xenia turned 100 yesterday and celebrated in his favorite restaurant where they threw a party for him. Hicks is the grandfather of Mindy Carpenter, one time YS resident and former director of the Antioch Writers' Workshop.

"Grandpa made the newspaper!" Carpenter wrote. "He has eaten lunch at this restaurant nearly everyday for over ten years, so they threw him a 100th birthday party yesterday."

Xenia Gazette

Dayton Region Rally

Congratulations to Lisa Hunt for an incredible presentation yesterday at the Dayton Region Rally. Lisa got the crowd engaged with a chant and gave an energetic and informative presentation on the arts in Yellow Springs. Congratulations also to Evan Scott for coordinating this event.

I’ve attached a photo of Lisa on stage with the Arts Council logo on the big screen. Sorry for the poor photography. Here is a link to an article in the Dayton Daily News today: Rally at UD Arena touts strengths of Dayton area.

Karen Wintrow
Executive Director
Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce

Rocky & Pee Wee: Best Hometown

Click on image to enlarge.

The celebration starts Friday at 5:30 p.m. outside the Senior Center.

Presbyterian benefit at Emporium Dec. 5

The Backyard Flock: The joy of raising chickens

Imagine stepping into your backyard and being mobbed by more than a dozen beautiful chicks. It happens to me every day. I would feel like a rock star, but for the fact that I’m talking about real chicks – the feathered kind. It is a fact, however, that they are beautiful, and each one special in her way.

We have been raising chickens in our backyard for over five years. We are not alone in this in Yellow Springs. A few years ago, I did an article about backyard flocks in the village for the YS News. At that time there were about a dozen. It was fun talking to the other poultry folk. I could detect the joy in their voices as they told me stories about their birds.

We started with a half-dozen chicks purchased at the Caesar’s Creek Flea Market on a balmy day in May, 2004. Amy, who up until that time had had a no-pets policy, couldn’t resist the little fuzz balls a Korean man was selling for six-for-five-dollars. I would have talked her out of it, but for the fact that my friend Terri Wehrley-Pyles had a flock of six in a shed behind her house. So, I knew it was doable. With out knowing much about it myself, I cautioned Amy that we would be taking on responsibilities that we weren’t in a position to foresee at the time. She claimed she understood.

We drove home happily with two barred Plymouth Rocks, two Rhode Island Reds and two Araucanas, each about the size of a canary, cuddled up in a cardboard box. Every time we hit a bump they would let out a chorus of peeps. All I knew about raising chicks back then was that you had to keep them warm the first few weeks. We currently have 13 hens of all descriptions. What I have learned over the years is that after the first couple months, they are pretty easy to care for, as long as you can keep them safe from predators.

If you treat your chickens like pets, especially by handling them a lot when they are still little chicks, they will behave like pets. If you don’t want to get emotionally involved with them, they will treat you the same way. Either way, they are a joy to watch. I have known farmers with flocks of a hundred chickens or more who have observed very little about their behavior. They don’t know what they are missing. Chickens are smart, funny and a bundle of curious instincts. It’s no wonder that so many chicken terms such as “pecking order” and “coming home to roost” have found their way into our everyday language. I read somewhere that they communicate with a vocabulary of some 30 different sounds and can recognize up to 300 other chickens.

One summer afternoon a few years ago, I dragged a lawn chair out to where my girls were scratching and pecking, and sat down to observe them with a beer and a bag of corn chips. Pee Wee, the little red hen of Rocky and Pee Wee fame, jumped up and sat in my lap. “Cuck-cuck-a-coo,” she crooned. At the age of almost six, she still greets me every morning as the rest of the flock scrambles for position around the feeder.

Look for this column to become a regular feature of the Blog.

Bench to Nowhere: It's Howdy Doody Time!

A Cool Town Toon

Home, Inc. wants your input

Yellow Springs Home, Inc. is seeking the input of people who have connections to the Yellow Springs community. We invite you to take our brief online survey at www.wright.edu/cupa/homeinc between now and Wednesday, November 25th. Home, Inc. is in the process of planning a mixed-income housing development at the 7.5 acre Rabbit Run Farm property in Yellow Springs, OH with accessible, energy efficient, community-oriented, and green space features. We are working with the Center for Urban and Public Affairs at Wright State University to host a number of public forums and surveys to assess the market and gather information about the needs and interests of potential homebuyers and renters. We are seeking input to design a development that fits your needs.

Yellow Springs Home, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen community and diversity in the Yellow Springs area by providing permanently affordable and sustainable housing through our Community Land Trust model. We hope that you will take the time to fill out our brief survey and forward it to your friends: www.wright.edu/cupa/homeinc If you have any questions, please contact Emily Seibel, Program Manager, at (937)767-2790, by email at info@yshome.org, or on the web at www.yshome.org. Thank you.

Presbyterian Youth Pinch Pennies for Peace

Pictured above are some of the youth that have helped with our Pennies for Peace fundraiser at the First Presbyterian Church. We are grateful for the help of Toms' Market and Town Drug for their help.

Those pictured are David Walker, Danny Horton, Ally Bothwell and Elizabeth Smith. Not pictured are Angelina Smith, Edward Johnson, Melanie and Lilly Rudolf, Evelyn and Talia Goetzke.

Thank you!
Libby Rudolf
on behalf of the First Presbyterian Church

Energy Seminar Re-cap

The 'Save Energy - Save Money - Free Seminar on Energy-Efficient Building and Retrofitting' happened at the Senior Center with follow-up demos, exhibits and reception at the Emporium on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 14, here in Y.S. Approximately 90 people attended to hear the 4 speakers. Co-hosting the presentations were Community Solutions and Net0home Inc - Home Energy Audits with support from the Morgan Family Foundation with Bob Brecha handling introductions and questions/answer time.

The following people spoke: Nicky Hanus and Kevin Hallinan of U. of Dayton gave a report on "Energy Use in Yellow Springs and Steps to Energy Efficiency," a study of the house by house usage. Yellow Springs residents will be receiving a report on their general energy usage and may obtain more detailed information by inquiring. A more full report will be forthcoming from Community Solutions and Professor Hallinan.

Dan Rudolf of Net0home Inc. spoke on "50 Energy Audits in Yellow Springs - Biggest Energy Problems and Solutions" He talked about some of the most prominent home issues that Energy Audits have shown such as air leaks, improperly sealed ductwork, vampire wall warts (such as transformers and chargers) and other issues that sap energy and raise expenses in the home. He gave simple solutions for many of these issues.

Pat Murphy of Community Solutions spoke on the need to reduce our energy usage as a community. Communities can work together to reduce our energy needs and reliance on fossil fuels. Here in Yellow Springs, we have several examples of energy efficient homes such as Strawbale buildings. He talked about German Passive house design, the various ways that walls can be designed to conserve heat or to cool.

The final speaker of the day was Bob Klahn, a building energy auditor, who spoke on "Geese in the yard may irritate you, leaking ducts inside will rob you". He defined the proper design and installation of ductwork, how to seal your ductwork and how to keep some of the heat leakage from happening around your furnace.

We then adjourned to the Emporium where we dined on HaHa Pizza, had a wine tasting and had the opportunity to talk one on one to the presenters as well as Green Generation Building Co., Living Green, Southtown Heating and Cooling and Don Grieter with Solar pumps.

Libby Rudolf

Best Hometown Celebration Information

Event: Best Hometown Celebration
Event Date: November 20, 2009
Time: 5:30-6:00 pm
Location: Senior Center Plaza, 227 Xenia Avenue , Yellow Springs 45387
What: Shopping, Dining and Entertainment
Contact: Karen Wintrow, Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce; 937.767.2686

The entire community is invited to the Best Hometown Celebration this Friday to celebrate our designation by Ohio Magazine as one of Ohio ’s Best Hometown’s for 2010.

Festivities kick off at 5:30 with Melissa Heston and a local dance troupe performing their Mellow Yellow Dance, created especially for the occasion.

That will be followed by two songs from the 2003 production, “The Peculiarly Salubrious, Singular and Curious, Mildly Outrageous and Sometimes Lugubrious History of a Natural Spring and the Town That Grew Up Around It” thanks to the Louise Smith and cast of the original production.

Responses to the question “Why is Yellow Springs the Best Hometown” will be read by local children followed by words from local officials and the award presentation from Rich Osborne, Publisher and Editor of Ohio Magazine. You can even buy your own copy of the magazine with Yellow Springs on the cover.

To determine the honorees, Ohio Magazine solicited nominations and conducted site visits across the state. The editors evaluated the nominees in six categories — Community Spirit, Education, Entertainment, Health and Safety, Business Environment and Culture and Heritage — to help finalize their selections.

So join us for this joyous occasion at the Senior Center Plaza at 227 Xenia Ave. in the heart of Yellow Springs and enjoy hot cider and cookies after. Then at 6, the 3rd Friday Fling starts with free carriage rides, late night holiday shopping at many of our shops, gallery openings at “would you, could you” In A Frame and The Art Space and much more. Call the Chamber office at 767.2686 for more information.

A Call to Arms: Attention all yarn-bombers

Click on poster to enlarge.

For more information about how you can participate please check www.ysarts.blogspot.com.

Bench to Nowhere: Rabbit Redux

A Cool Town Toon

Little Art Kids Film Series Presents Ice Age 3

On November 21, the Little Art Theatre’s “Saturday’s Picture Show” will show Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. In the coolest Ice Age adventure yet, Manny and the herd discover a lost world of ferociously funny dinosaurs, including a cranky T. rex who's got a score to settle with Sid.

Meanwhile, Scrat goes nuts over the beautiful Scratte, but is she trying to win his heart – or steal his acorn? The movie is recommended for children ages 7 and older; it is rated PG. The cast includes Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, Simon Pegg. The box office will open at 1 p.m. and the movie starts at 1:30 p.m. There is no charge for admission but a $4 donation is suggested.

The Little Art Theatre is located at 247 Xenia Ave. in Yellow Springs. More information is available at www.LittleArt.com .

Glen Helen's Nature Arts & Crafts Show this weekend

The Nature Arts & Crafts Show is more than an art show for me. While I've sold my art there since 2006, I've been co-ordinating the show since 2001.

Every year we have several new artists, but many of the artists return year after year so there's also a wonderful sense of community among the artists, and it's fun to catch up with these friends, most of whom I only see once a year.

Photographers Ron Austing and Ken Becker, fiber artists Barbara Jones and Jack Southern, and stain glass maker Dave Roach have all been doing the show since before I started co-ordinating it. And although Charley Harper, a fixture at the show for many years, has passed on, his son Brett is still selling Charley's work and they will have some at the show.

For some returning artists, this is the only show that they do, or the only one that they do in the area, and others have mentioned to me that this is their favorite show.

Some of the artists new to the show this year are Ginny Baughman who makes art with found objects; Julie Gootee whose pendants and earrings use real butterfly and dragonfly wings; Rose Lawson who makes hand-woven beaded art; and Bootsie Robison who knits clothing and accessories from sheep and alpaca wool. Photographer Daniel Powers, who participated in the show before I was involved is returning this year.

Yellow Springs artists returning this year include Amy Achor, nature photography with a twist; Bill Felker, hand-bound journals; Pam Geisel, art quilts and quilted wall hangings; Sara Gray, photographs of flowers as nature intended; Theresa Mayer, unique lampwork beads that are “paintings” in glass; Libby Rudolf, watercolors and fabric art; and William Mishler, functional sculptural ceramics.

New Yellow Springs artists are Christine Klinger who paints abstract landscapes and floral paintings and Geno Luketic whose pottery is functional and decorative.

You can see a list of all of this year's artists including photos of their work on Glen Helen's website.

The Glen Helen Nature Arts & Crafts Show is a fund-raising event for Glen Helen, a 1,000 acre nature preserve located in Yellow Springs and owned by Antioch College. This is the 28th year for the event which features nature-related art and fine crafts made by local and regional artisans. We have photography, watercolor and oil paintings, jewelry, stained glass, fiber arts, pottery, sculpture, and many other wonderful items.

The show is held at the Glen Helen Building, 405 Corry St. in Yellow Springs and is always the weekend before Thanksgiving. This year it is Sat. Nov. 21 from 9 am-5 pm and Sun. Nov. 22 from 11 am-5 pm. The $4 admission fee goes to Glen programs and there is a coupon for $2 off admission on the website.

Pam Geisel

Honeysuckle eradication crews hit Glen Helen Saturday

George Bieri organizing work crews in the Glen Saturday morning

Photos by Roger Reynolds

About 60 Glen Helen volunteers showed up Saturday morning with chain saws, loppers, hand saws, big chippers and lots of enthusiasm for another round of honeysuckle eradication. Sorry you missed out - don't worry, it's a long term project and you can help the next time. Watch the Glen's Facebook page for more details.

Arts Council to tout region's recreational offerings

The Dayton Daily News reported yesterday on the Dayton Region Rally, set for Tuesday, Nov. 17 to highlight the Dayton area’s positive attributes.

According to the article, among those discussing the region’s arts and recreation offerings will be Anita Brown, president of the Yellow Springs Arts Council. Also slated to speak are Lisa Hunt of YSKP and Sean Creighton of SOCHE.

Dayton Daily News: Rally to highlight Miami Valley’s attributes

Related post: Dayton Region Rally to feature YSers

Home, Inc. would like your input

Yellow Springs Home, Inc. is seeking your input to help design a development that fits community needs at Rabbit Run Farm. Between Nov. 13 and November 25 a brief online survey will be available. We are working with the Center for Urban and Public Affairs at Wright State University to complete this survey and host a number of public forums to assess the market and gather information about the needs and interests of potential homebuyers and renters.

Yellow Springs Home, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen community and diversity in the Yellow Springs area by providing permanently affordable and sustainable housing through our Community Land Trust model. If you have any questions, please contact Emily Seibel, Program Manager, at (937)767-2790, by email or on the Web. Thank you.

Farmer's Market - The end?

It was lonely Saturday morning at the Farmer’s Market and sad to realize that it’s about the end of another season. Is there any reason why we can’t have an indoors, Winter Farmer’s Market? I know we’re not going to get lots of fresh vegetables but you could still get eggs, baked goods, cheeses, honey, apples, local meat products and probably a few more items.

So the big question would be – where? I’ve heard talk around town that a small group of folks are actually trying to make this happen. I wish them luck and look forward to continuing my Saturday morning treks into town for coffee, shopping for local food items and socializing with the other fresh food lovers.

A. Reader

Dayton Region Rally Tuesday to feature YSers

Dayton Region Rally

November 17, 3:30-5:30 at UD Arena

Dear Fellow Yellow Springers – or YS-Lovers…

I’m sending this note out to encourage, demand, and otherwise beg you to join me on Tuesday for the Dayton Region Rally.

Register at www.daytonregion.com/rally.

Why? Two and a half reasons.

1) YS Arts Council – YES, our very own Lisa Hunt – the Company Manager of the YS Kids Playhouse – will be a featured speaker to tell the region about our commitment to the Arts and what a tremendous asset it is to the region


2) Sean Creighton – villager and school board member – will be a featured speaker to talk about DaytonCREATE, a region wide initiative to engage our Creative Class to help grow our region


1/2) You could win a friggin’ car. Seriously. – if you can shoot a little hoops at UD Arena, you can win a car.

Okay, the first step is to register at the above Web site.

The event is built as an honest to goodness PEP RALLY – to make sure that before this year comes to a close we get together as a region to celebrate what’s GOOD and RIGHT about our home, rather than the bad news which seems to dominate the news and underscore our conversations.

Also, let’s make sure that when our fellow YS’ers take the stage, we have as many people cheering for them as possible.

Encourage everyone you know to come out. Pre-registration is already in the thousands and we’re working to fill as much of the arena as we can. My goal is to get 500 Villagers to show up…think we can do it?

Best regards,

Evan Scott

***

From the Chamber:

Dayton Region Rally

November 17, 3:30-5:30 at UD Arena

An exciting regional event hosted by the Dayton Development Coalition that highlights the strategy for growing jobs and celebrates all the opportunities available in our area. Hear how others are achieving success in the Dayton Region, and learn how you can get involved. Enjoy a special presentation from Lisa Hunt of YS Kid's Playhouse and the YS Arts Council on the importance of the arts in Yellow Springs and how so many local groups are working together for the success of the community. Visit this website for more info and to RSVP.

Local man edited film showing in Dayton today

Yellow Springs resident and Wright State University film professor Jim Klein edited “Concrete Steel & Paint,” which will be showing at noon today at Neon Movies in Dayton.

Dayton Daily News: Film shows inmates, victims making art

Best Hometown/Friday Fling - Nov. 20

3rd Friday Fling &
Best Hometown Celebration

Kick off the Holiday shopping season at this month's 3rd Friday Fling in the Springs and join in the Best Hometown Celebration. Ohio Magazine editors selected Yellow Springs as one of their Best Hometowns for 2010 because this city embodies all of the qualities and characteristics that make Ohio hometowns so special: historic landmarks and architecture, quaint shopping and galleries as well as an amazing sense of community.

November 20th

Ohio Magazine Best Hometown Celebration

* Join the Celebration at 5:30 next to the Senior Center. The Celebration includes an award presentation, unique Yellow Springs songs, responses to "Why Yellow Springs is the Best Hometown" will be presented. And you can buy your own edition of the Ohio Magazine with Yellow Springs on the cover.

Then enjoy the Kick off to Holiday in the Springs starting at 6:00

» Free Carriage Rides

» Gallery Openings
· The Art Space at 108 Dayton Street
· Zen Garden Shawls at "would you, could you" In A Frame

» Explore our distinctive shops; many are open until 9:00 pm and later
.
» The Emporium wine tasting and live music at 6:30

» Movies at the Little Art Theatre at 7 pm & 9 pm

» Beer Making Demo at Main Squeeze, 7:30 - 9:30 pm

» Sunrise Café Martini Bar & Tapas from 9:30 pm - 2:30 am

» Live Music at Peach's Grill starting at 10 pm with a modest cover charge

WREATH AUCTION

Stop in at Friends Care Community and check out the beautiful holiday wreaths donated by area businesses and vendors. Wreaths will be available for silent auction from November 20th through December 17th for bids. All proceeds will assist in providing the Resident's Christmas Party.

For information on these events and more look for the December events e-mail or visit our website at www.yellowspringsohio.org