Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Save the Date - June 25

Friday, June 25 - 5:30 p.m.
at Antioch McGregor


Flower Power again this Friday



Pictured above, felt and fabric artist Karen Russell surveys the garden "stash" so far.

The Friday Morning Flower Power Sew-In was in full bloom at Brother Bear's Cafe on March 26. Join in and feel the power of the flower from 9-11:30 a.m. this Friday. Bring craft felt, scissors, needles, thread, buttons and join the growing movement to "yarn-bomb" a bench on Dayton Street.

Photos by Susan Gartner

Rupert Murdoch buys local weekly

Read all about it!


Click here to rotate image.

Clothes Swap



Molly Turner (right) assists a customer at her Clothes Swap.

On Saturday, March 27th, I had my YSHS senior project Clothes Swap at the John Bryan Community Center and the turn out far exceeded my expectations. Over all there were about 35 people who came and all seemed to be very pleased with the clothes that they received. There was music, snacks and fun all around. I am very thankful for all the help and support I received from my friends and family and I want to give a special thanks to Susan Gartner who has done nothing but provide help and give many great ideas for the swap. Without the lovely people in my life this would not have been as successful as it was.

As a result of the success and comments made by the people who came, I would love for this to become an annual event in Yellow Springs. I think many people would agree. There were about 7-8 large trash bags of clothes left over that will be donated to the women's shelter in Springfield. Thanks to all who came and I hope everyone had a great time!

Submitted by Molly Turner

Photos by Susan Gartner

Click here to see more Clothes Swap photos.




Tea for who?

“We’re having a tea party Sunday afternoon, we hope you can join us.”

Remember when “tea party” brought back memories of children having fun playing with friends around a small table sipping make believe tea from tiny cups and saucers? Or perhaps “tea party” conjures up images of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot sitting in the lobby of a fancy hotel daintily sipping tea while trying to unravel their latest mystery. And I’m sure many of your have read stories or traveled to places like England, India, Japan or Botswana (to name just a few) where taking tea with friends is one of life’s great pleasures. Ahh those were the good ol’ days.

Of all the party names we know (Amway Party, Tupperware Party, Bachelor Party, Super Bowl Party, Beer Party, Office Party, Graduation Party, Dance Party, etc.), why did the current political protest have to pick “tea party.” I know it’s supposed to somehow be related to the Boston Tea Party and taxation without representation, but don’t we all have representation now? We may not like what our representatives do in all cases, but the majority of voting folks did elect them to serve – I think that has something to do with the democratic process.

I don’t want to argue the politics of the current media frenzy; I just want them to change the name so we can return “tea party” to its rightful place in our lexicon. Maybe we can try the AMWAY Party – Always Mad With All of You. Or perhaps the BEER Party – Better Even if Everyone Revolts.

Would you please pass the biscuits?

A. Reader

P.S. Click here for instructions on how to have a real tea party.

Caputo book in contest



Local writer Joanne Caputo has entered her book, Margaret Garner, in the international Next Top Spiritual Author Competition being held on the Internet. You may cast your vote on the Website.

At the Library: Community supported agriculture

Yellow Springs Community Supported Agriculture Tuesday April 6, 6:30 p.m.

Join us at the library as local organic farmers, Andrew Manieri of Heartbeat farm and Doug Christen of Smaller Footprint farm, talk about the benefits of community supported agriculture and answer your gardening questions.

At the Library: Spring Organizing with Anita Brown


Ultimate Spring Organizing Thursday April 1, 6:30 p.m.

LIVE WITH WHAT YOU LOVE, GET RID OF THE REST. This spring don’t just clean; get organized, with Anita Brown, of Anita B. Organized! Come to the library for inspiration and helpful tips on clearing your clutter, organizing a yard sale, setting up systems to keep you organized, and helping you move to a more simplified and serene lifestyle.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Yellow Springs Passive House

Andrew Kline (L) and Alex Melamed of Green Generation Building Company, LLC on the construction site of what is believed to be the first passive house in Ohio.

The 1800 sq. ft. interior will include a loft space.

A large kitchen window looks out the rear of the house.

Just a few years ago, the passive house was Europe's best kept secret. Pioneered in Germany, the concept relies on super insulation to reduce heating, air conditioning and other energy costs. The idea was slow to catch hold in the U.S. and, according to Andrew Kline, President of Green Generation Building Company, there may be less than thirty such homes in the country today. He believes the passive house his company is building on Dayton Street between High Street and Bill Duncan Park will be the first in Ohio.

As the Blog arrived to get the story, Pat Murphy of Community Solutions, a long-time advocate of passive housing in Yellow Springs was on site. Murphy said Community Solutions has been filming the progress of the construction.

The construction of the 1800 sq. ft. house is indeed unique. According to Green Generation Design Director Alex Melamed, the design was sent to Enercept, a company in South Dakota, which constructed elements of the building, including fully insulated sections of wall (SIPs for structural insulated panels), which were then shipped to Yellow Springs on two tractor trailers. The walls are 14" thick, the roof 24" and the floor 16" of solid Styrofoam sandwiched between oriented strand board (OSB).

In Germany, Kline said, the cost of the highly insulated construction has only resulted in a 10% increase in building costs. It remains to be seen how that will translate in the U.S. But, energy savings will be so significant that Kline says, "The cost of utilities is built into the sale price." For the house on Dayton Street, he estimates heating costs to be $87.00 per year.

The house, which is a demonstration project as well as a financial venture, is now available for purchase and is priced from $270,00 - $290,000 depending on its level of finish. The sooner a purchaser commits, the more input he will have in the way the house is finished. Kline expects the house to be completed by the end of June. There will be an open house.

Andrew Kline is the son of local woman Martha Kline and the grandson of noted local architect Jack Kline, who designed the Yellow Springs High School building.

To keep up with the progress of the construction, visit Yellow Springs Passive House on Facebook or www.greengenerationbuilding.com.

Click here for more photos.

Wellness



This is the 13th in a series of 30 second videos shot by Joanne Caputo for the exploreyellowsprings.com Website that the Blog has been posting on a weekly basis. (Music by Cooper Fleishman)

Nonstop African-American Film Series 4/7

African American film, 1920s to the present with Bob Devine
Nonstop Institute of Yellow Springs
305 N Walnut Street (in Millworks) FREE
info: cashdevine@gmail.com

Wed, Apr 7, 7 PM — Bill Gunn, "Ganja and Hess" (1973)

"...jolting, jagged, lyrical, mythic and utterly unclassifiable, as avant-garde as the most independent film of today or any of the New American Cinema work from the 1960s or audacious studio films of the 1970s." (Brandon Harris)

Monday, March 29, 2010

Corner Cone re-opens with a song

The Corner Cone is looking for local musicians willing to “sing for their supper”.

We‘re also not afraid to vigorously “pass the hat”.

Our new Friday Night Stage is available every Friday evening for the duration of the summer. The Cone will re-open Friday April 9th, 2010.

If you and your band what to make some new friends or re-acquaint with some old ones, do it at the Cone.

Book your date: Call or email Jen Foley. (937) 789-0035. adidas20_2000@yahoo.com

The Dutch may be pulling out of Springfield

Soon to be all quiet on the eastern front?

This from Harvey Paige:

The expected decision by the Royal Netherlands Air Force about their F-16 training mission in Springfield appears to be going against remaining here. Some politicians seem to be trying to reverse that decision. You can read the article on The Hill or find it on www.stopjetnoise.com.

John Bryan Community Pottery Registration

Wheel throwing adult pottery class with Emily Trick forming at John Bryan Community Pottery. Tuesdays, 6:30 to 9:00, April 6 thru May 25. Call 767-9022 to register.

Children's pottery classes at John Bryan Community Pottery with Eve Sturm for grades 4 thru 6 on Tuesdays, 3:30 to 5:00, April 6 thru May 25 and with Allison Paul for grades K thru 3 on Wednesdays, 3:30 to 5:00, April 21 thru May 26. Call 767-9022 to register.

Bench to Nowhere: Premature Congratulation?

A Cool Town Toon

Click on image to enlarge.

Charities: When the “ask” comes from a neighbor

I’m not sure if this is a new technique, but it’s new to me and it was new to the person who alerted me to it. A friend in town recently received a telephone call from a charity not asking for money, but instead asking her to write letters to 10-15 of her neighbors, soliciting donations for the organization. Something about it didn’t sound right to her, so she declined. Maybe it was because it contained elements of a pyramid scheme or a chain letter. That was my initial reaction when she told me about it.

A short time later, she received a letter from a neighbor, soliciting a donation for a different charity. In the envelope was a SASE back to the neighbor, not directly to the charity. It was then that it occurred to her what she didn’t like about it. She had several concerns:
  • While she presumed it to be legitimate, she had no information about the charity, which she had never heard of.
  • She felt pressured not to say no to a neighbor.
  • While the “ask” was being made locally, her money would be going out of town.
She was particularly concerned about what percentage of her gift would go to the cause as opposed being fed back into fundraising or administrative expenses, but she didn’t even have an address for the charity and knew nothing of its reputation. It would be difficult to check out.

She felt the technique of having a neighbor ask for the money was a bit high-handed. It was difficult for her to say no due to the guilt factor introduced by the personal connection and the fact that someone, presumably her neighbor, had paid for the postage stamps on the return envelope.

“I felt like a crumb,” she told me.

Like most of us in Yellow Springs, this person is especially interested in supporting local causes. However, even though the request that local touch, she realized her gift would not directly benefit her community.

Ultimately, she slipped a note with her concerns in the envelope and dropped it in the mail.

Has this fundraising technique been widespread in the village and beyond? Is this a legitimate practice? Do desperate times justify desperate measures? I wonder if this is something we are going to be seeing more of.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Backyard Flock: Merging flocks

Looking down the road, once your chicks have reached the age of 12 weeks or so, if you have an existing flock, you will want to move the young ones in with them. These can be trying times in the life of a pullet, as there will be resentment by the older girls and a great deal of bullying until a new pecking order is established.

One recognized method for introducing a new chicken into an existing flock is to place the chicken in the coop at night while it is dark. Presumably, in the morning the chickens will wake up and not notice that there is a newcomer in their midst. If that sounds nutty to you, you won’t get any argument from me. Chickens are especially good at recognizing each other and forming bonds. Springing a new chicken on them like that is probably going to get the new one hurt. You might also notice that I have been talking about the introduction of just one chicken. Imagine if your girls woke up in the morning and found six new chickens in the coop with them. You can be sure they would declare war.

My own method is to introduce the new chickens in a safe setting, giving them a chance to socialize with their older sisters. A few weeks before the intended merger, I set up a temporary chicken run right next to the permanent one and sharing a fence with it. It is important for the older girls to see the young ones over a period of time, without being able to get at them.

At first there will be curiosity and then there will be harassment and threats through the fence. Some of the chickens will take a fighting stance at the fence, puffing up their feathers and throwing their chests at them. The young ones will be confused and frightened, but will get used to it. This behavior will decrease over time. When you finally put the young chickens in with the older ones at least they will be familiar. There will still be bullying and pecking order issues, there is no way to avoid that completely, but there will be a lot less bloodshed.

The younger ones will not try to defend themselves and will either run or exhibit submissive behavior. They will have to wait to eat until the others are done feeding. They will have to wait outside until the older girls are settled in for the night, before being able to get into the coop. There will often be one particularly resentful biddy that will ignore her instinct to go in at sunset in order to guard the door and block the little ones from entering. These chickens you have loved and cared for so much can be incredibly cruel. I have seen one of my favorite girls hold down another chicken and peck at her unmercifully. It’s like watching your children fight - it hurts to watch.

Sometimes the young ones will try to sleep outside, roosting in a tree or bush, rather than go through the ordeal of trying to gain entrance to the coop. It is important to take a head count every night and, if anyone is missing, find her and put her back in the coop in the dark. There have been nights when I have plucked three or four chickens out of my lilac bush and returned them to the dozing flock. It is important to be persistent in this for two reasons: if you leave them outside, they might fall prey to a raccoon or other predator and, if you let them have their way, they will never become truly merged in the flock.

Eventually, it will all work out, but these will be trying times for both the chickens and their owner. I look at it like sorority hazing - soon they will all be sisters.

Counting on being counted: Google Maps tracks census participation

Dear Council, Yellow Springs News and YS Blog:

Below is a Wall Street Journal article about Google partnering with US Census Bureau.

Please encourage citizens to participate in the 2010 Census!

Best Regards and Be Counted!

-- Dan Carrigan
Yellow Springs, Ohio

----------------------------------------------------------

Google Map Lets Users Track Neighborhood Census Participation

By Jean Spencer

Google and the U.S. Census Bureau unveiled a new online mapping feature Wednesday that tracks national Census participation rates and allows users to compare their neighborhood’s rate to those of other communities across the nation. Link to map: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/

The idea in part is to increase national response rates by fostering a feeling of friendly competition among different areas, Census director Robert Groves said, adding that the tool also increases awareness of the Census in general. On the Census site, users can scroll and click to access daily updates broken down by state, county, city and ZIP code. Users can zoom down to track how well neighborhoods are responding.

As of Thursday, 20% of the 120 million Census forms delivered to households last week are turned in, according to a colorful pop-up graphic on the Google map. “We are off to a pretty good start,” Dr. Groves said during a demonstration to reporters Wednesday. He said the early 2010 response rates are matching or surpassing 2000 rates.

As of Thursday, Montana, Iowa and Wisconsin held the highest rates. But that number will fluctuate as millions of Census forms are received. Leighton, Iowa, which had a population of 153 in the 2000 Census, now has the highest return rate among cities and towns, with 75%.

The information is updated daily at 4 p.m. EDT, from data collected and verified from the day before. In other words, the public has access to yesterday’s rates, today. Only official Census forms returned by mail are included in the percentages. Data collected by personal interviews, such as in rural counties in Alaska, are omitted.

Just when you thought it was over...

Petition circulating: No Dog Park at Ellis Park

A group of Yellow Springs residents are very much opposed to Council’s vote on March 15 to put a dog park at Ellis Park. We feel that this park should be maintained in the natural setting that it is, and not be altered by fences, increased traffic and use. Ellis Pond is home to many wildlife species- blue herons, kingfishers, green herons, wood ducks, orioles, muskrat and of course Canada geese who sometimes raise their families there. It is an easily accessible spot where people, including the elderly and disabled, can escape into the tranquil, calming beauty of nature.

We are not opposed to the idea of a dog park, and would like to see its development at an different location. The two locations we think would be suitable are the old Stutzman’s property or an area directly behind the Bryan Center. These are both village owned properties that have parking and water available, no nearby neighbors, and are walking distance from most areas in town.

If you would like to join us by signing our petition, there are copies of the petition at Starflower Health Food Store, EcoMental, and the Emporium. Additionally if you would like more information, would like to help circulate petitions, or have ideas about other possible locations, please call Vickie 767-3901 or Maureen 767-7640. Thanks.

Town was springin'!



The village was full of activity and other signs of spring Saturday.

Photos by Susan Gartner

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Slide show of Dayton Street Flower Power

Corrine Bayraktaroglu put together this slide show of photos from the Brother Bear's sew-in Friday night.

Call to Artists & Fine Craft-Persons: Exhibit/Booth Space Available


Dayton Street: Cirque Carnaval
Friday evening July 16, 2010, Chautauqua Week, 5PM to 10PM

The street closing of the area of the new Dayton Street Arts District for this one night event offers an opportunity for local artists and fine crafts-persons to meet a new audience and old friends while displaying and selling their objects.

10’x10’ spaces are available for reservation at no charge by contacting:

Mindy Harney at Brother Bear’s Café
brotherbearscoffee@netzero.net (937-767-1514)

Further Notes on the Event:

Title:
"Dayton Street Cirque Carnaval"

Date:
Friday evening July 16, 2010 and will coincide with the July "3rd Friday Fling." This date would both enhance the Friday Fling experience and benefit from coordinated Chamber Advertising. This also is during the proposed “Chautauqua Week.”

Performance:
Ariel Angels / Stages for Electric, Acoustic & Spoken Word / Wandering performers as well.

Visual Arts:
Local fine artists and fine crafts persons are invited to set up in vendor spots.

Saturday Mail At Risk




There’s still some talk going around about saving money for the Postal Service by ending mail delivery on Saturdays. I’m starting to panic a bit about this one. Here we are, surrounded by nothing but green space, with no way for the mail to get in or out over a whole weekend. We could be totally isolated except for e-mail, text messaging, cell phones, Facebook, blogging, MySpace, Twitter, fax, Skype and home phones. It’s going to be tough on all of us.

I did a bit of research to see what critical pieces of Saturday mail might have to wait until Monday. The past two Saturdays were fairly typical mail days. Here’s what showed up in our mailbox: two flyers from stores we visit once a decade, three “last chance” notices for Medicare supplemental insurance, 20% off at Bed, Bath & Beyond, coupons for Office Depot, nine multi-page catalogs, two “the end is near” notices from the Republican National Committee and one reminder to fill out our census form.

I now see the Saturday mail problem from a different perspective. Normally, I can sort through the mail as I walk down the driveway and then drop 95% in the recycle bin when I reach the garage. Monday is trash day in our neighborhood so on Monday morning all that junk mail from Saturday is gone. If the junk mail doesn’t come until Monday because of the Saturday cut back, I’ll miss the trash pick up and have to hold the mail for a whole week.

But the issue that really tugs at your heart strings regarding Saturday mail was this line in a recent news article. “The loss of Saturday delivery would deal a blow to the biggest postal clients, companies that mail ads to consumers.” Maybe we should give up Friday mail too….

A. Reader

Friday, March 26, 2010

Chicks and ducklings spied in Fairborn

This from Harvey Paige:

Don't know if this would be too much like free advertising, but yesterday I was at Foy's Variety Store (18 East Main St. Fairborn) and they have baby chicks and baby ducks. I asked if they were sexed or straight run, but the lady there did not understand my question. She told me that they give eggs, as proven by a customer last year who brought her some of both the chicken and duck variety. I did not ask if they were fertile, assuming that would involve my telling her the difference.

Regards.

Harvey

Editor's note:

My guess is that these are Easter items and that they have not been sexed. Purchase at your own risk and be mindful that in just a few weeks, they will be awkward looking chicks and ugly ducklings, and a few weeks after that, some of them might start to crow. But if you are thinking about purchasing them, don't wait. It is important that you get them home and raise them in proper conditions (heat lamp etc.), before they get sick in the store.

Saturday

Melt into the weekend

Friday


6:30 p.m. - Wine tasting and live music at the Emporium - Misty Monee

6:30 p.m. - Clifton Opera House - Yellow Springs Tale Spinners

7:00 p.m. - Open mic at Brother Bear's

10:00 p.m. - Live music at Peach's - Bootleg Rider


Saturday

9:00 a.m. - Winter Farmers Market at the United Methodist Church

12:00 p.m. - Clothing Swap at the Bryan Center - See related post

5:00 p.m. - AACW/Tecumseh Land Trust "Roots Fest"

6:30 p.m. - Clifton Opera House - Gary Arnold (Jazz)

10:00 p.m. - Live music at Peach's - Crazy Joe and the Mad River Outlaws


Sunday

1:00 p.m. - Glen Helen Wildflower Hike - meet at Trailside Museum

1:00 p.m.
- Nonstop Institute - Readings by Ed Davis and Terrilynn Meece - See related post

3:00 p.m. - Police Chief John Grote at the Senior Center - See related post

8:00 p.m.
- Glen Helen Full Moon Hike - meet at the Glen parking lot off SR 343

YSHS Students to show photographs at Glen

Glen Helen Atrium Gallery Exhibition: Yellow Springs High School Advanced Photo Student Exhibit April 2 – 28, 2010

Colby Silvert

Sadie Rehm

Marlee Layh


The Glen Helen Atrium Gallery is showing Yellow Springs High School Advanced Photo Student Exhibit from April 2 to April 28, 2010.

Young photographers from Yellow Springs High School’s advanced photography classes will present digital works in a variety of photo genres, including landscape, experimental, documentary and still life. The Gallery is located in the Glen Helen Building at 405 Corry Street in Yellow Springs. Show hours are 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday and 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free. Images will be available for purchase.

The exhibit will feature work by Yellow Springs H.S. Seniors Marlee Layh and Colby Silvert and Juniors Gabe Amrhein and Sadie Rehm. “All four of these photographers show tremendous talent,” says their Media & Arts Educator, Melina Elum. “Silvert’s senior portfolio was awarded a gold key in Scholastic this year and is now competing for national honors. Rehm’s was awarded a silver key in Scholastic as well.” Amrhein, Rehm and Silvert have also received recognition for their work in the 2010 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition.

For more information call the Glen Helen Ecology Institute at (937) 769-1902 or visit www.glenhelen.org.

---

About the Glen Helen Atrium Gallery:
The Glen Helen Atrium Gallery showcases the work of emerging local and regional visual artists in twelve exhibits each year. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of art goes to the Glen Helen Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support preservation and programs at Glen Helen and its 1,000-acre nature preserve.

Reminder: Police Chief to speak Sunday

The James A. McKee Group is proud to host as our next speaker John Grote, Yellow Springs Chief of Police. Mr. Grote will be reviewing department accomplishments of 2009 and the problems, challenges and initiatives going forward in 2010. Please join us on Sunday, Mar 28th from 3-5 pm at the Senior Citizens great room. The public is welcome.

Every artist in town should know about this...

The ubiquitous Bob Swaney (Corner Cone, Jailhouse Suites, Veterinary Alternatives) alerted the Blog to this unique Website for artists: http://www.theartsmap.com/

If you check it out, you will find that some of our artists already know about it.

Blog sets new record for hits in one day

Phew! What happened? Was it yesterday's cartoon or the news about the new soul food restaurant the day before? Whatever it was, the Blog had 421 hits yesterday (Thursday), a new record. It also received almost 300 hits on Wednesday. Normally the blog averages about 225 hits per day, with the count higher during the week than on weekends. The previous high was a little over 300.

Thanks to my regular contributors, newshound and Official Photographer Susan Gartner, Chief Cartoonist Walter Rhodes (aka Reed), and humorist A. Reader. And thanks to our readers. You are helping to make this thing into something special.

VH

From the Chamber


March 26

Yellow Springs Weekend at Clifton Opera House

Yellow Springs Tale Spinner
When: Friday, March 26
Time: 6:30pm
Where: Clifton Opera House

March 27

Winter Farmers Market
When: Saturday, March 27
Time: 9a-12p
Where: United Methodist Church,
202 S. Winter St.

Clothing Swap
When: Saturday, March 27
Time: 12-3p
Where: Bryan Community Center, Rooms A&B

Book Signing with Author Shauna Roberts
When: Saturday, March 27
Time: 2-4:00pm
Where: Dark Star Books

Roots Fest
When: Saturday, March 27
Time: 5pm-midnight
Where: The Bryan Center, 100 Dayton St., Yellow Springs

Yellow Springs Weekend at Clifton Opera House

Gary Arnold, Jazz
When: Saturday, March 27
Time: 6:30pm
Where: Clifton Opera House
March 28th

Poetry Reading by Ed Davis and Terrilynn Meece
When: Sunday, March 28
Time: 1:00pm
Where: Nonstop Institute, 305 North Walnut St. Suite C

Wildflower Hike
When: Sunday, March 28, 2010
Time: 1p
Where: Departs from Trailside Museum, 405 Corry St

Full Moon Hike
When: Sunday, March 28, 2010
Time: 8p
Where: Yellow Spring Parking lot off 343

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Weekend Entertainment

Live Music at Peach's
Friday - 10p
Bootleg Rider
Saturday - 10p
Crazy Joe

Live Music at the Emporium
Friday - 6:30p
Wine Tasting &
Misty Monee

Playing at the Little Art Theatre
The Last Station

Open Mic at Brother Bear's
Friday - 7p
Also at Brother Bear's
Friday - 9a
Flower Power

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Bench to Nowhere: The all-purpose complex

A Cool Town Toon

Click on image to enlarge.

Village Artisans Trading Card Workshop - Tuesday

By Susan Gartner


Village Artisan workshop participants Moya Shea and Louise Simons work with ATC instructors Ann Bain and Nancy Mellon on their individual Artist Trading Cards for an upcoming exhibit. Photos by Susan Gartner

On Tuesday, March 23, Village Artisans hosted an Artist Trading Card workshop. According to the website, www.artist-trading-cards.ch, Artist Trading Cards are miniature works of one-of-a-kind art created specifically with the idea of trading them with others -- like baseball cards -- at trading sessions. Participants get to meet different artists and are exposed to many different personal styles, then go home with a collection of original artwork that takes up a very small amount of space!

Works must be 2.5" x 3.5" with name, contact information, and title of the ATC written on the back of each card. At Tuesday's workshop, instructors Ann Bain and Nancy Mellon provided a variety of materials including stamps, brushes, colored pens, paints, and papers along with helpful tips and instructions on various art mediums and techniques.

The next ATC workshop will be April 27, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Village Artisans, 100 Corry Street. Workshop fee is $12.00. All art supplies are provided. Space is limited.

In July, the co-op gallery will be hosting a month-long ATC exhibit. Anyone is invited to create and drop off up to eight cards to hang in the show. Please write your name and contact info on the back of each card. Submissions must be in to Village Artisans by Friday, June 18.

On the last day of the show, Saturday, July 31, all artists are invited to come and trade their cards with the other artists from 1-3 p.m. It's a great way to build a unique collection of art.

For questions or to sign up for the April 27 workshop, contact Nancy Mellon at 767-1366 or nancy_mellon@sbcglobal.net.

Flower Power at Bro Bear's

Photo by Susan Gartner

Join the community effort to beautify Dayton Street. All are welcome to meet at Brother Bear's Cafe at 9 a.m. this Friday to create colorful felt flowers that will later be "planted". Bring felt, needles, thread, buttons, or anything else you would like to contribute. For more information, go to Jafagirls.com.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Two local men to offer soul food at CJ's in the old KFC space

Carl Moore (L) and Jim Zehner of the soon-to-be-open CJ's

CJ's partners Carl Moore and Jim Zehner hope to be open by Mother's Day, but may be open as soon as May 1 with a menu of southern style cooking that will include barbecue, pulled meats, ribs, fried fish, fried chicken, greens, mac and cheese, green beans (with a choice of turkey or ham hocks), deli sandwiches and soups. They will also be serving breakfast and offer drive-through service and eventually hope to deliver locally. In an effort to accommodate all kinds of appetites, they will serve vegetarian dishes and offer a variety of meat alternatives as a part of traditional meals.

The two men are housemates in the village. Zehner works at the BMV office in Xenia and Moore, who has southern roots in Alabama, is finishing up a culinary degree at Sinclair, but has "25-plus years of experience as a chef in a five-star restaurant in Atlanta."

Village Council President: On a healthy village budget

I would like to explain some aspects of our Village budget. Most important is to communicate that the Village of Yellow Springs is in fiscally good shape. We have a 2010 end of year balance which is 34 % of our yearly budget. In light of standard municipal practice and in comparison to other communities, this is a healthy fund. While it is fun to see the end of year balance go up and up, socking away a lot of savings was not the reason the levy was put in place. Restoring a healthy fund and then addressing deferred maintenance was. And Village Council and Staff have been true to what was promised.

Regarding the infrastructure of water, sewer and electric systems; these systems should be and are maintained with the user fees we pay. They are not supported by taxes. Also, we have garnered almost $2 million in grant moneys for the wastewater treatment plant upgrade which is in progress.

Our Village Manager has completed a capital improvement plan of our water system, and we are looking ahead, developing shovel ready plans for an upgrade with the hope of capturing another grant. AMP, our electric consortium, deemed our electric system in good condition two years ago.

The Village General Fund is where our wage and property taxes go. Estate taxes also go into the General Fund. The primary Village infrastructure this fund pays for are streets, parks and the pool, the library building and the Bryan Center. It also pays for police and administration.

The largest item in our general fund is the police department. Last year, we budgeted 40% of the general fund for the police. Having our own police department is a huge and appreciated service of the Village. This is why it is important to take the advice of former Council President Tony Bent, who recommended we take a close look at this large part of our General Fund budget. By making comparisons to other communities of our size, we may be able to find ways to reduce costs and make this service more sustainable. Because the Village has not scrutinized this budget for many years this is a fiscally wise step to take at this time.

The second largest expenditure is care for our streets. This year we have budgeted $700,000 for street maintenance and repairs. We are spending $50,000 for the economic development coordinator we have hired, and the Village Council, manager and planning staff also spend a significant amount of time working on economic development activities.

Of a general fund budget of $3.6 million, $50,000 is budgeted this year for the Greenspace Fund. This money which does such important work, comes from estate taxes. Some of us view the ecologically sensitive Jacoby Greenbelt as the village's green infrastructure and I think this is an accurate way of understanding its importance. That we do not have sprawl development at the edges of our community, like so many communities, one need only look to development behind the Fairfield Mall to see what a nightmare it can be, is a huge strength for us.

Yellow Springs is in a league by itself with an intact downtown which has made it possible for us to meet many of our needs locally. It is a great part of the reason that we are a regional destination. Farmland being farmed productively at our borders is another positive for our local economy. To continue to argue about this small amount of funding and to not recognize the importance of this preservation work, seems to me an unfortunate focus at an area of disagreement which keeps us from working together where there is full agreement; support for development within current borders.

While this is not an issue of the Village Budget, the hope for growth brings to mind that at least 40 acres of developable land in and near the village is owned by the Village. When planning for the growth that many believe would be in our best interests, it would make sense for the Village Government and Villagers to take the lead by making plans for the thoughtful use of land owned by us collectively.

$10,000 has been budgeted for the Human Relations Commission to support its work on race and youth, in support of neighborhood block parties, and in activities and discussions to strengthen the police/ community relationship. The volunteer work of this Commission speaks to important quality of life and community building issues. In the past year, the HRC supported a workshop for youth leadership attended by half white and half youth of color, which was supported by Chief Grote and High School Principal John Gudgel. This positive and powerful work has continued throughout the year.

These are some of the highlights regarding the Village Budget, which might be of interest to citizens. I hope this is helpful for those who find our municipal budget a bit complicated and difficult to understand.

Judith Hempfling, President of the Yellow Springs Village Council

Peaceniks in the Rain






Photo taken by Martin Murie, retired faculty from Antioch. Taken on Saturday, March 13, Xenia Ave. corner of Limestone St., Yellow Springs, OH. Peaceniks on a rainy Saturday. Left to right: Sally Palmer, two unidentified having under umbrella conference, Mary M. Morgan and Bill Houston.

Energy Star Appliance Rebate Program

The Energy Star Appliance Rebate Program will be taking place in Ohio beginning March 26th. Approximately 89,000 rebates will be offered on a first come – first served basis. I replaced a 20 year old freezer with an Energy Star-rated model three years ago and am happy to report that the cost of the replacement will be repaid in electrical energy cost savings within the next few months. After that I will continue to realize cost savings on my monthly utility bill over the life of the appliance.

I plan to take advantage of the upcoming program to replace an existing dishwasher with one that will clean more efficiently, operate more quietly and save energy in the process. I urge you to consider taking advantage of this opportunity to replace inefficient appliances at a discounted price and continue to benefit from energy cost savings in the years to come while shrinking your household carbon footprint.

Details on reserving and redeeming a rebate for a qualifying appliance purchase are available at the website OhioApplianceRebates.com. Ohio residents can start the process at 8:00 am on March 26, 2010 when the program officially begins. Eligible appliances include refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers and water heaters.

Jerry Papania, member of the Village Energy Task Force

Former Gov. Taft a panelist at Antioch - April 3

Morgan Fellows of Antioch College to Host Fourth in Series of Symposia on Contemporary Issues in Society

April 3rd Event to Examine History of Republican Party in Ohio: From Yellow Springs to Taft

On Saturday, April 3, 2010, Antioch College’s Morgan Fellows will host the fourth in a series of symposia focusing on issues in higher education and society. The topic of this event will be the history of the Republican Party in Ohio from Yellow Springs to Taft. It will take place in the Herndon Gallery in South Hall at Antioch College, One Morgan Place, Yellow Springs, Ohio, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Most Ohioans would be surprised to discover that Yellow Springs played an important role in the birth of the Republican Party in Ohio. Numerous historical accounts relate that the Party was largely created at a meeting in 1854 at Whitehall Farm in Yellow Springs, hosted by Aaron Harlan, who later served briefly on the Antioch College Board of Trustees with Horace Mann.

The symposium promises to generate a lively conversation about the birth and original ideology of the Party in Ohio, as well as its subsequent history and further transformations that formed the Party as we know it today. The major focus will be the story of the Party from its early years in the mid-19th century, and during the highly contentious post-Civil War era, as a party of business, the middle class, and newly enfranchised African Americans.

Panelists:

Bob Taft: Former Governor of Ohio and Distinguished Research Associate at The University of Dayton. Taft’s family has a long and distinguished history with the Party, extending back to William Howard Taft and to the cabinet of Ulysses Grant.

Nikki Taylor: Associate Professor of History at The University of Cincinnati. She is the author of Frontiers of Freedom: Cincinnati’s Black Community, 1802-1868.

John M. Elliott: Professor of Political Science at Kenyon College. He is completing the book, Political Journalism in a Pluralist Democracy, and served as an alternate convention delegate from Ohio for John McCain.

Scott Warren: Arthur E. Morgan Fellow at Antioch College and former Associate Professor of Philosophy and Politics at Antioch College. He is the author of The Emergence of Dialectical Theory: Philosophy and Political Inquiry.


About the Arthur E. Morgan Fellows …

Named in honor of Arthur E. Morgan, Antioch College President from 1920-1936, the Fellows are facilitating and coordinating a yearlong outreach program to alumni and friends of the College nationwide as the College develops both its program and curriculum. They will also present symposia on a wide variety of topics on the historic campus in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The current Morgan Fellows include Anne Bohlen M.A.; Jean Gregorek, Ph.D.; Beverly Rodgers, Ph.D.; Scott Warren, Ph.D.; and Director of Work Susan Eklund-Leen, Ph.D.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Barbecue!

Stay tuned...

3/24/10 Update: Not barbecue, soul food! More later.

Women of YS beware!

Reports of a known sexual predator hanging around town and exhibiting odd behavior, including the stalking of women, have been circulating in emails and on Facebook since yesterday. The reports include mugshot style photographs of a man, his name and links to newspaper and law enforcement Websites. The Blog has no other information on this and cannot vouch for its truthfulness or accuracy.

If someone menaces or harasses you, quickly distance yourself from that individual and call the non-emergency number for the YSPD (767-7206), or, if you are close enough to do it with safety, go to the police dispatch desk at the Bryan Center. If you don't have a cell phone handy and cannot walk to the Bryan Center, step into a shop and ask the shopkeeper to call the police for you. Do not take action on your own.

You should keep the YSPD non-emergency number programmed in your cell phone. Be aware of your surroundings and the individuals near you. If someone harasses you, call the police. Here is the number: 937-767-7206. The non-emergency number will get faster results than 911, which has to go through Xenia dispatch.

Soul Fire Tribe: She catches on fire twice!



More raw video of Soul Fire Tribe performing at the corner of Corry and Xenia Ave. this past Friday night. This one of a different performance is longer and better than the one posted the other day.

Rent Party at Nonstop to be a "Fools Ball"

Come welcome spring, celebrate the inner fool and dance the night away at:

The Fools Ball (costumed or not)
with DJ Dr. Falafel -the Eclectic Selector
Saturday, April 3rd
Nonstop Institute of Yellow Springs
305 N Walnut Street (in Millworks)
Suggested donation: $10

This Dance/Rent Party for the Nonstop Institute of Yellow Springs
will include three musical genres:

7-8:30 Swing Dance
8:30-10:30 Rock 'n Roll
10:30-Midnight Hip Hop/Indie Music

Monday, March 22, 2010

Chief Grote to speak to the public

The James A. McKee Group will host speaker John Grote, Yellow Springs chief of police, on Sunday March 28, 3-5 p.m.

Chief Grote will be reviewing department accomplishments of 2009 and the problems, challenges and initiatives going forward in 2010. The talk will be held in the great room of the Senior Center, and the public is welcome.

Calling all writers ages 15-18 interested in creative writing!

Antioch Writers’ Workshop—a nationally renowned creative writing workshop since 1986—is offering an opportunity for Young Writers (those entering 10th-12th grades in fall 2010, or ages 15-18) to attend the workshop, held in Yellow Springs, July 10-16.

Interested writers must submit three pages of creative writing and a letter of recommendation from a teacher, librarian, coach or youth program leader, to the workshop by May 1. Selected writers will receive an AWW Young Writers’ Scholarship in the amount of $225.00, reducing the total cost of attending to $450.00 for a full week of writing classes and a special writing seminar. (Breakfasts and lunches are also included.)

Selected writers will attend the workshop’s morning classes with all participants, and then attend the Young Writers’ Afternoon Seminar, led by instructor Katrina Kittle, to work on individual projects and develop creative writing craft. The morning classes and Young Writers’ Afternoon Seminar are held at Antioch University McGregor in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Katrina Kittle is a nationally renowned author (The Kindness of Strangers) and former English teacher at Centerville High School and The Miami Valley School.

This opportunity is open to students who live in the Ohio counties of Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Clark, Clinton, Fayette, Madison and Warren.

Young Writers accepted into this program will be notified shortly after May 1. To apply or for more information about the program, please visit the Young Writers page at www.antiochwritersworkshop.com or email info@antiochwritersworkshop.com.

The Antioch Writers’ Workshop and Young Writers’ program is held in partnership with Antioch University McGregor and with support from the Yellow Springs Community Foundation; Ohio Arts Council; The Frank Pace, Jr. Foundation; and WYSO (media sponsor).

Bench to Nowhere: Flowers Gone Wild

A Cool Town Toon

School Board looking at 10 year plan




According to School Board President Sean Creighton quoted in an article in the Dayton Daily News Thursday, a 10-year strategic plan for public education in Yellow Springs may be in the works once the new administration is in place. Creighton told the paper that he would like to see Yellow Springs become a global leader in public education.

Dayton Daily News: Yellow Springs schools seek to fill leadership vacancies

The arts around town



This is the 12th in a series of 30 second videos shot by Joanne Caputo for the exploreyellowsprings.com Website that the Blog has been posting on a weekly basis. (Music by Cooper Fleishman)

Davis, Meece to read Sunday

Poetry Reading by Ed Davis and Terrilynn Meece
Sunday, March 28th at 1:00pm
Nonstop Institute of Yellow Springs
305 N Walnut Street
Suggested donation $5.00

Ed Davis and Terrilynn Meece will read poetry on Sunday, March 28th at 1:00pm at the Nonstop Institute of Yellow Springs, 305 N Walnut St (in Millworks). Suggested donation $5.

A native West Virginian, Ed Davis has taught writing, literature and humanities courses at Sinclair Community College since 1978. In addition, he founded Sinclair's literary magazine, Flights, was assistant director of the Antioch Writers' Workshop, Davis's novel I Was So Much Older Then was published in 2001 by Disc-Us Books. His latest novel, The Measure of Everything, released in 2005 by Plain View Press. http://www.davised.com/abouted.html

Terrilynn Meece has had poetry published numerous journals and collections including the Vincent Brothers Review, Western Ohio Journal, The Cathartic, Parting Gifts. Her creative focus for the past five years has been her fine photography studio in Troy Ohio (www.StillwaterPhotographic.com). She has recently published her first book of poetry called Mother’s Day, Images of Motherhood. www.StillwaterPhotographic.com

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The Backyard Flock: Raising your chicks

Last week I wrote about bringing home day-old chicks. We left off at the point where we had them in their new home (a large secure box) and under a heat lamp at 95 degrees.

Keeping the chicks under the lamp for the next few weeks will be the hardest part of the operation. It might seem heartless to keep them exposed to the glaring light 24 hours-a-day. But, in the long run, you will have much healthier chickens for the effort. And, it is okay to take them out and play with them for short periods. This is something I highly recommend. Handling your chicks a lot when they are small will make for much calmer, easier to handle chickens when they are grown. This works fine with six chicks or so. If you have 30 or more, it might not be practical. If you have a warm sunny day, it is okay to take them out from under the lamp for awhile and let them play in the grass.

The Mt. Healthy Hatcheries Website (mthealthy.com) recommends keeping your chicks at 95 degrees for the first 10 days, decreasing the temperature 5 degrees each week thereafter. According to the Website, the ideal temperature for 6 week old chicks is 70 degrees. Lowering the temperature is accomplished by raising the lamp. I used a jury-rig arrangement of bungee cords suspended from the vertical blind track in my kitchen.

Keep them on the chick starter feed for the first couple months, and then switch them to grower feed.

Over the first few weeks your chicks will grow from cute little fuzz balls to awkward looking, skinny, long-legged adolescents. During this time, you should be getting ready for you next stages of housing, as they will soon outgrow their original quarters.

The logic behind purchasing a plastic large storage box with a secure top is that it can serve as both a first and second stage for housing. Around the same time your chicks are ready to come out from under the heat lamp, they will be probably be able to hop out of the box. And, assuming that it is warm enough, they will also be ready to be moved outside. So, on a warm sunny day while they are playing in the grass, using a box-cutter, cut a door into one of the sides of the box and drill an arrangement of small air holes near the top of both sides. The door cut should be about 8-10” square at the bottom of the box. Secure the cut out square of plastic at the bottom cut with duct tape. With the top locked on, this will serve as an outdoor coop. You can secure the door at night with more duct tape around all the edges. All you need to do is provide a fenced in area so when you let them out during the day, they will have a safe place to be outside. I recommend covering the top of their mini chicken run with chicken wire, not only to keep them in, but to keep predators out. By taping up the door, the box can be used again for future runs of chicks.

If you do not already have a flock, the next stage of housing can be directly into a coop. But if you have a flock of older chickens, you will need to wait until your young ones are big enough to be merged with the existing flock. In that case, you will need to add an intermediate housing stage, something bigger, but not expensive or elaborate, as it will not be used for more than just a few weeks. For this stage, I bought a large plastic doghouse and fashioned a door on it. When I don’t have chicks living in it, I use it to store a bale of straw near the chicken run. It has turned out to be very handy.

The final stage will be a permanent chicken coop, the design of which is up to you. I constructed a 4’x4’ box with a slight slope in the roof, doors and windows, and a roost. In a future article, I will give you details on how to build such a coop and how to construct a safe chicken run.

Next week: Merging your pullets with the flock

Bev Logan at the organ

Photo by Roger Reynolds

Is that a Hammond or a Wurlitzer with a 365 hp Hemi?

YSAC

Photo by Susan Gartner

The "Meet the Board" Open House was a big success Friday night at the Yellow Springs Arts Council Art Space located a 108 Dayton Street, second floor. Mingling with the crowd in the foreground are arts supporter Sally Dennis with her son, Oskar, and YSAC Art Space Gallery Committee member Sarah Strong.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Grace Adele and her Grand Band

Grace Adele, formerly of Columbus and lately of Nashville, returned to the Emporium with her band last night to play and sing her unique blend of pop, country, Americana, rock and retro for an enthusiastic audience.

Jim Albright shows oils and wood carving at Would You Could You


A reception was held last night for the opening of a showing of oil paintings and wood carvings by local artist Jim Albright at Would You Could You in a Frame.

Pay It Forward awards at McG

McGregor Launches Student Philanthropy Project; Funds Local Non-profits

Student philanthropists at Antioch University McGregor

Yellow Springer Nerak Roth Patterson (center) awarding a grant to the Pregnancy Resource Center of Springfield for its Healthy Teen Parenting Initiative


Antioch University McGregor has launched the Pay It Forward Student Philanthropy initiative awarding grants to three area nonprofits focused on health, hunger, and homelessness among children. This activity is part of a degree program in Human Services Systems. The funding for Pay It Forward is a joint effort from Learn & Serve America, the Ohio Campus Compact, and Antioch University McGregor.

On March 19, the organizations that have been selected by the class’ student philanthropists will receive their awards and celebrate the program’s successes. The three organizations receiving funds this term are Woman Line of Dayton, Springfield Christian Youth Ministries (GirlPower), and Pregnancy Resource Center of Springfield.

“The principle at hand is not just about generosity but about being willing to receive help; to be a part of a larger community that recognizes and celebrates empathy,” said Antioch University McGregor president, Dr. Michael Fishbein.

McGregor’s most recent involvement in this arena is the adoption of a nationwide effort, Pay It Forward: Strengthening Communities through Student-Led Philanthropy. “McGregor is one of 14 colleges in Ohio to receive a grant for this project made possible by generous funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (Learn and Serve America Higher Education) and Ohio Campus Compact,” said Dr. Iris Weisman, Executive Dean of the School of Professional and Liberal Studies.

The project’s inaugural launch was led by students in the Undergraduate Program's Human Services Systems class. The students were offered a unique chance to learn about philanthropy in a practical and rewarding way by working directly with area non-profits, reviewing requests for proposals for particular needs, creating the rubric for measurement and awarding capacity building funds. They are engaging the surrounding community in this effort through the celebratory event on March 19, highlighting the effects these funds will have, not only with the agencies receiving awards, but especially with those they serve.

“With our support, the class developed every aspect of the program; from the grant application to how they were going to market and promote this endeavor,” said Dr. Jane Brown, chairperson of AUM’s undergraduate Health and Wellness program. The results of this work can be found on the student designed www.payitforwardmcgregor.com – a website where related Dayton area non-profits applied for funding.

The program will also be a component of the summer quarter Human Services Systems class. Working with the AUM Development Director, Kimberly Horton, the group hopes to sustain the initiative, becoming a key component in the advancement efforts of the campus. “We want to engage students with real life experience in organizing and launching philanthropy programs within their community so they are prepared to serve as empathetic citizens in a world of ever-increasing need,” said Horton.

More information can be found at www.mcgregor.edu.

Soul Fire Tribe last night at the Friday Fling in the Springs



Raw video of Soul Fire Tribe performing at the corner of Corry Street and Xenia Avenue.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Flower Power on Dayton Street


Photos by Susan Gartner

Local artists (left to right) Nancy Mellon, Beth Holyoke, Pierre Nagley, Chelle Palassis, Corrine Bayraktaroglu, Sarah Strong and others came together at Brother Bear's Cafe Friday morning to create bold and beautiful felt flowers for a Jafagirl project coming soon to Dayton Street. The group plans to meet again on Friday, March 26 at around 9 a.m. Feel free to join in and bring felt, needles, thread, buttons, or anything else you would like to contribute. For more information, go to Jafagirls.com.