Monday, May 31, 2010

The Backyard Flock: My new favorite chicken

Her tiny chicken brain probably wonders what the hell is going on when I pick her up and lavish affection upon her, especially given her wayward ways. But we all love a rebel. And I think she senses that. Amy suggested we call her Skippy, because she keeps skipping out. But, like Ruby Tuesday, because it’s hard to pin a name on her. So, henceforth she will be known as Ruby.

Ruby is one of my year-old Araucanas. Her plumage is that of an American Bald Eagle, but instead of a white head, hers is a deep auburn. She is a real red-headed beauty.

I used to think of Araucanas as a difficult breed; aloof and sometimes downright snobbish. My three have convinced me otherwise. They seem no less friendly than the easygoing breeds, such as the Barred Plymouth Rocks and the Rhode Island Reds. Ruby is curious and friendly, but always the first to push her way out, if I am not fast enough with the gate to the chicken run. Lately, she has taken the art of escape to a new level.

For the past week or two, we kept finding Ruby in the backyard outside of the fenced off area we call Chickenland. It seemed almost as if she were coming and going as she pleased. We started pointing fingers: Who let her out? Who wasn’t fast enough with the gate? Who didn’t take a head-count when locking them up at night, after we had let them play in the yard? None of these accusations seemed to hold water, but there was no evidence of an escape route per se. The only hole under the fence between Chickenland and our yard was too small to accommodate her stature. Or so it seemed.

Then, a couple days ago, I was playing with her when I went out to get the eggs. I had picked her up and was petting her on the head as she cooed softly her approval. We happened to be standing right by that small hole the groundhog uses to burglarize the chicken run. I set her down and petted her one last time when, as if to reward me by showing me how she does it, she wriggled through that hole in the fence that seemed only big enough for a week-old chick. It was magic!

She waited on the other side for me to pick her up and return her to the flock. If she could talk, I’m sure she would have said, “See, that’s how it’s done.”

I keep blocking up the hole with wire, bricks and stakes, but between her and Alan Street Al, our resident groundhog, my attempts to seal off the escape route are always thwarted. I still find her strutting her stuff in the backyard every day as the other chickens look on through the fence in awe.

You’ve got to love a sassy chick like that!

Yellow Springs Historical Museum Poll Underway

Would you like to have a Yellow Springs Historical Museum located somewhere in the village? The Yellow Springs Historical Society is asking villagers to take an online survey. The survey will be available to complete between now and October 9, 2010.

Click here to take the survey.

Calculating the worth of a tree

This from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources:

SW Ohio Folks,

Have you ever wondered what your trees are worth? Not just what they are worth to you for the beauty they provide, but is their real value in dollars and cents? I’d like to invite you to try the National Tree Benefit Calculator, a project developed by Casey Trees (www.caseytrees.org) and Davey Tree Expert Co. (www.davey.com).

The calculator was conceived to allow anyone the ability to approximate the value of individual street trees and trees in a residential landscape. The calculator is located at www.treebenefits.com, and is free to use.

As an example, I used a tree in my own backyard, a northern red oak. After you go to the site, enter your zip code, select your species and enter its DBH (diameter at breast height -foresters measure tree diameter at 4.5’ from the ground). I pressed enter and immediately had information about my tree. At first, the site tells me that my tree provides $105 in overall benefits to my property each year. It also tells me that if this tree is cared for then by the time my daughter is a tween, it will be providing $125 in annual benefits.

That is interesting, but not nearly as much when I click on additional tabs. My oak intercepts 4,509 gallons of rainwater each year, reducing the amount of urban storm water runoff. This tree also conserves 102 kilowatt hours of energy each year. I’d argue that this is a conservative estimate because the tree is on the south side of my property, but the calculator doesn’t allow us to go into this much detail. Finally, just this one tree reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide by 817 pounds each year.

Keeping this tree healthy benefits me in many ways, including helping me reduce my carbon footprint. I’d like to encourage you to visit the site and find out what your tree’s real value is to you – I think you will be pleasantly surprised. This is a great tool for communities as well as residences.

Wendi Van Buren
Regional Urban Forester
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

National Affordable Housing Policy Leader to Visit Yellow Springs

John Emmeus Davis will lead a public forum addressing affordable housing, the Village of Yellow Springs, and the Community Land Trust model.

The Village of Yellow Springs and affordable housing nonprofit Yellow Springs Home, Inc. teamed up to bring John Emmeus Davis, a national expert in affordable housing policy, to Yellow Springs. On Sunday, June 6 Davis will lead a public forum at 7:00 p.m. to discuss affordable housing in the Village and Miami Township and the Community Land Trust (CLT) model. The forum will be held in the Glen Helen Ecology Institute Building, located at 405 Corry Street in Yellow Springs. This event is free and open to the public.

Davis is a partner and co-founder of Burlington Associates in Community Development, LLC, a national consulting cooperative specializing in the development of organizations, policies, and plans promoting permanently affordable, owner-occupied housing. He also taught courses in neighborhood planning and housing and community development at MIT and Tufts University. His latest book, The Community Land Trust Reader, came out on May 17 and features the writings of Arthur E. Morgan – Antioch College President, engineer, and social planner. The book also discusses the connections between the Village of Yellow Springs and the roots of the Community Land Trust movement.

According to Davis, “The planned communities created by Arthur Morgan in the 1930s helped inspire the modern-day CLT.” Yellow Springs Home, Inc. is a nonprofit whose mission is to strengthen community and diversity in Yellow Springs and Miami Township by providing permanently affordable and sustainable housing through the Community Land Trust model. Please contact Program Manager Emily Seibel for more information by email at emily@yshome.org or by phone at 937-767-2790.

Call for Proposals for Nonstop Artists Residency program

Nonstop Institute of Yellow Springs announces
A CALL FOR PROPOSALS
for its second Artists Residency program
LOCAL STORIES—AN ORAL HISTORIES PROJECT
Application deadline: June 8, 2010

Nonstop Institute seeks proposals for its upcoming residency program Local Stories—An Oral Histories Project. The selected projects will incorporate an oral history (or histories) grounded in the lived experience of Yellow Springs and neighboring locales and can be expressed in a range of art disciplines and presentation formats. The proposals can be focused through subjects including but not limited to a person, a neighborhood, a period of history, or any of a community's shared natural, cultural and civic resources. Application deadline is June 8, 2010.

The final installations can be 2-d or 3-d work, media-based, text-based, performative, interactive or combinations of these ways of engaging subject matter and audiences. The four selected residency artists (can also include documentarians, writers, cultural geographers, others involved with oral histories) will have access to workspace at Nonstop for 7 weeks starting June 14. Opportunities for dialogue among residency artists and producers is an important component of this on-site residency project. The final projects will be installed and exhibited in Nonstop's spaces in early August, using either a section of Nonstop's 2000 sq ft exhibition space or its virtual website space. Components of the projects can also occur as a performance or screening in Nonstop's main space.

Local Stories—An Oral Histories Project invites applications by artists and documentarians working the southwestern Ohio region and will consider proposals by producers at any stage of their careers. Project jurying will be based on both the specific proposal for Local Stories—An Oral Histories Project and examples of past work. Four proposals will be selected, and at least two of the four will be current residents of Yellow Springs. Each artist selected will receive up to $150 for supplies. Further information and application forms will be available starting May 13 at the Nonstop website at nonstopinstitute.org. This project is made possible in part by the generous support of the Yellow Springs Community Foundation. If questions, please call , or inquiries@nonstopinstitute.org.

For further information please contact Chris Hill: chris.hill@nonstopinstitute.org or 937-767-2327.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Small-town newspaper saved by going nonprofit

A reader thought this might be of interest to Yellow Springers:

Although there has been a lot of talk lately about saving newspapers by turning them into nonprofit corporations, the Point Reyes Light is the first community paper in the Bay Area and one of a very few newspapers nationwide to be owned by an L3C, according to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco Chronicle: Pulitzer Prize-winning Marin newspaper sold

Many hands make bright work

Photo by Corrine Bayraktaroglu

Open letter to all Dayton Street Flower Power Project participants:

It's official, the flower power has run its course. The flowers have blossomed and the last few are being attached to the trellis seat outside Chen’s. We want to THANK you all so much for participating and sharing your crafty talents, beautiful flowers and lovely company. What a delightful journey this has been. If any of you want to meet on Friday mornings to chat, sew or knit, let me know and I will bring along my embroidery :)

A HUGE thank you, also, to Brother Bear and Mindy who have graciously hosted our sew-ins and set up the tables for us.

Thanks also to all the donors who donated thread, felt, buttons, ribbon, etc. We made use of everything we received. Leftover materials will definitely be used in future Jafagirl (Just Another Flippin' Artist) projects.

What started out small and contained quickly blossomed into a community event, which was exactly the desired outcome. The power of the flower touched trees, signposts, utility poles, railings in front of three separate businesses, the train station, and a trellis seat. Everywhere we worked, people honked and yelled out their appreciation and support.

We especially appreciate the village of Yellow Springs for supporting our efforts to beautify the downtown area in a fun, creative, and collaborative way. Not all towns would be so appreciative.

Submitted by Jafagirls Corrine Bayraktaroglu, Nancy Mellon and newest Jafagirl, Susan Gartner

New Extended Deadline for 10-Minute Play Festival

Submit plays now for 10-Minute Plays Festival

We currently have about 50 entries, but we are hoping for more local entries and more entries for young people.

Announcing New Extended Deadline:

CORNER CONE
Soft Serve Playhouse Presents
10-Minute Plays Festival: Compact Theater for the Easily Distracted

Submissions: Submit script, synopsis, or video of your ten minute play proposal by June 15, 2010, for priority deadline. All accepted plays will be performed Saturday, August 14 at the Corner Cone in Yellow Springs at the 10-minute Plays Festival. Submissions will be reviewed and accepted by a selection committee.

Playwrights of accepted plays will be responsible for organizing or arranging the production of their plays for the festival. Plays should require zero to a minimum of set, props, and costuming.

Prizes will be awarded the day of the festival:

$100 Best Under 18

$100 Best Drama

$100 Best Comedy

$100 Crowd Favorite


Submit scripts/synopsis/video as attachments to karani1100@yahoo.com.

Submitted by Rani Deighe Crowe

Why's everybody always pickin' on us?




A reader ran across this on Hal McCoy's Dayton Daily News blog:

MANAGER DUSTY Baker is familiar with Yellow Springs. He has not visited, but on Thursday he laughingly called it, “That hippie place up the road. I get my sage sent to me from there.”

Editor's note: I hope Dusty is still laughing after the All-Star Break...

Saturday, May 29, 2010

A growing memorial

Photo by Susan Gartner

The front steps of Open Books, yesterday.

Bean Honored


Photos by Virgil Hervey

Hundreds of well-wishers showed up at the Great Room of the Senior Center yesterday afternoon to honor Rodney Bean upon his retirement from the position of Executive Director.

Related post: Thoughts upon the retirement of R. Bean

WYSO to hold Bluegrass Concerts – reviving a WYSO tradition

Public radio station WYSO 91.3 will present two bluegrass concerts on Sunday June 6, 2010 at its studios in Yellow Springs. The public is invited. Two Clarke County bluegrass groups will perform: Miami Valley’s Most Wanted and the Corndrinkers.

There will be two shows: one at two pm and one at six pm in the WYSO performance space adjacent to the studios off of E. South College St in Yellow Springs.

This is the first public bluegrass concert WYSO has presented in many years, reviving a tradition that goes back to the 1970s, when WYSO-based musicians performed weekly at a venue in east Dayton called the Living Arts Center.

Three WYSO music hosts, Steve Shaw, Tom Duffee and Doyle Wright, will take the stage on Sunday June 6, Shaw as master of ceremonies, Duffee and Wright as performers. Tom Duffee has been affiliated with WYSO since the early 1970s when he and brother, Dan, often performed together on the radio station. His band, the Corndrinkers an old-time string band, has been playing in the Miami Valley since the 1970s. Duffee is the host of The Midnight Ramble on WYSO on Saturday nights from 9 to midnight.

Doyle Wright has been at WYSO for two years as a host of Down Home Bluegrass on Saturday nights and Rise When the Rooster Crows on Sunday mornings-WYSO’s longest-running locally produced program. Wright will perform with Miami Valley’s Most Wanted, which consists of four members of the Hamilton family from Springfield.

“WYSO has always been about celebrating local music and bringing people together for that reason,” says general manager Neenah Ellis. “Our bluegrass and old-time music tradition here is as strong as it gets and we’re holding these concerts to thank our very loyal listeners and to honor our talented WYSO music hosts.”

There is seating at each concert for just over 100 people. To reserve a seat, call 937-769-1387. Donations of any amount will be accepted at the door.

Caputo book advances in contest

Yellow Springs resident, Joanne Caputo, has advanced to Round 2 in the international Next Top Spiritual Author competition. As one of 271 authors (from 2800 entrants), Caputo will compete for votes throughout the month of June for one of 25 openings in Round 3 (there are four rounds in the competition). Voters may register or log-in to vote at www.nexttopauthor.com.

Equal parts historical investigation and paranormal tell-all, Margaret Garner: Diversity and Depth Of Love is the true story of Caputo, an indie filmmaker whose research goes awry when her subject, a slave mother guilty of killing her own child, appears to her in a meditation and refuses to stay silent.

Jazz at the Underdog

Photo by Susan Gartner

There was dancing inside and outside of the Emporium/Underdog Cafe Friday night when the 4 + 1 Jazz Quintet performed during the weekly wine tasting. The classic swing and jazz band featured (from left to right) Nathan Moore (guitar), John MacQueen (bass), Erik Greiffenhagen (clarinet), special guest violinist Chase Potter, and Chris Moore (cornet). Keyboardist Nick Moore is on the left, just out of camera range.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Heart-felt sympathies at Open Books


The power of the flower (felted and otherwise) is exhibited at Sam & Eddie's Open Books to honor the passing of Eddie Eckenrode. Susan Gartner (left), Nancy Mellon, and Corrine Bayraktaroglu (taking photo) converged on the steps of the bookstore Thursday afternoon to pay their respects amid the accumulating cards and floral acknowledgments from villagers.

Photos by Susan Gartner and Corrine Bayraktaroglu

Bridging the Gap

By Susan Gartner

Photo by Susan Gartner


Two years ago, the long-running Wednesday Night Duplicate Bridge group at the Senior Center decided to stave off their dwindling numbers by offering classes to teach new members how to play. The plan worked beautifully.


“Sometimes we have up to five tables, which is spectacular!” says long-time bridge enthusiast Shirl LeVesconte, who co-teaches the game with Susan Freeman on Monday nights from 6:30-8:30 p.m. As LeVesconte explains it, duplicate bridge at the Senior Center is completely different from what duplicate bridge means to most bridge players.


Duplicate bridge groups can get very competitive and can also be unfriendly,” she said, “but this is a very low-key, relaxed kind of duplicate bridge. You won’t find anything like this in Dayton.” When I spoke with her on Wednesday night during a break in the action, LeVesconte pointed out all the participants that evening who were recent “graduates” of the class. She especially wants people to know that Wednesday night bridge games include “gentle instruction” and “lots of laughing.”


Freeman is currently teaching a group of new players on Thursday nights. She would be happy to teach an additional group (at least four new persons) on Tuesday afternoons. On Wednesday nights, the action starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information about classes and dates, contact Freeman at 767-0235. All ages are welcome. You do not need a bridge partner to attend.


Thoughts upon the retirement of R. Bean

Rodney Bean is retiring today after 11 years as Executive Director of the Yellow Springs Senior Citizens. He and I are about the same age. We are technically not Baby Boomers, as we were born just before the end of WWII. We are, however, ex officio boomers, as we have lived virtually all our lives with them and have been subjected to the same cultural influences.

Presumably, the person who will be hired to replace Rodney, if that is at all possible, will be an official boomer. In just a short time, that person will be dealing with a very different kind of senior citizen and, most likely, a very different kind of board. It's a shame Rodney will be foregoing that experience.

As I turned 65, I sought the counsel of the very capable staff of the Home Assistance Program (HAP) at the Senior Center to choose the right Medicare option for me. As she assisted me, Social Worker Caroline Mullin noted that this year's crop of 65-year-olds was very different from the folks she had been used to dealing with.

"That's because we are really the first of the baby-boomers," I said.

That, along with Rodney's retirement, brings to mind a sea change that is about to sweep over the Senior Center. When and if the baby boomers start to come into fold, there is likely to be a clash of ideals. I remember my aging father lamenting the way my generation does things, as opposed to his "greatest generation," as politicians my age, such as Bill Clinton, rose to power. Imagine the Senior Citizens board room as the rock generation starts to roll in. Trying times may lay ahead.

Rodney did a great job of guiding the Senior Citizens as they rose from a social organization to a socially responsible organization, all the while navigating the hazardous waters of a board and membership with strong and diverse opinions on how things should be done. Watch out! Those waters are likely to get even choppier.

We are fortunate to have the Senior Center. With an aging population in Yellow Springs, it fills a need in providing an array of senior services you would not expect to find in a small town. We are lucky to have had Rodney to bring the organization to the point where it could do that in an increasingly complex environment, financial and otherwise. He has kept the organization relevant.

The Senior Citizens are going to miss Rodney Bean's leadership. Good luck to his successor!

Dancers rehearse in the stacks



Yesterday morning, dancers rehearsed for last night's 6:30 p.m. dance concert which was performed inside and outside the YS Library. Stay tuned to this Blog for a video short of the full concert by Susan Gartner.

Rodney Bean Retirement Reception, Today

A Farewell Reception, honoring Rodney Bean as resigning Director of The Yellow Springs Senior Center, begins this Friday, May 28th at 2 p.m. in The Great Room. The public is invited and a guest book is available for messages to Rodney recognizing what an incredible community asset he has developed as Executive Director over the past 11 years.


Friday, May 28

Canceled:
Douglas Kirkpatrick book signing
Author of The S&X Traction Line
Time: 11a
Where: Open Books
(Open Books will be closed until Tuesday.)

Saturday, May 29


Yellow Springs Farmer's Market's
Time: 7a-noon
Where: Parking lot of King's Yard and the Corner Cone Dairy Bar & Grill parking lot

Urban Handmade Birthday Barbecue
Time: 11a-9p
Where: Urban Handmade
* Join Urban Handmade in celebrating 1 year in Yellow Springs! The Store will be offering regular and soy hot dogs, beverages and giveaways every hour.

Benefit for JJ Yates: Local and Regional musicians
Headliner Michael Kelsey
Time: Starts at 5p
Where: Peach's Grill
Recommended $5 at door from 5-9p after 9p $5 cover


Sunday, May 30
Wildflower Hike
Time: 1p
Where: Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Departs from the Trailside Museum

Mills Lawn Fundraiser Car Wash & Bake Sale
Time: 1-4p
Where: Dollar General Parking lot


Live Music all Weekend

The Emporium
Friday - 6:30p
Wine Tasting and
performance by
4+1(+1) Jazz Quintet

Peach's
Friday - 10p
Michael Kelsey

Saturday - Starts at 5p
Benefit show for JJ Yates
Local and regional musicians
Headliner: Michael Kelsey

Brother Bear
Friday - 7 - 9:30p
Open Mic

Corner Cone Dairy Bar & Grill
Friday - 6-8p
Zane Pergram
Monday - 2-4p
Dustin Vincent

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Little Art out front in movie theater poll

The Active Dayton Website is conducting a poll on the best movie theaters in the Dayton Area. Currently, our own Little Art Theatre is way out in front with 46% of the vote.

You may cast your vote and/or view the results here.

Update - New life in YS for Wright State Physicians?




According Morgan Family Foundation (MFF) Executive Director Lori Kuhn, MFF has approved a grant of $50,000 for construction of a Wright State Family Health Center in Yellow Springs. "Since plans for the building and fundraising for the project are still being developed, the grant will not be paid until the foundation receives evidence of other funding and/or financing in hand sufficient to break ground," Kuhn wrote in an email today. "Plans are for the Greene County Community Foundation to serve as fiscal host for the construction project."


According to Rounds, a Web-based newsletter for the faculty and staff of the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, plans are in the works to rebuild the Wright State Physicians facility in Yellow Springs that was torn down last year.

"The new building will be a modern, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly 11,500-square-foot facility designed in every detail to meet the needs of patients and their families, and to support the clinical and educational mission of the practice and the medical school,” the Website reported last fall.

Rounds: Yellow Springs Family Health Center to relocate, rebuild, return

Eddie Eckenrode - May 25, 2010

Sign on the door of Sam & Eddie's Open Books:

Welcome Friends and Well-Wishers.
To honor the passing of our dear Eddie, we will be closed through the Memorial Day weekend. With the blessing of Eddie's spirit, we will reopen on June 1st. Acknowledgements may be left here, on and around the steps of the book shop. Please join us as we celebrate Eddie's life in the Glen Helen Building on Sunday, May 30, at 2:00 in the afternoon.

Visit www.CaringBridge.org/visit/eddieeckenrode

Librarian humor

Spotted at YS Library

Photo by Susan Gartner

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Greene County Career Center Graduation



Retiring YSHS Principal John Gudgel and School Board Member Angela Wright represented the Yellow Springs Schools at the Greene County Career Center Senior Recognition Ceremony at the Nutter Center last night. The students wore their graduation gowns from their home schools making for a colorful display. Yellow Springs graduates in the group were Kalson Cheow and Chris Dorn. YSHS Graduation is June 3.

JJ Yates Benefit at Peach's Saturday night

Friends of JJ Yates, musician and former resident of Yellow Springs who was severely injured in a brutal attack last month, have organized a benefit for him at Peach’s this Fridat, May 28. Michael Kelsey, Nerak Roth Patterson, Rob Heiliger and others will perform starting at 9 p.m.

Dayton Daily News: Benefit at Peach's Saturday for local drummer who survived beating

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Backyard Flock: Experimenting with grass

I wrote in an earlier post about feeding grass clippings from the lawnmower to my chickens. In the article, I expressed my pleasure at having solved two problems with one process. I could provide my chickens with grass without letting them out of the chicken run and I had found a convenient way of disposing of the clippings. Since then, there have been two new developments; one positive and one on which the jury is still out, but is likely to temper my elation once the verdict is in.

One fine Saturday morning a couple weeks ago, I was faced with a choice; the lawn needed mowing and the coops needed cleaning. Which to do first? I was planning on giving the clippings to the chickens, so it seemed reasonable to clean the coops first. Then it hit me. Why not use grass for litter in the coops instead of straw?

As it turned out, the chickens love it and it has made the coops easier to clean. As a bonus, the grass has provided soft bedding for the nesting boxes.

Now for the down side: In my enthusiasm for disposing of the grass clippings by depositing them in Chickenland, it seems that I was dumping too much of the stuff. The practice seemed harmless enough for the first two weeks until it started to rain and rain and rain. After a week of rain, Chickenland had become a sucking mud hole that didn’t want to dry up as did the land around it. It seems the grass soaked up and retained the water like a sponge. I have taken to letting the chickens out in the evenings, the very thing I was trying to avoid, in order to give them some relief from the mud hole the chicken run has become. After three days of baking sun, the place is still like something you might find in the bayous of Louisiana. The lesson learned here is restraint. A little grass goes a long way.

The Groundhog Report: Two days ago, Allen Street Al moved back into his old digs next to the foundation under our back deck. He is having his way with the chicken feed and the vegetation in our backyard. To make matters worse, there is a mother with two babies living close by. She brings them into our yard at will. I keep hearing pleas of “Do something!” from Amy. Today, I stopped by Lowes and picked up an electronic gadget that supposedly drives ground boring rodents away for a radius of 95 feet. It’s called a “Mole & Gopher Sonic Spike.” It is solar powered. I have just finished installing it and am waiting with baited breath. Unfortunately, it is supposed to take from one to two weeks to work. Stay tuned…

Photo: Al with one of the chickens in a very muddy chicken run.

Fluoridated Drinking Water - Poll Closed

The results are in. Blog readers voted 2 to 1 in favor of adding fluoride to our drinking water in Yellow Springs. Admittedly unscientific, participation was high for a Blog poll (the record is 103 votes) with 90 total votes, 60 YES and 30 NO.

Senior planning workshop tomorrow

"Everybody Needs a Plan" workshop--will cover Power of Attorney, Living Wills, Do Not Resuscitate Orders and similar dying well issues. All ages invited. Begins 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 26 in the Senior Center Great Room. Legal form packets are available for $5. Call 767-5751 to reserve a packet.

Raffle to raise roof

The Antioch School is holding a raffle to raise money for a new roof, which is really needed. The tickets are $10 each. Only 1000 tickets will be sold. The winner gets four round trip tickets to anywhere Delta flies in the continental U.S. It's a good cause and a great prize.

Contact MJ Richlen at The Antioch School, 767-7642, or ask any Antioch School family.

The winner will be drawn after the Street Fair.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Bench to Nowhere: Dog Park idea all wet

A Cool Town Toon

2010 Street Fair Tee Shirts


2010 Street Fair T-shirts can now be purchased online at the chambers website, www.destinationyellowsprings.com.

E(asy) Reading


It's close to midnight. Your bags are finally packed. In the morning you will be catching an early plane. You peruse the list of things to bring, one more time. One item has not been checked off: "a good book." You search the coffee table, the bookshelf, the night stand. Nothing you have found will do. You could spend ten bucks for a paperback at the airport, but the pickings might be slim. So you go online to the Greene County Public Library site and download a book to your ebook reader. Aren't you glad the library is open 24/7?

Actually, the above scenario is a bit of a stretch. If you had an ebook reader, you probably wouldn't bother to search the house for a book. You would search the index of your reader, where you would already have dozens of books stored. But it is reassuring to know you can check books out of the library for free any time, night or day. And if you forget to do it before you leave the house, you can do it while you are waiting for your plane.

Last week, I was at a board meeting of the Yellow Springs Library Association. Fellow board member Mary Fisher had brought her new Nook to show off. Soon, Librarian Connie Collett broke out her Kindle and the two started comparing features. Nook is the Barnes and Nobles ebook reader; Kindle is the Amazon brand. Once again, my interest was kindled and I started asking questions about the ebook area of the GCPL website. The thing that fascinated me is how they can electronically enforce the checkout period of two weeks.

"You mean after two weeks the book just disappears?" I asked.

And that's the way it works. If you haven't finished reading your book and it fizzles into the ether, you simply go online and check it out again.

Awhile ago, I had downloaded the free version of Kindle that Amazon provides for home computers. I purchased a book, downloaded it and read it. I liked the experience. For one thing, I seemed to be reading faster. I am normally a slow reader. Of course, juggling a laptop on the couch was no better that juggling a hardbound copy of Moby Dick or War and Peace; probably worse. But it was a positive enough experience that I decided to pursue it further.

I was curious to see if there were any free ebooks available. After Googling around a bit, I found the website for Project Gutenberg an organization that has been publishing free ebooks since the 1970s. Their collection numbers over 30,000 titles that are in the public domain with links to over 100,000 more; all of them classics. Other sites where you can download free books can be found at websites such as 10 Places To Get Free eBooks.

The day after our conversation at the Library Association, I was in Best Buy looking for a cable for my computer. I noticed a man being helped by a salesperson at a display of Sony Readers. I eavesdropped for awhile, then went off to find my cable. On my way back to the exit, I stopped by the display to get a closer look. I was soon engaged by a salesperson who informed me that the reasonable price I was looking at was due to a special sale. After asking a couple dozen questions, I was hooked.

As soon as I got my Sony Reader Touch Edition home, I charged it up and loaded it up with the 40 books I had previously downloaded from the Gutenberg site and tried it out. I was pleased with the results, so my next stop was the library site to check out a book.

The first time you borrow an ebook from the GCPL site the procedure is a bit complicated, because it involves some initial setup. I had been warned about this at the Library Association. But I navigated my way through the process and checked out a mystery for some light reading as a test run. I finished reading it over the rest of the day while taking care of my other business, as well. I did mention that I am normally a slow reader, did I not? The next day, I went back on and checked out a second book. This time it was a lot easier.

This is the wave of the future. I have even heard a report about one school that issued readers to all it's students and then shut down the school library. I wish they had come along with these sooner, like when I was in college. It holds more books than I have owned in my entire lifetime and has slots for flash memory in case 350 books is not enough for you. It also has a built-in mp3 player, so you can listen to music while you read! And it has a lot of other cool features, such as highlighting, the ability to make hand-written notes on the page and a built in dictionary.

But the key for me is that handling the Reader is much easier than holding a book and dealing with turning pages. It seems like I can never find a comfortable position when I am reading a book for a long time. After awhile my hand starts to cramp from holding the book open. This is not a problem with an ebook reader. Now that I have dealt with that subconscious deterrent, I have a feeling I will be reading a lot more.

Related post: Free ebooks and readers



Put On a Happy Face


Does it surprise you that Yellow Springs doesn’t have an Optimist Club? There are 80 of them in Ohio, even Iraq has one. Maybe we should think about getting something started in the Village. Let’s see what we can put on the agenda – climate change, the oil disaster in the Gulf, a couple of wars, the housing crisis, unemployment, failing European economies, fluoride in the water, the stock market, Congress. Hmm, being an optimist might be more difficult than I thought.

Actually, I’m a die-hard pessimist and until just recently, didn’t understand how anyone could claim an optimistic outlook given the nightly news report. Much to my surprise, I’m starting to change my point of view. I still can’t be optimistic about world affairs or the nation or the state. I’m not even optimistic about next year but I am starting to be a little more positive about the day to day things.

Even with all the rain we’ve had recently, I’m fairly confident there will be another spectacular sunrise. I’m sure I’ll see another comet and a Scarlet Tangier and a wildflower that I’ve never seen before. I’ll probably see a Red Fox crossing the backyard, a field of sunflowers, maybe a new butterfly will visit our flower garden this summer and I know there is some great rhubarb pie coming soon.

Attitude is about perspective and maybe a little about age. At the macro level, I’m still convinced “the end is near!” At the micro level, things look a little more promising. So now I’m a “micro-optimist.” Should we form a club?

A. Reader

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Alumni Baseball tomorrow at Gaunt Park

The YSHS Alumni Baseball Game & Potluck has been rescheduled to Monday, May 24 at Gaunt Park . Attendees are to bring a dish to share. Dinner starts at 5 with the game following. All former YSHS baseball players are invited to attend and play.

Human form featured in art reception



Despite the dreary skies and occasional downpour, the Friday night opening reception of "Art of the Human Form: Works in Progress" was a lively and colorful affair. Pictured above, local artist Phyllis Logan was one of 10 artists whose work was exhibited in the show. The exhibit showcases 2-D and 3-D works created during weekly live model drawing sessions in the Yellow Springs Arts Council ArtSpace, located upstairs at 108 Dayton Street. Extended gallery hours are 1-4 p.m. Saturdays, May 29, June 5 and June 12. For more information about the drawing sessions or the exhibit, contact Beth Holyoke at bethsh@att.net.

Photos by Susan Gartner

Ya ya ya, mon

Photo by Susan Gartner

Reggae band Soul Rebels played in front of Village Cyclery on Saturday night.

Save the Date - June 25

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


Related post: Clooney coming to YS

Last day to take fluoridation poll!

There are only one day left in the current sidebar poll. Have you weighed the risks against the benefits? Should we continue to add fluoride to our tap water? This is a simple YES or NO poll.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Folk music served at Friday Fling

By Susan Gartner



Friday night, the First Presbyterian Church hosted another successful Friday Fling Soup Supper in conjunction with Third Friday Fling. Homemade soups, salad, rolls, drinks and desserts were available for $7 per person, free for kids under 5. Proceeds will benefit building repairs. The band, Wheels, also performed. This YSHS group consists of Rory Papania (guitar), Sam Salazar (mandolin), and Jamie Scott (harmonica). Nice job, guys!

Video and photos by Susan Gartner

Chair massage at Bro Bear

Photo by Susan Gartner

"Relax, revive and renew" with Lori Boyer's chair massage. The Yellow Springs licensed massage therapist will be at Brother Bear's Cafe today and next Saturday (May 22 and 29) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and next Friday (May 28) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In June, she'll be at Brother Bear's on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chair massages are $1/minute. For more information, contact Lori at (443) 889-6619 or lori6818@yahoo.com.

Call for Proposals for Nonstop Artists Residency Program

Nonstop Institute of Yellow Springs announces
A CALL FOR PROPOSALS
for its second Artists Residency program
LOCAL STORIES—AN ORAL HISTORIES PROJECT
Application deadline: June 8, 2010

Nonstop Institute seeks proposals for its upcoming residency program Local Stories—An Oral Histories Project. The selected projects will incorporate an oral history (or histories) grounded in the lived experience of Yellow Springs and neighboring locales and can be expressed in a range of art disciplines and presentation formats. The proposals can be focused through subjects including but not limited to a person, a neighborhood, a period of history, or any of a community's shared natural, cultural and civic resources. Application deadline is June 8, 2010.

The final installations can be 2-d or 3-d work, media-based, text-based, performative, interactive or combinations of these ways of engaging subject matter and audiences. The four selected residency artists (can also include documentarians, writers, cultural geographers, others involved with oral histories) will have access to workspace at Nonstop for 7 weeks starting June 14. Opportunities for dialogue among residency artists and producers is an important component of this on-site residency project. The final projects will be installed and exhibited in Nonstop's spaces in early August, using either a section of Nonstop's 2000 sq ft exhibition space or its virtual website space. Components of the projects can also occur as a performance or screening in Nonstop's main space.

Local Stories—An Oral Histories Project invites applications by artists and documentarians working the southwestern Ohio region and will consider proposals by producers at any stage of their careers. Project jurying will be based on both the specific proposal for Local Stories—An Oral Histories Project and examples of past work. Four proposals will be selected, and at least two of the four will be current residents of Yellow Springs. Each artist selected will receive up to $150 for supplies. Further information and application forms will be available starting May 13 at the Nonstop website at nonstopinstitute.org. This project is made possible in part by the generous support of the Yellow Springs Community Foundation. If questions, please call , or inquiries@nonstopinstitute.org.

For further information please contact Chris Hill: chris.hill@nonstopinstitute.org or 937-767-2327.

National Affordable Housing Policy Leader to Visit Yellow Springs

John Emmeus Davis will lead a public forum addressing affordable housing, the Village of Yellow Springs, and the Community Land Trust model.

The Village of Yellow Springs and affordable housing nonprofit Yellow Springs Home, Inc. teamed up to bring John Emmeus Davis, a national expert in affordable housing policy, to Yellow Springs. On Sunday, June 6 Davis will lead a public forum at 7:00 p.m. to discuss affordable housing in the Village and Miami Township and the Community Land Trust (CLT) model. The forum will be held in the Glen Helen Ecology Institute Building, located at 405 Corry Street in Yellow Springs. This event is free and open to the public.

Davis is a partner and co-founder of Burlington Associates in Community Development, LLC, a national consulting cooperative specializing in the development of organizations, policies, and plans promoting permanently affordable, owner-occupied housing. He also taught courses in neighborhood planning and housing and community development at MIT and Tufts University. His latest book, The Community Land Trust Reader, came out on May 17 and features the writings of Arthur E. Morgan – Antioch College President, engineer, and social planner. The book also discusses the connections between the Village of Yellow Springs and the roots of the Community Land Trust movement.

According to Davis, “The planned communities created by Arthur Morgan in the 1930s helped inspire the modern-day CLT.” Yellow Springs Home, Inc. is a nonprofit whose mission is to strengthen community and diversity in Yellow Springs and Miami Township by providing permanently affordable and sustainable housing through the Community Land Trust model. Please contact Program Manager Emily Seibel for more information by email at emily@yshome.org or by phone at 937-767-2790.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Dragon Tree owner released on bail




Yellow
Springs resident and business owner Elizabeth Stardancer is facing 1-5 years on an accusation of theft of $25,000 from an elderly Enon man. According to a story in today's Xenia Gazette, police were alerted by the man's son, who lives in Yellow Springs, that the man's bank account had been declining at an inexplicably rapid rate over the past few months. Stardancer was released from the Greene County Jail in lieu of $7,500 bond, the story said.

Xenia Gazette
: Business owner accused of stealing from elderly man

Chappelle to close on Kings Yard building

According to a reader: In a letter distributed to the Antioch Press building tenants, Dave Chappelle wrote that he will close on on the purchase of the Kings Yard building on June 7. He said he will have various inspectors coming through in the next month.

Antioch gets mention as a top non-traditional college




Antioch College got an "honorable mention" in this slide-show list of top non-traditional colleges.

Huffington Post: The top non-traditional colleges

Tonight at FIRPYS


May 21: Third Friday Fling
Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment

Friday Fling Soup Supper & Music from Wheels
Time: 5-7, music 6:30-7:30
Where: 1st Presbyterian Church

Works in Progress: Artwork of the Human Form
Time: 6-9
Where: Arts Council ArtSpace, 108 Dayton St.

Opening: Chromogenic Color Prints by Simeon Kresge-Okia
Time: 6-9
Where: "would you, could you" In A Frame

Playing at the Little Art Theatre: The Runaways
Time: Friday and Saturday, 7:00 & 9:10p
Where: Little Art Theatre

Home Brew Demo and Tasting
Time:7:30-9:30p
Where: Main Squeeze

Bike the Springs

Yellow Springs Grand Prix Criterium
This Event has been canceled

Tour the Township Road Race
Time: Saturday, 10a-1p
Where: Begins at the Miami Twp. Fire & Rescue

May 22

Yoga for Gardeners
Time: 3-5:30p
Where: Yoga Springs Studio

Yellow Springs Farmers Markets
Time: 7a-noon
Where: King's Yard Parking lot and Corner Cone Parking lot

May 23

YSKP's Handbook release and benefit dinner
Time: Seating's at 5 & 7p
Where: The Wind's Cafe

Wildflower Hike
Time:1p
Where: Trailside Museum

Reception for John Gudgel
Time: 2-4p
Where: Glen Helen Bldg.

Live Music All Weekend!

Peach's Grill
Friday - Big Gil and his Funky Allstars, 10p
Saturday - Boogie Matrix Mechanism, 10p

The Emporium
Friday - Wine Tasting & Live Music from The UnderCover with Blue Moon Soup, 7p

Brother Bear
Friday - Open Mic, 7-9:30p
- Photography by Johnny No

Corner Cone Dairy Bar & Grill
Friday -Live Music, 6-8p

Ye Olde Train Tavern
Friday -DJ Clean Gene, 5-9p

Thursday, May 20, 2010

FRIDAY BIKE RACE CANCELLED; SATURDAY BIKE RACE STILL ON

The Yellow Springs Grand Prix Criterium that was scheduled for Friday night May 21 has been cancelled due to scheduling difficulties. We apologize to those who had planned to attend. Friday night is a 3rd Friday Fling so Yellow Springs will still be hopping with live music, dancing, wine tasting, gallery openings, great shopping and delicious food. Please join us from 6-9 for all of the festivities.

For bike race enthusiasts, the Tour the Township race will be happening as scheduled on Saturday, May 22 with racers leaving Yellow Springs at 10 am from the Miami Township Offices on Corry St. The course is 4-10 mile loops through the countryside and into Clifton . One of the best places to watch the race is at the bottom of Devil’s Backbone at the intersection of Bryan Park & Grinnell Roads. For more information, call 937.767.2686.

Fairy sighting on Dayton Street





In addition to being Flower Power Friday (every Friday 9 a.m. to noon at Brother Bear's Cafe), last Friday was also "Fairy Friday" as designated by Lily (in black fairy dress) and Gabriella Kibblewhite (pink fairy dress) and Olivia Hasek (pink and purple fairy dress). Dayton Street Flower Power Project co-originator Nancy Mellon got lots of fairy assistance as she attached flowers to the railings in front of the cafe and next door at Village Herb Shoppe while Flower Power Sew-In participants created more flowers inside. Join us again this Friday for more felt fun. Go to jafagirls.wordpress.com for more info and photos.

Photos by Susan Gartner

Bench to Nowhere: Biking looking especially good

A Cool Town Toon




Make my day

It has been a few years since I dressed up like a cowboy and strapped on my six shooter. Those were the days when it was easy to tell who the good guys were – The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Wild Bill Hitchcock, and Wyatt Earp. Things were much simpler back then. All you had to do was convince your mom that every other kid in the neighborhood already had a cowboy outfit and you really, really, really had to have one too.

Actually, it’s probably easier to get your cowboy (or girl) outfit today. You sign a form saying you have no mental health problems, other than the need to carry a gun, take 10 hours of classroom training and spend 2 hours with an instructor on the shooting range. You can do the whole thing over a weekend, and, presto, you’re legally ready to dress like a cowboy while visiting your local coffee shop.

We owe this freedom to the second amendment - the one about the Right to Bear Arms. It goes like this, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” I don’t get what’s “well regulated” about a random collection of folks walking around with weapons, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Last weekend the National Rifle Association held their annual convention and out of that comes a new political action group called “Trigger the Vote.” Maybe I need to start looking for a new cowboy outfit.

A. Reader

S & X at the Library

Click on image to enlarge.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Local business woman arrested for theft from the elderly




Channel 7 is reporting tonight that Elizabeth Stardancer, owner of Dragon Tree on the corner of Corry Street and Xenia Avenue, was arrested today for exploiting an 82-year-old Yellow Springs man for $76,000. The arrest followed a long YSPD investigation sparked by the man's family.

WHIO-TV: Elderly Man Robbed Of Life's Savings

Free mosaic workshop this Saturday



Join local artists and tile bench sculptors Beth Holyoke (above left) and Kaethi Seidl (in background) for their final workshop at Rosewood Arts Centre in Kettering this Saturday, May 22, from 1-3 p.m.

Photos are from last evening's workshop. Handmade tiles have been created in the previous four workshops and now need to be fitted and "mosaic-ed" into sections as part of a permanent sculpture to be installed this summer in Kennedy Park, Kettering.
The session is free and open to the public. All ages welcome.

Be a part of a permanent work of art!

Where: Rosewood Arts Centre, 2655 Olson Drive, Kettering 45420

When: Saturday, May 22, 1-3 p.m.

Contact: Rosewood Arts Centre (937) 296-0294 or
Connie Campbell: connie.campbell@ketteringoh.org
Beth Holyoke: bethsh@att.net
Kaethi Seidl: seidl@yellowsprings.com

Photos by Susan Gartner