A Yellow Springs Blog

Destination Yellow Springs

2012-02-03T13:13:00.002-05:00

February 3 Weekend & Beyond

Enjoy this Weekend and the unseasonably warm weather
In the Springs

Shopping, Dining, Exploring

Nearly 100 shops, galleries & restaurants within 2 miles;
over 65 right in our wonderful, walk-able downtown.

Glen Helen with miles of lovely trails & the Yellow Spring.

The Little Miami Scenic Trail for safe & scenic bike rides.

Arts & Culture

Chamber Music Yellow Springs 314 Xenia Ave.
Minneapolis Guitar Quartet; Sun, Feb. 5, 7:30p

Antioch College Drawing Workshop YSKP Space
Artist-in-Residence Patricia Coles; Sun, Feb. 5, 2-5p

Antioch College Herndon Gallery One Morgan Place
"Nikki McClure: Cutting Her Own Path" Tu-Sa, 1-4p through 2/15

Glen Helen Atrium Gallery 405 Corry St.
Members Exhibit - January 27 through February 28
Mo-Fr 9:30a-4:30p, Sa-Su 10a-4p

Glen House Art 1221 Glen Rd.
Paintings of Patricia Cole 1/29-2/19; Gallery Hours Su 2-4p

Springs Gallery in Kings Yard
"Flora & Fauna - Works of James & Christine Klinger" thru 2/16
Open Friday - Sunday 12-7p

Village Artisans 100 Corry St.
"Mysteries of the Heart" exhibit in lobby through Feb. 24

Nature & Recreation

Glen Helen Nature Preserve 405 Corry St.
Winter Photography Hike, Sat. Feb. 4, 10a, Trailside Museum
Public Reptile Feeding, Sat. Feb. 4, 11a-12p, Trailside Museum

Entertainment

Peach's Grill
104 Xenia Ave.
Food, Drink & Fun
Open Daily, 11:30-2:30a
Music Starts at 10 ($5 Cover)
Friday, Black Owls
Saturday, Soul Rebels
___________________

Emporium Wines
233 Xenia Ave.
Wine Tasting/Live Music
Every Friday at 6:30p
Feb. 3- The Odyssey (Jazz)
___________________

Little Art Theatre
247 Xenia Ave.
The Artist
Held over.
Call of the Scenic River: An Ohio Journey
Sun, Feb. 5, 1p
$6 tickets

AFS Plea for Host Families

2012-02-03T12:13:00.001-05:00

HOST AN AFS FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT (AGE 15-18) NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

HOMES ESPECIALLY NEEDED FOR FAIRBORN AND YELLOW SPRINGS AREAS BUT OTHER DAYTON DISTRICTS TOO.

The Dayton Area AFS Council is looking for local families interested in sharing their home and American values and culture with a foreign exchange student. The 15 to 18-year old international students are carefully screened, fully insured and have studied English usually 4 to 8 years. They come from over 55 countries, including, Austria, Australia, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and many more.

They will arrive in August in time for the start of the school year and return to their homes at the end of the school year. Throughout their stay AFS volunteers from the Dayton area will plan special events, social gatherings, and orientations for the host family members and the AFS’er. Students are matched with hosts through in-home meetings with prospective families and AFS volunteers, and families may review student applications.

Our AFS students have been hosted by childless couples ,singles, “empty nesters,” and single parent families with great success and happiness in past years, so do not think that hosts are only the typical, nuclear families. Hosting an AFS’er of the opposite sex of your own child is encouraged if the family has the interest. Your child can have the “brother” or “sister” they never had! The important things are your “open heart” and desire to make a good home and hosting experience for a child who is coming to live for 10 months (August-June) in the U.S. experiencing American life and to share their own country’s language, history, and culture. The primary expense to the host is to provide food and to pay for the AFS’er when on outings with the family. The students have their own spending money.

Information about programs (and scholarships!) for American students to go study abroad with AFS is also available at the website: www.afs.org.

Usually 5-8 students from the Dayton area go abroad with AFS annually.
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For more information, contact Marla Gamble at 233-6190 (email: mjgceramic@aol.com) or see www.afs.org to do your research and to indicate your interest to be contacted about hosting.

Root cellars and recipes

2012-02-03T09:29:00.003-05:00

Saturday, Feb 11
Basement Methodist Church

Root cellars and Root Recipe Contest

This workshop and food event is sponsored by New Liberty Farms.

Please bring your favorite root vegetable dish (as interpreted by you!). Amy Magnus, local foodie and Village Gravy blogger will judge entries. Winner of this root vegetable cook-off wins a New Liberty Farms gift certificate.

While you're here, learn about root cellars; traditonal and innovative ways to store winter root vegetables, whether you live on 100 acres or in an apartment.

Event is free but you must reigster by calling Beth at 768 7240.

Wherefore art thou, Allen Street Al?

2012-02-02T08:49:00.006-05:00

No groundhog news to report from the South End this year. Allen Street Al hasn't been seen since we got the dog. But judging from the weather, Al has probably seen his shadow somewhere in one of our neighbor's backyards. Too bad - six more weeks of winter...

Food for fines

2012-02-02T08:39:00.001-05:00

Bring canned goods to Yellow Springs Library between February 19-25 and have one dollar of fines forgiven per can.

Canned goods cannot contribute toward fees incurred from lost or damaged items.

Saturday night at Clifton Opera House

2012-02-01T08:02:00.004-05:00

Tim Gebard and Friends
Red Cross Fundraiser

On Saturday, February 4th, Tim Gebard will debut his new CD "Unbroken Hearts" at the Clifton Opera House. What makes this even more special is that it is a fund raiser for the American Red Cross. Tim's eclectic acoustic style includes folk-rock to country to blues. He will be joined by several friends on stage to make this evening even more special. Guitar genious Junior Smith is just one of many guest musicians. Tim is a local talent, growing up in Springfield.

Join us for this worthy cause. The show starts at 7:30pm, box office opens at 6:30pm. Door donation $10. The Clifton Opera House is located at 5 So Clay Street, Clifton. Call 937.767.2343 for more information.

Rocky & Pee Wee: Laisez les bon temps rouler!

2012-01-31T09:01:00.003-05:00

3rd Weekend to have Mardi Gras atmosphere

2012-01-31T08:53:00.000-05:00

Featuring the Cajun Invasion Pub Crawl

Mardi Gras starts early in Yellow Springs with the Cajun Invasion Pub Crawl Friday evening February 17. An event celebrating food and drink, participating restaurants and pubs will offer special drinks or appetizers for the occasion.

Start your evening with dinner at one of these restaurants, Peach’s Grill, The Sunrise Café, The Winds Café, Ye Olde Trail Tavern or Chen’s Asian Bistro. Then stroll around town to sample the unique culture Yellow Springs has to offer.

Stop by Ye Olde Trail Tavern, where you can enjoy a brew, listen to DJ Clean Gene spinning tunes and purchase the limited edition Cajun Invasion Pub Crawl t-shirt screened live by Basho Apparel. Then it’s on to Emporium Wines for wine tasting and live music from Gary Arnold and Stone Cold Soup. You definitely won’t want to miss the drink specials at the quintessential Dayton Street Gulch. End the evening at Sunrise Café’s Martini and Tapas Lounge starting at 9:30 or listening to the music of Ape the Ghost at Peach’s Grill starting at 10.

Participants can enter to win gift certificates from participating businesses; winners will be selected at random Monday, February 20th. Pick up an entry form and map that will lead you on your tour of Yellow Spring’s watering holes at any participating location. So bring your friends to this first ever Cajun Invasion Pub Crawl in the Springs!

WYSO wins leadership spot

2012-01-31T08:45:00.003-05:00

AIR Names WYSO to Lead Public Media Transformation
Ten teams from coast to coast join forces

After a stiff national competition this fall, the Association of Independents in Radio, Inc. (AIR) today announced 91.3 WYSO as one of ten public radio and television stations tapped for Localore, a producer-led transmedia project challenging public broadcasters to invent new forms of reporting that expand service to a wider public.

Yellow Springs filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar, were chosen as the “Localore” producing team that will spend ten months at WYSO launching and leading “Re-Invention,” a participatory documentary examining how residents of the Miami Valley are reinventing themselves in a new and unstable economy. Producers will ask residents: “Who was I before the bottom fell out? What happened that changed my life? Who am I becoming, or trying to become now?”

“This project will strengthen our creative capacity and our ability to fulfill our service to the community by telling the stories of the Miami Valley,” says Neenah Ellis, WYSO General Manager, “And at the same time, Localore as a whole will demonstrate to others around the nation that local stations can step up to create more vital and expanded services around the country. “

In a unique approach to documentary-making, Reichert and Bognar will collaborate with WYSO and the Miami Valley residents who will be telling their stories. The final result will include film, radio and on-line documentaries.

Reichert and Bognar produced the Emmy Award- winning “A Lion In The House “and the Oscar-nominated “The Last Truck.” Reichert is Professor of Motion Pictures at Wright State University and a three time Oscar nominee, Bognar has premiered four films at the Sundance Film Festival. The couple reside and work in Yellow Springs.

WYSO is among those “incubating” a Localore collaborative team whose members come from inside and outside public media and include independent and station based producers, distinguished documentary filmmakers, gamers, data journalists, and front-edge developers. The project will launch in April.

Localore is a $2 million initiative produced by Boston-based AIR. More than $1 million in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will support the local collaboration teams. The goal of the project is to bring new ingenuity to journalism projects blending digital and broadcast technology and that “go outside” public media’s core platforms and audiences.

With guidance from a distinguished Selection Committee, AIR chose from proposals submitted to an open call this autumn, including 61 profiles posted by a diverse range of stations to the unprecedented Station Runway. (See WYSO’s multimedia profile here.] Localore’s site has already sparked broad interest, drawing in more than 7,200 unique visitors over the course of the competition.

Other selected stations include KALW-FM, San Francisco, California; KCRW-FM, Los Angeles, California; KQED Radio and Television, San Francisco, California; KUT-FM, Austin, Texas; KVNF-FM, Paonia, Colorado; Prairie Public Broadcasting, Fargo, North Dakota; Twin Cities Public Television, Minneapolis, Minnesota; WBEZ-FM, Chicago, Illinois and WGBH Radio and Television, Boston Massachusetts. See the following page for project details.

“We are so excited and honored to be working with WYSO, the best and most forward-thinking public radio station in the country,” said Reichert and Bognar.

“We expect great things from this collaboration, and will be working with WYSO, Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar to amplify the project’s impact as it rolls out,” said Sue Schardt, AIR’s Executive Director.

Over the past five years, AIR has emerged as a force for identifying, cultivating, and deploying talent to the benefit of the public media network. Founded in 1988, AIR is a vibrant, tightly networked association of more than 800 producers, journalists, technicians, media entrepreneurs, and sound artists. AIR’s membership now spans 46 states and 14 countries worldwide including leading stations, 501c3’s, and public media networks – APM, BBC, NPR, and PRI. In addition to CPB, financial support for Localore comes from the MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

WYSO 91.3 FM is licensed to Antioch University with studios in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Its broad range of programming, including NPR News, is distributed across multiple platforms: FM, HD, internet streaming and on mobile devices as well.

Learn more about Localore: http://airmediaworks.org/localore

Localore 2012 Producer-Station Teams

Julia Reichert & Steven Bognar/ WYSO, Yellow Springs, OH: Veteran documentary filmmakers and Yellow Springs residents Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar will produce a participatory documentary calleed “Re-Invention,” examining how residents of the Miami Valley are reinventing themselves in a new and unstable economy. Producers will ask residents: “Who was I before the bottom fell out? What happened that changed my life? Who am I becoming, or trying to become now?”

Jennifer Brandel / WBEZ, Chicago, IL: Curious City: Let’s Get Answers will prompt audience members to pose, rank, and help to answer relevant questions about community and news topics through online and mobile tools. Designed to democratize editorial research and story selection, the project will make the reporting process transparent at every step, and surface key issues for further exploration.

Anayansi Diaz-Cortes / KCRW, Los Angeles, CA: How do immigrants’ ideas of self and place shift in an era of always-on communication? Multiplatform documentary Sonic Trace will explore the relationship of Latin American immigrants to their home communities. Diaz-Cortes will gather stories from both sides of the border, with a focus on three evocative places (“Tres Puntos”) in LA: a church in South Central, Koreatown kitchens where Oaxacan cooks are rising in popularity, and a mobile recording booth in local food trucks.

Julia Drapkin / KVNF, Paonia, CO: iSeeChange is a crowdsourced reporting project that will draw from participants’ everyday observations about shifts in the weather. Inspired by successful “citizen science” projects, Drapkin will elicit photos, quotes and art submitted by local ranchers, coal miners, and others vitally affected by environmental shifts—showcasing debates about climate through a mobile documentary unit, weekly broadcasts, and multimedia explorations of each season.

Ken Eklund / Twin Cites Public Television, Minneapolis, MN: What should today’s high school seniors know before they head out on their own? This question will drive Get Real Ed, a participatory alternate reality game that asks users to provide real-world solutions for the nation’s pressing dropout crisis. The game will revolve around five fictional “OpOuts” led by the strong-willed Edwina, whose interactions with participants will both shape the game’s trajectory and prompt lively dialogue about the state of U.S. education.

Delaney Hall / KUT, Austin, Texas: Beyond Austin’s much-documented music scene lie the “third places” where musicians regularly meet, perform, and commune: front porches, backyards, garages, sidewalks, and churches. Austin Music Map (AMM) is a collaborative documentary and performance series exploring Austin’s diverse sonic subcultures, and offering users a digital map to discover and learn more about such spots. The project will culminate with a celebratory music festival.

Todd Melby / Prairie Public Broadcasting, Fargo, ND: Through embedded reporting from the oil patches and “mancamps” of North Dakota, Black Gold Boom will catalyze discussion about the local and national impacts of the region’s rush to drill. An interactive site featuring multimedia portraits of workers who have streamed to the state and the families they left behind will accompany a related photo exhibit mounted in local businesses. Data-driven reporting and mapping of active oil wells will provide deeper context for individuals’ stories.

Erica Mu / KALW, San Francisco, CA: A roving crowdsourced storytelling project based in the Bay area and Oakland, Pop-Up Radio aims to build connections between these disparate communities through a series of playful events and broadcasts. Mu will gather stories in 2-month cycles around six themes—via a mobile recording booth, online, and in concert with community partners such as schools, youth media programs, libraries and barbershops.

Nikki Silva (Kitchen Sisters) / KQED Radio and Television, San Francisco, CA: Northern California is America's ground zero for innovation. Two of public media's most influential native institutions join forces to bring together a young, diverse collaborative team from inside and outside public media to bridge dynamic communities of invention in new ways. They'll tap the worlds of interactive media, Berkeley School of Information, transmedia documentarians, and young ethnic producers to create THE MAKING OF... an exciting, year-long initiative reflecting the universality of craft across culture, ethnicity, and socioeconomic divides.

Val Wang / WGBH, Boston, MA: Planet Takeout highlights the role that Chinese restaurants play as vital crossroads between cultures in neighborhoods in Boston and beyond. This participatory, multiplatform documentary project aims to break down barriers between the Chinese immigrants running these hyperlocal establishments, and the diverse customers they serve, through mobile storytelling, face-to-face dialogues, and an interactive site documenting the restaurants’ eclectic visual flavor.

A Time to Talk

2012-01-30T21:47:00.000-05:00

A Girls Night Out

On February 4, 2012 from 7:00-11:00 p.m. all YSHS/McKinney Girls are invited to “A Girls Night Out” which will feature an evening of dialogue, dance, food, fun and music with an emphasis on self-esteem, safe dating, healthy relationships and how to stick together without drama. There will be large group and small group interaction with several local professionals. This event is being sponsored by the YSHS Facilitators, Human Relations Commission of YS, Simply Women of Ohio and YS Village Mediation Program.

Call for artists: Support Women Artists Now

2012-01-30T10:40:00.002-05:00

On March 31st at 3:00 pm, artists and community members will gather at the Auditorium in the Dayton Metro Library Main Branch to celebrate female artists in Ohio’s first SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day. We are currently accepting proposals of short performances or readings from writers, poets, playwrights, filmmakers, actors, dancers, and other Ohio artists. Proposals should be e-mailed to SwanDayDayton@yahoo.com by February 15th. For complete submission guidelines, visit http://swandaydayton.blogspot.com/.

Updated: Body found on bike path

2012-01-29T19:40:00.004-05:00

The body of a white male in his mid-50s was found on the bike trail near Corry Street this morning, WHIO-Radio is reporting. According to YSPD, the victim died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

WHIO-Radio: Body found along bike trail in Yellow Springs

Update: Death likely a suicide.

WHIO-TV: Autopsy planned for body found along bike path

The Backyard Flock: Trouble in Chickenland

2012-01-29T09:11:00.009-05:00

It had been awhile since we had any trouble with hawks. They seemed to have passed us up in favor of easier pickings ever since we constructed our chicken run and covered it with cherry netting a few years ago. Yesterday, we were shocked back into reality.

The dog had just had her bath and the backyard was a sucking mud hole we didn’t want her wallowing in. We were planning on going out for the afternoon and I was getting some stuff together when I happened to look out into the backyard and noticed a Cooper’s hawk sitting on top of the chicken run ready to take advantage of a gap in the netting caused by the weight of leaves and black walnuts that had collected in it.

The chickens, of course, were in a panic. So, I dropped what I was doing and rushed to the back door. The dog, sensing my state of alarm, followed barking. I tried to keep her inside as I slid open the door, but she got out and ran into the yard, yapping at she didn't know what, until she spotted the hawk lifting off from its perch. We managed to get the dog back into the house and I went out to count my chickens and see what could be done about the tear in the netting.

All nine chickens were there, hiding in different places. I knew Pee Wee would be in her coop, and she was in fact roosting there together with another hen. Pee Wee hasn’t lived to the ripe old age of eight years for nothing. Over the years, whenever we have had a hawk around, Pee Wee has managed to get inside. The others were hiding in the bushes or had come out to run around, glad that I had arrived in the nick of time to straighten things out. As strange as it may seem, chickens are like that. They feel more secure when you are around to protect them. They even appreciated the fact the Suki had attacked the chicken run fence full force once she spied the hawk. In their hearts they had known all along that she must be good for something.

I found a remnant of netting from when I had done that original job and patched the breach in our security with twist ties to hold it in place and we were off for the day. When we returned just after sunset, I locked up the chickens and did my usual head count. All was well. The addition of a fierce cattle dog to the security system should convince the hawk not to return. But we will remain ever vigilant. They don’t give up easily.

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I have started soliciting “Backyard Flock” submissions of articles and photos from our ever-growing chicken-lover population. Recently, a reader sent in some photos of his tractor coop. I love to see how the other half lives. In fact, there has been some talk about organizing a tour of backyard flocks and their accommodations. After seeing these photos, I'd be embarrassed for anyone to see our coops.

“Here are some pictures of my chicken tractor that I had built a couple years ago. The coop area is 4x6 with 2 outside access nest boxes. The run area is 6x10. It houses 7 hens comfortably. Thought some of your blog readers might find it interesting,” Tom wrote of his setup. “As to design, you need to credit the man in Plain City that built the ‘Super Duper Chicken Tractor’ for me. His name was Mark Hochstetler and he did a terrific job. I love my coop!”

Victim of its own success

2012-01-28T08:40:00.008-05:00

Antioch College Website crashes due to flood of inquiries

I wanted to look something up on the Antioch College Website this morning and found this message:

Thank you for your interest in Antioch College.

Due to increased site traffic associated with the recent announcement regarding full-tuition Horace Mann Fellowships, our website is currently unavailable.

We appreciate your patience while we work to bring the site back online. In the meantime, you can apply online: https://apply.antiochcollege.org/

You can send us a message through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/antiochcollege or email the Office of Admission at admission@antiochcollege.org.

Thank you for your patience and interest in Antioch College.

The extension of free tuition for the next three classes has received attention from CBS News, Yahoo! News and a host of other major news outlets.

See related post: Antioch College extends free tuition scholarships

College Board of Trustees to meet

2012-01-28T08:37:00.002-05:00

Public invited

The Antioch College Board of Trustees will hold their winter meeting on campus February 3-5.

The community is invited to attend an Executive Briefing by President Mark Roosevelt at 7:30 p.m. in the Herndon Gallery, South Hall.

The Board will hold an open session from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, February 4.

The Oscars Yellow Springs Style

2012-01-28T08:21:00.002-05:00

Celebrate the Oscars at the Little Art Theatre
“Jeans ’n’ Jammies” - Feb.26

The Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs will once again celebrate of the Academy Awards with “Jeans ’n’ Jammies: The Oscars at the Little Art” on Sunday, Feb. 26. Plans call for the screening of the Awards Ceremony during which a cash bar will be available serving Little Artinis (custom created for the event by Shane Creepingbear of the Sunrise Café) at $7.00 a glass and wine for $5.00 a glass. The Oscars at the Little Art will be preceded at 6:00 p.m. by a pre-party at the Winds Café, just a short walk from the theater, where heavy appetizers and complimentary wine will be served thanks to Mary Kay Smith and Kim Korkan of the Winds Café. At 7:30 p.m. partygoers will proceed to the red carpet at the Little Art in time to catch the Oscars on the big screen – served up with free popcorn. For those who wish to go early, the Hollywood red carpet arrivals will be showing at the Little Art at 7:00 p.m.

Admission to the entire program is $50, of which $35 is a tax deductible contribution to the nonprofit Little Art Theatre Association. Attendees are invited to come in their pajamas. But, if they are not comfortable with relaxed attire in public, they may opt for jeans. Prizes will be awarded for best Jammies for couple and individual, for correctly predicting winners in the major categories, and for winners of a movie trivia contest. Local actor Howard Shook will emcee the event.

The deadline for reservations is Feb. 22. Seating is limited to 150, so early reservations are recommended. They can be made online by clicking here, or by mailing a check to the Little Art Theatre, 247 Xenia Avenue, Yellow Springs, OH 45387, with names of guests and an e-mail address.

For more information about the event or how to purchase tickets, check the Little Art Website, www.littleart.com, or call Maureen Lynch at 937.901.1920.

Destination Yellow Springs

2012-01-27T07:55:00.001-05:00

January 27 Weekend & Beyond

Art & Culture

Antioch College Herndon Gallery One Morgan Place
"Nikki McClure: Cutting Her Own Path" Tu-Sa, 1-4p through 2/15

Glen Helen Atrium Gallery 405 Corry St.
Member's Art Exhibition - January 7-February 28.
Mo-Fr 9:30a-4:30p, Sa-Su 10a-4p

Glen House Art 1221 Glen Rd.
Paintings of Patricia Cole 1/29-2/19; Gallery Hours Su 2-4p

Springs Gallery in Kings Yard
"Flora & Fauna - Works of James & Christine Klinger" thru 2/16
Wednesday - Sunday 12-7p; every 3rd Friday 12-9p

Village Artisans 100 Corry St.
"Mysteries of the Heart" exhibit in lobby through Feb. 24

Yellow Springs Senior Center 227 Xenia Ave.
"Yellow Springs Heritage" from Robin Heise, Sun, Jan 29, 2p

Yellow Springs Library 415 Xenia Ave.
Craft Extravaganza, Knitting, Embroidery & Jewelry; 1/28 10a-5p

Nature & Recreation

Glen Helen Nature Preserve 405 Corry St.
Intro to the Glen Hike, Sat. Jan 28 1p, Corry St. parking lot.

Entertainment

Peach's Grill
104 Xenia Ave.
Food, Drink & Fun
Open Daily, 11:30-2:30a
Music Starts at 10 ($5 Cover)
Friday, East Coast Float
Saturday, The Chicago Afrobeat Project
___________________

Emporium Wines
233 Xenia Ave.
Wine Tasting/Live Music
Every Friday at 6:30p
Jan. 27- Jeannie Ulrich & Friends
Poetry Reading
Sat. Jan. 28, 4p
"Earth Oferings" Marsha Bush
___________________

Little Art Theatre
247 Xenia Ave.
The Artist
Delightful.
Call of the Scenic River: An Ohio Journey
Sun, Jan. 29 1p
$10 tickets, RSVP

Local dog gets operation

2012-01-26T08:08:00.006-05:00

A therapy dog from Yellow Springs received a much needed operation Tuesday thanks to your generous donations, WDTN - Channel 2 is reporting. However, Diane Davis' dog Raskel may need a second operation.

WDTN-TV: Therapy dog undergoes surgery

Related post: Local therapy dog needs assistance

Friday night at the Emporium

2012-01-26T08:05:00.005-05:00

This from Jeanne Ulrich:

Happy "hump" day!!

I'd like to invite you to come out and celebrate the end of another looooong week in January at the Emporium on Friday night. There will be wine-tasting and music from 7-10 pm.

Jeanne Ulrich and friends- Duke Dewey, Carl Schumacher, and Tim Beach will be playing blues, bluegrass, folk, swing, rock, etc.

We will have special guest appearances from Yellow Springs favorites- David Schumacher and George Bieri.

Hope to see you all there!

(Free clogging lessons for anyone who asks!)

Call for artists: Newport on the Levee

2012-01-25T09:23:00.002-05:00

2nd Annual Fine Crafts and Arts Fest, Saturday, May 5

Calling All Fine Artisans and Artists:
Join us for the Newport on the Levee's second Fine Crafts and Arts Fest, a celebration of talented artists and their unique handcrafted art. Whether you are a painter, photographer, candle maker, jewelry artist, potter, wood-worker or a maker of tapestries, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase and sell your art. Click here for more information.

1 Levee way
Newport, KY, 41071
859.261.5770
www.artonthelevee.com

Gallery Hours Mon-Thurs:11am-9pm, Fri-Sat:11am-10pm, Sun: 12pm-6pm

Local actor hits the boards in Beavercreek

2012-01-24T12:28:00.003-05:00

Jeff Lucas is appearing in Beavercreek Community Theatre’s production of “Dearly Beloved,” Jan. 27 and 28, 8 p.m.and Jan. 29, 3 p.m.

When an elegant catered wedding reception turns into a pig roast and potluck dinner, the mother of the bride thinks things can’t get any worse -- she’s wrong!

Frankie Futrelle Dubberly’s daughter is marrying the son of the tiny Texas town’s richest, snootiest woman .

Frankie, played by Jennie Hawley of Huber Heights, wants everything to be just right but even talking to her dead mother in heaven can’t make it so.

The comedy, presented at 8 p.m. Jan. 27 and 28 and at 3 p.m. on January 29, finds the Futrelle sisters and their family in the midst of yet another series of life-changing events.

Frankie’s plans for a lavish, “Gone with the Wind” wedding quickly falls apart, especially when her sisters, portrayed by Monique Hobbs of Centerville and Marabeth Klejna of Kettering, get involved.

It’s been about 20 years since the scandalous breakup of the sisters’ almost-famous gospel singing trio, The Sermonettes, and they find themselves working through some of those old issues while dealing with the current wedding fiasco.

The cast also includes Teresa Connair of Dayton, Kelli Gilmore of Enon, Terry Larson of Beavercreek, Craig Smith of Springboro, Jim Spencer of Dayton, Gary Thompson of Englewood and Rachel Wilson of Dayton.

The director is Jeff Sams of Franklin. The stage manager is Steve Strawser of Kettering, assisted by Lesa Gootee of Beavercreek, and the set builder is Chris Harmon of Beavercreek, assisted by Hans Unser, also of Beavercreek.

The costumer is Anne Heitker of Beavercreek and the light designer is John Falkenbach of Dayton. Jim Brown of West Carrollton is the music director and Dave Pope is the sound designer. The producers are Diana Blowers and Roberta Shiverdecker, both of Beavercreek.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $11 for members, students and senior citizens.

A group discount of $1 per ticket is available to groups of 10 or more, when purchased at the same time for the same performance.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 937.429.4737 and leaving a message or by e-mailing boxoffice@bctheatre.org. For more information, visit the theater’s Web site at www.bctheatre.org where tickets can also be purchased online.

Back Story: Sick as a you-know-what

2012-01-24T09:33:00.004-05:00

If you live around here, chances are there is a black walnut tree somewhere nearby. I have a beautiful eighty-footer in my backyard. If you have a dog, here's something to watch out for: Suki, our 15-month-old female red heeler and well-known bad girl about town, was poisoned a couple days ago by ingesting a black walnut (shell and nut) she picked up off the ground in our backyard. She managed to eat about half of it before I was able to stop her, and seems to be recovering, but in some cases this can be fatal. They are also poisonous to horses.

There are two types of poisoning that can occur from ingesting black walnuts in nature. If the shell is moldy from dampness, the fungus can cause seizures, tremors, loss of coordination and jaundice as well as the vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy that come just from eating the shell and nut. Fortunately, our girl exhibited only the latter three symptoms. We had her to the vet yesterday, where she got a shot to stop her vomiting, and we are watching her carefully.

After we got home, I Googled "dog and black walnuts" and came up with some information, but not a lot. It was pretty much the same as what the vet told me after she did her own research on it. I also learned that they have not seen a lot of cases of this, which is surprising given the number of black walnuts we have in our area.

As is wont to happen, Suki first started vomiting on Saturday night, about 12 hours after ingesting the nut. It didn’t take me long to put two-and-two together, as I had been concerned right at the time I caught her with the nut. Or tried to catch her, that is… I was slipping around on the ice, trying to get the nut away from her as she was chewing away. She had better traction than I did. Fortunately, she dropped about half of her booty during the chase.

If I had been smart, I would have Googled the situation right away and would have found that I should have induced vomiting immediately by forcing her to drink hydrogen peroxide. I will keep this in mind in the future. Another thing I learned from the vet is that if your dog has a sour stomach, you can give it Pepcid AC. Who knew..?

This morning, after about three days of illness, the pooch had scrambled eggs for breakfast and has dragged me outside to play Frisbee twice already. Now, what to do about that damn walnut tree…

Montessori fundraiser, Feb. 4

2012-01-24T00:10:00.002-05:00

On Saturday February 4th from 6-9pm, the Yellow Springs Montessori School will be holding a fundraiser at the Yellow Springs Presbyterian Church. The theme of the event is “Anything Flies” and will include live music, games, crafts, food, drinks, a silent auction and raffle. Donors include the Meadowlark Restaurant, Eco-Mental, Sara Black Performance Horses, Dino’s, Little Art Theatre, Sunrise Café, Young’s Dairy, Burly Man, YSKP, Flying Mouse Farm, Earth in Arts, Village BP, Trader Joe’s, Ha Ha’s Pizza, Victoria Theatre, Grinnell Mill B&B, Bentino’s, Boonshoft Museum, Embassy Suites/Columbus, Asanda, Miami Valley Pottery, Mr. Fub’s, Spirited Goat, Brandeberry Winery, Jeannette Hubboch Licensed Massage and more. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for 11-18 year olds, and free for children 10 and under.

Saturday night at Clifton Opera House

2012-01-24T00:06:00.003-05:00

The first bluegrass show of the season takes place on Saturday night (Jan 28) at 7:30pm, with New Outlook Bluegrass. Leading the group New Outlook is husband & wife team Lori Lyn & Brad Lambert. Lori plays upright bass and contributes powerful lead and harmony vocals reminiscent of some of the greats she listend to as a child. Dolly Parton, Connie Smith and more recently her good friend Dale Ann Bradley, are among the long list of favorite artists that influenced her soulful singing. The other band members Casey Cook, on Guitar, Lead & Harmony Vocal - Casey has been a musician all of his life. His parents were professional bluegrass musicians with their band, Special Cooking. He was then inducted into the Florida Country Music Hall of Fame as the youngest touring bluegrass musician to perform and record professionally. Also joining them is Merrell Boggs on Mandolin & Dobro plus lead & harmony vocals. Learn more about New Outlook at www.newoutlookbluegrass.com.

The Clifton Opera House is owned and operated by the Village of Clifton. Located at 5 So Clay Street, the box office opens at 6:30pm. Door donation $7.00; children under 10 are free. Call 767-2343 for more information or www.villageofclifton.com.

Town & Gown for the State of the Union

2012-01-23T17:30:00.001-05:00

This from Ken Huber:

This is to let you know -- if you didn't already -- that villagers and Antiochians will be getting together this Tuesday evening at the Coretta Scott King Center to watch President Obama's State of the Union address.

The Center is located at Livermore and E. Center College. The doors will open at 8:30 for the address that's to start at 9:00. Refreshments will be provided.

Greatly strengthened ties between the village and college communities were one benefit of the challenging but successful campaign to reclaim and to reopen Antioch. Events like the SOTU provide opportunities to build on that relationship. I hope that you will be able to join us.

YSLA Craft Extravaganza

2012-01-23T10:01:00.001-05:00

The Yellow Springs Library Association will commemorate Founder’s Day on January 28, 2012, all day at the library. Craft books and supplies will be for sale, along with delicious baked goods. The library will be culling its own craft books, but if anyone has craft books or supplies to donate, please take them to the library between January 23 and 27. Donations of baked goods would also be appreciated. These may be dropped off at the library on Jan 27, packaged in small sizes ready to sell if possible.

There will be 3 hands-on crafts workshops. At 11am, Embroidery Basics with Bette Kelley; at 1pm, Jewelry Making with Robert Fairlie; and at 3pm, Knitting Know-How. All workshops are free, but registration is required. Stop by the library for details of this fun event, or you can call 352-4003 or email: ccollett@gcpl.lib.oh.us.

Back Story: Gong hey fat choy!

2012-01-22T11:24:00.017-05:00

Tomorrow is the Chinese New Year. This evening, we will be enjoying a traditional New Year dinner at the Sunflower in Columbus. The Sunflower is probably the best dim sum restaurant in Ohio. We have formed that opinion after having eaten in dozens of Chinese restaurants in Dayton, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. There are others that are very good, but the Sunflower, located on Sawmill Road up near the Columbus Zoo, is the best we have found. We are pretty picky when it comes to dim sum.

Tonight we will not be having dim sum, but instead a special New Year's prix fixe dinner of about 10 dishes. We have invited as much family as we have in the area, our kids and our daughter's in-laws. But, since everyone is going, we are faced with the problem of "who's going to watch the dog?" The plan we came up with was to be to send her to our daughter May's house in Fairborn and leave her with her cousin dog Rhesus - a bit iffy, but probably okay. Best laid plans...

So, our dog gets sick last night. I had caught her chewing on a black walnut she found in our back yard yesterday morning. I suspect that to be the cause, but it took about 12 hours to take effect. She started vomiting about 8:30 last night and threw up a couple times until we put her to bed around 11:00. At 6:15 this morning, she was at it again and then again at 8:30. Have you ever noticed how these things always happen on a weekend, when it is difficult to get help?

It's hard to get a straight answer whenever you ask a Chinese person the literal meaning of "gong hey fat choy." The vague translation is good luck with making money in the new year, something the 99% may be able to identify with, as in "Good luck with that." In any event, such a materialistic approached to ringing in the new year doesn't seem to provide for wishing one good health. So instead of "gong hey fat choy," today I am telling Suki "sun tee chien kong," good health in the new year, my little fire-breather.

Dancing instruction at YSKP

2012-01-21T09:46:00.002-05:00

New Series of Ballroom Dancing at Yellow Springs Kids Playhouse begins on February 13

Reknown and very funny Ballroom Dance teach Mario Krazweski will hold a 6 week series of Ballroom Dancing lessons at YSKP beginning on Monday, February 13th from 7-8 at The Playhouse, 910 Corry St. next to the Antioch College Amphitheater. Cost is $90/person. Info yskp.org or 767-7800

Mario Kraszewski is a former owner & operator of the Dayton Arthur Murray Dance Studio’s .

After numerous championships throughout Europe, Mario came to the U.S. in 1998 and worked briefly in New York before joining the Dayton Arthur Murray Staff. He then rose to great heights winning the World Arthur Murray Rising Star Smooth Championship in 2003. He has also performed with the Cincinnati Pops and Symphony Orchestras. Mario is commentator of Dancing with the Stars for local Fox TV station. He has been working with them since season 1.

Mario is originally from Warsaw, Poland where as a young teenager he began his ballroom dancing career competing in International Style Standard and Latin. During this time he won several Mario holds titles in both the Latin and Standard divisions. He also taught and competed in wheelchair ballroom, in which he would lead paraplegics in specially made wheelchairs. In 1995 he established the first Wheelchair Dance Federation in Poland and became its first vice president. In 1996, he won the Wheelchair Ballroom World Cup in Holland with his partner.

Mario teaches students and professionals in all five styles – Latin, Ballroom, Rhythm, Smooth, Theater Art.

Course description: Mario’s Ballroom Dance Class will include basic elements to the most popular social dances, including: SWING, SALSA, RUMBA, and MERENGUE.

Destination Yellow Springs

2012-01-21T09:42:00.001-05:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Destination Yellow Springs

2012-01-20T07:17:00.004-05:00

January 20 Weekend & Beyond

Art & Culture

Village Artisans 100 Corry St.
"Mysteries of the Heart" exhibit in lobby through Feb. 24.

Springs Gallery in Kings Yard
"Flora & Fauna - Recent Works of James & Christine Klinger" through 2/16
Wednesday - Sunday 12-7p; every 3rd Friday 12-9p

Glen House Art 1221 Glen Rd.
"Through a Child's Eye: Art for Desmond" through 1/26, Su 2-4p

Glen Helen Atrium Gallery 405 Corry St.
Member's Art Exhibition - January 7-February 28.
Mo-Fr 9:30a-4:30p, Sa-Su 10a-4p
Discover the Goddess Within Jewelry Workshop - Jan. 21, 2-4p

Nature & Recreation

Glen Helen Nature Preserve 405 Corry St.
Take a hike, visit the Raptor Center, explore Trailside Museum.

Peach's Grill
104 Xenia Ave.
Food, Drink & Fun
Open Daily, 11:30-2:30a
Music Starts at 10 ($5 Cover)
Friday, The Spikedrivers
Saturday, Union Rose and Kate Hasting
___________________

Emporium Wines
233 Xenia Ave.
Wine Tasting/Live Music
Every Friday at 6:30
Jan. 20- Emma Woodruff & Friends
___________________

Little Art Theatre
247 Xenia Ave.
The Descendants
Held over for another week.

Love-In to feature wedding vows

2012-01-19T08:45:00.002-05:00

Yellow Springs "Love-In," February 10-12

Ordained minister and wedding celebrant Jannirose Fenimore and Ye Olde Trail Tavern owner Cathy Christian decorate a trellis in preparation for a Fireside Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony that will take place on Saturday, February 11, 11 a.m. at the historic tavern. The event is part of the Yellow Springs "Love-In," February 10-12, sponsored by the Yellow Springs Arts Council. ($20 per couple includes ceremony, champagne toast, and photo). To register, call 767-7448. For more info about all the weekend events, go to www.yellow-springs-experience.org

Antioch College hosts artist in residence

2012-01-18T17:22:00.002-05:00

Patricia Cole

Antioch College is pleased to announce that Patricia Cole will be an Artist in Residence from the second week of January through February 17th. Ms Cole is a painter who comes to the college from Bloomington, Indiana, but who most recently had a residency in Johannesburg, South Africa. She will be making a public presentation at the Herndon Gallery on Sunday, January 22, from 3:00-5:00pm about her work and her engagement in different cultures made possible through a range of national and international artist residencies.

Ms Cole will also be offering a drawing workshop to the Antioch and Yellow Springs communities that will be focused on investigating identities. The workshop is free, and will be held on Sunday afternoon, February 5th, from 2:00-5:00pm at the YSKP Playhouse on the Antioch campus.

Ms Cole has an extensive exhibition record and her work is numerous collections. Her paintings will be on exhibit at GlenHouseArt at the Glen House Inn from January 29th through February 19th. There will be a reception for the artist on Sunday, February 12th, from 2:00-5:00pm that is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact Dennie Eagleson, 937-768-6462, or deagleson@antiochcollege.edu. For information about the exhibition, visit www.glenhouseart.com.

Antioch College Trustees name new chairperson

2012-01-18T09:11:00.002-05:00

Frances Degen Horowitz

Members of the Antioch College Board of Trustees voted unanimously during their monthly teleconference on Sunday, January 15, to appoint Frances Degen Horowitz ’54 as Board chair. Horowitz succeeds Lee Morgan ’66, who stepped down from the post to focus on College fund-raising initiatives.

“As someone who has served in leadership positions in higher education for many years, Frances is intimately familiar with all that lies ahead of us,” President Mark Roosevelt said. “I’m looking forward to working with her as we continue to assess and refine our new programs and revitalize our historic campus.”

Regarding Morgan’s Board service, Roosevelt said: “I want to publicly thank Lee for the central role he played in the fight for an independent Antioch College and the support he continues to give as we work to secure Antioch’s future.”

A prominent child psychologist, Horowitz was the vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Kansas-Lawrence (1978-1991) before being tapped for the presidency of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (1991-2005). A specialist in developmental psychology, she’s written widely on infant behavior, early childhood development, developmental theory, and early intervention. In 2004, she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She holds a B.A. in philosophy from Antioch College, an M.Ed. in elementary education from Goucher College, and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Iowa.

Her professional affiliations include serving as chair of the Research Support Committee of American Psychological Association, president of the Center for Research Inc., and president of the Antioch College Alumni Association. In 1996, the Antioch Alumni Association honored Horowitz with the Rebecca Rice Award for Lifetime Achievement. Serving as vice chair to the Antioch College governing board for more than three years, she oversaw the national search that led to Roosevelt’s appointment as Antioch’s president.

"We owe a significant debt of gratitude to Lee Morgan for all he has done, selflessly and tirelessly, to help restore Antioch College to its state of independence," Horowitz said. "I am honored to have been asked to serve as chair of the Antioch College Board of Trustees to continue to build upon his legacy. With the support of our alumni, and in concert with Mark Roosevelt, the faculty, the staff, and the students, as well as my Board colleagues and members of the Alumni Board, I look forward to meeting the challenges before us as we rebuild and recreate Antioch College."

Morgan is the retired president and CEO of the Antioch Company, a business founded by his father in 1926. He has provided leadership and service to more than a dozen nonprofit organizations and corporate boards, including the Morgan Family Foundation. His grandfather, Arthur Morgan (Antioch president from 1920-36), introduced the concept of cooperative education, a major innovation in higher education.

As Board chair, Morgan participated in the negotiations that led to the Board’s purchase of the campus and other College assets from Antioch University in 2009. The Board voted him into the position of vice chair. In that role, he will continue to support College fund-raising initiatives.

Register for kisses

2012-01-18T09:02:00.003-05:00

Love-In, Feb. 10-12

Jafagirls Nancy Mellon and Corrine Bayraktaroglu recently tested big red lips in preparation for "The Kiss" public performance art with 80 couples, to be held during the Yellow Springs Arts Council's "Love-In" events, February 10-12. (To register, pucker up and call Nancy at 767-1366).

Antioch College extends full-tuition scholarships

2012-01-17T09:31:00.003-05:00

All four founding classes to get free ride

The Antioch College Board of Trustees today announced the extension of the Horace Mann Fellowships to all students admitted for the next three years. The announcement comes after an extensive review of the College’s endowment and Annual Fund, which both saw major increases in the last six months, President Mark Roosevelt said.

“We don’t want economics to be an impediment to a high-quality liberal arts education,” Roosevelt said. “By providing four year, full-tuition scholarships, we make attending Antioch College a realistic option for the best and brightest students, regardless of their family’s economic situation.”

There have been major increases in both the College’s endowment and Annual Fund, explained Steve Sturman, vice president for advancement. The endowment, now at $51.7 million, grew more than 106.7 percent, in large part due to a $35 million payout from the sale of YSI Inc. of which the College was a major shareholder.

In December, the Annual Fund saw the largest one-month gain in College history, receiving $658,208. The Fund is at $1.2 million for the fiscal year 2011-2012, up 69.9 percent over last year. The goal is to raise a total of $1.8 million by the end of the fiscal year.

Roosevelt admits the College still faces significant financial challenges, but says the College “can comfortably invest in students” while senior leadership works to develop a low-cost operating model with less reliance on tuition dollars.

Saturday night at Clifton Opera House

2012-01-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

Horsefeathers Dixieland Band

On Saturday, Jan 21, the Horsefeathers Dixieland Band will be performing at 7:30pm. Horsefeathers is comprised of many familiar faces; Tom Billing on trombone, Johnny Dessinger on drums, Dave Green on clarinet, Barry Campbell on tenor sax, Reg Richwine on trumpet and Ron Meyer on keyboard. These guys know how to tear it up! Horsefeathers plays nothing but the best of traditional Americana music. You will hear such favorites as "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Basin Street Blues", "Bill Bailey", "Do You Know What It Means", "Indiana" and many others. Come out and join us for our first Dixieland band of the season.

The box office opens at 6:30pm. The Clifton Opera House is located at 5 So Clay Street, Clifton. Door donation $7.00 Call 767-2343 for more information.

Friday afternoon matinee at Clifton Opera House

2012-01-16T16:08:00.002-05:00

The Clifton Opera House will host it's second Afternoon Matinee on Friday, January 20th. The show starts at 1:30pm, box office opens at noon. Attendees are welcome to come early and bring a bag lunch prior to the show. The concession will also open at noon.

Bob Ford will perform his "Folklore and Fun" show, lots of music and stories will be included. Bob is well known to the Cedarville area, and is a member of Bob Ford and the Ragamuffins, a celtic band. Bob has been a long time storyteller, and will provide an entertaining afternoon.

Join us for a fun filled afternoon! The Clifton Opera House is located at 5 So. Clay Street, Clifton. Contact 767-2343 for more information.

Save this date: Wednesday, Feb. 29

2012-01-16T09:58:00.004-05:00

The date for the annual joint Community Band/YSHS-McKinney/Alumni Band Concert has been set for Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 7:00 p.m. It will be held in the high school gym.

If you play a band instrument, you are welcome to join the fun. We usually have about 100 participants every year.

Community Band rehearsals are on Monday nights at 7:30 in the YSHS music room. Every time we have one of these concerts, the Community Band seems to grow by a few members. Come see what it's all about.

Arts Coucil petitioning village for office space

2012-01-15T11:17:00.010-05:00

[updated]

YSAC moving out of Oten Gallery,
looking for downtown gallery space

The Yellow Springs Arts Council has asked the village for permission to use the Arts Room at the Bryan Center 9-5, Mon. - Fri. for office space on a permanent basis. In exchange for getting the space for no rental fee, YSAC proposes to manage the gallery space on the second floor. According to YSAC Arts and Cultural Manager Joanne Caputo in her response to written questions from Council Member Karen Wintrow, "This is a request for In-Kind Support from our local government, due to the village-wide effort we're making (now in its fifth year) to promote YS as a culturally rich community of choice, and strengthen Village economic vitality through the arts."

The request will come up at the Village Council meeting this Tuesday. All the relevant documents can be found in the packet of materials Council has posted on its website for the meeting. Included in the packet are the request from YSAC with supporting materials and opinions from the Village Manager and Village Attorney. Click here to view a PDF of the packet.

According to Caputo in an email to the Blog, YSAC is looking at several downtown locations for potential gallery space. We previously reported that they had a gallery in Dolbeer's, but Caputo points out that they do not have a lease agreement for that space.

Rocky & Pee Wee: No young chick

2012-01-15T09:39:00.003-05:00

Cold

2012-01-15T09:24:00.005-05:00

I take no inspiration
from this weather
as I do my morning chores.
It's as if the world
has been stunned into silence.
None of the neighbors' dogs
cares to hazard a bark
as mine follows me silently
along the fence line,
forgetting her Frisbee
in the snow.
The chickens coo softly
when I feed them, not wanting
to venture out of their coop.
Even Bruce's rooster
across the road
is quiet in the early light.
The sound of ice
cracking under my feet
is a frigid muse indeed.

-vh

YSLA Craft Extravaganza

2012-01-14T08:51:00.002-05:00

Bench to Nowhere: Breaking stones gives gas

2012-01-13T13:00:00.003-05:00

A Cool Town Toon

MLK Day Events in the Village

2012-01-13T12:43:00.004-05:00

Antioch College joins with Village to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Antioch College, in conjunction with African American Cross Cultural Works (AACW) and Central Chapel A.M.E. Church, will host a series of events on Monday, January 16 in recognition of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

The day’s events—which begin at 10 a.m. and end late afternoon— include a panel discussion on the Antioch College experience through the eyes of its students of color, past and present. The panel will be facilitated by educator and activist Prexy Nesbitt, a 1967 alumnus and former Antioch College trustee. Panelists include Nargees Jumahan ’15 (current Antioch College student); Shelby Chestnut ’05; Devon Berry ’99; Robin Henry ’81; and Maceo Cofield ’71.

About Prexy Nesbitt

Nesbitt is an educator, activist and scholar, having lectured both in the United States and abroad. He has written extensively, publishing a book and articles in more than twenty international journals. He also served as a co-writer on the BBC production of The People's Century program "Skin Deep," about racism in the United States and South Africa.

Nesbitt has been highly active in labor and equality movements, beginning as an undergrad at Antioch College in the 1960s where he organized fellow students to integrate a local barbershop which refused to cut black hair. In 1967, he co-founded the Antioch Committee for a Free South Africa to encourage the College to divest from investments in South African businesses that profited from apartheid (the initiative was successful ten years later).

He continued his commitment to equality and service by organizing on the West side of Chicago with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s; helping direct the World Council of Churches program to combat racism in the late 1970s from Geneva, Switzerland; serving as a program officer for the MacArthur Foundation in the 1990s and as a special aide to Chicago Mayor Harold Washington; serving as the dean of students and dean of community engagement and diversity at the prestigious Francis W. Parker school in Chicago; and, most recently, as an African history professor at Columbia College.

Event Schedule | January 16, 2012

10:00 a.m. Warm beverages and music
Coretta Scott King Center, Antioch College
Music by Christopher Smith

10:30 a.m. Yellow Springs MLK Jr. Day march
Mills Lawn Elementary, 200 S Walnut St., Yellow Springs, OH

11:00 a.m. African American Cross-Cultural Works’ program
Central Chapel A.M.E. Church, 411 S High St., Yellow Springs, Ohio
Guest Speaker: Prexy Nexbitt '67

3:00 p.m. Facilitated panel discussion on the “Antioch adventure” as experienced by students of color through the generations, led by alumnus and former Trustee Prexy Nesbitt ‘67
McGregor Hall, Room 113, Antioch College

In addition, the College’s Miami Valley Alumni Chapter will hold a brief meeting at 2:30 p.m. in McGregor Hall, Room 113 on the campus. Presentations by Cezar Mesquita, dean of admission and financial aid; Susan Eklund-Leen, dean of cooperative education; Tom Haugsby, cooperative education consultant; and Maya Nye, alumni relations officer for volunteer management will be given. A monthly alumni social will follow at 6 p.m. at Peach’s Grill, 104 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Clifton Opera House reopens Jan. 14

2012-01-12T07:36:00.002-05:00

The mural by Sharon Benedict is finally completed at the Clifton Opera House. We will have a small dedication at 7:15 on Saturday evening, January 14th prior to the show by Ain't Misbehaving. Join us for the unveiling!

The Clifton Opera House re-opens on Saturday, January 14th. Kicking off the 2012 season is the Dayton based "Ain't Misbehavin" band. The show starts at 7:30pm. Box office opens at 6:30pm.

Ain't Misbehavin' is a group of professional musicians from the Dayton area featuring music from multiple styles and genres........jazz and blues standards, modern and classic pop tunes, R&B and funk.

John Derrickson, Keyboards and Vocals - John has been playing professionally and teaching music for many years. You'll enjoy his unique arrangements and colorful voice!

Lee Gelbert, Bass and Vocals - An accomplished guitarist and bassist, Lee has been with multiple groups in New Jersey and the Cincinnati/Dayton area. Lee is the newest member of the band and amazes us with the number of tunes he knows!

Al Talib, Drums and Percussion - Originally from Columbus, Al has played in many bands over the last 25 years. In addition to performing, Al is spearheading a non-profit organization to create awareness and music outreach for inner-city youth in the Miami Valley area.

Jeanne Harman, Flute, Vocals - Jeanne has been part of the Michelob Dayton Women in Jazz Festival for the last three years. You might hear her play classically in church, or lay it down on flute at another venue around town. The opera house is located at 5 So. Clay Street, Clifton. Check out the calendar on www.cliftonoperahouse.com or call 937.767.2343 for more information.

MLK day: Civil Rights Leader James Lawson

2012-01-11T08:41:00.003-05:00

Wittenberg, Monday, Jan 16, at 11:00 a.m.

James Lawson is a civil rights leader (with Ohio roots--he grew up in Massilon, studied at Baldwin Wallace in Berea as an undergraduate, and later at Oberlin Theological Seminary); Martin Luther King Jr. called him "the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world." James Lawson helped to coordinate the Freedom Rides in 1961 and the Meredith March in 1966, while introducing the principles of Gandhian nonviolence to future leaders in the Civil Rights Movement.

He'll be speaking at Wittenberg on Monday, Jan 16, at 11:00 in Weaver Chapel.

The Wittenberg community and the public also are invited to a Q & A session with the Rev. James Lawson in Shouvlin 105 at 2 p.m. on Monday.

The Eyes on the Prize video below “Ain’t Scared of Your Jails, 1960-61” introduces you to the work of James Lawson as he prepares the students to challenge segregation of stores and restaurants in downtown Nashville--his section starts at about 4:43. Jim Lawson is the young man (Vanderbilt theology student) in the video training many of the young leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in nonviolent direct action. He, and many of those in the video, will go on to organize the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and also keep the Congress of Racial Equality’s (CORE) initiative, the Freedom Rides, from ending after the firebombing of a bus outside Anniston Alabama and the beating of riders in Birmingham Alabama.

Local band just up the road

2012-01-11T08:36:00.003-05:00

Noodle Factory to play at Bogey's

The Noodle Factory is playing at Bogey's this friday from 9pm - 12am (We will play at least then, may start earlier or go later not sure), there will be a $3 door fee.

Bogey's is a bar and grill on 68 between Yellow Springs and Springfield, at the Rock Lakes Golf Course.

Click here for map.

We play old psychedelic Rock, Blues, some new stuff, and some originals. You'll hear tunes by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Cream, The Black Keys, Janis Joplin, No Doubt, Jefferson Airplane, Howling Wolf, and more.

The Noodle Factory is: Brandon Semler, Rick Sanders, Matt Denman, and Natile Sanders.

Like us on Facebook for more notifications.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Noodle-Factory/231183900276817

We hope you can make it.

Local therapy dog needs assistance

2012-01-10T08:40:00.006-05:00

A local therapy dog that was injured needs a $3,500 surgery and its owner is asking for your help, WDTN-Channel 2 is reporting. Donations can be made to the "Raskel Fund" at the Yellow Springs Credit Union or by mailing a check to PO BOX 479, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. The dog's owner is Diane Davis.

Injured dog needs your help: wdtn.com

New businesses make news

2012-01-10T08:31:00.006-05:00

The Vitruvian Brew Company, owned by Shane and Jacqui Creepingbear, is in the process of moving into the Millworks Business Center. S and G Distillery/The Spirits of Yellow Springs, is already located in the Millworks complex.

Dayton Daily News: New microbrewery, craft distillery coming to Yellow Springs

Yellow Springs Heritage

2012-01-09T12:57:00.006-05:00

Yellow Springs Historical Society program on January 29, 2012

What does heritage mean to you? Is it something tangible that you can touch? Does our heritage make us who we are today? According to The Oxford English Dictionary (1997), one definition of heritage is, “valued objects and qualities such as cultural traditions, unspoiled countryside, and historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations”.

What do the historical buildings of Yellow Springs tell us about the people that played a role in building the village that we know and love? On January 29, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in the Yellow Springs Senior Center Great Room, Robin Heise, a second year graduate student in the Public History program at Wright State University will present Yellow Springs Heritage. This program will give an overview on her recent research on some of the historical properties in the Village of Yellow Springs and provide tips on how to research your own historical property.

Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

YS Solar energy plans in the press

2012-01-09T08:54:00.004-05:00

Yellow Springs could become home to the largest solar power array in Southwest Ohio in 2012 as part of a $65 million project to put new solar power in smaller Ohio villages and cities, the Dayton Daily News reported Saturday.

Dayton Daily News: Village could have largest solar array in region

If we only had love

2012-01-08T09:56:00.003-05:00

Well, now we do...

Eagleson in at Antioch

2012-01-08T09:51:00.001-05:00

College hires alumnus, former faculty as creative director for Herndon Gallery

Dennie Eagleson '71, former faculty member, has returned to Antioch College as a part-time creative director.

Working with art faculty Sara Black, Eagleson is responsible for managing the Herndon Gallery and creating an Artist in Residence program. Drawing on her passion and profession, she also will offer photography workshops as part of the College’s co-curricular program.

Eagleson taught at Antioch College for more than 20 years, beginning in 1987 as an adjunct instructor of photography and rising through the ranks to associate professor of photography in 2004—a role she served until 2008. For another year, she taught at the Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute. She served as director of the Herndon Gallery in the 1990s and was a member of the gallery’s committee for many years. Since the mid 1980s, Eagleson also has worked as a freelance photographer for a number of community clients. Her work has appeared prominently in College publications, including The Antiochian and the College’s Annual Report.

“Dennie is a great addition to our academic team,” said Hassan Rahmanian, vice president for academic affairs. “She has a long and productive affiliation with, and a great passion for, Antioch College.”

Eagleson holds a Master of Fine Arts in photography from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Arts from Antioch College.

Her professional experience includes several artist in residence programs: Rivers Institute at the University of Dayton (August 2011), Nonstop Institute Oral History (summer and fall 2010), and ArtStreet at the University of Dayton (fall 2009). She has been involved in the development of photography workshops and documentaries both locally and abroad in places such as Havana, Cuba and Jicaro, Nicaragua.

Eagleson has curated a number of exhibitions featuring the work of local, regional and international artists. Her own work has been showcased in the Herndon Gallery, along with many other galleries throughout the state. She also served a six-year stint as a portfolio reviewer for the National Conference of Society of Photographic Education.

Among Eagleson’s numerous awards are the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) Award for Faculty Excellence in Teaching (2008); the Ohio Arts Council Award for Excellence in Photography (2005); and a nomination by Top Brass for the Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio (2003).

Jacki Mayer leaves WYSO

2012-01-07T08:48:00.004-05:00

Two positions open up at radio station

Jacki Mayer, a long-time staff member at public radio station 91.3 WYSO in Yellow Springs, has accepted a position with Allegiance Software, based in Fargo, North Dakota.

With plans for expansion and relocation of its studios this spring and a increase in signal strength to 50,000 watts, WYSO will also expand its staff and boost its development capacity to fill Mayer’s roles.

Mayer had been the Director of Business Operations and Development at the public radio station since 2004. She supervised underwriting sales and membership activities - and during her tenure at WYSO, both underwriting and membership revenues grew steadily. She created WYSO’s major fundraising event, the Silent Auction and Wine Tasting, planned WYSO’s annual on-air fund drives and helped to create the free summer concerts.

“Jacki made a huge difference at WYSO,” said General Manager Neenah Ellis. “She cared deeply about our mission, underwriters and members and had long-lasting relationships with hundreds of people. Allegiance will allow Jacki to apply her skills in a new direction and we all wish her well on her new adventure.”

Allegiance provides fundraising and accounting software tailored to the needs of public and religious broadcasters. In business for 30 years, they are the preeminent organization of their kind in public broadcasting. After a three- month training period in Fargo, Mayer will become a Sales and Marketing Representative based in Greene County. She will travel all over the US to see clients and represent the organization at numerous annual conferences.

“As an alumnus of Antioch College and Antioch University, I wanted to be able to give back what was given to me through my education. My goal was to help WYSO gain a strong financial foundation and help the station grow. It’s been a pleasure to take part and watch WYSO flourish.”

On January 2, two new job positions were posted: Director of Development and Director of Finance and Accounting. Interested applicants can find both postings on-line at WYSO.org or obtain copies by calling 937.769.1387.

91.3 WYSO is licensed to Antioch University with studios in Yellow Springs. It carries programming from NPR, Public Radio International, American Public Media and others, in addition to 40 hours of locally- produced programming weekly. It distributes programs on multiple platforms: FM, HD and via on-line streaming at www.wyso.org.

Movie by area filmaker to be screened

2012-01-07T08:43:00.002-05:00

A promising film made by an area filmmaker and graduate of the film department at Wright State (click on image to enlarge)

Goat seminar this afternoon

2012-01-07T08:35:00.003-05:00

Learn about raising goats and cooking with goat meat and cheese, and try some free samples at the New Liberty goat workshop Saturday, Jan. 7, from 1-3 p.m. in the basement of the Methodist Church.

Free samples of goat curry, chili, cheese and jerky will be offered. Sign up is required by calling Beth at 768-7240.

Three local goat farmers, Caroline Mullin, Jill Dant and Owen Betts will teach the basics of what is involved in raising goats. Learn about care and feeding, meat and dairy breeds, and more.

Crack in the World: Fracking protest, Jan. 10

2012-01-06T11:44:00.006-05:00

Please join us to protest hydraulic fracking wells and injection disposal wells being located in our communities.

Jan. 10, 1- 3PM

Ohio Statehouse west lawn

WE WANT A MORATORIUM NOW, BEFORE MORE COMMUNITIES ARE ROCKED WITH EARTHQUAKES AND OUR WATER IS POISONED!

Join Rep. Bob Hagan, Driehaus, Antonio, Fedor, Foley, Heard and Tavares and representatives from communities turned into wastelands.

Please RSVP to this location http://bit.ly/yk2YEN

We will be providing a bus for transportation for Youngstown area activists. Please Meet at the the Youngstown First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1105 Elm Street Youngstown, OH at 8:30 Am, the bus will leave for Columbus at 9:00 am.

We will have indoor access to warm up.

Please bring signs without sticks, and dress warmly.

Find parking at this link http://bit.ly/vBy0Py

IF YOU NEED A RIDE OR CAN PROVIDE A RIDE FROM YELLOW SPRINGS, PLEASE CALL VICKIE 767-3901.

Second Sunday Free Workshop on Jan. 8

2012-01-06T11:16:00.002-05:00

Antioch Writers' Workshop and Books & Co are offering the next free Sunday Free Writers' Workshop on January 8, 2:00-3:30 p.m. at Books & Co at The Greene. The workshop is presented by authors Katrina Kittle and Kristina McBride. The workshop topic is "How To Write For Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers."

Katrina Kittle is the author of 5 novels, including the 2006 Great Lakes Book Award for Fiction winner, The Kindness of Strangers and, most recently, Reasons to Be Happy.

Kristina McBride is the author of the Young Adult novel, The Tension of Opposites. Both authors have served as faculty for the Antioch Writers' Workshop.

Discover the strategies for "How To Write For Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers" with Katrina Kittle and Kristina McBride at Books & Co at The Green on January 8 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.. No reservations are required for the Second Sunday Free Writers' Workshop, but expressed intention to attend is appreciated. Call Books & Co at The Greene at 937.429.6302.

For more information about Antioch Writers' Workshop or the Second Sunday Free Writers' Workshop, visit our website or email info@antiochwritersworkshop.com.

The Antioch Writers' Workshop will be held July 7-13, 2012 in partnership with Antioch University Midwest and with support from the Yellow Springs Community Foundation; Ohio Arts Council; The Frank Pace, Jr. Foundation; and WYSO (media sponsor).

Rocky & Pee Wee: "Crack in the World"

2012-01-06T08:54:00.009-05:00

Thank God it's only a movie!

Antioch College events in January

2012-01-06T08:35:00.001-05:00

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY OF SERVICE AND
MIAMI VALLEY ALUMNI CHAPTER MEETING

JANUARY 16, 2012

A full day of events, including a panel discussion on the Antioch College experience through the eyes of its students of color, past and present. Panel is facilitated by educator and activist Prexy Nesbitt, a 1967 alumnus and former Antioch College trustee. The day begins with beverages and music at 10 a.m. in the Coretta Scott King Center. At 10:30 a.m., the campus will join the Yellow Springs community at Mills Lawn Elementary to kick-off the African American Cross Cultural Works' (AACW) march and program. The Antioch College Miami Valley Alumni Chapter meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in McGregor 113. A panel discussion with Nesbitt follows at 3 p.m. in the same room. The day closes with a Miami Valley Alumni Chapter social at 6 p.m. at Peach's Grill, 104 Xenia Ave. More information about the day's events is available on the College's website.

AN EVENING WITH JAIMY GORDON

JANUARY 17, 2012

A National Book Award-winning author, Gordon (Antioch College class of 1966) will read from her critically acclaimed novel Lord of Misrule at 7 p.m. in McGregor 113. The reading is sponsored by The Antioch Review and the Antioch College Writing Institute. A book signing and Q&A session will follow. Seating is limited.

JANUARY WORK PROJECT

JANUARY 17-20, 2012

Volunteers will work to beautify and repair the campus. Write to Maya Nye in Alumni Relations if you'd like to participate, mnye@antiochcollege.org.

LECTURE: LITERARY LEGACY OF SLAVERY

JANUARY 26

Leslie Wingard, assistant professor of English at College of Wooster, will give a public lecture on "The Literary Legacy of Slavery." The event takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Olive Kettering Library. For more information, contact Geneva Gano.

Senior Project Musical, Saturday evening

2012-01-05T15:33:00.004-05:00

For her senior project, Yellow Springs HS student Zyna Bakari, along with members of the YSHS Drama Club, will be presenting a Musical Revue this Saturday, January 7th, at 6 PM at Mills Lawn Elementary School. Tickets are $5 and all proceeds will be donated to the Drama Club.

Winter Farmer's Market heating up this Saturday

2012-01-05T11:32:00.005-05:00

Get your goat on after Farmer's Market (1 p.m.) this Saturday.

News from the Clifton Opera House

2012-01-05T10:36:00.002-05:00

The Clifton Opera House re-opens on Saturday, January 14th. Kicking off the 2012 season is the Dayton based "Ain't Misbehavin" band. The show starts at 7:30pm. Box office opens at 6:30pm.

Ain't Misbehavin' is a group of professional musicians from the Dayton area featuring music from multiple styles and genres........jazz and blues standards, modern and classic pop tunes, R&B and funk.

John Derrickson, Keyboards and Vocals - John has been playing professionally and teaching music for many years. You'll enjoy his unique arrangements and colorful voice!

Lee Gelbert, Bass and Vocals - An accomplished guitarist and bassist, Lee has been with multiple groups in New Jersey and the Cincinnati/Dayton area. Lee is the newest member of the band and amazes us with the number of tunes he knows!

Al Talib, Drums and Percussion - Originally from Columbus, Al has played in many bands over the last 25 years. In addition to performing, Al is spearheading a non-profit organization to create awareness and music outreach for inner-city youth in the Miami Valley area.

Jeanne Harman, Flute, Vocals - Jeanne has been part of the Michelob Dayton Women in Jazz Festival for the last three years. You might hear her play classically in church, or lay it down on flute at another venue around town. The opera house is located at 5 So. Clay Street, Clifton. Check out the calendar on www.cliftonoperahouse.com or call 937.767.2343 for more information.

Tied the Knot

2012-01-04T09:23:00.010-05:00

Jerry Holt and Lucrecia Guerrero

Former Yellow Springers and frequent returnees, Jerry Holt and Lucrecia Guerrero were recently married. The announcement came on Facebook as Holt changed his status from "single." Details are just now emerging.

Holt, a Professor of English at Purdue University, is a playwright and published novelist who was formerly Dean of Liberal Arts at Antioch Midwest. Guerrero, an oft published writer of fiction, has been on the faculty of the Antioch Writers' Workshop and Antioch Midwest. Her latest novel, Tree of Sighs, has been receiving accolades from the literary community.

YSKP Open House

2012-01-04T08:45:00.002-05:00

Registration for Winter/Spring courses is going on now

YSKP is having an Open House for the Winter/Spring term on Saturday, January 7th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Stop in and meet the instructors, see some wonderful demonstrations, and sign up for classes. We are offering our early bird discount of 10% to those who register during the Open House. Light refreshments will be served.

10% DISCOUNT FOR ALL WHO REGISTER AT OUR OPEN HOUSE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 7TH!

Call for Artists: 9 week residency at UD

2012-01-04T08:40:00.003-05:00

Blue Sky Project (June 5-August 8, 2012, Dayton, OH) is seeking project proposals from artists, activists, and creative professionals in the following disciplines: visual art, film, tech art, dance, music, writing, performance art, and other creative media. Artists receive a stipend of $7,000 for 9 weeks, work with youth participants Monday-Thursday from 10am to 3:30pm, receive 24-hour access to studios, and housing on the University of Dayton campus. See website for complete guidelines and application form http://www.blueskydayton.org/artists. Deadline: January 16, 2012

Blue Sky Project is a juried, international summer artist residency committed to producing ambitious and meaningful works of contemporary art. It includes a strong youth development component and an emphasis on art making as community-building.

Updated: WYSO needs volunteers

2012-01-04T08:34:00.004-05:00

The positions have been filled!

WYSO is looking for some short-term help in our Development Department. We need two friends of the station to help out for about five hours each week through January 27th. The schedule is flexible but volunteers need to be available during regular business hours (M-F, 9a-5p) and would start as soon as possible.

We need two detail-oriented and fairly computer savvy people.

This volunteer opportunity is perfect for someone looking to fill a community service requirement, or someone who is interested in non-profit management and the business aspect of a public radio station.

If you're interested call Sarah at 937-769-1334 or email sbuckingham@wyso.org.

We'll be forever grateful!

The Backyard Flock: Message from a reader

2012-01-03T10:12:00.000-05:00

More from Laura Van Lehn

Happy New Year!

I ended up getting 20 pullets, a variety of breeds. Buckeye, Plymouth Rock, Araucana, Buff Orpington, Hamburg and then we decided to trade roosters! Let me know if you too bought pullets from New Liberty and which you selected! I was thinking of having the Buckeye put in the freezer as he was kept by accident and said as much to the New Liberty people. Marc said he would like to try his luck breeding some Buckeyes so then he shocked me when he said the Buff Orpington rooster there was one of my 30 chicks they took in May! So, he seamed quiet enough I suggested we trade and Marc agreed. So when I went out the next day to pick up the last of the girls I took Mr. Buckeye with me. Marc saw him and was smitten. So we put Mr.Buckeye in a pen in the barn next to the pens of youngsters they are raising for meat. He said he would select some Buckeye hens to put in with him and let them raise some chicks. I hope he can perform his duty. He had not crowed yet. He has been very timid and still pretty low on the totempole. I hope his new hens don't beat him up too bad. I told Marc that if he didn't work out I would be happy to take him back as he has been no trouble at all. Marc said he would enjoy having him around the farm so we will see how it goes. I hope he is happy.

Marc brought the Buff Orpington out yesterday while I was working and I came home and found the new guy in the hen house! He was surrounded by his girlfriends from New Liberty so this may work out well.

So far I have not seen any challenging of one rooster to the other. Unfortunately the weather is not nice enough to let them out to run amuck. But they all seem to be getting along well. My little DeKalb Amberlink seems to be a bit out of place, yet I have seen even her take out after one of the new girls. The egg collection was 24 plus one broken. Several are quite small. I forgot already how they start out small!

Another difference in size of the new hens compared to my group is the legs of the new girls seam much smaller in circumference. Will be interesting to see how they grow!

The wind is very strong out here! My metal chicken sign was trying to blow off the house so I took it down.

Happy New Year!
Laura

Basket of blue eggs.

Photos by Laura Van Lehn

Reminder: Local foods for school lunch talk

2012-01-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

Dilbone to Speak on Getting Local Foods into School Lunch Programs

On Wednesday January 11, Chuck Dilbone, Director of Operations at Granville Schools, will speak on how Granville successfully incorporated local foods into their schools and offer suggestions for Yellow Springs to incorporate local foods.

This program takes place at 7 pm in the High School Library.

Said Dilbone, “We realized our cafeteria didn't match our wellness policy. We wanted to provide our students with fresh cooked meals with local products. Before this initiative, only 22 percent of our students purchased school meals. We now serve 65 percent of our kids. I firmly believe every school district can do this to some extent."

Please come to this important event to hear Granville’s success story. For more information, contact Beth Bridgeman at 768-7240.

Back Story: Let’s fry the bastard

2012-01-02T12:20:00.012-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul E. Pfeifer, a Republican, urged state lawmakers to abolish capital punishment in favor of life in prison without parole. Pfeifer told the House Criminal Justice Committee, “The application is hit or miss depending on where you happen to commit the crime and the attitude of the prosecutor in that county.” The proceeding was a legislative hearing on House Bill 160, a proposal to repeal Ohio’s death-penalty law.

This welcome piece of news reminded me of the time when Illinois Governor George Ryan, also a Republican, upon leaving office in 2003, commuted the sentences of 156 inmates on that state’s death row. Ryan had halted all executions three years before, after the courts found that 13 death row inmates had been wrongly convicted, since Illinois resumed capital punishment in 1977. Ryan had campaigned for the governorship as an advocate of capital punishment. Current Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill in March, 2011 to repeal the death penalty and reallocate funds being spent on defending death row inmates to provide law enforcement with training and services to the families of homicide victims.

In spite of all the evidence that there have been numerous criminal defendants who have been wrongfully convicted, there still remain those who favor capital punishment. “Let’s fry the bastards,” they say, not identifying in any way with those who have been wrongly accused. And why should they, most of those convicted of capital crimes are minorities, mentally disabled and/or economically deprived. Moreover, it has not been shown that capital punishment serves as a deterrent to crime. In fact, states without the death penalty have lower murder rates than those that do.

Those of you who have been following the capital punishment debate will find nothing new in what I have to say here except, possibly, my point of view of having practiced as a criminal defense attorney in Manhattan for 30 years and having tried a number of non-capital murder cases and other cases carrying life sentences, some of them high-profile.

New York State’s death penalty was effectively suspended during the eighties and early nineties. The statute had been ruled unconstitutional by the state’s highest court in 1977. From 1978 – 1994, several measures passed both houses of the state legislature that would have reinstated the death penalty, only to be vetoed by Democratic governor Hugh Carey and his Democratic successor, Mario Cuomo. The legislature passed a new law reinstating the death penalty by lethal injection in 1995, after Cuomo left office and Republican George Pataki took over. However, that version was also ruled unconstitutional in 2004 and New York is once again without a death penalty. Cuomo's son, Andrew, was elected Governor last year, and I doubt he would sign a new bill.

Reinstatement of capital punishment in 1995 sent the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) scrambling to create a Capital Defender Panel to represent indigent defendants in murder cases. This in recognition of the fact that there were few members of the bar qualified to try those cases, especially when they bore such serious consequences.

A friend who was a higher up in OCA called me and did her best to sign me up, but I refused to enable implementation of the death penalty in any way. “You are just looking for warm bodies to stand next to the walking dead,” I told her. However, I also had another, more selfish reason, I didn’t want the pressure. I imagined the sleepless nights I’d had whenever I was on trial with other cases multiplied a thousand fold. How can any attorney operate effectively under such pressure? I wondered.

I used to joke about murder cases: How can you lose a case where the main witness is dead? Sure, they are harder for the prosecution to try, but DA’s office and police gear up for the big trials. They pull out all the stops. And sometimes that means going beyond the bounds of legal constraints.

On occasion, a police officer might see no harm in planting evidence, coaching witnesses, or forcing a false confession in order to frame a defendant; because he is certain he’s got the right guy and doesn’t want to see him get off. Or, if he’s not quite sure, he can always justify such actions by telling himself that even if the suspect is not guilty of the crime, he probably did something else he deserves to be punished for. In a classic case of this kind of reasoning, a couple decades ago, two clever New York State Troopers were found guilty of planting fingerprint evidence in multiple cases. Heretofore, it had been thought that faking fingerprint evidence was impossible. What is really frightening to me is the trend in television police dramas and the movies to subtly justify and even glorify this "let's fry the bastard" mentality. Frequently, illegal searches and forced confessions are portrayed as the end justifying the means without consequence to the police officer involved.

It’s not just the cops who are susceptible to misdeeds in criminal cases; the whole system is wrought with pitfalls for the accused. There are politically motivated D.A.s and Judges, prejudiced or inattentive jurors who just want to get it over with and go home, and my particular bugaboo, incompetent defense lawyers.

Procedurally, murder cases are different from most criminal trials. If a defendant is convicted, he faces an additional trial called the penalty phase. Often, in order to retain the same jury, this occurs almost immediately after the conviction. One of the frequent complaints against defense attorneys on appeal is that they were not prepared for the penalty phase. Unless an attorney has the resources to have someone working separately on the penalty phase, and most assigned counsel do not, the trial lawyer may find himself suddenly shifting gears from asserting his client’s innocence to begging for leniency without a whole lot of witnesses and evidence to back him up. In cases where proof of guilt is a foregone conclusion, the attorney is able to concentrate on the penalty phase. But, when the defendant has a good chance at an acquittal, the attorney will naturally focus his efforts on the guilt phase of the trial.

According to the organization Death Penalty Focus, “the most important factor in determining whether a defendant will receive the death penalty is the quality of the representation he or she is provided. Almost all defendants in capital cases cannot afford their own attorneys. In many cases, the appointed attorneys are overworked, underpaid, or lacking the trial experience required for death penalty cases. There have even been instances in which lawyers appointed to a death case were so inexperienced that they were completely unprepared for the sentencing phase of the trial. Other appointed attorneys have slept through parts of the trial, or arrived at the court under the influence of alcohol.” This is not an overstatement. I have personally witnessed this kind of behavior by my fellow members of the bar. As the law secretary to a Judge sitting in a felony trial part in the '70s, I had to blow the whistle on incompetent attorneys by reporting them to the administrators of the indigent defendant assignment panel on more than one occasion. Some of the behavior I reported was bizarre.

These problems notwithstanding, death penalty proponents want to limit appeals and expedite execution. To them it’s all about the expense.

34 states and the U.S. Government have a death penalty. That puts them in a league Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Botswana, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad And Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe. According to Death Penalty Focus, “The vast majority of countries in Western Europe, North America and South America - more than 139 nations worldwide - have abandoned capital punishment in law or in practice.”

Justice Pfeifer’s motivation in speaking out against the death penalty in Ohio may come from a different way reasoning. But, it is surely welcome. Plainly put, murder is wrong. Most countries and most religions believe that. Giving the state the power to kill should not be an exception. The execution of an innocent person is a wrong that can never be undone.

-vh

Get your goat on, Saturday

2012-01-02T09:36:00.002-05:00

Goat workshop to be offered

Learn about raising goats and cooking with goat meat and cheese, and try some free samples at the New Liberty goat workshop Saturday, Jan. 7, from 1-3 p.m. in the basement of the Methodist Church.

Free samples of goat curry, chili, cheese and jerky will be offered. Sign up is required by calling Beth at 768-7240.

Three local goat farmers, Caroline Mullin, Jill Dant and Owen Betts will teach the basics of what is involved in raising goats. Learn about care and feeding, meat and dairy breeds, and more.

Frack Watch

2012-01-01T10:57:00.008-05:00

More earthquake activity in NE Ohio, near fracking operations

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.0 magnitude quake struck yesterday afternoon near Youngstown.

"It was the latest in a series of minor quakes in the area in 2011, MSNBC reported. "Many have struck near an injection well used to dispose of brine water that's a byproduct of oil and gas drilling." According to the report the owner has agreed to stop while the quakes are investigated.

MSNBC: 4.0 earthquake strikes in northeast Ohio

"The Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced the agreement with Northstar Disposal Services LLC on Friday, saying that the wastewater injections were halted as a precaution so that any potential links with earthquakes can be further assessed," the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette reported.

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Brine disposal at injection well halted

Something to think about for the next 365

2012-01-01T08:52:00.005-05:00

A reader, taking note of odd ways New Year is celebrated around the country, has asked me for my opinion. We all know about New York, but how about these celebrations that were highlighted in a recent Writers Almanac she sent along with her query: "Atlanta, Georgia, drops a giant peach. Eastport, Maine, drops a sardine. Ocean City, Maryland, drops a beach ball, and Mobile, Alabama, drops a 600-pound electric Moon Pie. In Tempe, Arizona, a giant tortilla chip descends into a massive bowl of salsa. Brasstown, North Carolina, drops a Plexiglas pyramid containing a live possum; and Key West, Florida, drops an enormous ruby slipper with a drag queen inside it."

"I'm thinking YSO could think of something more emblematic of our fair village than a simple ball," she wrote in a an email yesterday. "See what you think." Of course she means what do you readers think. One day was too short a period of time to ponder and implement anything special. But we have plenty of time to think about next year's celebration. If we can narrow it down, we can conduct a poll.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all, thanks for your support and a reminder to keep your news and announcements coming.

-vh

Here's to a better 2012

2011-12-31T09:11:00.003-05:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Bench to Nowhere: What's in a name..?

2011-12-31T09:07:00.002-05:00

A Cool Town Toon

Senior Center Van Raffle Drawing Tonight

2011-12-30T17:28:00.007-05:00

The drawing for the van that the YS Senior Center has been selling raffle tickets for, for what seems like forever, will take place tonight, Friday, December 30, at the Emporium at about 8:00 p.m. Tickets can still be purchased on the evening of the drawing at the Senior Center.

You do not need to be present to win. Ticket proceeds benefit the programs of the Yellow Springs Senior Center.

The van is a white 2004 Toyota Siena minivan in like-new condition with 43,000 miles. Tickets are $50.00 each.

First prize is the van, second prize is $500.00, and third prize is $100.00.

Only about 230 tickets have been sold, so there is a 3 in 230 chance of winning.

Please help support Senior Center programs by buying a raffle ticket.

Austria bows out of congressional race

2011-12-30T16:44:00.004-05:00

Republican congressman Steve Austria of Beavercreek, who represented residents of Yellow Springs in the 7th Congressional District until the congressional map got chopped up recently, announced on Friday that he will not seek re-election, the Dayton Daily News is reporting. Rather than face popular incumbent Mike Turner or move to another district to run, he decided to save his party a primary.

Dayton Daily News: Congressman Austria won’t seek re-election

Live chickens for sale this Saturday

2011-12-30T14:24:00.000-05:00

Destination Yellow Springs

2011-12-30T08:51:00.004-05:00

Peach's Grill
104 Xenia Ave.
Food, Drink & Fun
Open Daily, 11:30-2:30a
Music Starts at 10
Friday, Soul Rebels ($5)
Sat, Freekbass & Tobotius ($10)
___________________

Emporium Wines
233 Xenia Ave.
Wine Tasting & Live Music
Every Friday at 6:30
December 30 - Larry Halpern w/ Alive & Kicking playing Gershwin's Porgy & Bess
___________________

Little Art Theatre
247 Xenia Ave.
Anonymous
Who was William Shakepeare?
Weekend
An unconventional love story.
Fri, Sat, Sun only

From the Chamber Facebook Page: At least 5 options for live music this evening. Brandeberry, Spirited Goat Coffee, Emporium, Senior Center (Music Camp fund raiser) & Peach's. Follow the link for more details. http://www.yellowspringsohio.org/calendar/

Move on to have Hamilton named state author

2011-12-30T08:42:00.004-05:00

It started at Kent State University and is gaining momentum. Two Kent State profs are urging lawmakers to name Yellow Springs' own Virginia Hamilton as the state's official children's and youth literature author, the blog Twinsburgbulletin.com is reporting.

Twinsburg Bulletin: KSU profs want native Ohioan to be the state children's author

Final poll results

2011-12-29T08:48:00.002-05:00

The water poll is now closed and the final results are in.

79 readers participated and, of the two options, upgrading our present facility or purchasing water from Springfield, upgrading our own water treatment plant won by the narrow margin of five votes (42-37). I think we learned that there is significant interest in the future of the village's water supply and that there is no consensus at this point on how to proceed. The comments to the original post kept coming in during the polling and are probably more interesting than the vote.

You can check out the original post and comments by clicking here.

Writers' Workshop gearing up

2011-12-28T09:35:00.006-05:00

The 2012 Antioch Writers' Workshop will take place on July 7 - 13 of 2012. Registration is now open and the faculty is almost fully in place.

This year's Keynote Speaker is John Grogan - Grogan was a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer when he wrote a column saying goodbye to his incorrigible 13-year-old Labrador retriever, Marley. The story became Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, the book grew into a runaway #1 New York Times bestseller with more than 3 million copies in print in 30 languages and was made into a feature film. Grogan's latest New York Times bestseller is The Longest Trip Home.

One of my favorites, returning to teach morning poetry after a hiatus of a few years, is Jeff Gundy. Jeff is Professor of English at Bluffton University in Ohio, teaching creative writing, poetry and literature. His books include Spoken among the Trees, Walker in the Fog: On Mennonite Writing, Deerflies, Scattering Point: The World in a Mennonite Eye, Rhapsody with Dark Matter, and Flatlands. Jeff has also published poetry in numerous journals, including Exquisite Corpse, Georgia Review, North American Review, Shenandoah, and The Sun. Even if you are not attending the workshop, don't miss Jeff when he participates in the faculty readings, free and open to the public. His poetry is a delight.

For more information on faculty and a menu of programs, feel free to contact Director Sharon Short:

Email: info@antiochwritersworkshop.com
Web: www.antiochwritersworkshop.com
Blog: www.antiochwritersworkshop.blogspot.com

Local woman at Capitol prayer vigil

2011-12-28T09:29:00.005-05:00

Shonda Sneed of Yellow Springs spoke at a prayer vigil in Washington DC, calling on lawmakers to extend benefits for millions of jobless workers, the National Catholic Reporter reported in an article on Dec. 27.

National Catholic Reporter: Vigil calls for extended jobless benefits

Open for Business

2011-12-27T13:42:00.012-05:00

The Drive Thru Buffet

The Drive Thru Buffet opened today in the old KFC building. Owner Don Bowling owned and operated the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) on US 68 at the south end of town for twenty years before he decided to shut it down due to problems with the KFC parent corporation.

"This place was a goldmine," Bowling told the Blog in a Sept., 2009 interview. "People think I shut it down because it was losing money. That couldn't be farther from the truth."

According to Bowling, who owned six other KFCs around the region at the time, the corporation wanted him to make $250,000 in improvements to continue operating the restaurant. He just didn't want to do it, he said. So he shut down and, for more than a year, had been trying to rent the building as something other than a restaurant with no success.

For that one year, Bowling was legally bound by his contract with KFC not to operate on the premises as a restaurant. When the year was up he leased the building to local men Jim Zehner and Carl Moore who tried their hand running CJ's Southern Cooking there. CJ's opened in July, 2010 and closed recently, so Bowling is now back in business at the location as the Drive Thru Buffet.

"It's a shame to have it sitting here vacant," he told the Blog back in 2009.

Fried chicken is on the menu.

-vh

Photo by Virgil Hervey (click on it to enlarge)

Addendum from Mary M Morgan:

Good news for those of us who don't cook (and even some who do): The new restaurant in Yellow Springs, the drive-thru Buffet, opened today, Tuesday, Dec. 27th! The transformed KFC is bright and sparkling with a surprising number of food offerings. The hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. except on January 1 when it will open at 12 noon with a greeting to the New year of a one-day-special of pork and saurkraut. The daily lower lunch price is good until 4 p.m. and in addition there is a further discount to Seniors between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The vegetable beef soup is exceptionally good and the stewed tomatoes need a name as interesting as the dish really is. The original famous KFC seasoning returns the fried chicken to its well earned prestige.

The understaffed Health Department okay has resulted in a wintry opening date. So it is up to villagers to jump in and give the Buffet a boost.

Polling right along...

2011-12-27T09:17:00.003-05:00

With one day left, the water poll continues to draw strong participation.

The poll gadget is located at the top of the sidebar. If you haven't already voted, I hope you will. When I checked this morning, five days into the six-day time limit, 62 readers had participated and of the two options, upgrading our present facility or purchasing water from Springfield, upgrading our own water treatment plant was starting to pull away.

You can check out the original post and comments by clicking here.

The Morning After Christmas

2011-12-26T09:02:00.021-05:00

(An ode to Rumpke)

T'was the morning after Christmas
And in Yellow Springs south
I was the only person
Awake in his house.

When much to my wonder
I heard such roar
I thought the F-16s
Must be flying o'er.

I went to the curb,
Looked down the street
And saw my neighbors' cans
Out in rows so neat.

Skip the recycling,
I thought in a huff.
Quick, get out the cans
With the stinky stuff!

I grabbed all the garbage
From the night before,
The wrapping paper,
Turkey bones and more.

In my pajamas,
I ran to the street,
Put out two cans
And the job was complete.

Back in the house
I pulled up the sash
And looked out the window
On my newly placed trash.

Just then I heard a rumble
And what did I see
But a dirty white truck
With the big red "Rumpke."

The driver got out,
A quite jolly ole elf
Who picked my rubbish
In spite of himself.

Then I heard him exclaim
As he drove down the street,
"I've got work to do
While the rest of you sleep."

-vh

Water Poll indicates strong interest

2011-12-25T09:25:00.013-05:00

From time-to-time the Blog has conducts polls on topics of interest to villagers. At best this is a very unscientific way to sample public opinion. However, taken together with other opportunities for residents to voice their opinions, it does provide an indication of what they are thinking. And, as Village Council Member Karen Wintrow wrote in her comment on the post announcing the poll, it gets the discussion going.

The poll gadget is located at the top of the sidebar. If you haven't already voted, I hope you will participate. When I checked this morning, three days into the six-day time limit, 46 readers had participated and the two options, upgrading our present facility or purchasing water from Springfield, were running neck-and-neck. As I recall, even though the holiday season is one of light traffic on the blog, this is outpacing polls we conducted in the past on uses for the Barr Property and whether the village should have a dog park.

You can check out the original post and comments by clicking here.

Hey, the goose is fat! Merry Christmas!

New Liberty News

2011-12-24T09:23:00.005-05:00

New Liberty will be selling 150 to 250 live meat birds, various sizes from four weeks to finished and ready for processing at the farm on Mosier. One day only: Saturday, Dec 31 at 9 am. Bring your own crates. Call to reserve: 668-2857.

New Liberty WILL be selling their frozen chickens throughout the winter market this year.

GOAT WORKSHOP: COME ONE COME ALL

Thinking about raising goats? Want to sample some delicious recipes?

New Liberty will be presenting the first of six winter workshops on January 7, from 1-3 in the Methodist Church basement. The first workshop is on raising goats.

Three local goat farmers, Caroline Mullin, Jill Dant and Owen Betts will teach the basics of what is involved in raising goats. Learn about care and feeding, meat and dairy breeds, and more. Sample goat chili,curry, cheese and jerky. Leave with a list of area goat producers. Workshop is free but you must register by calling Beth at 768-7240.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T08:45:00.004-05:00

Happy Holidays from the Blog. Thanks for your support throughout the year. We will continue to publish your news and announcements in 2012. And don't forget to take the water poll in the sidebar. Because that's what we do...

Take the Water Poll

2011-12-22T08:13:00.010-05:00

The village is asking residents to weigh in on options for upgrading our water supply. The two main options being discussed are upgrading our current water treatment plant or purchasing water from Springfield. Upgrading is the least expensive option. Purchasing water from Springfield, which would involve the expense of hooking up to their supply, is more expensive, but would provide us with the best water quality in the area. Springfield softens its water.

One way to make your voice heard on this is to take the simple poll in the sidebar. Another way is to post comments to this post concerning these and other options.

The Blog takes no position on this at this time, but notes that our water treatment plant is downstream from our sewage treatment plant.

The gift of library

2011-12-21T13:04:00.002-05:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Found Kitty

2011-12-21T12:47:00.004-05:00

Found today around 12:15 p.m. wandering the streets near the Speedway in downtown YS. Looks clean and cared for, but no collar - is tame and friendly - white with gray spots and a gray tail. If this is your kitten, give Nick Ormes a call at 937.231.1046.

The Backyard Flock: Random notes

2011-12-21T11:35:00.002-05:00

This week we had news that New Liberty Farms was selling off their chickens and getting out of the chicken business to move on to other things. (See here.) This is an excellent opportunity to add a few layers to your backyard flock, or maybe even start one. But, be prepared for dealing with chickens in winter. It ain't easy.

On Facebook, Linda Rudawski wondered what carols she should sing to the chickens on the Antioch Farm when she goes to feed and water them on Christmas Day. This, no doubt, in response to the college's call for folks to care for their flock during the winter break.

This in my email from Laura Van Lehn who recently bolstered her flock with some of those New Liberty Layers:

The chickens are enjoying running amuck. I gave up trying to restrict them for the time being. The white Plymouth Rock hen I call "Wild Hair" made a nest in the horse barn and even tho I picked her up off of it and took her to the hen house and set her down in the nest box, she beat me back out to the barn and hopped on HER nest. I collected her egg at evening feed time. I only collected 11 eggs yesterday.

Had another thing happen yesterday. I collect the eggs generally in a "feed" bucket and leave it outside the hen house on the ground covered with a 5 gal. bucket. I didn't have but a 5 gal bucket yesterday. Shouldn't have been a big deal. I set the bottom of a chicken feeder on top of the bucket, thinking it might rain any minute. I went out later in the afternoon and saw an egg in the lawn about 4' from the hen house. I then noticed the egg bucket on it's side and so I set it up right. I figured a chicken tried to roost on it and knocked it over but I noticed there were several eggs missing. Including the coveted blue egg. Crap! No sign of them anywhere. So one of two things must have happened. A chicken tried to roost, knocking the bucket over, maybe a couple eggs rolled out of the bucket and broke and the chickens rushed over and cleaned up the mess as they quickly do! Leaving no evidence at all! Or, after the bucket fell over, the dog saw the eggs rolling and picked them up and carried them off somewhere. Possibly buried them to become stink bombs this summer when we unsuspectingly find them! lol! I have no idea!

Merging new chickens into your flock in winter is definitely a problem, but it looks like we are going to have a warm and wet one this year.

Speaking about wet, Chickenland is the muckiest I have ever seen it, a great sucking mud hole as I like to call it. Those poor girls...

This being Dec. 21, last night was our longest of the year. Nobody around here wanted to get up, least of all the Blogger. The backyard is so bad, I had to take the dog out front to do her business, after which, she promptly went back to bed. The house birds were still sleeping when I uncovered them, Nicky in his tent and Baby on the swing with her head under her wing. And the chickens... Well, they didn't want to come out when I opened the coops for the day. So, I fed them indoors on the first day of winter. Looks like they will be dining in from now on...

Call for Artists: Mysteries of the Heart

2011-12-21T11:34:00.001-05:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Peace Museum Appeal

2011-12-20T08:29:00.003-05:00

This from Thomas Girvin:

As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dayton International Peace Museum, I am personally committed to raising $500 toward our Peace 240 Campaign to secure the funds necessary to make Dayton’s Peace Museum (the only such museum in the entire country) eligible for state and national grants.

Since most individuals already have plenty of “stuff,” might I humbly suggest that a great and meaningful holiday gift for a peace-loving person would be a membership to the Dayton International Peace Museum. Tax-deductible memberships start at only $25.00 and right now all contributions to the Peace 240 Campaign will be matched by a $10,000 matching grant, so your generosity is effectively doubled!

Click here for details.

Tell them Thomas sent you…. and may peace be with you this holiday season.

Thomas Girvin is the organizer of the annual Screen Peace Film Festival held at the Little Art Theatre.

Scene Around Town: This bird has flown

2011-12-19T12:50:00.005-05:00

What's wrong with this picture?

Each hand in the "Flock of Hands" sculpture by the Train Station is supposed to be paired off with another hand. Recently, your blogger noticed that one of them is missing.

According to Chamber of Commerce Director Karen Wintrow, one of the poles was found laying on the ground one day, apparently snapped off cleanly at its base. Foul play is not suspected. The hand has been recovered and the pole removed by the village crew.

Pictured left is Chamber Director Karen Wintrow holding the severed hand.

Photos by Virgil Hervey

Glen license plates now available

2011-12-19T12:08:00.002-05:00

Support the Glen Helen Nature Preserve with a special license plate

A special license plate benefiting Glen Helen Nature Preserve at Antioch College is now available for those renewing or changing Ohio license plates.

The specialty plate—which costs $25 and includes a $15 donation to the Glen Helen Ecology Institute—features an image of a yellow-bellied sapsucker on a sycamore tree by the late Ohio artist Charley Harper. Purchases can be made online at www.oplates.com/PlateSpecial.aspx.

This offering marks the culmination of an effort that began in 2006 with a petition drive and backing from State Senator Chris Widener (R-Springfield). Harper's artwork was selected through a design contest completed in 2010. In March, the Ohio Legislature approved the design, allowing for production of the plates to begin.

“Every time an Ohio driver purchases a Glen Helen license plate, they will directly support our land conservation and environmental education efforts," according to Nick Boutis, executive director of the Glen Helen Ecology Institute. “Perhaps for the first time, Ohioans can feel good about having a sapsucker on their bumper.”

Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs, Ohio is owned by Antioch College. It is one of the largest and most widely visited private nature preserves in the state. The Glen features over 20 miles of trails, spread across 1,000-acres of woods, waterways, and prairies. The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. The Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center offers residential environmental learning for elementary and middle school children. The Glen Helen Raptor Center rehabilitates hawks, eagles, owls, and falcons, and provides public education programs about these birds of prey.

YSKP Winter/Spring Terms

2011-12-19T09:58:00.002-05:00

photo by Dennie Eagleson

Yellow Springs Kids Playhouse winter/spring term runs from January 9th to May 19th: a new course, West African Drumming will be added to the roster, along with the New Actors Club, Ballet, Modern Dance, Creative Movement, Hip Hop, Kindermusik, Club Glee, Ballroom Dancing and the Fluid Core (gentle dance warm-up exercises). Early bird discount applies before December 26th.

Open House/class registration (with 10% class discount) on January 7 from 2-4:00 at The Playhouse on the Antioch College campus. Information: www.yskp.org or call 767-7800.

YS Anti-fracking group on the radio

2011-12-19T09:44:00.004-05:00

An anti-fracking group based in Yellow Springs has taken its message to eastern Ohio to join protests, and to Texas to speak at conferences, WHIO Radio is reporting.

“There are costs here that aren’t taken into account, that are higher than the money that will be made,” group member and AUM Prof Joe Cronin is quoted as saying.

WHIO Radio: Anti-fracking group centered in Yellow Springs has taken its message on the road

Local Jazz Group gets press

2011-12-18T08:51:00.007-05:00

Larry Halpern's group of area jazz musicians will present selections from "Porgy and Bess" at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 at the Emporium's Friday night wine-tasting. While developing new arrangements for this performance, Halpern trimmed the opera to a suitable size and translated vocal lines into instrumental melodies, the Springfield News-Sun reports. The band includes Halpern (organ), Mike Teckenbrock (flugelhorn), Mark Smarelli (vibraphone), Erik Greiffenhagen (saxophone), Gail Keen (flute) and Lee McKinney (percussion).

Springfield News-Sun: New arrangements highlight ensemble’s ‘Porgy and Bess’