The Yellow Springs News • An Independent source of community news in Yellow Springs, Ohio since 1880

At a special school board meeting Tuesday, Nov. 22, the board approved Jacob “Jay” McGrath, left, to replace district Treasurer Tammy Emrick, who is retiring December 31. The board also named Luisa Bieri Rios to fill a board seat vacated by the resignation of Sylvia Ellison.

School district hires new treasurer, appoints new board member

In a special meeting Tuesday morning, Nov. 22, the Yellow Springs school board approved the hiring of a new district treasurer and the appointment of a new board member.

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Web Features

Village elders reflect on the Black experience, Pt. I

Longtime villagers Frances Smith and Geneva Brisbane reflected on their experiences with racism and segregation during the “Elders Speak” virtual event held last month. The event was sponsored by The 365 Project.
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Extended Coverage | Planning Commission sends Oberer plans to Village Council

At its Tuesday, Nov. 9, regular meeting, held via Zoom, Village Planning Commission approved a conditional use application submitted by Oberer Land Developers to rezone 52.6 acres in southern Yellow Springs to accommodate a 140-unit residential neighborhood.
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Neighbors split on 1,500-acre Kingwood Solar field project

An estimated 300 people crowded into the Expo Center at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Monday evening, Nov. 15, for a public hearing on the proposed 1,500-acre Kingwood Solar field project.
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Arts (archives)

Artist Profile | ‘Mapping the void’ with steel and wood
Somewhere among the heaps of rusty scrap metal and mounds of sawdust in his small garage, local artist and fourth-generation welder Seth Ratliff has honed a craft that’s allowed him to find order in all the chaos.
Chamber Music in Yellow Springs to host Telegraph Quartet
On Sunday, Nov. 21, Chamber Music in Yellow Springs will host the Telegraph Quartet in a hybrid in-person/livestreaming performance at the First Presbyterian Church of Yellow Springs.
Review | The tweedy pastiche of “The French Dispatch”
"It is, after all, both in form and reference, a love letter to The New Yorker and some of its past luminaries."

Village Schools (archives)

Budget deficit forecasted for Village Schools
After finishing the last two fiscal years with revenues higher than expenditures, Yellow Springs school leaders anticipate a return to deficit spending this fiscal year (FY), which ends June 30, 2022, according to the district’s latest five-year financial forecast.
Looking ahead after school levy loss
At a 61%-39% spread, Yellow Springs district voters last week rejected a combined 6.5-mill, 37-year property tax and a 0.5% income tax increase with no end date to build a $35.6 million K–12 school at the location of the current middle/high school on East Enon Road.
Ellison resigns from YS school board
Yellow Springs school board member Sylvia Ellison has resigned, according to a press release from the district on Friday afternoon, Nov. 12.

Economy (archives)

Village to buy Lawson Place apartments
In their regular Nov. 15 meeting, held virtually via Zoom, Village Council approved two measures allowing Village Manager Josué Salmerón to purchase an apartment building located at 10 Lawson Place.
Clifton Crafthouse Co-op set to open in 2022
When completed, the combined taproom, community event space, commercial kitchen and affordable artist residences will work in tandem to support one another.
Planning Commission sends Oberer plans to Village Council
At its Tuesday, Nov. 9, regular meeting, held via Zoom, Village Planning Commission approved a conditional use application submitted by Oberer Land Developers to rezone 52.6 acres in southern Yellow Springs to accommodate a 140-unit residential neighborhood.

Village Life (archives)

2021 Share the Joy holiday tree at the Yellow Springs Community Library
The 2021 Share the Joy holiday tree is now up at the YS Community Library. The tree is an annual community effort for the residents of Yellow Springs and Miami Township who need help at holidays.
Little Thunders — Honoring ancestral brilliance
"The beauty of this time of year reminds me why it is so vital to honor my ancestors by keeping the traditions that have been passed down through the generations, and by keeping alive the skills they passed along."
COVID-19 Update — November 11, 2021
As anticipated, the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, last week recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 pediatric vaccine for children ages 5–11.

Government (archives)

Five Clifton Village Council seats unfilled
Nov. 2 election results that left the Village of Clifton with five of six Village Council seats unfilled for terms beginning Jan. 1 is being attributed to the small number of residents combined with state certification rules for office-seekers.
Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer dies
Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer died unexpectedly Tuesday evening, Nov. 16.
Sgt. Paige Burge named acting chief of YSPD
Village Manager Josué Salmerón has named recently promoted Sgt. Paige Burge as acting chief of the Yellow Springs Police Department until a new full-time chief is appointed.

Obituaries (archives)

James Gerard Alexander
James Gerard Alexander, 90, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, passed in peace on Nov. 16, 2021.
Herbert Calvin Thomas Jr.
Herbert Calvin Thomas Jr., 63, of Urbana, Ohio, died on Nov. 17, 2021, at Maria Joseph Center in Dayton, Ohio.
Grace Ann Thompson
Grace Ann Thompson, 90, passed away on Nov. 13, 2021, in Springfield, Ohio.

Higher Education (archives)

Antioch and YSDC part ways over Wellness Center
Jane Fernandes, President of Antioch College, announced that the college will no longer be working with the Yellow Springs Development Corporation to reopen the Wellness Center.
Wellness Center reopens to Antioch students
After being closed for over 18 months, the Antioch College Wellness Center has now reopened its doors to Antioch students.
Continued coverage— New president takes the helm at Antioch College
On the job since mid-August, Jane Fernandes is the college’s second female president since its founding in 1850 and its third president since reopening in 2011 after a three-year closure.

Sports (archives)

Nov. 4, 2021 — Bulldog Sports Round-Up
Junior Cheyan Sundell-Turner became the first Yellow Springs High School girls cross-country runner since Lois Miller in 2012 to qualify for the state cross-country meet.
Oct. 28, 2021 — Bulldog Sports Round-Up
The Yellow Springs boys soccer team will advance to the semi-final game in the district level of post-season tournament play on Saturday, Oct. 30, after winning its first three contests.
Oct. 21, 2021 — Bulldog Sports Round-Up
The YSHS Boys Soccer team, which is seeded at No. 1 among 25 area teams in post-season play, won its first tournament game, 16–0, Tuesday, Oct. 19, against Middletown Madison.