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3 4 Y E L L OW S P R I N G S , O H I O F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 9, 2 0 2 VO L . 14 4 , NO. 5 2 , 1 2 PAG E S P R I C E : $1.75 Recipient of the Ohio News Media Association NEWSPAPER of the YEAR in its size class, 2011–2022. I N T H I S I S S U E : CALENDAR, LOCAL EVENTS AT THE SENIOR CENTER, AT THE LIBRARY .... 2 IN AND AROUND YELLOW SPRINGS ............. 3 ART AROUND TOWN ................................ 3 COMMUNITY FORUM ............................... 4 VILLAGE LIFE IN REVIEW ........................... 6 IN MEMORIAM ........................................ 8 OBITUARIES, LOCAL MUSIC, SPIRITUAL EVENTS ............................... 9 CLASSIFIEDS ......................................... 10 POL ICE REPORT, COVID-19 UPDATE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LISTINGS ...... 11 ysnews.com CONT INUED ON PAGE 12 CONT INUED ON PAGE 12 CONT INUED ON PAGE 6 CONT INUED ON PAGE 5 HOL IDAY HOURS The News office will be closed Monday, Jan. 1 Next week’s paper will be delivered one day late. SUBMI TTED PHOTO On Friday, May 26, senior Malcolm Blunt leapt to a fourth-place finish at the Division III regional track and field com- petition. By finishing fourth, Blunt earned a spot at the State track meet, where he would go on to win seventh place in the 200-meter dash. SUBMI TTED PHOTO A fire of unknown cause broke out in the northwest-most building at the 52-unit Haw- thorne Place apartment complex early Aug. 12. As a result of the significant damage to one of the eight-unit buildings, and part of another, 11 tenants and families were displaced from their homes. PHOTO BY JESS ICA THOMAS In early spring, Matan Mazursky, left, Angie Hsu and Kumar Jensen opened MAZU in Kieth’s Alley. The vegan restau- rant features Taiwanese, Israeli and South Indian cuisine. CONT INUED ON PAGE 5 Y E L LOW S P R I NG S , 2 023 : T H E Y E A R I N R E V I EW Fire at Hawthorne Apartments Before dawn on Saturday, Aug. 12, a fire erupted at the Hawthorne Place Apart- ments, ultimately displacing 11 families and single tenants. While structural damage to the north- west building at the 52-unit apar tment complex was extensive, the only injury sustained from the fire was a Miami Town- ship Fire-Rescue, or MTFR, first responder who wounded their knee during an eight- hour battle with the blaze, then-Interim Fire Chief Denny Powell told the News in August. Unit 115 — where the fire originated — through unit 122 were all destroyed by the fire and its extinguishing. An additional three units in the adjacent building experi- enced an electrical malfunction as a result of the blaze. All 11 units were subsequently condemned by the state fire marshal. All tenants were safely evacuated and have since been relocated. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, village residents and organizations rallied around the displaced tenants, with nearly $15,000 raised to help those affected by the fire. In the months since, MTFR has worked closely with the state fire marshal, insur- ance companies and Hawthorne Apar t- ments LLC officer Tina Lagos to determine the cause of the blaze. At year’s end, the investigation was still underway. T O P S T O R I E S School levy passes At the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7, Yellow Springs voters approved Issue 12, a com- bined income tax and bond issue. The successfully passed levy will fund a $55 million project that will include renova- tion and new construction at McKinney Middle and Yellow Springs High schools and renovation at Mills Lawn Elementary School. A rebate of about $8.95 million from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commis- sion for a portion of the project is expected within about a decade. The passage of the levy ends several years of work by the school district — often fraught with tension and disagreement amid both the school board and the wider community — to address school facilities upgrades. Two similar levies failed in 2018 and 2021 by fairly large margins — 64% to 36% in 2018, and 61% to 39% in 2021. Fall 2023’s Issue 12 had a narrower margin, passing 52% to 48%. Also in the Nov. 7 election, local residents voted to renew a 1.2-mill schools perma- nent improvement levy, which was last renewed in 2018. Spring Meadows construction begins Infrastructure construction at 402 N. Wright St. — the site of a future major L O C A L S C H O O L S ANT IOCH COL L EGE Restructuring, property sales Antioch College President Jane Fer- nandes announced in February that the college had eliminated nine staff and fac- ulty positions, with plans to restructure an additional eight positions with title changes and salary reductions. The college also reported that department budgets for pro- gramming — including for the Coretta Scott King Center and Herndon Gallery — had been eliminated and that hours for paid, on- campus student jobs were reduced. In August, Antioch College announced that it would list some of its land and build- ings for lease or sale. Property announced as being for sale or lease included the Sontag-Fels building, West Hall and the Kettering Building, as well as two parcels on the corner of Livermore and East North College streets, with a total of 16 parcels and 6.65 acres to become available. In December, the college sold a parcel of land to the YS Senior Center for a new facil- ity to be sited in the future. New initiatives, programming Antioch College of fered community- based learning courses in July and August. Antioch faculty taught many of the courses, with an eye toward “hands-on” engage- ment. Of fered were courses on social enterprise and innovation, environmental literature and oral history methodologies and permaculture design. In September, the Foundry Theater at Antioch College announced that it would host three local artistic groups in residence: aerial dance and theater company Gravity- Works, the World House Choir and Mad River Theater Works. At the same time, newly hired Foundry Theater Director Chris Westhoff instituted the theater’s first season of programming, which includes musical and theater performances. The Coretta Scott King Center at Antioch College hosted and sponsored several work- shops and talks throughout the year, includ- ing the two-day “Getting to the Root” event, which focused on strengthening antiracist efforts, in April; and a two-day workshop centered on the genealogy of Black Civil War veterans of Yellow Springs, in December. Milestones Eighteen graduates crossed the mound at Antioch College during the annual com- mencement ceremony in June. The com- mencement address was given by Minne- apolis, Minnesota-based organizer Oluchi Omeoga, a co-founder of Black Visions and a co-founder and co-executive director of the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project. In fall, the college announced that it was one of 13 small liberal arts colleges that had been awarded $100,000 this year and $75,000 next year to address campus well- ness — particularly mental health. The grant was funded by the New York City- based Endeavor Foundation. THE ANT IOCH SCHOOL Guy Davis headlines benefit The Antioch School held its Scholarship Gala fundraising event at the Foundry Theater in April. Headlining this year’s gala event was Grammy-nominated blues musi- cian Guy Davis. CH I LDREN’ S CENT ER New director takes the helm Aillevrah Turner began the new year as the new director of the YS Community G O V E R N M E N T B U S I N E S S E S & O R G A N I Z A T I O N S T H E A R T S V I L LAGE COUNC I L New fees and tax changes VillageCouncil entered 2023with a straight- forward mission that spurred a number of pieces of legislation throughout the year: to broaden municipal revenue streams and gen- erate more cash for the Village. • In January, Council members began considering vi l lagewide ut i l i ty rate increases. After several meetings and lengthy discussions, Council members approved several ordinances in February that included new rates, which are set to increase steadily over the next five years — 3% per year for electricity, 5% per year for sewer and 8% per year for water. Also that month, Council first heard a pro- posal to change the Village’s reciprocal tax arrangement — that is, the amount of credit granted by the Village for income tax paid to other municipalities from 100% to 50% credit on the Village’s 1.5% income tax rate. Coun- cil approved the change at a March meeting. • In February, Council heard a recom - mendation from then-Planning and Zoning Administrator Denise Swinger and voted affir- matively to raise zoning and permitting fees. • In March, Council unanimously passed an ordinance establishing a fee schedule for the electric vehicle charging station at the John Bryan Community Center. • In April, Council approved an ordi - nance to increase the price of Gaunt Park pool passes for village residents and non- residents alike. The same month, Council approved an ordinance to require itinerant vendors to procure a $35 license to sell their wares for 30 days in Yellow Springs; a one-year license costs $50. • In July, Council approved a resolu - tion to increase rent for the Village-owned Lawson Place apartments. • In November, Council approved an ordinance that revised several municipal income tax provisions — revisions the Vil- lage was required to adopt per Ohio House Bill 33 that was signed into law earlier this year. Also that month, when Council solidified its 2024 budget, Finance Director Amy Kemper told the group that both the Vil- lage’s revenues and expenses for next year have increased from 2023. According to her, revenues have grown as a result of many of the above fee and rate hikes—especially the electric, water and consumer fees, as well as an increase in income tax of $150,000. • In December, Council approved a measure to change the Village’s Utility Round-Up program from “opt-in” to “opt- out,” meaning that utility customers are automatically enrolled in the program, and will see their utility bills “rounded up” to the next highest dollar amount. Other legislation • In January, Council members unani - mously voted in favor of purchasing body- worn cameras for the Yellow Springs Police Department. • In February, Council passed a resolu - tion to adopt the following 2023 Village goals: Suppor t infrastructure and high- quality service; promote affordability bal- anced with quality of life for the well-being of all residents; facilitate the development of affordable and market-rate housing and; achieve a structurally balanced budget. • In March, Council approved an ordi - nance that banned texting while driving in the village. • Council passed a resolution to enter into a contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation to create a $1.8 million multi-modal pathway on Dayton Street. According to a recent update from the Vil- lage, the pathway is now open from Stafford Street to East Enon Road. Crews will return after the first of the year to finish new bump- outs at the intersections of King and Staf- ford streets, as well as at the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail crossing on U.S. 68. •Council members unanimously approved a volunteer policy for those wishing to help with projects on Village-owned property. • In April, Council passed an emergency reading of an ordinance that allowed the Village to join the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council, or SOPEC, and to take the first steps to implement a natural gas aggre- gation program. • Council passed a resolution to autho - rize then Village Manager Josué Salmerón to enter into a contract with Viking Paint- ing, LLC to repaint the municipal water towers for $649,400. • In May, Council unanimously approved a piece of legislation that made duplexes and multifamily homes a conditional use in residential districts. NEW ARR I VAL S Spring • Zoe Bryant, Allison Paul and Marie Hertzler formed Sister Trillium, a nonprofit that aims to extend the life of art supplies through collecting unused supplies and selling them at a discounted rate at the Yellow Springs Farmers’ Market. • Shane Ayrsman and Sarah DeVore opened Tweedle D’s, a cannabis store, on Xenia Avenue. • Angie Hsu, Matan Mazursky and Kumar Jensen opened MAZU restaurant in Kieth’s Alley. The vegan restaurant features a menu influenced by Taiwanese, Israeli and South Indian culture, reflect- ing the cultural backgrounds of the three owners. • Crome Yellow Springs — owned by vil - lage resident Max Crome — held an open house at the business’ newly completed architecture studio in the former First Bap- tist Church building. • Gary and Terry Lawson opened YS Scooter, LLC in Millworks. The business rents access to a fleet of 20 electric scooters for use around the village. Summer • Jessica McGee opened Omnibus, a MI L E S TONE S • One of the oldest established co-ops in town, Yellow Springs Pottery celebrated 50 years as a collective. • In September, Chamber Music in Yellow Springs, or CMYS, kicked of f a season of programming by commemorat- ing its 40th anniversary. Established in 1983, CMYS was founded by a handful of devoted classical music lovers, and 40 years later, remains an all-volunteer enterprise. • The World House Choir, helmed by Director Cathy Roma celebrated 10 years with a concert series held in September at the Foundry Theater. The concert kicked off the Foundry The- ater’s inaugural season of programming, organized by newly hired Foundry Theater Director Chris Westhoff. Following perfor- mances in 2023 were Electric Root’s “The Sound of Black Music,” musical duo Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert, Zoh Amba and Chris Corsano with Evan Miller, and The Mark Lomax Trio. • In November, The YS Public Ar ts & Culture Commission hosted the Vil- lage Inspiration and Design Award cel- ebration for 2023 VIDA recipients at the Herndon Gallery on the Antioch College campus. This year’s awardees were Cath- erine Roma, of The World House Choir, for her contributions in music; visual ar t- ists Deborah Dixon and Pierre Nagley, for their many years of contributions to the ar ts in this community and beyond; and Valerie Blackwell-Truitt, an accom- plished dancer and choreographer and the organizer of the Community Dance and Per formance Ar t show. F I LM • The Yellow Springs Film Festival debuted in October to the fanfare of local film enthusiasts at the Little Art Theatre, with special events at the Foundry Theater and Crome Architecture. The lineup for the inaugural festival included documentaries, full-length narrative films and a collec- tion of shorts, as well as an appearance In honor of beloved community member Marco “De Ohio” Comegys, who died unexpectedly on April 21, a day-long celebration was staged throughout the village on May 19. In the early afternoon, hundreds of villagers, family members and friends from all over the world turned out for a memorial service in the South Gym at the Wellness Center. From there, New Orleans-based Soul Rebels led an upbeat musical parade through the streets of downtown Yellow Springs. The proces- sion, traditionally known as a “second line,” gave those mourn- ing Comegys a jubilant respite. Clad in Mardi Gras colors, frilly boas and polychromatic parasols, hundreds of marchers strutted their stuff behind the jazzy brass ensemble. It was truly Marco Comegys Day — officially so, as decreed by Mayor Pam Conine in a proclamation. PHOTO BY RE I L LY DIXON Marco Day, Ohio