EDITORIALS

Support for Young’s Dairy is support for Yellow Springs

Yet another major Yellow Springs business is going through a crisis. Young’s Jersey Dairy has been linked to approximately 50 cases of salmonella since Nov. 29. This has hurt the business significantly during the winter season, when ice cream sales are already slow.

Although Dan Young, CEO of Young’s, has cooperated with the Clark County health department’s efforts to track down the origin of the bacteria, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.

We do know this: according to health department officials, all cases of salmonella linked with Young’s have been attributed to one batch of its unpasteurized skim milk, which is a retail product. Apparently, no one has contracted the bacteria from food served in the restaurants. In addition, more than a dozen health inspectors have been investigating Young’s and have not found any signs of salmonella in the past two weeks. Although Young’s had been making its milkshakes with unpasteurized milk, the business will not continue that practice.

The sale of unpasteurized milk is a tradition long associated with Young’s. It was the first product sold at the family farm 50 years ago. Even so, milk sales account for only 1.5 percent of the business’s sales. According to Young, the “vast majority” of unpasteurized milk is sold to local residents. In a sense, it is an alternative health product that Young’s provides. Many firmly believe in the benefits of drinking unpasteurized milk as opposed to pasteurized milk. It would be beneficial for local residents if Young’s continues selling the milk.

Residents should help the dairy through this tough time by making an effort to patronize the business more often than usual. Young’s has obviously done well and expanded in the past decade, but because business is down, it is not immune to economic failure. Young’s has had to lay off some employees, a first in the dairy’s long history. In an interview, Dan Young expressed concern about this, but said that it was better for the employees than having their hours reduced since they can collect unemployment benefits. It was also necessary for the dairy “to survive,” he said.

When we support area businesses, we support our friends and neighbors. We support people we know. The fact that Young’s is located just outside Yellow Springs and doesn’t pay taxes to the village does not diminish the symbiotic relationship between the community and the business. A family-owned business, the dairy has employed many Yellow Springs residents over the years. Young’s has been the site of many gatherings after local swim meets, ball games and concerts. The dairy brings visitors to Yellow Springs, as many people from out of the area come to Young’s once or twice a year and continue on to enjoy the shops in the village.

Dan Young, a sharp and knowledgeable businessman, is vice president of the Board of Trustees of Community Resources, a group interested in improving the Yellow Springs economy. Young’s has contributed to local organizations in many ways, including through its Udder Chaos auctions. In addition, Young’s spends $5,000 to $10,000 a year providing annual college scholarships to its employees.

Yellow Springs has nurtured many locally owned businesses run by conscientious, hard-working people. Young’s is no exception. Our town’s businesses are in need of and deserve our support.

—Karen Gardner

Buckeyes win one for Ohio

Even if you aren’t a football fan, even if you don’t bleed scarlet and gray, even if you don’t know the words to the school’s fight song, it was hard not to be a Buckeyes fan after Ohio State’s stunning victory over Miami last Friday to win the national championship.

All the Buckeyes did was knock off the heavily favored defending national champs and snap the Hurricanes’ 34-game winning streak.

Many have already called it one of the greatest college football games ever played. Classic defensive battle. National championship on the line. Double overtime. Several potential game-ending plays.

Best of all was the way the Buckeyes won. Predicted to get blown out, OSU outhit and outplayed the Hurricanes. While Miami had more talented players than OSU, the Buckeyes were the better team that night.

The Bucks played with discipline, toughness and determination. Led by their outstanding coach, Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes recognized that football, much like life, is a team sport. Mr. Tressel made his players believe that they could beat anybody on any week of the year. Coming into the Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes, and many of their fans, knew they could beat the Hurricanes. It was everybody else in the country who didn’t. On Friday, OSU proved the doubters wrong.

The Buckeyes were Ohio’s team last weekend. This is a victory and a title that belongs to the entire state.

—Robert Mihalek