Mike Montgomery didn’t plan to be the kind of executive director who stays behind a desk.

“I’m involved in everything,” he said. “I don’t have that corporate structure of a lot of my peers.”

This week, after more than eight years leading the nonprofit Friends Care Community, Montgomery is stepping out from behind the desk one last time, officially retiring from the position Friday, Jan. 9. In speaking with the News last month, he said he had expected to stay in the position “maybe a couple more years,” but that illness within his family has pulled the timeline forward.

“The board has enabled me to retire earlier than I had planned,” he said.

Montgomery’s departure from Friends Care comes during a time when long-term care is getting more expensive to operate, harder to staff and, he said, more dominated by corporations that can centralize services and spread costs.

“Especially on the for-profit side [of long-term care], many of them own not just four or five buildings in Dayton, but maybe 45 buildings in eight or nine states,” he said. “That’s one reason I wanted to be here; I prefer the independence that we have here.”

In his time at the helm of Friends Care, Montgomery said he’s learned that independence can protect something hard to measure: a facility’s ability to respond to the people who live and work there, rather than directives from far away.

“In other places, you might have somebody who comes up with something simple, like menu plans, and they’re out in New York; that might be great food for New York, but, you know, we’re meat and potatoes people here,” he said. “Dictates from outside the community just don’t work.”

As it happens, during his first years as executive director at Friends Care — a position he came into in 2017 after 13 years at the nonprofit, faith-based Grace Brethren Village, in Dayton — food service for residents was one of a number of issues Montgomery tackled to help boost morale for both residents and staff members. In addition to bringing food service back in-house to improve meal quality, Montgomery also worked to stabilize staff levels and hired more permanent staff, as well as overseeing feasibility studies for future expansion and spearheading renovation of the facility’s front entrance to make it more welcoming to visitors.

He also promoted longtime Friends Care employee Hannah Moorman early in his tenure, and for much of his time at Friends Care, she has been one of his closest operational partners. Moorman has been at Friends Care for 13 years, beginning as a licensed practical nurse before moving to management positions. After she received her registered nurse licensure, Moorman said, Montgomery hired her as director of nursing within a few months of his becoming executive director.

“He did not know me from Adam,” Moorman said. “He just said, ‘I see something in you, and I think you could do great things, and you’ve got the heart for long-term care.’”

Moorman said that her position and Montgomery’s have been complementary, and as such, she’s learned a lot from his people-first style of administration — an approach she said she shares — and that both jobs require “a lot of patience.”

“And he has taught me that you don’t have to know everything, and it’s OK to ask questions,” she said. “When there were times I felt like I failed, he told me it’s part of the process and lessons will be learned every day. He allowed me to be able to grow and learn. Keeping residents at the center, which is what I have always done — he’s done that as well.”

Working to maintain a staff who keep residents at the center of their approach has been a consistent during his tenure, Montgomery said, even as wage increases haven’t been matched by comparable increases in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements from the state and federal governments. Though Friends Care has kept on board a number of long-term employees, like Moorman, the rising difficulty of retaining a full staff has been “the biggest change” during his time at the helm.

“In the past, I would always do wage studies against other facilities; now I have to do them against Walmart, against McDonald’s, because everybody’s competing for the same employees,” he said. “Ever since COVID, staffing has been hard.”

Montgomery cited the pandemic as the defining challenge of his career with Friends Care. Though he said protecting the organization’s resident-centered mission while keeping it financially stable in an industry that increasingly rewards scale and revenue has always been part of the job, the pandemic years brought that work into sharp relief, while also presenting a host of other hurdles. He credited Friends Care’s board, which by design draws representation both from Quakers and the broader village population, with helping the facility eventually clear that hurdle.

“We had no COVID cases [during lockdown] for our residents, but some of our staff members had COVID,” he said. “[The board] said, ‘We don’t have to fill a bed if we don’t have the staff’ — if we had been on the for-profit side, they would have wanted the revenue in here from a filled bed.”

Moorman said Friends Care’s goal during COVID was to keep residents safe, and that both she and Montgomery stood firm behind that goal.

“It made us one of the last 64 facilities in the country to get COVID,” she said. “We didn’t lose people to COVID.”

Though Montgomery said he looks back on the worst of the pandemic with a sense of pride at keeping residents safe, when he was in the thick of it, it was one of the most difficult times of his life.

“I’d always loved this work,” he said. “And then once COVID hit, I felt like I became a police officer: ‘You can’t come in the building. Are you wearing your mask? Do you have your vaccines? Did you wash your hands?’”

And though staffing and supply shortages were part and parcel of the pandemic experience, he said, the most painful task was telling families they couldn’t come visit their loved ones.

“One of my hardest days was the visitor ban,” he said. “That was my worst day, because I had to tell people, ‘You’re not allowed to see your mom.’ That’s not what I signed up to do.”

And yet, he said, those same months deepened his connection to the residents and staff. With families kept out and staff stretched thin, he said, the work became more personal — sometimes literally, as staff stepped into roles outside their usual duties.

“I really got close to our residents, because I was out passing out meals and helping on the floor,” he said. “We became their family.”

He pointed to a tradition he said reflects Friends Care’s culture: “When somebody passes away, here, they do what’s called the ‘walk of honor.’ All our staff line the halls. And especially during COVID, because I got so close to them, when they passed, it really hit home — not that it didn’t before, but by that point, I was their family; it was the same with all the staff, not just me.”

Montgomery’s respect and visibility are also what Friends Care board members say they’ve heard about, consistently, from residents, families and staff. Diane Chiddister, the longest-serving current board member, said Montgomery’s approach has been defined by “a lot of caring and attention and the Quaker value of respect for the individual.” She said residents have noticed that he has been present on the campus and willing to listen.

“That wasn’t always the case with previous directors,” she said. “Respect for residents and staff is just Mike’s style.”

Kristine Hofstra, who joined the Friends Care board in October 2024, said Montgomery has been “passionate about the care of the residents and really keeping morale up within the staff, making them feel supported.”

With Montgomery’s departure, Friends Care will move into an intentional transition period. An interim executive director is set to take over from Montgomery temporarily; Chiddister said the interim director was recommended by AQORD, a senior services network created through a merger between the former Mennonite MHS Association and the Quaker friends Services Alliance, and that the board will launch a search for a permanent replacement during the interim period. Hofstra added that the board hopes the interim director will “bring a fresh perspective” and help the board “hone a solid strategic plan.”

“When you’re used to how things have been run, and especially if they’ve been run well, it can be difficult to hear new ideas, but I think it will open up new energy,” she said. “It’s hard to see Mike go, but we’re optimistic about the future.”

Moorman agreed: “I think working with someone that I don’t have a relationship with yet and fresh eyes is going to be a really good thing for us — and good for me,” she said.

Moorman’s role during the transition is also shifting. Last year, she stepped down as director of nursing to complete the residency required for state licensure as an administrator, and she said she will work closely with the interim executive director during the final months of that program. At present, her title is assistant director of nursing, and the former assistant director has stepped into Moorman’s former role as director.

Ultimately, Moorman said she aims to apply for the executive director position once the board launches its search, though she pointed out that following in Montgomery’s footsteps is by no means a foregone conclusion.

“The board wants to do their due diligence,” she said. “I’ve never been an executive director before, which I respect. … But there isn’t really anything in this building that I’ve not done.”

Looking ahead at retirement, Montgomery said he and his wife plan to spend part of each coming year in Florida, where his wife’s father lives.

“He’s a snowbird, so we’ll come back up here and he’ll live with us during the warm months,” he said.

And though he doesn’t intend to return to a full-time position, because Montgomery maintains his administrative license, he said there’s the possibility that he might serve temporarily as an interim director at another long-term care facility in the future.

“But honestly, I feel I’m at a place where I’m OK with retirement — I think I’m ready,” he said. “I think I’ll spend some time being a kid again, playing golf and softball and running marathons.”

As he prepared for his final day at Friends Care, transferring login credentials and accounts out of his name, Montgomery described it as the kind of place he wants to see thriving — and still independent — a decade, two decades from now.

“If you value what Friends offers you here,” he said, “start supporting us now.”

And he said he knows what he’ll miss most: “I’ll miss the people. Without a doubt.”

The News will follow-up with board members on more of what’s ahead for Friends Care in a future issue of the News.

This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed Monday, Jan. 19. The 2026 theme is “MLK: Man of Action.”

The annual march through downtown, which was scheduled to step off at about 9:45 a.m., has been cancelled due to chilly temperatures in the forecast. The indoor MLK Day programming will continue as planned at 11 a.m. in the Bryan Center gymnasium.

The program will include musical selections from the World House Choir; focusing remarks by Kevin Powell, journalist, activist and filmmaker; essays by Yellow Springs youth; the awarding of the 2026 YS Peacemaker Prize; and spoken word and dance performances. A soup lunch will follow at 12:30 p.m.

At 3 p.m., an open mic for words and/or music inspired by MLK, will be held at the Coretta Scott King Center, 781 Livermore St.

Contributions to support the day’s activities may be made at the365projectys.org. For more information, email the365projectys@gmail.com

(NOTE: Owing to the holiday, the News will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19, and as a result, next week’s paper will be delivered a day late.)

Yellow Springs Senior Center leaders are eyeing the former lumber yard at 108 Cliff St. as a potential site for the organization’s long-planned new building — a possible shift away from a Livermore Street parcel the Senior Center purchased two years ago.

As the News reported in December 2023, Yellow Springs Senior Citizens, Inc. bought a $300,000, half-acre lot from Antioch College at the corner of Livermore and East North College streets, with the aim of building a new facility to replace the current split-level center at 227 Xenia Ave.

The Cliff Street property — a 1940 industrial building that formerly housed a series of lumber companies — was purchased in 2021 by Massies Creek Ventures, whose owners, at the time, aimed to transform the building into a public market and eatery. Massies Creek Ventures cleared and renovated parts of the site, removed asbestos siding and commissioned architectural renderings; however, the property returned to the market in mid-2024 with an asking price of $1.27 million.

The possible change in course for the Senior Center was shared with the center’s 710 members in a late-December newsletter. Executive Director Caroline Mullin wrote in the newsletter that the Senior Center’s board of trustees had “been working to pivot and consider an alternative location for [the] new facility” as part of a “thoughtful process including bringing many experts into the dialogue.”

In speaking with the News this month, Mullin said the Cliff Street property came into focus during conversations about what residents want the new facility to be — and where they want it to be.

“The only detraction we were getting as feedback from people [on the Livermore site] was that we’d be leaving downtown,” Mullin said.

A member of the feasibility group for the planned new building pointed toward Cliff Street as an option, Mullin said, and Senior Center leadership moved quickly to give the site an initial assessment.

“Within 10 days, we had a crew of 12 people walk through [the Cliff Street] property, including our architect,” she said. “And we’re comfortable that it would fit our needs, and the perception is that it would still be downtown.”

She emphasized, however, that the Cliff Street option is still only a possibility.

“It’s still up in the air, and there’s no contract on it,” Mullin said.

Thus far, the Senior Center has worked with Dayton-based LWC Architecture to complete a feasibility study, assessing the nonprofit’s ability to raise capital for the project, and a space usage study, identifying the ideal space needed for current and future operations. According to Mullin, the Cliff Street property’s 11,000 square feet — about three times the current building’s 3,7000 square feet — would fit the bill.

“We’re pretty clear that we need 11,000 square feet,” Mullin said.

The current Senior Center building on Xenia Avenue, purchased to house the center in 1978, presents a number of logistical challenges daily, Mullin said. The Senior Center hosts a wealth of programming within its doors each week, including a number of classes, meeting and discussion groups, weekly meals, public performances and the monthly “Village Voices” speaker series. The majority of scheduled programs are held within two classrooms, Mullin said, which often means a quick turnaround between events, as well as a limit on how many programs can be held throughout the day.

And as a result of the building’s layout, she said, staff, volunteers and members sometimes must pass through other in-use rooms in order to get to the kitchen or storage, and parking close to the Senior Center remains a challenge for those attending programming, even with a few dedicated accessible spots nearby. Mullin also added that accessibility within the building is not ideal: Because the building is split-level, those who use mobility devices must use an outdoor ramp to move between the levels of the building

“It’s not unusual to have 80 people in and out of our building in a day,” Mullin said, adding that the center has had to turn down program ideas because there isn’t room to host them.

“And we also want to have more of a lounge area,” she said. “We don’t have enough space for people to just socialize.”

In addition to location and size, one of the Cliff Street site’s potential advantages is that it may allow the Senior Center to build in phases — a concept Mullin said emerged in the feasibility study as a way to keep moving even if the full project cost can’t be raised all at once; a firm cost for the project hasn’t yet been tallied, but Mullin said an early estimate is around $7 million.

“And the space on Cliff street would allow us to maybe just do the east end of the building, and then remodel the rest later,” she said. “If it’s a phased project, we would have the ability to maybe get started with $3 million, and then over time, get the momentum to finish.”

Mullin said the Senior Center has raised over $250,000 for the building project during its “silent phase” of fundraising, and expects assets from the sale of the current building to contribute to about 15% of the overall cost of the new building project.

Mullin added that both potential sites for the new Senior Center — the Cliff Street property and the Livermore Street land near Antioch College the nonprofit already owns — offer potential advantages for the center’s future: The Cliff Street site, positioned along the bike path, could open up new possibilities for how the center feels and functions, including outdoor space that invites passersby in. Livermore Street, for its part, would offer the freedom to design without the existing constraints of an older structure.

“We’ll be fine in either situation,” Mullin said, adding that a decision on which site to pursue will likely be made within the next two months.

“We don’t want to take so long to make a decision that everything stalls.”

No matter which location the board ultimately chooses, Mullin said the Senior Center’s mission remains the same, as does the invitation to the broader community to be part of it. Membership and programming are open to people of all ages, and the membership fee is $25 per year.

In the meantime, the Senior Center just finished up its annual appeal, raising more than $95,000 for operations after setting a $91,000 goal. Mullin noted that the goal for the appeal was originally set at $90,000 in honor of local resident Donna Denman, following the publication of “Living healthy at 90 and beyond,” a Scientific American profile on Denman penned by Neenah Ellis and featuring photos by Dennie Eagleson.

“And when I told [Donna] that our goal was $90,000, she said, ‘Well, I’m 91 now, so let’s make it $91,000,’” Mullin said. “So we want to thank the community, in as many ways as possible, for helping us exceed our goal.”

• In January, YS Schools joined a growing list of school districts that signed onto a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Ohio’s expanded EdChoice voucher system, which allows state tax dollars to follow students to private schools that face fewer regulations than public districts. The lawsuit was filed in 2022 by Vouchers Hurt Ohio, a coalition representing about half of the state’s school districts; the lawsuit contends that public funds should not be used to subsidize private school tuition. The case advanced in June when Judge Jaiza Page issued a summary judgment declaring the EdChoice program unconstitutional, citing Ohio’s constitutional mandate to fund a “thorough and efficient system of common schools” and its historical rejection of directing public money to religious schools. Judge Page’s ruling was stayed, allowing the EdChoice program to continue operating as Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appealed the ruling; the lawsuit is currently before the Ohio Court of Appeals and is expected to land before the Ohio Supreme Court.

• In January and February, the school board approved two censures against board member Amy Magnus related to explicit language directed at Superintendent Terri Holden and the sharing of confidential legal correspondence on social media. The initial censure followed a public apology from Magnus.

• In March, Superintendent Terri Holden announced her retirement effective May 2026, concluding seven years leading the district through pandemic disruptions, strategic planning and the launch of its facilities upgrade project. The school board unanimously accepted her notice, expressing gratitude, and approved a succession plan naming Megan Winston, then principal of Mills Lawn Elementary, as interim assistant superintendent and eventual superintendent.

• At an April meeting, the school board reviewed potential federal and state funding impacts, including a U.S. Department of Education Title VI compliance certification required to continue receiving federal aid. The mandate — which was tied to a letter asserting that diversity, equity and
inclusion efforts may violate civil rights law — placed the district in a difficult position; as Holden pointed out, signing the certification would maintain federal funding, but she held concerns that were “professional, moral and ethical about what message the certification sends.” Board members also discussed Ohio House Bill 96 — the state’s then-pending budget bill — which altered school funding formulas, expanded private school vouchers and proposed limits on district cash reserves, raising concerns about long-term fiscal stability and planning.

• In May, district leaders pushed back against HB 96, warning that the proposed state budget would deepen inequities in public school funding. As the Ohio Senate began hearings, district leaders urged Sen. Kyle Koehler, of Ohio District 10, serving Clark, Clinton and Greene counties, to oppose provisions underfunding schools and capping operating fund carryover at 30%. They argued that the bill would discourage responsible saving and likely force more frequent property tax levies.

• As the 2024–25 school year neared its end, the school board used its May 8 meeting to recognize a wave of retirements and introduce new district leaders. Retiring educators and staff included Nancy Bussey, Jody Chick, Julie Cosler, Linnea Denman, Dee Ann Holly, Jane Jako and Shawna Welch, with longtime teacher and School Forest adviser John Day also entering retirement but planning to return next year. The board also welcomed incoming Mills Lawn Principal Becca Huber and new special education supervisor Joseph Bachman.

• Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s two-year state budget June 30 and issued 67 line-item vetoes that shielded Yellow Springs Schools and other districts from sweeping funding changes. School leaders welcomed the vetoes, but noted that lawmakers could still attempt overrides. In July, school board members drafted a joint statement urging state lawmakers not to override DeWine’s vetoes of school-related budget provisions.

• The Mills Lawn PTO expanded its annual back-to-school supply drive this summer, continuing to provide free supplies for families in need and adding a bulk-order option for elementary families. For the first time, donated supplies also supported students at the middle school.

• Sean Herbert took on the role of athletic director for Yellow Springs Schools in August, bringing more than a decade of experience as an educator and coach. Herbert outlined plans to strengthen feeder programs, expand community engagement — including a new senior VIP pass — and build middle school athletics.

• In September, the school board discussed renaming McKinney Middle School and YS High School to YS Middle and High School, citing the unified 7–12 — soon 5–12 — East Enon Road campus and a single state identifier number with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. The board ultimately voted in October to approve the name change, while preserving the legacy of Ed McKinney, for whom the middle school was named, by naming the school’s upcoming new grades 5–8 wing in his honor.

• John Gudgel was honored in October for 45 years of service to YS Schools, recognized by district leaders for a career spanning roles as teacher, counselor, principal and coach, as well as being a Class of 1975 alumnus. His colleagues lauded his legacy of warm mentorship and quiet advocacy, noting his influence on generations of students and families throughout the community.

• Live daily broadcasts returned to Mills Lawn Elementary in September with the revival of Bulldog News, airing each school morning for the first time since 2020. Led by STEM teacher Megan Bachman, who applied for grant funding to update the program’s equipment, rotating teams of sixth graders serve as anchors and technical crew, delivering important news to their fellow students.

• YS Schools reviewed its annual State of the Schools in the fall, reporting that the district earned a 4.5-star rating on the Ohio Schools Report Card, with strong marks in growth, graduation and gap closing. The district received weaker results in early literacy, as well as the state’s newly scored college, career and workforce readiness measure. District leaders criticized the new metric’s timing and criteria while outlining steps already underway to improve future scores.

• In a late October work session, district leaders warned that a slate of state bills advancing in Columbus could further strain local school funding. House Bills 186, 335, 129 and 309, they said, would restrict key property tax tools as state support continues to lag inflation, and the Fair School Funding Plan remains underfunded. Treasurer Jacob McGrath and Superintendent Holden urged residents to contact legislators, cautioning that schools could face more frequent levies or cuts to district services.

• In November, the school board moved to sharpen its focus on state and federal legislation, approving a second legislative liaison amid a surge of bills affecting schools. Superintendent Holden outlined dozens of Ohio proposals and potential impacts from the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

• In December, YS Schools announced the launch of a voluntary capital campaign to support locally funded elements of the district’s ongoing facilities upgrades at Mills Lawn and the middle and high school campus. Superintendent Holden said the campaign was prompted by construction-related aspects not covered by state or levy funding. The campaign focuses on enhancements such as auditorium seating and equipment, with optional naming opportunities.

• The YS school board closed the year by recognizing the retirement of longtime and beloved Mills Lawn music teacher JoFrannye Reichert, following a performance by the YS High School choir. Reichert retired after 21 years with the district, during which she was a champion of cross-curricular music education and community performances, including flash mobs and all-school musicals.

Antioch College

• In January, the News reported that the  Higher Learning Commission had assigned Antioch College a financial distress designation two months prior, citing a 2023 audit that raised concerns about declining net assets and the college’s ability to continue as a going concern. Antioch President Jane Fernandes said the designation was expected and reflected ongoing financial challenges the college had begun addressing through staff reductions and its Social Enterprise and Enrollment Plan. In May, the HLC lifted the designation, affirming Antioch’s accreditation while identifying enrollment, revenue diversification and long-term financial monitoring as areas requiring continued attention ahead of a 2026 reaccreditation review.

• In mid-February, Antioch College’s Coretta Scott King Center for Cultural and Intellectual Freedom held a Global Racial and Social Justice Summit titled “Another World is Possible.” The four-day event brought together students, scholars, artists and activists for more than 30 workshops, panels, screenings and performances addressing anti-racism, nonviolence, education equity, community organizing and transgender rights. Center Director Queen Meccasia Zabriskie said the summit aimed to build collective strategies for social change through shared research, art and activism.

• In May, Antioch hosted alumnus Niko Kowell as part of its “Conversations with Social Entrepreneurs” series. Kowell discussed founding Narwhal Divers, which creates affirming, safer scuba diving spaces for trans and queer communities while educating the broader dive industry.

• After the U.S. Department of Labor moved in late May to suspend the national Job Corps program, Antioch College intervened locally, offering housing, jobs and academic pathways to 11 displaced students. The college enrolled the students in a summer bridge program, integrating them into campus life amid national uncertainty over the future of Job Corps.

• Antioch College marked multiple milestones at its June 21 commencement, graduating a class of 15 as the school celebrated 15 years since its reopening and its 175th anniversary. Civil rights leader William Barber II delivered the address, drawing historical resonance with Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke at Antioch in 1965.

• Muse Machine’s Summer Institute for Educators was held in Yellow Springs for the first time in July, with the Foundry Theater at Antioch College hosting the four-day program focused on folk arts and storytelling. Dozens of regional educators explored music, movement and narrative as classroom tools through hands-on workshops led by local artists.

• Antioch College began the 2025–2026 academic year with 115 degree-seeking students, down slightly from last fall, though the incoming class nearly doubled to 42.

The Antioch School

In April, The Antioch School replaced its annual gala with a Spring Community Celebration, which marked the successful purchase of 5.3 acres to permanently house its Forest Kindergarten program. The land purchase was made possible by more than 70 donors; the celebration honored the late Peggy Erskine, whose early gift helped secure the property for outdoor education in perpetuity.

 

Antioch University

In August, Lori Varlotta began her tenure as president of Antioch University by meeting with local and regional leaders and outlining potential new directions for the Antioch Midwest campus. She discussed possible partnerships, including expanded health and wellness programming and shared use of campus space, and described the university’s role in the Coalition for the Common Good. Varlotta also signaled interest in exploring renewed academic pathways with Antioch College.

Village Council & Administration

January

• Village Council authorized wage increases for Village Manager Johnnie Burns and Village Clerk Judy Kintner by 3.5%.

• Aaron Arellano was hired as the Village’s planning and economic development coordinator.

• Council agreed to contribute $1,000 to The 365 Project for the group’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities in Yellow Springs.

• Council voted to repeal the Gateway Overlay District — three regions on the fringes of municipal boundaries with limitations on what could be built there.

• Council supported the designation of the Buckeye Trail as a National Scenic Trail.

February

• Council repealed a 2018 economic development incentive policy that Village Solicitor Amy Blankenship believed unnecessarily complicated the process of new businesses, developments or nonprofits setting up shop in Yellow Springs.

• The Village of Yellow Springs announced that it received $176,246 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to continue the yearslong work of replacing aging water lines throughout the village.

• The Village launched CivicPlus, a nonemergency notification service for the municipality.

• Village crews responded to a rash of water main breaks throughout town.

March

• In his 2024 end-of-year report, Water Superintendent Brad Ault told Council that the Village plant last year treated 115 million gallons, but billed for 79 million, a 31% loss. At the time, the department was unable to account for that water — specifically, where it came from.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize  Manager Burns to enter into a contract with Springboro-based law firm Smith, Meier & Webb, LPA to provide prosecution services for the Village.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize Burns to apply for a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to build a sidewalk along Fairfield Road.

April

• Elyse Giardullo, who would later be named assistant Village manager, led a goal-setting special Village Council meeting. The most salient goals outlined in the meeting included shoring up communication between Village staff and elected officials, renewing efforts to build a municipal broadband network. Reviewing the Village’s sidewalk policy, updating the Active Transportation plan and retaining existing and bringing in new businesses.

• Council approved a measure to eliminate hybrid meeting participation — specifically for citizens wishing to provide community comment via Zoom. 

• Burns apprised Council of his reception of a general need plan for the Village’s water reclamation plant and Bryan lift station — one that noted that the Village is currently at 60%–70% of its design capacity, and that the Ohio EPA will manage a capacity study to be completed when the Village reaches 80% of its design capacity threshold.

May

• Manager Burns sought Council’s approval of a supplemental appropriation of $217,876 to repair critically malfunctioning mechanical issues in the Bryan Center.

• Council approved a resolution that repealed a  2017 resolution that had codified a refusal to “annex or extend utilities to any properties outside of the current municipal limits.”

• Council passed a resolution that urged the restoration of the Ohio Housing Trust Fund in the Ohio budget, and expressed support for Home, Inc.’s Cascades apartment project.

• Council approved a $600 grant to the Porchfest committee in support of the event’s revival.

June

• Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber implicated several former Village officials in a finding for recovery of nearly $20,000, which had accrued as a consequence of the Village’s failure to pay federal tax withholdings on time for 2023. Former Finance Director Matt Dillon, former Village Manager Josue Salmeron and another former Finance Director Amy Kemper were also listed in the state audit.

• Council agreed to extend its offer of $113,00 to Tecumseh Land Trust to support its efforts to conserve a 185-acre farm west of town.

• Council approved a resolution that “encourages marching louder, celebrating bolder and standing stronger on June 28” — Yellow Springs’ villagewide Pride celebration.

Council held a special work session that considered population and geographical growth in Yellow Springs.

• The Village contracted M&L Tree Services and Lawncare for $95,000 to clear trees around utility lines.

• The Village launched its own app — YSConnect, a non-emergency alert and notification system.

July

• The Village set forth a new lease agreement between it and the Chamber of Commerce for continued occupancy of the train station building. The new agreement established the terms of repayment for incurred missed rents — $16,050 due over the following 10 months — and a new monthly rent for the Chamber — $350 per month.

• Village Manager Johnnie Burns and public works crew members Lane Dykman, Alex Kraus and Ben Sparks participated in the Light Up Navajo initiative — bringing electricity to reservation homes that previously went without power.

Council amended a contract with Manager Burns to allow for a $300 vehicle allowance per pay period.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize Burns to renew health insurance for Village employees — specifically, a plan with Anthem BC/BS beginning Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2026.

• From July 21–31, the Village conducted a lottery for a rental unit in the Village-owned Lawson Place apartments. By moving forward with a selected tenant, the Village filled the apartment complex to full occupancy for the first time since the Village purchased the property.

August

• Council authorized Burns to contract with Standard Insurance Company for Village employees’ life insurance benefits.

• On Aug. 9, the Village public works crew and police department joined forces with Miami Township Fire and Rescue for the annual Touch-A-Truck event, giving children of all ages a chance to explore municipal equipment and vehicles.

• Council authorized Burns to apply for a $250,000 grant from the Greene County Board of Commissioners — funding assistance for the construction of public restroom facilities in the downtown business corridor.

• On Aug. 20, Village Council and staff met for a work session to discuss and learn more about tax increment financing and community reinvestment areas as economic development tools that the Village could wield to encourage future housing and business development.

September

• Village Project Lead Elyse Giardullo continued her role, but was promoted by title to assistant Village manager.

• At the group’s Sept. 9 meeting, Planning Commission members approved several “housekeeping” measures — as described by Planning and Zoning Director Meg Leatherman — to clarify and specify otherwise confusing language in the Village zoning code. What died on the table, however, was an amendment to the code to undo language that prohibits transient guest lodgings from being 500 feet away from one another, as measured by property line to property line. Commissioner Zaremsky sought to measure that distance along the roadways.

• In the wake of controversial right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, Village Council members mused: For whom should the municipal flag be lowered?

• Council voted to authorize Manager Burns to prepare and submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission’s state capital improvement program and/or the local transportation improvement program to improve the infrastructure along Fairfield Pike.

• Council voted to authorize the removal of defunct and uncollectible utility account balances from 2021 from the Village’s systems.

• On Sept. 24, public works staff participated in American Municipal Power’s  bucket rescue and pole rope rescue training.

October

• Council crafted a new American flag-lowering policy, whereby Council president and vice president are authorized to confer with the Village manager to make decisions regarding any order to fly the municipal flag at half-staff.

Council members held several budget-related work sessions throughout the month. Those sessions began with a projected 2026 municipal deficit of $512,000.

• Council approved a resolution honoring the legacy of Wheeling Gaunt and approved the annual distribution of flour and sugar to the village’s widows and widowers.

• Council approved Planning Commission’s recommended “housekeeping” code amendments.

• Digital Media Manager Ben Guenther earned his Part 107 certification, allowing him to operate a drone for official Village purposes.

• Assistant Village Manager Elyse Giardullo concluded the Village’s community survey on the closure of Short Street (see “Top Stories” for more). The survey garnered 969 individual responses — 47% respondents said “yes” to making the pedestrian-only space permanent, 42% said “no” and 11% were unsure.

November

• Council approved a villagewide moratorium on the issuance of all use, zoning, building permits and certificates of occupancy for all new smoke shop businesses for a period of 180 days — a timeframe that began Nov. 3.

• Council authorized the release of $113,000 in grant funds from the Village’s greenspace fund to Tecumseh Land Trust.

Council approved a piece of legislation that authorized a tax increment financing agreement for local developer Iron Table Holdings’ redevelopment and renovation of Union Schoolhouse, where 91.3 WYSO plans to headquarter its operations permanently in the coming months. In lieu of paying real property taxes to the county, Iron Table Holdings will make commensurate service payments into a newly established Village fund — “a public improvement tax infringement equivalent fund” — that will generate revenue for public infrastructure improvements around the former schoolhouse.

• Council approved an ordinance that established a community reinvestment area that overlays the entirety of municipal limits, allowing the Village to issue tax abatements to developers on a case-by-case basis.

• Planning and Economic Development Director Meg Leatherman submitted her resignation; the Village has engaged a private contractor to act in Leatherman’s stead while the Village seeks her permanent replacement.

December

• Council approved the 2026 budget with a projected deficit of $558,100, with municipal expenses expected to outpace revenues. Village Finance Director Michelle Robinson told Council that the Village continues to maintain “strong” cash reserves, with the Village expected to end the coming year with more than $4 million in the general fund.

• Council approved a resolution that increases the wage scale for Village employees by 3%. Additionally, that resolution authorized Manager Burns to approve merit-based wage increases for eligible Village employees based on annual performance evaluations in amounts not to exceed 5% annually.

• Council approved a resolution to increase Burns’ salary by 6% and the Village clerk’s salary by 3%.

• Council approved a resolution that authorizes Burns to enter into a contract with Hocking Athens Perry Community Actions and Barons Bus for GoBus Services — paving the way for a future bus stop in downtown Yellow Springs that will connect to other bus lines throughout Ohio.

• Council approved a resolution condemning the practice of conversion therapy in Yellow Springs.

• Council approved a resolution authorizing Manager Burns to submit a grant application to the Ohio Department of Transportation to update the Village’s Active Transportation Plan.

• Council approved $500 in grant funds to support The 365 Project’s Kwanzaa activities.

• Council gave Clerk Judy Kintner a one-time bonus of $1,783.

• Council expressed appreciation for outgoing Council members Trish Gustafson, Brian Housh and Kevin Stokes for their years of service at the Council dais.

Miami Township

Trustees debate TLT pledge

In late April, Miami Township Trustees debated whether and how to honor a previously approved $113,000 commitment of American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to Tecumseh Land Trust for potential conservation easements on farmland along Dayton–Yellow Springs Road, known colloquially as the Welch Farm.

Trustee Marilan Moir argued that the plan risked financial instability and potential misuse of ARPA funds, citing guidance that the funds were designated for fire and EMS services. Trustee Chair Chris Mucher countered that the Township had already committed the funds in 2024 and proposed a resolution to reallocate administrative and fire fund resources to fulfill the pledge to TLT.

The trustees elected to seek legal review from the Greene County Prosecutor and outside counsel before taking further action. TLT Executive Director Michele Burns said the uncertainty stalled pending agreements with potential buyers, forcing the nonprofit to either wait for Township action or raise additional funds independently on what was projected to be a tight timeline for the nonprofit.

At a subsequent May meeting, the Trustees voted 2–1 to approve a revised resolution committing $127,419 from the Township’s general fund to TLT, with Moir voting against the measure. The approved measure removed earlier provisions that would have shifted trustee and fiscal officer salaries to other funds, which were a point of concern for Moir, who warned of fiscal precarity and audit risk. Public comment was sharply divided, but Mucher argued the Township could absorb the cost and should honor its long-standing conservation goals.

Two weeks later, the Miami Township Trustees voted 2–1 to rescind and replace their earlier funding resolution, reducing the township’s commitment to the Tecumseh Land Trust from $127,419 to $50,000; Mucher voted against the measure. Moir argued that the revised resolution preserved fiscal stability and reserve funds while honoring the Trustees’ commitment to TLT. Mucher dissented, saying he believed the rollback undermined trust in the Township to honor its commitments moving forward. A letter from TLT’s Burns, shared during the meeting, noted that the original pledge of $113,000 “would have been ideal,” but expressed gratitude for the financial support the Township could “comfortably provide,” and committed to continuing to raise money to close the gap for the Welch Farm’s conservation. Trustee Don Hollister said the letter from Burns persuaded him to vote in favor of rescinding and replacing the originally approved resolution and pledge.

Fire Chief Dennis Powell dies

Yellow Springs Police confirmed April 16 that Dennis Powell, 55, chief of Miami Township Fire-Rescue, had died following a brief illness; that confirmation was announced after police and fire crews responded to a welfare check at Powell’s home the previous day.

In a written statement, MTFR described Powell as a dedicated public servant whose leadership, compassion and integrity left a lasting mark on the department and community.

Powell’s service in Yellow Springs spanned decades. He arrived as an Antioch College student in 1989 and volunteered with both the campus fire department and MTFR, later serving as campus fire chief. He trained as a paramedic, joined the Greene Memorial Hospital emergency squad and taught fire and EMS courses locally and regionally. Promoted to full-time assistant chief at MTFR in 2004, Powell was named interim chief in 2023 following the retirement of Chief Colin Altman, and was appointed fire chief in May 2024.

Fire Chief Cannell comes on board

Miami Township Trustees appointed James R. Cannell Jr. as the new chief of Miami Township Fire-Rescue, with Cannell beginning a planned one-year tenure June 30. Cannell succeeded the late Chief Dennis Powell and Interim Chief Nathaniel Ayers.

A veteran of more than three decades with the Columbus Division of Fire, Cannell previously served as deputy and assistant fire chief and has extensive experience in fire, rescue and EMS operations, as well as firefighter training and leadership development.

Trustees said Cannell was selected for his ability to mentor personnel, improve administrative processes and help guide the department’s transition from a volunteer-based model toward a fully career staff. Cannell said a key goal of his tenure was developing leadership from within the department and assisting trustees in identifying the next long-term fire chief.

Trustees update agenda policies

In July, the Trustees approved changes to improve transparency in how meeting agendas are prepared and shared.

Following the changes, the Trustees agreed that agendas and supporting documents will be posted on the Township website and emailed to subscribers the Friday before each regular meeting; printed copies remain available to those who attend meetings.

The change followed concerns from Trustee Moir about last-minute agenda additions, highlighted by an unannounced executive session and subsequent vote on an employee bonus. Trustees unanimously backed the new process, allowing late additions to the agenda by majority vote, and approved paying Cyndi Pauwels up to $550 monthly to assist Fiscal Officer Jeanna GunderKline with agendas, minutes and administrative support.

Zoning changes ahead

This year, Miami Township undertook its most extensive rewrite of local land-use rules in decades, aiming to clarify and modernize its Zoning Resolution for unincorporated areas.

Led by Zoning Administrator Bryan Lucas and the Zoning Commission, the effort is backed by a  state grant administered by the Greene County Regional Planning and Coordinating Commission, and aims to align the Township’s Zoning Resolution with state law and county standards.

Since April, Lucas and the Zoning Commission have drafted multiple Zoning Resolution amendments, which address fences, accessory buildings and safety standards. Seventeen additional amendments are planned through early 2026, including changes related to signage, short-term rentals, home occupations and accessory dwelling units. The commission is also preparing to review the zoning map to better match current land uses, with public meetings and hearings scheduled as the process continues.

Elections

• In the May 6 statewide primary, Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported the passage of Issue 2 — the only item on ballots cast from Yellow Springs precincts. Issue 2’s passage renewed an existing capital improvement program that allows the state to issue bonds or other obligations to finance projects at the local level.

• In the Nov. 5 general election, all issues passed. Levies for Greene County Public Health, Greene County Public Libraries, the Village of Yellow Springs and Miami Township Fire-Rescue passed.

In local leadership races, Yellow Springers voted in a new slate of Council members: Angie Hsu, Senay Semere and Stephanie Pearce, with the three candidates receiving 1,396, 1,224 and 632 votes, respectively. Votes for the remaining three candidates were 577 for Dean Pallotta, 560 for Scott Osterholm and 450 for incumbent Brian Housh.

As the two highest-voted candidates, Hsu and Semere will serve four-year terms; Pearce will serve a two-year term.

School board candidates Paul Herzog, Kristi Nowack Myers and Kim Reichelderfer ran uncontested for three open seats, receiving 1,346, 1,321 and 1,295 votes, respectively.

Incumbent Marilan Moir retained her seat on the Miami Township Board of Trustees, netting 1,469 votes; Lori Askeland will join her on the board, having received 1,574 votes. Candidate Jed Hanna received 682 votes.

Steve McQueen will be the next mayor of Yellow Springs, succeeding Pam Conine, securing the seat with 1,318 votes. Candidate Mark Heise received 321 votes.

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