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<channel>
<title>West Chester News and Issues</title>
<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/</link>
<description>Kelsey Cano covers the townships of West Chester and Liberty, Ohio, government, business and local residents just like you for The Pulse-Journal and Hamilton JournalNews. She wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment here, e-mail Kelsey at kcano@coxohio.com or call (513) 483-5237.</description>
<dc:language>en-us</dc:language>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2011-03-24T12:49:53-05:00</dc:date>
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<item>
<title>Hang on to your catalytic converters</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2011/03/24/hang_on_to_your_catalytic_conv.html</link>
<description>Two catalytic converters were stolen on Centre Point Drive last week, as noted in this week&amp;#8217;s West Chester police reports. But while editing reports for other newspapers, I saw reports of more catalytic converter thefts in Fairfield. Both of those...</description>
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Two catalytic converters were stolen on Centre Point Drive last week, as noted in this week&amp;#8217;s West Chester police reports. But while editing reports for other newspapers, I saw reports of more catalytic converter thefts in Fairfield. Both of those were on different days in the Mercy Hospital parking lot.
Obviously there isn&amp;#8217;t a lot you can do to protect these car parts. They are being stolen from vehicles that likely are higher off the ground. We&amp;#8217;ll be checking with area police and with the hospital to see if any extra eyes are looking for these thieves. 

I found this website with good answers as to why thieves want these parts. They&amp;#8217;re worth a little cash, obviously. Check out the reasons and how they do it.

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2011-03-24T12:49:53-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>West Chester police arrest 5 for false identification</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2011/03/22/west_chester_police_arrest_5_f.html</link>
<description>We aren&amp;#8217;t sure yet if there was a sweep in West Chester, or why suddenly there were so many arrests of people with fake IDs, but we&amp;#8217;re looking into it. Here&amp;#8217;s a list of the five arrested in the past...</description>
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We aren&amp;#8217;t sure yet if there was a sweep in West Chester, or why suddenly there were so many arrests of people with fake IDs, but we&amp;#8217;re looking into it. Here&amp;#8217;s a list of the five arrested in the past week.

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2011-03-22T15:06:59-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Were you spotted at the Chamber gala?</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2011/03/21/were_you_spotted_at_the_chambe.html</link>
<description>The West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance&amp;#8217;s annual gala was a fantastic event. The Lakota East show choir sang &amp;#8220;Be Our Guest&amp;#8221; as Chamber members and guests entered the dinner room at the Marriott on Friday night. The arts council provided cupcakes...</description>
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The West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance&amp;#8217;s annual gala was a fantastic event. The Lakota East show choir sang &amp;#8220;Be Our Guest&amp;#8221; as Chamber members and guests entered the dinner room at the Marriott on Friday night. The arts council provided cupcakes for dessert, Dean Miuccio made us laugh, and several surprise awards were handed out. Were you there? Check out our photo gallery to see photos from the event. Click here.

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2011-03-21T17:25:53-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Homearama 2011 photo gallery posted</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2011/03/14/homearama_2011_photo_gallery_p.html</link>
<description>We have posted some photos of the Foxborough construction. It is the subdivision that will be the site of the 2011 Homearama home show in mid to late June. Here are the photos....</description>
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We have posted some photos of the Foxborough construction. It is the subdivision that will be the site of the 2011 Homearama home show in mid to late June. Here are the photos.

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2011-03-14T17:53:35-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Driver in injury accident reportedly texting</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2011/03/14/driver_in_injury_accident_repo.html</link>
<description>LIBERTY TWP. &amp;#8212; Two adults and two children were transported to area hospitals Monday after a multi-car accident near the intersection of Ohio 747 and Hamilton-Mason Road. The accident occurred about 3:20 p.m. when a motorist that a witness said...</description>
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LIBERTY TWP. &amp;#8212; Two adults and two children were transported to area hospitals Monday after a multi-car accident near the intersection of Ohio 747 and Hamilton-Mason Road.
The accident occurred about 3:20 p.m. when a motorist that a witness said was driving a red Chevrolet Cobalt erratically struck multiple vehicles traveling on Ohio 747.
The driver of the Colbalt was briefly trapped inside of the vehicle and the driver&amp;#8217;s side door had to be cut off due to heavy damage to the left side of the car, Liberty Twp. Lt. Jason Knollman said.
The woman and a child, who was in an unbuckled car seat, in the Colbalt were transported to Atrium Medical Center with non life threatening injuries, Knollman said.

Read more of this story here.

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2011-03-14T17:49:54-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Census says Liberty area&apos;s  fastest growing township</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2011/03/14/census_says_liberty_areas_fast.html</link>
<description>LIBERTY TWP. &amp;#8212; Location, location, location. The communities along Interstate 75 all saw their populations swell in the last decade because of it, including Springboro, Mason and West Chester Twp. Only Middletown saw declines. While not the largest, the two...</description>
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LIBERTY TWP. &amp;#8212; Location, location, location.
 The communities along Interstate 75 all saw their populations swell in the last decade because of it, including Springboro, Mason and West Chester Twp. Only Middletown saw declines. While not the largest, the two fastest growing communities in Butler and Warren counties were Monroe and Liberty Twp., thanks to well positioned spots on highways.
 &amp;#8220;I think it all comes to quality,&amp;#8221; said Christine Matacic, Liberty Twp. trustees president. &amp;#8220;Quality of the schools, quality of life and quality of the location.&amp;#8221;

Read more of this story by clicking here.

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2011-03-14T17:30:17-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Free cookies at McAlister&apos;s Deli</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2011/03/14/free_cookies_at_mcalisters_del.html</link>
<description>McAlister&amp;#8217;s Deli, 7622 Cox Lane, West Chester Twp., will be giving out free signature cookies to all guests wearing green beginning March 13 through March 19 in honor of St. Patrick&amp;#8217;s Day. For more information, call (513) 755-6888....</description>
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McAlister&amp;#8217;s Deli, 7622 Cox Lane, West Chester Twp., will be giving out free signature cookies to all guests wearing green beginning March 13 through March 19 in honor of St. Patrick&amp;#8217;s Day. For more information, call (513) 755-6888. 

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2011-03-14T17:29:58-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>mgambrell@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Club Splat! page claims Liberty&apos;s &apos;LIBERAL BIG GOVERNMENT&apos;</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/06/03/club_splat_page_claims_liberty.html</link>
<description>Subbing for new West Chester and Liberty reporter Kelsey Cano this a.m. (as I&amp;#8217;ve moved on to cover Hamilton). Continuing Cano&amp;#8217;s coverage of the paintball/laser tag/weekly teen dance party Club Splat! in today&amp;#8217;s traditional media and online&amp;#8230;. Excerpt: LIBERTY TWP....</description>
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<![CDATA[Subbing for new West Chester and Liberty reporter Kelsey Cano this a.m. (as I&#8217;ve moved on to cover Hamilton). 

Continuing Cano&#8217;s coverage of the paintball/laser tag/weekly teen dance party Club Splat! in today&#8217;s traditional media and online&#8230;.

Excerpt:

LIBERTY TWP. &#8212; Officials have filed a preliminary and permanent injunction Wednesday, June 2, against Club Splat!, a local teen hangout, for violating its zoning and going over its occupancy limit, township officials said.

UrbanSplat, 7102 Hamilton-Mason Road, is a paintball and Laser Tag business by day. On Saturday nights, it turns into Club Splat!, for teens from 15-18 years old &#8212; or as owner Mark Pannek calls it, a teen party place.

According to documents filed with the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Pannek was issued a Liberty Twp. zoning certificate in July 2009 for indoor paintball. Caroline McKinney, the township&#8217;s economic development director, said operating the teen dance club violates the zoning use.

&#8220;Like all businesses, they need to follow a process and procedure to make sure we have the correct zoning in place,&#8221; she said.

In addition to the zoning issues, authorities have concerns about safety, McKinney said. The maximum occupancy of the building is 182, according to a Butler County certificate of occupancy. On May 15, approximately 500 teens were in attendance, and on May 22, nearly 300 teens were in the club, according to township documents. 

The photos are still available online. Take a peek. I&#8217;d be curious to know what local parents think? 

The issue boils down to two alleged violations: One, a violation of Pannek&#8217;s permit, which supposedly allows for the operation of laser tag and paintball and not a club. The permit is specific to the paintball use.

The difference? Of course, it comes down to money, and from where Pannek makes his take, i.e., charging by head at the door and via concessions. No alcohol is served at the club. 

Pannek also operates the Bananas Drop-in Jump &amp; Play next door.

The other issue is capacity. The building is zoned to allow only 182 people at a time. 

Take a look again at the pictures. You&#8217;ll lose count after hitting 182, so long as you don&#8217;t get distracted by the sea of shirtless young men and scantily clad young women seemingly caught mid-writhe. 

Here&#8217;s another one, Pannek &#8212; or whomever the administrator of the Facebook page is &#8212; claims Liberty Twp. is &#8220;LIBERAL BIG GOVERNMENT.&#8221;

That&#8217;s an interesting take. Liberty Twp. residents are largely, largely Republican and largely, largely conservative. And their trustees are a reflection of that. 

Trustees Patrick Hiltman and Christine Matacic, while they don&#8217;t run in partisan races for the township, are and have been life-long card-carrying members of the county&#8217;s GOP. 

Trustee President David Kern was elected last week as the Chairman of the GOP, and he&#8217;s even further right than Hiltman and Matacic as a passionate member of the Liberty Tea Party (his wife, Katy, is that group&#8217;s president).

If you recall, he even called President Barack Obama &#8220;a Marxist&#8221; last year. 

Not sure &#8220;liberal&#8221; is the word these folks were looking for. 

Then Pannek takes a stab at pulp culture, paralleling his situation with that of the great 1984 flick &#8220;Footloose&#8221; (one of my favs for sure). 

They even quote Ecclesiastes 3, which Ren McCormick (Kevin Bacon) stumbles through during the movie&#8217;s town hall meeting as a counter argument to town leader and local Rev. Shaw Moore&#8217;s (John Lithgow) reason for calling off a school dance. 

ALL of this is to point out trustees and township administrators are saying Pannek or others can come to the township and apply for the appropriate zoning under which a &#8220;club&#8221; or similar operation could qualify.  In other words, if he solicits and is granted the appropriate use of a zoning certificate, he can operate anything he wants&#133;save for a strip club or other adult entertainment business. But that&#8217;s a whole different blog post. 


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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-06-03T10:34:22-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>&quot;Vicious&quot; dogs euthanized after attacks on people, other dogs</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/03/10/vicious_dogs_euthanized_after.html</link>
<description>I received a few calls earlier this week from residents of the Beckett Ridge area, concerned about their safety and hurt over the death of two pets. That led to this story, regarding two dogs considered by their owner as...</description>
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I received a few calls earlier this week from residents of the Beckett Ridge area, concerned about their safety and hurt over the death of two pets. 

That led to this story, regarding two dogs considered by their owner as Presa Canarios, who attacked and killed two other dogs and bit a man and his daughter. 

Owners of the maimed and killed dogs, Indy and Pepper, describe finding their pets as horrific. The attacks happened over the past week. 

Police and the Butler County Dog Warden say the owner of the two dogs (which the dog warden&amp;#8217;s office consider a mix breed of pit bull and boxer, according to court documents) said the dogs somehow escaped their confinement and ran for days in the Beckett Ridge subdivision. 

Here&amp;#8217;s a few things regarding the case that didn&amp;#8217;t make it into the story, mostly because of space. But I&amp;#8217;ll also explain additional reasons for their exclusion. 

First off, I spoke with a board member of the Dogo Canario Club of America, Inc., regarding the background of the Presa Canario. This was not included in the story because, although the owner of the dog said he thought the dog was at least a descendant of a PC, there was no real proof. Additionally, the county&amp;#8217;s dog expert, Chief Dog Warden Julie Holmes, said the dog didn&amp;#8217;t have the full characteristics of a Presa, and looked like something more of mix between a bull terrier and a boxer. 

Now, Randy Green, board member of the DCCA, said it&amp;#8217;s &amp;#8220;extremely rare&amp;#8221; for PC&amp;#8217;s to attack unless, of course, if they&amp;#8217;re provoked. He said, in fact, no more so than a poodle or a Labrador. 

I agree with that. Any dog backed into a corner is capable of anything. What anyone can&amp;#8217;t ignore is the fact that a poodle bite isn&amp;#8217;t the same thing as a PC&amp;#8217;s, a dog that&amp;#8217;s historically trained to hunt down cattle in the Canary Islands so they can be slaughtered. Green agreed. 

While Green said dogs are a product of their owners, their surroundings and more (instead of possessing a &amp;#8220;killer instinct&amp;#8221; for example), Holmes challenged that theory. 

She said &amp;#8220;There are several factors to how a dog behaves. It&amp;#8217;s not just how they&amp;#8217;re raised.&amp;#8221;

On to the &amp;#8220;vicious&amp;#8221; designation, which has raised quite a bite with local owners, especially those of the bull terrier breed. 

That word, &amp;#8220;vicious&amp;#8221; is a legal term used by the state of Ohio to designate certain breeds&amp;#8217; owners to carry liability insurance in the event of an attack. 

That didn&amp;#8217;t happen in the Beckett Ridge case, according to Holmes, which is why the guy is charged (times two) with failure to carry insurance in addition to the failure to confine charges. 

Holmes also said she understands the frustration with state law, which actually allows for some subjectivity because the law is enforced according to appearance. So if it looks like a bull terrier, it is, by law a bull terrier, and by law considered &amp;#8220;vicious.&amp;#8221;

As I&amp;#8217;ve said here before&amp;#8230;not my decision, but them&amp;#8217;s the rules. 

Thoughts on any of this?

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-03-10T18:43:52-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>One charge dismissed in local murder case</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/03/09/one_charge_dismissed_in_local.html</link>
<description>A Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Tuesday, March 9, dismissed charges against one of two men accused in the September stabbing death of 15-year-old Amber Robinson. Reporter Lauren Pack has been in court since the trail of Khrendon Gray...</description>
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A Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Tuesday, March 9, dismissed charges against one of two men accused in the September stabbing death of 15-year-old Amber Robinson.

Reporter Lauren Pack has been in court since the trail of Khrendon Gray and Rashon Martin began Monday, March 8. Here&amp;#8217;s the story from Tuesday&amp;#8217;s session, when the charge of complicity to murder against Martin was dismissed.

Background

On Thursday, Sept. 10, West Chester police were called out to the North Pointe Townhomes off Muhlhauser Road not once, but twice.

After arriving just after 7 p.m. that night on a reported disturbance, they left the scene following an investigation they said revealed no crimes had been committed. 

About a half hour later, they returned to the complex to find out the situation had escalated, and that 15-year-old Amber Robinson had been stabbed to death. 

In less than 12 hours, they had arrested a suspect in the Lakota West&amp;#8217;s sophomore&amp;#8217;s murder and issued an arrest warrant for a Cincinnati-area juvenile they believed to be connected. 

The following week, Robinson was laid to rest during a funeral at Zion Global Ministries off U.S. 42 in West Chester. More than 500 people attended the service, which was gut-wrenching, needless to say. The church&amp;#8217;s senior pastor pleaded with those in attendance to stifle their anger despite the tragedy.

Apparently, those warnings weren&amp;#8217;t heard by the right folks months ago, as tempers flared again after court on Monday, March 8.

The prosecution rested its case Tuesday, March 9, and the trial will continue Wednesday morning. 

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-03-09T22:39:08-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Signs of summer sizzle</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/03/08/signs_of_summer_sizzle.html</link>
<description>Don&amp;#8217;t mean to go all sports columnist on you this morning, but I thought about it all weekend and the tips of my fingers are itching. Let me say, I love this time of year. Don&amp;#8217;t get me wrong, I...</description>
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Don&amp;#8217;t mean to go all sports columnist on you this morning, but I thought about it all weekend and the tips of my fingers are itching. 

Let me say, I love this time of year. Don&amp;#8217;t get me wrong, I also may be one of the only people in Ohio who actually loves snow. Seriously, I love it. I had more fun during the February snow storms (mostly because of news stories that followed and my work on Local12) than I&amp;#8217;ve had in awhile. Hell, if it&amp;#8217;s going to be winter, let it be winter &amp;#8230; rather than that gray 40-degree rain we seem to get for weeks every six months in southwest Ohio. 

Now, seasonal transitions are one of the reasons why I chose to stay in this part of the state (I grew up on Cincy&amp;#8217;s west side), and the winter-to-spring version is tantalizing. 

It&amp;#8217;s also around this time NCAA basketball becomes significant: Win or go back to studying. Conference championships leading in to the tourney of (for now) 64, and it doesn&amp;#8217;t get much better. 

But it does.

I took off from here at around 2 p.m., Friday, March 5, radio already tuned to The Big One, eagerly awaiting those wonderful, magical words that instill (some) hope: &amp;#8220;If you&amp;#8217;re ready now, the starting line-ups&amp;#8230;&amp;#8221;

Just thinking about it now gets me going.

When I got home, the first thing I saw was my faithful Weber on the deck, dirty cover and still surrounded by snow that had to be piled up after the second storm just so my dog could make it out the back door.

I couldn&amp;#8217;t help it. It was silly, really. Snow still littered my yard, and the temps were only into the upper 40s (much warmer by the coals, though). I have to say, I do grill in the winter, but mostly use the other Weber potbelly for smoking ribs and shoulders.

But, full-on, steaks, brats and sides are pretty rare this time of year (at least at my house).

Either way, the next month will be spent splitting time between The Famer and The Cowboy and The Blue Devils &amp;#8230; That&amp;#8217;s right, I&amp;#8217;m a Duke fan. 

Anybody else?

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<dc:subject>General</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-03-08T07:37:16-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<title>Plans for Bethany corridor nearing completion</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/03/05/plans_for_bethany_corridor_nea.html</link>
<description>There&amp;#8217;s just a few more steps to go before plans for Liberty&amp;#8217;s Bethany corridor are officially added to the books. And that means, for those interested, there&amp;#8217;s a few more chances to add your 2 pennies. Following the Thursday, March...</description>
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There&amp;#8217;s just a few more steps to go before plans for Liberty&amp;#8217;s Bethany corridor are officially added to the books. And that means, for those interested, there&amp;#8217;s a few more chances to add your 2 pennies. 

Following the Thursday, March 4, work session (when about 25 or so showed up to hear the latest presentation), the plan will now head to the township&amp;#8217;s zoning commission April 5, then on to a public hearing before trustees April 20 and finally to the Butler County Planning Commission on May 11.

Once all three entities hear it (and approve it), the plan will be a part of the township&amp;#8217;s comprehensive plan. 

At the work session Thursday, there was still some apprehension on behalf of some existing business and property owners, who feel a trustee&amp;#8217;s going to show up on their doorstep in the near future with an eviction notice. 

It&amp;#8217;s not the case, never has been and never will be. Trustees have continued to say that development will lead the charge to how the Bethany corridor turns out. They&amp;#8217;re simply creating a plan to guide future development. Besides, do you really think a guy like Trustee Dave Kern would be all for the government showing up and saying &amp;#8220;Time to move on&amp;#8230;&amp;#8221; Probably as likely as Kern stumping for the federal stimulus package. In other words, it ain&amp;#8217;t. 

Still, there&amp;#8217;s not been a lot of trust issued to the government at any level as of late, so it&amp;#8217;s not all that surprising. 

Here&amp;#8217;s a link to the township&amp;#8217;s Web site where the Bethany plan is detailed. 

And another link to the township&amp;#8217;s comprehensive plan.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">16852403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bethany corridor</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-03-05T10:02:15-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<title>Liberty buys land for new fire station</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/03/04/liberty_buys_land_for_new_fire.html</link>
<description>Less than a week before Liberty trustees celebrate the opening of its newest fire house, they approved a purchase of nearly four acres of land for another station. Excerpt Trustees took the first step Tuesday, March 2, to building a...</description>
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Less than a week before Liberty trustees celebrate the opening of its newest fire house, they approved a purchase of nearly four acres of land for another station. 

Excerpt

Trustees took the first step Tuesday, March 2, to building a fourth township firehouse with the purchase of more than four acres of land.

Trustees unanimously approved a total of $221,700 for the purchase of the two adjacent tracts &amp;#8212; totaling nearly 4.4 acres &amp;#8212; near the corner of Kyles Station and Cincinnati-Dayton roads.

The cost for the land tops out at $211,500, and the township will use the remaining $10,200 for surveying, environmental studies and closing costs, according to Administrator Dina Minneci. Minneci expects that work and the closing process to take approximately 90 days, meaning the land will be officially turned over to the township on or before June 2.



Few things about this purchase and the future of the fire station. Township Administrator Dina Minneci said Tuesday the new building would likely mirror the one trustees built off Ohio 747 near Ohio 4. Minneci said as a result, the township would likely be able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in engineering and other costs. 

It&amp;#8217;s also not expected to come to fruition this year. While some planning may take place, construction may not start on the new station until sometime in 2011. Stay tuned for the possibility of a fire levy sometime between now and then.

And, as for the open house, it&amp;#8217;s slated for noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 12. Station 111&amp;#8217;s address is 6682 Princeton-Glendale Road.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">16852103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/</guid>
<dc:subject>Liberty Twp. Government</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-03-04T09:40:34-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<title>Plan for Pisgah progresses; communication improving</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/03/03/plan_for_pisgah_progresses_com.html</link>
<description>Last week, we featured a story regarding the desire by residents and business owners in West Chester&amp;#8217;s Pisgah to revitalize the U.S. 42 corridor. While those folks would call it more of a battle than a desire, many in the...</description>
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Last week, we featured a story regarding the desire by residents and business owners in West Chester&amp;#8217;s Pisgah to revitalize the U.S. 42 corridor. While those folks would call it more of a battle than a desire, many in the area are pleased that communication between them and the township has improved. 

But there are some hard feelings to get over, among them thoughts that the Pisgah area has been neglected as a result of attention being paid to places like Tylersville Road and the Union Centre Boulevard interchange off I-75. 

And it&amp;#8217;s not that those feelings aren&amp;#8217;t at least somewhat justified, as the U.S. 42 corridor became a political buzzword for candidates vying for spots on the Board of Trustees last November. At that time, candidate after candidate, including incumbents Catherine Stoker and Lee Wong, said the area had been neglected for too long. 

Attitudes are changing, however, as trustees earlier this year approved a move to spend $480,000 on various projects in the U.S. 42 corridor. In addition, members of the U.S. 42 property owners group have gained the ear of township administrators and trustees, most recently during a work session late last month. 

Below is a copy of the Pisgah plan as presented by residents and property owners. While it&amp;#8217;s still in rough draft form, local residents hope to have the plan adopted by the spring. 

Thoughts?

APlanforPisgahofWCTrusteeProof                                                             

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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-03-03T09:21:01-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<title>Electric aggregation a go</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/entries/2010/03/02/electric_aggregation_a_go.html</link>
<description>Although the response from the audience and one member of the West Chester Twp. Board of Trustees was a collective &amp;#8220;Hell no,&amp;#8221; a majority of trustees agreed last week to move forward with an electric aggregation plan. It was an...</description>
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Although the response from the audience and one member of the West Chester Twp. Board of Trustees was a collective &amp;#8220;Hell no,&amp;#8221; a majority of trustees agreed last week to move forward with an electric aggregation plan.

It was an interesting meeting, Feb. 23, heated at times as electric- and rate-speak led to terse words. 

Here&amp;#8217;s an excerpt:

For the first time since Nov. 2005, when voters approved trustees&amp;#8217; ability to enter into an agreement with a company other than Duke Energy to provide utility services, local residents will have the opportunity to save money on electric bills, trustees said Tuesday.


The agreement approved Tuesday locks in rates that are more than 35 percent below the most recent comparable rate structures offered by Duke Energy, according to a presentation by Mark Burns, president of the township&amp;#8217;s aggregation program broker, Independent Energy Consultants. The agreement runs from May to Dec. 31, 2012, with Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Solutions.


Gas aggregation has been used by the township since 2006. Most recently, the program saved West Chester residents and small businesses more than $1.5 million, Burns said.


When nearly 60 percent of voters approved Nov. 8, 2005, the township&amp;#8217;s participation in electric and gas aggregation programs, they agreed to automatically be enrolled in the program with a majority nod by trustees. Residents may still opt out of the program from the start, or opt out if Duke&amp;#8217;s rates fall below offerings locked in by FirstEnergy. Whether there would be a penalty for opting out of the program in its first six months of existence still remains to be seen, however, as deals were still being worked out during Tuesday&amp;#8217;s meeting.

You can still opt out of the program, and more info regarding that can be found on the township&amp;#8217;s Web site. 

Will you participate? 

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<guid isPermaLink="false">16811603@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/westchesternews/</guid>
<dc:subject>Aggregation</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-03-02T08:39:01-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>dgreber@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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