COMMUNITY JOURNAL CLERMONT 75¢
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015
Your Community Press newspaper serving Amelia, Batavia, Batavia Township, New Richmond, Ohio Township, Pierce Township, Union Township, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Township
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HomeGoods is coming to Eastgate Home decor retailer will be located in ‘32 East’ shopping complex Jeanne Houck jhouck@communitypress.com
CINDY SCHROEDER/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Hannah Smith, 14, Jonathan Reyes, 17, and Austin Fagin, 17, are working at Hilton Garden Inn in Loveland.
Clermont Youth Employment Program thrives 117 workers ages 14-24 held summer jobs Cindy Schroeder cschroeder@communitypress.com
In what employers and participants alike are calling a win-win, the federally funded Summer Youth Employment Program that matches low income youths with employers in Clermont County has seen an increase in participants this year. This summer, 117 Clermont County residents ages 14 to 24 were approved for the program, up from 70 last year, said Judy Eschmann, director of Clermont County Job and Family Services. Employers, which include companies in the private sector, as well as local school districts and government entities, say the summertime employees often provide much needed labor. Workers say the $10-anhour jobs enable them to buy school supplies and/or supplement their family’s income. For many youths, it’s their first job, and the experience helps build a resume to land future jobs. “During the summertime, the hotel’s very busy, so we need additional help,” said Pam Hillman, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn in Loveland, which employs three youths through the program. “It’s exciting to reach
I FOUGHT THE SLAW... 5A And Rita’s slaw won.
out to these kids and introduce them to the work force. The kids we’ve employed this summer all have positive attitudes, and they’re definitely part of our team.” The program is run by Clermont County Job and Family Services and its youth services contractor, Easter Seals Tristate. Participating youths can be in a foster home or a household that receives some sort of public assistance, whether it be a medical card or food stamps or some sort of cash assistance. Youths 19 to 24 who have a child and are receiving public assistance or meeting federal income guidelines for low income families also qualify. In many cases, Clermont County school districts have recruited and employed participants in the Summer Youth Employment Program. Participating school districts include Felicity-Franklin, Goshen, Batavia, West Clermont, Williamsburg and the Grant Career Center in Bethel. “This is the first year that we’ve been in the program, and the five kids we have working under the supervision of our maintenance supervisor have been a great help,” said Darrell Edwards, superintendent of Goshen Local Schools. He added the youths are doing everything from maintenance and cleaning to helping set up computers. “Besides helping us, I think it’s great for the kids,” Edwards said. “It provides them with some structure in their
life and a summer job. They’re learning job skills.” Some of the other employers in the program include the Clermont County Chamber of Commerce, Neff Landscaping, the Ohio State University Extension office, Clermont Senior Services, the Pierce Township Park District, Clermont Metropolitan Housing, Crosstown Motors and the Elk Run Golf Course. Although the program technically runs until Oct. 31, for the younger participants, it ends when they head back to school. Last summer, Austin Fagin of Loveland did maintenance and cleaning and answered phones at the YMCA. This year, the 17-year-old is doing maintenance and kitchen work at the Hilton Garden Inn in Loveland when he’s not stripping beds and doing laundry. “The job I did last summer at the Y helped me get a job at Kroger during the school year,” Austin said. “I was able to use the Y as a reference and I learned skills like how to interact with other people.” Austin, who lives with his grandmother, also appreciates the fact that he can change his work schedule if his grandmother’s car was to break down on a work day or be needed by another family member. He plans to use most of his summer earnings to buy school supplies and help pay his grandmother’s utility bills. Austin’s also used his pay-
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HomeGoods is joining and Gordmans and Michaels in a shopping complex across from Jungle Jim’s International Market in Eastgate. Union Township Administrator Ken Geis said HomeGoods has signed a lease with developer PEBB Enterprises of Boca Raton, Fla., to operate at 700 Eastgate South Drive in the former Eastgate Station, which PEBB Enterprises is renaming “32 East.” “This is great news that another tenant has been signed by PEBB in this completely renovated center, which will bring in new jobs to the township,” Union Township Trustee Matt Beamer said. “(This means) more new stores, more activity and continued investment into the area. “And it continues the forward motion of the township,” Beamer said. PEBB Enterprises is looking for more tenants in its 13-acre 32 East development, which is off state Route 32 and east of Interstate 275. “The new owners are investing more than $20 million in that site and their investment is really paid off with some new, high-class retail developers in that area,” Geis said. Geis also said a traffic roundabout being built in the area at the intersection of Eastgate South Drive and Clepper Lane will be complete before Thanksgiving. “It should be very attractive,” Geis said. “They are great traffic movers. They are safer than traditional signalized intersections.” Want to know more about what is happening in Union Township? Follow me on Twitter @jeannehouck.
“(This means) more new stores, more activity and continued investment into the area. And it continues the forward motion of the township.” MATT BEAMER, UNION TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE
PROVIDED
The location of a proposed HomeGoods store in “32 East.”
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